The structure of this berakah is similar to that of a praise Psalm (compare Psalm 103).
- 1:3a Blessed be
- 1:3b-5 The Father's salvation purpose
- 1:6-9 Christ's reward to the believer's trust-response
- 1:10-12 Spirit's revelation of Salvation
BIG IDEA: The salvation plan of the blessing-worthy Triune God is determined by the Father, rewarded through the Son, and revealed by the Spirit. The believer's proper response is trust and joy; through this response the result of salvation is obtained. This salvation work is great, worthy of inquiry and wonder.
FLOW:
This section is a blessing on God. As such, each point in the flow communicates a good word ("blessing") about God the Father. The Son (1:6-9) and the Spirit (1:10-12) are included but the blessing points to the Father. Verse 3a also explicitly links the Father to the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. So the blessing about the Father is spoken from a Christological perspective.
Verses 3b-5 praise the Father for what has already happened: the expression of God's mercy. According to the standard of his mercy, God has given his people living hope (1:3), an inheritance (1:5), and salvation (1:5). All this was brought about by means of Christ's death and resurrection and the Father's sovereign decision.
Verses 6-9 praise the Father for fulfilling his purpose int he present struggle. Peter's readers were undergoing various trials (1:6) that were sufficient to cause grief. Peter tells them that when they rejoice in the mercy they have been shown (1:3-5), such trials produce a proven, genuine trust (faith) that brings praise, glory, and honor to the Father. Present focus on past mercy results in future blessing through believers to God when Jesus is revealed.
Verses 10-12 praise the Father for his plan, revealed through his prophets by the Holy Spirit. The prophets of the TaNaKh inquired and wrote about the suffering (for example, Isaiah 53) and glory (for example, Isaiah 11) of the Messiah. They did this by means of the Holy Spirit (1:11) for the benefit of those who came after them (1:12).
This post is subject to change without notice.
Sanctify is studying 1 Peter.
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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/
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