To the ‘exiles’ [Gr. par-epidemois] …in Pontus, Galatia, (etc.)… ·…sanctified by the Spirit…: ·The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by his great mercy, has {begotten us again}...through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... ·into an inheritance that is imperishable..., kept in heaven…, ·…to be revealed at the last time. ·In this YOU[i] rejoice, even if now for a little while YOU have had to suffer various trials, ·so that the genuineness of YOUR faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ·…YOU rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, ·for YOU are receiving the outcome of YOUR faith. (1 Peter 1:1-9 NRSV {Amp})

Therefore, prepare YOUR minds for action; discipline yourselves; set {YOUR hope completely [Gr. teleios]} on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring YOU when he is revealed. ·Like obedient children [Gr. tekna], do not be conformed to the desires that YOU formerly had in ignorance. ·Instead as he who called YOU is holy, be holy yourselves in all YOUR conduct: ·for it is written: 'YOU shall be holy, for I am holy' [Lev.19:2]. If {YOU call him‘Father’}, the One who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time [YOU are living away from home [Gr. par-oikias]]. ·YOU know that YOU were ransomed from the futile ways {handed down by} YOUR ancestors, not with perishable things… ·but with the precious blood of Christ, (1 Pet.1:13-19 NRSV {GNB} [JB])

Now that YOU have purified YOUR souls by obedience to the truth, so that YOU have genuine {brotherly-affection*}, love one another deeply from the heart… ·Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander... ·Beloved, I urge YOU as {strangers [Gr. par-oikous]} and exiles [Gr. par-epidemois] to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against YOUR soul. ·Conduct yourselves honorably among the nations [Gr. ethne], so that, though they malign YOU as evildoers, they may see YOUR honorable deeds and glorify God {on the day of visitation}. (1 Pet.1:22; 2:1,11-12 NRSV {Amp.})

For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor… ·or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For [this way is the will of God to silence the ignorance of foolish people: by doing good ·as free people who use this freedom as servants of God and not] as a pretext for evil. ·Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God; honor the emperor… ·{YOU...men should live considerately with} YOUR wives, …paying honor to the woman...since they too are {joint-heirs} of the gracious gift of life… ·Finally, all of YOU, have unity of spirit, sympathy, {brotherly-affection*}, a tender heart and a humble mind. ·Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse. …Repay with a blessing…that YOU might inherit a blessing. ... ·Christ has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with… authorities and powers made subject to him… ·Live the rest of YOUR earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God. ·YOU have spent enough time in doing what the nations [Gr. ethne] like to do, living in…passions… ·They are surprised that YOU no longer join them..., so they {abuse YOU}. (1 Pet.2:13-17; 3:7-9,22; 4:2-3a,4 NRSV {Amp*same as in 1:22)} [own translation])

Having been ‘begotten again’ by the Father, through Jesus' resurrection from the dead, and having been ‘sanctified’ by the Spirit (Med.#45), we have a responsibility as adult sons and daughters [Gr. tekna][ii] to be holy like our Father is holy. And this means being ‘impartial’ like him in the way we see and behave towards ‘all people’,

In his Galilean Jewish culture, Peter grew up seeing his own nation as ‘holy’ and special. And even after receiving the Holy Spirit, he still saw people of other nations and ethnic groups as ‘common’ or ‘inferior’ (Act.10:28)—until God gave him a vision, and an object lesson that was for all Jewish believers. Only after breaking tradition and entering the home of an Italian officer, did Peter finally grasp the full application of the words of the Torah. Being ‘holy’ and ‘impartial’ like his Father means loving fellow believers of other nations as brothers and sisters and co-heirs (Med.#6), not just treating them equally as neighbors (Lev.19:2,15,33). Now Peter says to these believers of other nations (Med.#45): if you call God, “Father”, then you must do the same.

Yet there are ‘human desires’, and ‘ways passed down’ from generation to generation, that still ‘fight’ to influence our ‘conduct’ towards people of other nations [Gr. ethne]— even after we become members of the Father's multi-ethnic family. When Peter names some of these ‘desires of the flesh’—like ‘sensuality, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties and idolatry’ (4:3 ESV)—he isn't just talking about individual sins. He also has in mind: the corporate pressure from our own nations and ethnic groups that goes with such practices; and corporate ‘passions’ like tribalism and nationalism. He himself had discovered on a visit to Antioch, that the pressure of these ethnic passions can attack us even inside the church (Med.#28).[iii]

Now, writing some years after that incident (c. 60-64 AD), Peter describes the kind of mental preparation and self-discipline necessary to successfully meet these challenges. First, we must change our thinking about where our ‘home’ country is. Whether we reside in a foreign nation or among people of our own nation or ethnic group, we all need to live as ‘strangers’ who are ‘away from home’ [Gr. par-oikias]—as ‘exiles’ who are away from their own people [Gr par-epidemois].[iv] And we must embrace the multi-ethnic New Jerusalem as our new home ‘country’ (Heb.11:10,13-16; 12:22; Rev.21:26). Through Christ's resurrection we have already come into the ‘first-fruits’ of this new reality in the Spirit (Med.#5)—an imperishable family inheritance which far surpasses any of the perishable things that are ours in our earthly families, tribes and nations.

Secondly, we need to discipline ourselves so that we no longer act in complicity with nationalistic and tribal ‘passions’. Favoritism—whether towards indigenous citizens, or towards a dominant ethnic or caste group—is deeply rooted in most cultures, though it is usually unacknowledged or denied. When such discrimination and exclusion is challenged, group feelings and ‘desires’ get stirred up in the form of ‘malice’ towards immigrants, and ‘insincerity’ towards all “outsiders”. Dominant groups feel threatened, minority groups feel injured, and all tend to respond with ‘all kinds of slander’ against members of other groups. Also, citizens of poorer countries, out of ‘envy’, often practice ‘guile’ on richer foreigners if it will benefit themselves or their own group.

We are particularly vulnerable to falling back on such group ‘passions’ when we too have been injured or subjected to unjust suffering at the hands of people from another group. Yet Peter reminds us that being like Jesus means keeping our hearts tender, choosing humility, and not returning ‘evil for evil or abuse for abuse’. Instead, we are to bless those who abuse us, knowing that our Father is close to us during our suffering (3:12), and treating us like gold. A goldsmith must stay close to the heat when gold is being refined in fire: in order to remove the impurities that come to the surface, and in order to know when the process is complete—when he sees his own image perfectly reflected in the gold. By choosing—out of faith and hope—to do good to all and to maintain unity even when it hurts, we grow in maturity like our ‘impartial’ Father is ‘mature’ [Gr. teleios] (Med.#12).

Likewise in two other social arenas, Peter says. ‘Servants of Christ’ must not give in to group ‘passions’ and ‘desires of the flesh’ in how they speak about, or relate to government officials and institutions. I feel deeply grieved about the ‘slander’ and ‘malice’ that comes out of the mouths of many Christians in my own nation towards politicians from other parties or ethnic groups. The freedom we enjoy in Christ—because all social powers and authorities are now subject to him—should empower us to not be intimidated by the power of such tribalism. Our new freedom must never give us a ‘pretext’ to join in this kind of abusive behaviour. Even when we are critical of officials, we must show them honor and accept the authority of government institutions on all levels, for these still have a God-given role to play. And in social relationships, the conduct of Christian men must reflect the ‘impartiality’ of their Father, and not the gender hierarchies of their culture; for in Christ, men must now treat women as adult ‘co-heirs of the gracious gift of life’.

Do you know the indescribable and glorious joy of being able to call God, “Father”? Are you also accepting the responsibility to become impartial and mature according to his will? Or do the ‘futile ways’ and passions of your own social class, political party or ethnic group still exert too strong an influence on your life?

Father from whom every family on earth derives its name, out of your glorious riches, strengthen me with power through your Spirit: that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith; and that, together with all the saints, I may know the height, depth, breadth and length of his love. (Eph.3:14-18)

I choose to come to him outside the camp (of my own family, ethnic group and nation), bearing his disgrace. Here we do not have an enduring city, but we… have come to the heavenly Jerusalem—where redeemed people from every tribe, language, people and nation worship the Lamb together. (Heb.13:13-14; 12:22; Rev.5:9)

[i] When I put the 2^nd person in all caps (‘YOU’), it means that a group of people is being addresses (since the Greek pronoun is plural). The KJV is the only translation I know that distinguishes 2^nd person plural (you, ye, your, yours) and singular (thee, thou, thy, thine).

[ii] On why I render the Greek plural word tekna as ‘sons and daughters’ in my translations, see Med.#5, paragraph 6 and footnote [ii].

[iii] Peter's experience in the home of Cornelius probably took place sometime between five and fourteen years after Pentecost (sometime between 35 and 44 AD). His ‘relapse’ during a visit to Antioch took place at least four years after that (c. 48 AD). If you become a member, you can view a timeline of these events in my ‘A Chronology of Jesus’ life and the early part of Paul’s life and ministry’.

[iv] Par-oikous literally means ‘those alongside [para] the household [oikos]’. Par-epidemois means ‘those alongside [para] the people in their native land or city [epideemeo]’ (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p.237).