Part 87 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series
David Pawson says that 1 Peter is relevant wherever Christians are fearful of persecution. Peter tells believers how to endure for Jesus. So we need this letter today. It is warm and encouraging. Peter had known what it was to fear threat, now he knew how to face it without fear. Jesus had reinstated him after his betrayal of Jesus because Peter still loved him. Now he wanted to encourage others. He had gone from timid to bold with the filling of the Holy Spirit. In this letter, suffering is one theme, submission to it is another and salvation is the third theme. (He lived up to his own advice when he was finally crucified himself, asking to be crucified upside down.) Peter urged his readers to be sure of their salvation as it was their firm foundation, but also to stick together to encourage each other in the face of trials. He speaks of their ‘living hope’. Like Paul, he emphasizes faith, hope and love, as well as the priesthood of all believers, and that we believers are a holy nation.