Latest Commentaries

In Joshua 4:8-14, Joshua places twelve stones amid the Jordan River, where the Levitical priests stood motionless while the people crossed quickly. The eastern tribes⎯ Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh⎯ also crossed to help their fellow brothers conquer Canaan.

Joshua 4:1-7 describes how twelve men picked up twelve stones from the dry riverbed of Jordan to commemorate how the LORD dried it, allowing His covenant people to cross it and enter the Promised Land.

Peter concludes this letter by commending Silvanus for carrying his letter to his readers. He testifies that its contents are about God’s grace in which his readers are to stand firm. Greetings are given and exhorted as the letter ends with a prayer for peace among believers.

Our suffering is temporary. God is still in control. He has brought us into His favor. He is growing us, building us up, preparing us through our suffering. He is sovereign over everything.

Peter exhorts us to keep our wits about us. We need to be mentally fit, to guard ourselves against Satan’s temptations. Satan is like a dangerous lion hunting for us to destroy us. We can withstand his attacks by having strong faith. We can take courage that we aren’t alone in our suffering; all faithful Christians suffer for their faith. But it is to God’s purpose.

Church members are to submit to the church elders and humbly live in submission to one another. God gives favor to humble people. God will lift us up if we humble ourselves. God cares for us; we can throw away our fears and worries. We can live humbly and harmoniously by God’s power.

Peter makes a final application to the elders of the church. He reminds them he is also an elder, and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and His glorious transfiguration. Church elders are not to lead with bad motives to exploit the church. They are instead to shepherd the church with the right motives as good examples of servant leaders. Then when Christ comes they have the promise that He will greatly reward them.

1 Peter 4:17-19 asks since judgment will come soon for the church, what will happen to those who have not believed in Christ? God will reward the righteous; He will also condemn the sinner. So believers who suffer for being faithful to God should rest on God’s faithful promises as we do what is right.

1 Peter 4:14-16 shows that those who suffer for the name of Christ are blessed by God’s Spirit at work in their life. In contrast, we should be careful not to bring suffering on ourselves by sinning. The pain we feel when we are punished for sin is not the same as suffering for doing good. When we suffer for being obedient to God, we should praise God, because it comes to our benefit by growing us now and rewarding us in Christ’s kingdom.

1 Peter 4:12-13 reminds us again that believers who live faithfully will encounter suffering. We should not   be shocked or think something unusual is happening when we suffer as Christians. God uses suffering to grow us, strengthen us, and refine us. We can take courage during our suffering so that when Jesus comes, we will be rewarded and overjoyed.

1 Peter 4:10-11 makes the point that since God will one day judge our deeds, another way believers can make our lives on earth count for eternity is by using our God-given spiritual gifts to serve one another. Some have gifts for communicating God’s word, to teach and encourage, others have gifts to help others through acts of service, and by taking care of earthly needs. It is God who gives the ability to serve one another, and when we do, God is glorified.

1 Peter 4:7-9 teaches that because there will soon come a day when God will judge all men, believers need to focus on activities that have eternal value such as wisdom, prayer, love for each other, and hospitality for other believers.

1 Peter 4:6 shows that God’s purpose in sending Jesus to die for our sins then resurrect from the dead was so that we who believe could live according to God’s will. We can live the way God wants us to, with new life, free from sin. This will invite rejection and mistreatment from nonbelievers.

1 Peter 4:3-5 explains that the old sinful lifestyle that dominated believers before we came to faith in Christ no longer has power over us. Unbelievers may be surprised and angry when we don’t sin with them or condone sinning. But every person will be held to account by God for the things we’ve done in life.

1 Peter 4:1-2 discusses how Jesus suffered for obeying God during His life on earth. His example should inspire believers who have died to sin to live out the rest of our earthly lives for God’s purposes rather than our sin nature, even when we suffer for doing so.

1 Peter 3:18-22 references Christ as the supreme example of someone who suffered unfairly for living in obedience to God. Christ died for sins which were not His, He was a perfect person dying for sinners with the goal of bringing all who believe in Him into an everlasting relationship with God, made possible through His death and resurrection. Peter then points to Noah, who was saved by his faith in God when he obeyed God and built an ark to withstand the coming flood of judgment. Likewise, our new life in Christ delivers us from the suffering of sin. Jesus Christ is the King of All Creation, rewarded for suffering for righteousness. We too can be delivered to such a reward by imitating Him.

1 Peter 3:15-17 shows that by dedicating our choices in life to please Jesus, we should be prepared to explain to other people why we live in hope when we are treated unjustly. Further, we should be considerate and kind to those who ask. If we live rightly before God, anyone who mistreats us will ultimately be ashamed. Slander against a righteous person does not bear out in the end. We are guaranteed to suffer in this life, so it’s better that we suffer for living rightly rather than experiencing the adverse consequences that come from sinful choices.

1 Peter 3:13-14 observes that we are likely to avoid harm if we do good, but also notes that the world is corrupt and there are times where if we do right, we will suffer at the world’s hands. We should not be afraid of unfair treatment. God will bless us in the end.

1 Peter 3:8-12 summarizes Peter’s exhortation for believers to live harmonious relationships. Whether toward kings, employers, or spouses, we are to treat others with love and humility. We should act to the benefit of others. It is a mistake to seek vengeance or escalate conflict by responding to evil words with evil words. Rather, we should give out blessings to others. Peter quotes a psalm to illustrate how good follows good, and evil follows evil. God is the judge. He will punish the wicked and bless those who bless others.

1 Peter 3:7 teaches that husbands most effectively love their wives when they seek to understand them and when they treat them with honor as an equal partner in life. Peter warns husbands if they don’t honor their wives, God will dismiss their prayers.