1 Peter 1:1-12 NLT

Outline

• Greetings (1:1-2)
• Praise to God for His Grace and Salvation (1:3-12)
• Exhortations to Holiness of Life (1:13;5:11)
  • The Requirement of Holiness (1:13;2:3)
  • The Position of Believers (2:4-12)
    1. A spiritual house (2:4-8)
    2. A chosen people (2:9-10)
    3. Aliens and strangers (2:11-12)
  • Submission to Authority (2:13;3:7)
    1. Submission to rulers (2:13-17)
    2. Submission to masters (2:18-20)
    3. Christ's example of submission (2:21-25)
    4. Submission of wives to husbands (3:1-6)
    5. The corresponding duty of husbands (3:7)
  • Duties of All (3:8-17)
  • Christ's Example (3:18;4:6)
  • Conduct in View of the End of All Things (4:7-11)
  • Conduct of Those Who Suffer for Christ (4:12-19)
  • Conduct of Elders (5:1-4)
  • Conduct of the Young (5:5-11)
• The Purpose of the Letter (5:12)
• Final Greetings and Benediction (5:13-14)

1 Peter 1 NLT

1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 

2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 

4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 

5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 

7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 

9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. 

10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you.

11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. 

12They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. 

Summary of the Book of 1 Peter

Summary of the Book of 1 Peter

This summary of the book of 1 Peter provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of 1 Peter.

Author and Date

The author identifies himself as the apostle Peter (1:1), and the contents and character of the letter support his authorship (see notes on 1:12; 4:13; 5:1-2,5,13). Moreover, the letter reflects the history and terminology of the Gospels and Acts (notably Peter's speeches). Its themes and concepts reflect Peter's experiences and his associations in the period of our Lord's earthly ministry and in the apostolic age. That he was acquainted, e.g., with Paul and his letters is made clear in 2Pe 3:15-16 (see notes there); Gal 1:18; 2:1-21 and elsewhere. Coincidences in thought and expression with Paul's writings are therefore not surprising.

From the beginning, 1 Peter was recognized as authoritative and as the work of the apostle Peter. The earliest reference to it may be 2Pe 3:1 (see note there), where Peter himself refers to a former letter he had written. 1 Clement (a.d. 95) seems to indicate acquaintance with 1 Peter. Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John, makes use of 1 Peter in his letter to the Philippians. The author of the Gospel of Truth (140-150) was acquainted with 1 Peter. Eusebius (fourth century) indicated that it was universally received.

The letter was explicitly ascribed to Peter by that group of church fathers whose testimonies appear in the attestation of so many of the genuine NT writings, namely, Irenaeus (a.d. 140-203), Tertullian (150-222), Clement of Alexandria (155-215) and Origen (185-253). It is thus clear that Peter's authorship of the book has early and strong support.

Nevertheless some claim that the idiomatic Greek of this letter is beyond Peter's competence. But in his time Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek were used in the Holy Land, and he may well have been acquainted with more than one language. That he was not a professionally trained scribe (Ac 4:13) does not mean that he was unacquainted with Greek; in fact, as a Galilean fisherman he in all likelihood did use it. Even if he had not known it in the earliest days of the church, he may have acquired it as an important aid to his apostolic ministry in the decades that intervened between then and the writing of 1 Peter.

It is true, however, that the Greek of 1 Peter is good literary Greek, and even though Peter could no doubt speak Greek, as so many in the Mediterranean world could, it is unlikely that he would write such polished Greek. But it is at this point that Peter's remark in 5:12 (see note there) concerning Silas may be significant. Here the apostle claims that he wrote "with the help of" (more lit. "through" or "by means of") Silas. This phrase cannot refer merely to Silas as a letter carrier. Thus Silas was the intermediate agent in writing. Some have claimed that Silas's qualifications for recording Peter's letter in literary Greek are found in Ac 15:22-29. It is known that a secretary in those days often composed documents in good Greek for those who did not have the language facility to do so. Thus in 1 Peter Silas's Greek may be seen, while in 2 Peter it may be Peter's rough Greek that appears.

Some also maintain that the book reflects a situation that did not exist until after Peter's death, suggesting that the persecution referred to in 4:14-16; 5:8-9 is descriptive of Domitian's reign (a.d. 81-96). However, the situation that was developing in Nero's time (54-68) is just as adequately described by those verses.

The book can be satisfactorily dated in the early 60s. It cannot be placed earlier than 60 since it shows familiarity with Paul's Prison Letters (e.g., Colossians and Ephesians, which are to be dated no earlier than 60): Compare 1:1-3 with Eph 1:1-3; 2:18 with Col 3:22; 3:1-6 with Eph 5:22-24. Furthermore, it cannot be dated later than 67/68, since Peter was martyred during Nero's reign.

Place of Writing

In 5:13 Peter indicates that he was "in Babylon" when he wrote 1 Peter. Among the interpretations that have been suggested are that he was writing from (1) Egyptian Babylon, which was a military post, (2) Mesopotamian Babylon, (3) Jerusalem and (4) Rome. Peter may well be using the name Babylon symbolically, as it seems to be used in the book of Revelation (see Rev 14:8; 17:9-10 and notes). Tradition connects him in the latter part of his life with Rome, and certain early writers held that 1 Peter was written there. On the other hand, it is pointed out by some that (1) Babylon is known to have existed in the first century as a small town on the Euphrates; (2) there is no evidence that the term Babylon was used figuratively to refer to Rome until Revelation was written (c. a.d. 95); (3) the context of 5:13 does not appear to be figurative or cryptic.

Themes

Although 1 Peter is a short letter, it touches on various doctrines and has much to say about Christian life and duties. It is not surprising that different readers have found it to have different principal themes. For example, it has been characterized as a letter of separation, of suffering and persecution, of suffering and glory, of hope, of pilgrimage, of courage, and as a letter dealing with the true grace of God. Peter says that he has written "encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God" (5:12). This is a definitive general description of the letter, but it does not exclude the recognition of numerous subordinate and contributory themes. The letter includes a series of exhortations (imperatives) that run from 1:13 to 5:11.

Outline

• Greetings (1:1-2)
• Praise to God for His Grace and Salvation (1:3-12)
• Exhortations to Holiness of Life (1:13;5:11)
  • The Requirement of Holiness (1:13;2:3)
  • The Position of Believers (2:4-12)
    1. A spiritual house (2:4-8)
    2. A chosen people (2:9-10)
    3. Aliens and strangers (2:11-12)
  • Submission to Authority (2:13;3:7)
    1. Submission to rulers (2:13-17)
    2. Submission to masters (2:18-20)
    3. Christ's example of submission (2:21-25)
    4. Submission of wives to husbands (3:1-6)
    5. The corresponding duty of husbands (3:7)
  • Duties of All (3:8-17)
  • Christ's Example (3:18;4:6)
  • Conduct in View of the End of All Things (4:7-11)
  • Conduct of Those Who Suffer for Christ (4:12-19)
  • Conduct of Elders (5:1-4)
  • Conduct of the Young (5:5-11)
• The Purpose of the Letter (5:12)
• Final Greetings and Benediction (5:13-14)

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From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, 1 Peter
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

James 5 NLT

Outline

• Greetings (1:1)
• Trials and Temptations (1:2-18)
  • The Testing of Faith (1:2-12)
  • The Source of Temptation (1:13-18)
• Listening and Doing (1:19-27)
• Favoritism Forbidden (2:1-13)
• Faith and Deeds (2:14-26)
• Taming the Tongue (3:1-12)
• Two Kinds of Wisdom (3:13-18)
• Warning against Worldliness (ch. 4)
  • Quarrelsomeness (4:1-3)
  • Spiritual Unfaithfulness (4:4)
  • Pride (4:5-10)
  • Slander (4:11-12)
  • Boasting (4:13-17)
• Warning to Rich Oppressors (5:1-6)
• Miscellaneous Exhortations (5:7-20)
• Concerning Patience in Suffering (5:7-11)
• Concerning Oaths (5:12)
• Concerning the Prayer of Faith (5:13-18)
• Concerning Those Who Wander from the Truth (5:19-20)

James 5 NLT

1 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 

2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 

3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 

4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. 

5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 

6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you. 

7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 

8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 

9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! 

10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 

11We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. 

12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned. 

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 

14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 

15Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 

17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 

18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. 

19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 

20you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

James 4 NLT

Outline

• Greetings (1:1)
• Trials and Temptations (1:2-18)
  • The Testing of Faith (1:2-12)
  • The Source of Temptation (1:13-18)
• Listening and Doing (1:19-27)
• Favoritism Forbidden (2:1-13)
• Faith and Deeds (2:14-26)
• Taming the Tongue (3:1-12)
• Two Kinds of Wisdom (3:13-18)
• Warning against Worldliness (ch. 4)
  • Quarrelsomeness (4:1-3)
  • Spiritual Unfaithfulness (4:4)
  • Pride (4:5-10)
  • Slander (4:11-12)
  • Boasting (4:13-17)
• Warning to Rich Oppressors (5:1-6)
• Miscellaneous Exhortations (5:7-20)
• Concerning Patience in Suffering (5:7-11)
• Concerning Oaths (5:12)
• Concerning the Prayer of Faith (5:13-18)
• Concerning Those Who Wander from the Truth (5:19-20)

James 4 NLT

1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 

2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.

3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 

5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 

6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 

9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 

11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 

12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? 

13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 

14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 

15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”

16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 

17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

James 3 NLT

Outline

• Greetings (1:1)
• Trials and Temptations (1:2-18)
  • The Testing of Faith (1:2-12)
  • The Source of Temptation (1:13-18)
• Listening and Doing (1:19-27)
• Favoritism Forbidden (2:1-13)
• Faith and Deeds (2:14-26)
• Taming the Tongue (3:1-12)
• Two Kinds of Wisdom (3:13-18)
• Warning against Worldliness (ch. 4)
  • Quarrelsomeness (4:1-3)
  • Spiritual Unfaithfulness (4:4)
  • Pride (4:5-10)
  • Slander (4:11-12)
  • Boasting (4:13-17)
• Warning to Rich Oppressors (5:1-6)
• Miscellaneous Exhortations (5:7-20)
• Concerning Patience in Suffering (5:7-11)
• Concerning Oaths (5:12)
• Concerning the Prayer of Faith (5:13-18)
• Concerning Those Who Wander from the Truth (5:19-20)

James 3 NLT

1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 

2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. 

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 

4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 

5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 

6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 

8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 

9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 

10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 

11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 

12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring. 

13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 

14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 

15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 

16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 

18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.