Definitions – Page 25 – Three Minute Bible

June 28, 2020October 11, 2020

1 Peter 1:14 — Heresy?

A picture of a football game at the line of scrimmage.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

What am I about to write might be considered heresy by some. If any of you reading this are in that camp, please consider that as a child of God, I may still be living in ignorance. My life is a journey and for these last many years my journey has been all about getting to know God better. If what I write does not fit with what you believe, please feel free to gently correct me in the comments.

Peter presumes that as believers we are “obedient children.” How I wish that this were true! I see many who walk in faith moving from ignorance to knowledge of God’s ways. To some extent, that is all we can hope for in this life. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12;

June 27, 2020June 29, 2020

1 Peter 1:13 (b) — The Quiz

The word "quiz" written on a chalkboard.

… set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

Peter continues. He advises us to keep our minds alert and sober. Why? He tells us to set our hope on something that will be given us when Jesus comes. What? What will be “brought to [us]” when Jesus is revealed?

Honestly, this sentence by Peter feels a bit like a flash quiz. In school, there were the tests that you knew were coming; midterms and finals. Those you could plan for. The ones that everyone seemed to hate were those quizzes.

June 26, 2020June 26, 2020

1 Peter 1:13 (a) — Tour Guide

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober…

Years ago back in the late 1970s, I drove a tour bus in Alaska. Not only did I drive the bus, but thanks to the wonders of a microphone mounted on a flex arm I was also the tour guide. Having driven over one hundred thousand miles of Alaskan highways and byways, I feel fairly well qualified to state that a trip through the barren wastelands of Alaska and the Yukon is much more entertaining with a tour guide than it is driving-driving-driving until you get to the next place on the map.

A good tour guide knows a lot about his or her territory. A tour guide has to know where they are at any given time. That kind of goes without saying.

June 10, 2020June 10, 2020

1 Peter 1:2 (e) — Grace and Peace

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

In our meditation on James 4: 6 (a) we examined the concept of Grace. I wrote:

“Grace is one of the simplest concepts in the Bible, and yet for some reason, it is difficult to understand. Grace is commonly understood to mean a manner of acting. For example, a ballerina dances with grace. Grace can also mean a gift or favor. In this case, I think it might mean both.

“God loves us even though we are unlovable. When a perfect being shows kindness and affection to his enemy (James 4: 4) it is an act of grace. When our God takes the extra step of giving us the means to be redeemed from Satan’s power, he does us a favor. What he gives us is the gift of Himself. We call this gift the Holy Spirit.

June 9, 2020June 10, 2020

1 Peter 1:2 (d) — Sprinkled

Red paint splattered on a white background

… and sprinkled with his blood…

Let’s continue with our deep dive into Peter’s opening words. We’ve talked about who and what Peter is and then moved into his description of the people he is writing to. Looking at the key concepts he has included it reads almost like a creed. We who believe are chosen by God, exiled from the world, known intimately by our Father, sanctified and continuing in sanctification to be obedient to Jesus Christ. And then we come to being sprinkled with his blood.

The thought of writing about this is daunting for me. I don’t even like the sight of blood. Yet being “sprinkled in blood” is an important part of Jewish history. It is one of the key prophetic pointers in the Old Testament that foretell the work of the Messiah.

June 7, 2020June 8, 2020

1 Peter 1: 2 (b) — Changed

The words "Look out for each other" on a chalk board.

…through the sanctifying work of the Spirit…

In his introduction to his letter, Peter identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. He identifies his audience as a group of Christians who have gone into exile 20 to 30 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He identifies the people he is writing to as “God’s elect” and then tells us the geographical region they live in. He explains that being “chosen” is because God already knows how things will play out.

There is a lot of information here, but Peter is not done. He still hasn’t finished his first sentence yet! Somehow the process of being chosen has something to do with the sanctifying work of the Spirit.

How?

June 5, 2020June 5, 2020

1 Peter 1:1 (d) — Exiled

The ancient world was not that big. Finding a corner to ”get away from it all” was harder than you might think.

…exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia…

Where to begin?

Peter is writing to exiles. Exiles are people who have been forced to leave their homes. Actually, that is a bit misleading. It is not like they were exiled to the next town or city. They were forced from their own country.

Why were they forced out?

Because they believed in Jesus.

June 2, 2020June 2, 2020

1 Peter 1: 1(a) — Everyman

Two men work on fishing nets in the early morning light.

Peter…

As we begin our meditations on 1 Peter, it seems fitting that his text begins with his name. Since this “book” of the Bible is a letter, Peter follows the tradition of letter writing used two thousand years ago. Today we would begin with, “Dear Sir and/or Madam,” or something similar. Not until the end of the letter would our signature reveal who the author is. In Peter’s time, that was not the case. He begins, “Peter…” and then continues with a description of his credentials. Only then does he tell us who he is writing to.

June 1, 2020June 3, 2020

Jude 1:25f — So Be It

Amen.

At the end of Jude’s letter is a one-word sentence: Amen. This word is both unique and ubiquitous. Like so many words in Christian traditions “Amen” has assumed a familiarity that leads one to take it for granted. Yet we shouldn’t. There is much to know about this simple word.

May 31, 2020May 31, 2020

Jude 1: 25e — A Reasonable Faith

…before all ages, now and forevermore!

The nature of time is an interesting and much-debated topic. It exists to help us navigate life by dividing our experiences up in three ways: past, present, and future. God’s view of time is different than ours (See Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8). In fact, time may not have any meaning in heaven except as it relates to our world and our need for temporal structure.

Jude writes that God is God, “… before all ages, now and forevermore!” He is covering all the bases. There never has been a time when God wasn’t God. There never will be a time when God is not God.

Why is this important?