His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who has called us by his own glory and goodness. (verse 3) - Think of the power of God. Power that, with a word, called light into existence and caused worlds to be. Power that sustains all creation, throughout all universes, in all time. Power whose creativity is repeated endlessly in infinite variations of snowflakes and fingerprints and sunsets and dawn-light. Power that ra

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. - Simon Peter is a key player in Jesus’ ministry and in the development of the early church. He calls himself a “servant” of Jesus Christ, knowing that he has been specially chosen and called into service, and also an “a

With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. - These are Peter’s final words in this letter. As he concludes, he mentions two men as close associates whom we’ve met elsewh

… All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (verses 5-6) - There are two contexts for humility in these verses, each necessary, but difficult. The first, foundational, is humility toward God. “Humble yourselves … under God’s mighty hand.” This, of course, is the doorway to salvation in the

It's a day-off ... have an extra cup of coffee! We'll return tomorrow. - Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (verses 10-11) - I grew up in a congregation with no one on paid pastoral staff, so we knew t

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (verses 10-12) - To “love life and see good days” seems like an obvious choice. If so, here are three steps along the pathway: guard your tongue, gua

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives … For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do no

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (verses 24-25) - If any of this sounds familiar, perhaps you, like Peter, have read and reflected on Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 53) about the coming Messiah (the one he calls “the Servant”). “… by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their in

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, h

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (verses 11-12) - The Apostle Paul, writing elsewhere in the New Testament, tells us to put off and to put on – to “put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires” and to “put on the n

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (verses 9-10) - Who are you? What’s your purpose? Questions can’t get much more basic than these. And without answers, we end up insecure, anxious, and rudderless.

As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (verses 4-5) - “Living Stone” and “living stones.” These are the twin foci of this passage. The “living Stone” is, of course, Jesus himself. Peter will shortly quote several Old Testament passages that speak of him as “a

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. - As I look around at the political scene of our day, certainly in North America, 1 Peter 2:1 is a word for our time. Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander – all of these have infused public discourse. But it’s not just in the politi

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice … (verses 3-6) - Imagine Peter and John running to the Lord’

… To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. - Peter speaks of two realities. The first connects with the very physical, geographic place and community in which we find ourselves. I’m in Canada. You’re