'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' (1 Peter 2:9).

The context

It’s AD 64 and The Great Fire has swept through Rome for three days, destroying its ancient temples and houses. The citizens are furious and look to place the blame on the emperor, Nero. They accuse Nero of arson, knowing that he has ambitions of pulling down old buildings and replacing them with magnificent new ones. Nero, however, shifts the blame onto the Christians, the newly formed religious group that has broken out of a Jewish heritage, and is beginning to take the world by storm.

What follows is serious persecution of the church, both from the civic authorities, and from the citizens. The situation was truly awful. Christians were tortured, sewn into the skins of wild beasts and made to crawl around the amphitheaters on all fours, whilst they were set upon by lions and other wild animals. They were hunted by dogs, and some were crucified. On one occasion, in order to provide light for a garden party he was hosting, Emperor Nero had some Christians coated with tar and bitumen, tied them to posts around the garden, and set them on fire.

The audience

As news spread of this persecution across the Roman Empire, so did a letter from the apostle Peter. It is thought that Peter may have sent this letter from Rome to the churches in north-west Turkey (Asia Minor), preparing them for persecution. This is emphasized in 1 Peter 1:1:

'Peter, and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.'

Peter’s lack of addressing individuals signifies that this was probably meant as a circular letter, with the anticipation that it would be presented and read to multiple churches in the region.

Key themes

The primary focus of 1 Peter is not how to avoid or escape persecution, but how to endure it with dignity and integrity. Beginning with a reminder of God’s grace, Peter encourages the church to conduct themselves in a godly fashion, despite the hostility they were going to face. Suffering is at the heart of this letter, with the word and sentiment being used multiple times.

The Two themes that are worked through the entire letter are:

1. Reminding his readers of their salvation, which is the foundation of their attitude to suffering.

2. An explanation of how to deal with suffering.

Contemporary teaching

The church in the West perhaps doesn’t really understand the extent of the persecution that the church in Asia Minor was under, so whether or not it can fully understand this message raises some big questions. However, there are some foundational truths that can be applied:

A commitment to Christ is not a meal ticket to an easy life, in fact Jesus said quite the opposite in John 16:33:

'I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.'

Peter is reminding the church to be in close relationship with God, and to live a life which demonstrates the intimacy of that relationship. Christians are called to demonstrate a godly style of life, one that reflects the life of Christ. Peter calls the church to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and apply it to our lives. We are to show love and humility in all relationships.

Furthermore, this message is one that encourages the church to stand up for Christ and be prepared to give an answer for the faith it holds so close. 1 Peter 3:15-16 says this:

'But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.'

Find out more about Saint Peter