1 & 2 Peter

Hope in the midst of suffering

Peter’s two letters offer different emphases, though both focus on the blessings that the death of Christ brings to a sinful world.

At the heart of Peter’s first letter is the message of Jesus as the suffering servant passage in Isa 52:13-53:12. Jesus was willing to suffer to accomplish the Father’s plan of salvation, and his costly obedience to God’s will is the example Christians are to follow whenever we encounter trials and sufferings in life. Thus, we have a new identity in Christ. Our lives are no longer defined by our circumstances. We are called to live by the values of the heavenly Father. Peter wants his readers to live as winsome witnesses to God’s redemptive work in all facets of life.

The purpose of Peter’s second letter is a powerful reminder that God does not intend to destroy the universe, but to expose and remove evil in order to recreate a new heaven and a new earth.