The Recipients of Peter’s Letter

Transcript

GR1920
06/07/2015
The Recipients of Peter’s Letter
I Peter 1:1
Gil Rugh

We are going to I Peter in your Bibles and we began our study of this book by just taking a little bit of time to briefly survey something of the importance of Peter, the special apostle, the place he had during Christ’s earthly ministry and then subsequently in the book of Acts. We noted through the first 11 chapters of Acts, Peter is the key figure and he keeps appearing in a variety of settings faithfully giving forth the truth even though he fades out of the picture as far as the history recorded by Luke in the book of Acts. Peter’s ministry went on and continues down to today with not only what is written about him in the Gospels in the book of Acts but with the two letters that we have from him. We are going to start to look into the book tonight.

Let me read you something that applies to Scripture here and to Scripture generally that I think that is important to keep in mind. This is written by an evangelical seminary professor. He is covenantal. In fact, I will be quoting something from him later but what he had to say about the Scripture I think is very important. He notes here, “The Bible in inerrant not only in that it always tells the truth about all that it affirms but also in that it doesn’t need improvement in the area of clarity. It is understandable.” And we have referred to that from time to time but I appreciate a seminary professor saying that. It is not only inerrant, it is the Word given to be understood; the clarity of Scripture and the old word was perspicuity of Scripture, simply the clarity of Scripture.

In other words, God spoke and had it recorded so that we would understand it. He goes on to say later, “The tendency in every generation will be toward the creation of a scholarly elite of Biblical interpreters. In order to keep this generation of scholars from becoming a North American and European scholarly elite it would be right to encourage deeper and more advanced study of the Bible and every letter” by people in all cultures receiving the Word to paraphrase what he says.

I think we need to be careful that I notice the difference in Bible commentaries as I have noted on other occasions. They use to write about one commentator says this, another commentator says this. Now it is always, one scholar says this, certain scholars says that and we indeed have developed a scholarly elite almost like the Roman Catholic magisterium that the average person won’t really understand the Scripture with any seriousness.

And this professor goes on to say, “For church officers at the local level or for other lay persons who wish to do advanced Bible study it would be very helpful to have available a quite literal translation of the Bible, something like the New American Standard Bible.” And we use the New American Standard Bible for that very reason. It is a quite literal translation. Where I would question what he is saying, “This is for church officers at the local level and other lay persons who wish to do advanced Bible Study.” They need a literal translation. Shouldn’t that apply to every Christian? I mean isn’t every believer responsible to be serious about his study of the Word? I realize we are gifted differently. Those gifted as teachers will naturally perhaps have more of a desire for intense study in preparation because of their gift but this idea that those who want to do advance study should use a Bible that is most accurate but you know, general Christians, a loose transition. This is God’s Word. There is only one way to study it – seriously with the most accurate translation since we work from a translation since most of us are not proficient in the original languages such as Hebrew and Aramaic in the Old Testament or Greek in the New Testament but a very literal translation like the New American Standard Bible enables us to grapple with basically accurate Scripture. We have an accurate translation; so just a word of encouragement on the Bible is clear. That becomes important.

We open up Peter and it begins: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen.” And that will occupy our attention. Standard opening as far as Peter identifies himself as the writer and identifies those to whom he is writing to. Peter, we have talked about him, his Jewish name, Simon from Simeon, one of the twelve tribes; given the name Peter or Cephas, the apostle of Jesus Christ. One of the twelve that core inner circle of disciples is going to write a letter and Peter can write out of experience as the Spirit of God directs him.

It is a letter that is going to be about suffering. If we had to say what is the theme of I Peter, Peter the apostle is going to write about the suffering that God’s people are going through; the trials that confront them. In fact the word for suffering, “pascho” will be used 12 times in this letter. He will refer to suffering additionally without using the word; you get the idea. There are five chapters as we have it broken down and he is going to refer to the matter of suffering about three times, 12 times he uses the word “suffering” and on at least three other occasions he talks about their suffering without using that specific word. The suffering will pervade what he says.

Maybe we ought to just go quickly through without commenting on them and we will come to these passages but you get a feel for the letter and what he is saying. In chapter 1, verse 6: “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

In chapter 2, verse 19: “For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”

Chapter 3, verse 14: “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.”

In chapter 4, verse 12: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exaltation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed.” Verse 15: “By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evil-doer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.” Down to verse 19: “Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

Down in chapter 5, verse 8: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, will confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

That permeating theme that comes through this letter from Peter, who knows something firsthand something about what it means to suffer, is writing to encourage these believers in their suffering. Along with suffering another key emphasis through the book is the grace of God and the provision of God’s grace for us.

The word “grace” is used ten times in this letter. Five chapters we would say, well an average of twice in each chapter brings up the grace of God.

Come back to chapter 1. Look at verse 2, the end of the verse: “May grace and peace by yours in fullest measure.”

Down in verse 10: “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you.” Down in verse 13: “Keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Down in chapter 2, verse 19: “For this finds favor.” That word translated “favor” you probably have a note in your Bible is the word “grace.” This finds favor, this finds grace. The end of verse 20, the same thing: “This finds favor (grace) with God.”

Down in chapter 3, verse 7, the wife is the weaker vessel. The end of verse 7, “She is a fellow-heir of the grace of life.”

Down in chapter 4, verse 10: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Chapter 5, verse 5: “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourself with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Verse 10: “The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory.” Verse 12: “This is the true grace of God (end of the verse) stand firm in it.”

And while you are here you will note the other key word in Peter is the word “God,” the emphasis on God. The word “God,” the name for God as God is used 39 times in this short letter and so as Peter pulls it together it is the God who brings His grace that enables us to go through suffering in a way that honors Him here in verse 10 of chapter 5 of I Peter. “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who calls you to His eternal glory will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

Different emphasis that will come and pervade the letter that sustains believers in their everyday life. This is not particularly just an outbreak of intense persecution but these are the sufferings that come in the everyday flow of their life as they live in a manner pleasing to God. We are out of step with the world. Our testimony for Christ grates against the world goes against the grain of the world if you will. Our testimony, our life, our life style has a convicting impact on an unbelieving world and that can and does result in suffering.

Come back to verse 1. So Peter, this one who church history records that he died. The record that has been passed on as much as we can tell, he died in the persecution of Nero. The same one that resulted in Paul’s death, the tradition is that he died being crucified upside down. We can’t establish some of that but that has been the tradition that has been passed down.

It’s good to talk about suffering. The first part of the book of Acts we find him being imprisoned, being persecuted by the Jews for his testimony so he can write this letter out of firsthand experience and the Spirit of God directs him to write to encourage believers.

His position as an apostle. We just don’t want to take that for granted. Here he is by profession a fisherman, a rather common, ordinary occupation if you will.

Reminds me, we were going through the book of Amos this week and Amos says, “You know, I am not a prophet by vocation, I am a herdsman. God called me from keeping the sheep to come and give you a message;” so to Peter. “God called me from fishing on the Sea of Galilee.” “Come and I will make you a fisher of men” and be used as an apostle that would bring the message of God.

Just a reminder what is involved in being an apostle. That is foundational to the authority of his work. They are unique and the 12 apostles; later Paul will be added a 13th but that group; the 12 are identified as we have mentioned on other occasions as a special group and were recognized as such. The first requirement was they had to have seen Jesus Christ after His resurrection so that they could give eye-witness testimony.

Come back to Acts chapter 1. We will just review these qualifications quickly. It is important to keep in mind there had been a movement that’s gotten some traction that we have seen a revival supposedly of the gift of apostleship in these days. So there are men who claim not only to be pastors or teachers but to be apostles. That is contrary to Scripture.

One of the requirements of apostle, verse 21: “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.” So they are a part of His earthly ministry. They are looking to replace Judas because it was important in the plan of God that the number be kept to 12. I find no reason given why but they are going to replace Judas. He had to have been part of the earthly ministry of Christ “beginning with the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us. One of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” So one who had been part of Christ’s earthly ministry and had been an eye-witness of the resurrected Christ because that is important to establish the genuineness of Christ’s resurrection.

Over in I Corinthians chapter 9 Paul refers to this as validating his apostleship. He wasn’t one who followed Christ during His earthly ministry. He wasn’t a believer during that time. In that sense Paul is not one of the 12 and some say, well they shouldn’t have picked Mathias in Acts 1 because God was going to pick Paul. Paul was not one of the 12 but he is added as a special apostle with equal authority to the 12 as we will see but what does he say in chapter 9, verse 1 of I Corinthians? “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” So he could be an eye-witness. He saw Christ in Acts 9 on the Damascus road. He could testify that He is risen. So he qualified as an eye-witness of the resurrection.

Come over in chapter 15 of I Corinthians and Paul is talking about the Gospel that he preached and “Christ died for our sins” in verse 3 and “He was buried and He was raised on the third day. He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” You see Paul distinguishes himself from the 12, that special group. Verse 8: “Last of all, He appeared to me as one untimely born.” He is a unique case and he has a special appearance. He’s a full apostle but he is his own special case and special appointment but he qualifies and fulfills all the requirements except he wasn’t one who traveled with Christ from the time of the baptism of John when Christ began His earthly ministry until the resurrection and saw it. God appointed him and gave him a special appearance of Christ as an eye-witness of the resurrection.

Come back to Acts chapter 10. Peter is preaching here and he is bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles for the first time. You are familiar with the account. It took a special revelation from God for Peter to be willing to go to the house of a Gentile and give them the Gospel and we are here to see what he says about the apostles. He presents the Gospel. Verse 39: “They put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.” So you see there the uniqueness Peter says of his position and the others joined with him. There were other believers but these, Peter and those joined with him were given a unique role. So they saw Christ after His resurrection, could give eye-witness testimony. Secondly, they were entrusted with the truth of Christ, were responsible to give forth that truth.

Some key verses in John, starting in John’s Gospel chapter 14. This is the last night after the Last Supper. Jesus is giving instruction to His disciples to prepare them for His departure and in John 14 verse 26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.” Now note this, this is important. “And bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” Now there is a lot of discussion when you read material on the Gospels, well how did they remember all this? How did they get it right you know, after the passing of time? Certain scholars have come up with the Que Document. I was taught this when I was in seminary, the Que Document. That is they decided since there is so much similarity they must have all drawn from one document. Now nobody has ever found the Que Document or even a fragment of the Que Document. They just created this supposed document from which the writers of the Gospels drew their material. There is a clear explanation in Scripture. They had supernatural recall. I think the Spirit of God could do that, enable them to remember with accuracy what He wanted them to record. Well, you know Matthew might have gotten confused on some things or John did. Luke tells us he used other material but the Spirit of God was directing him. He wasn’t one of the 12. But he would have been inspired by the Spirit but for those who were with him, this is how it happened. The Holy Spirit will come and He will bring to your remembrance all that I said. So they record accurately what God said because the Holy Spirit brought it back to their mind correctly.

We are in chapter 16. That would have to do with them and not particularly us. The Holy Spirit hasn’t given me that perfect recall I regret to say and I wasn’t there. I didn’t need it. Chapter 16, verse 13: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth,” the end of the verse: “He will disclose to you what is to come.” There is going to be a supernatural ministry of the Spirit to guide these men to enable them to know even things regarding the future; so prophetic things will be clarified. There will be further revelation. It’s part of what the Spirit of God would do with these men set apart. They had a special role in testifying concerning Christ and then to unfold truth concerning Him.

Over in Galatians chapter 1 the apostle Paul who was added as an apostle later after these 12 but has just as much authority and receives direct revelation from God. So in Galatians chapter 1, verse 11: “I would have you know brethren, the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. I neither received it from man nor was I taught it but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Now it is not a different Gospel than Peter preached or the other apostles but he didn’t get it from them. It was direct revelation to him and that’s why in this context he makes clear “anyone who preaches any other Gospel than the one I am preaching is cursed to hell, anathema;” that authority of their message. They were entrusted with the truth and told to proclaim it.

In connection with this, one more thing – their ministry was validated by miracles. Come back to the book of Acts chapter 5. This has to do with miracle gifts and the miracles in the New Testament were done by the apostles or those who were the result of apostolic ministry; so at the church at Corinth as we will see in a moment. But in Acts chapter 5, verse 12: “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people.” So it’s not a matter of every Christian was going around doing miracles but at the hands of the apostles miracles were being done. Why was that necessary? New truth was being communicated. How could you be sure that this was real? You had a lot of false teachers running around. How do I know who is telling the truth? God validated the ministry of His apostles by their ability to do miracles and some of that is recorded in the book of Acts as we have looked at on other occasions.

Come after the book of Acts to the book of Romans chapter 15, Romans chapter 15, verse 18: “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me (Paul is writing) resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed in the power of signs and wonders. In the power of the Spirit from Jerusalem round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ.” You see it was in the power and wonders that validated Paul’s ministry. Now wouldn’t it be great if I could do miracles periodically? Then people would know what I was preaching was genuine but now we have the completed Word. God wasn’t just doing miracles all the time. Remember what Jesus said, “If they don’t believe Moses and the prophets they won’t believe though one is raised from the dead.” The Jews wanted miracles but when they got miracles they still didn’t believe but God did validate the truthfulness of what He was revealing to His genuine apostles and that separated them from the shysters.

Come over to II Corinthians chapter 12. We will get here eventually in our study of Corinthians but it will be a while. II Corinthians chapter 12 Paul says in verse 12: “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance by signs and wonders and miracles.” He is distinguishing himself from the false apostles. He talked about those in chapter 11, verse 13: “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers.” My ministry was validated as a genuine apostle by signs, wonders and miracles and some of those were present in the Corinthian church. Speaking in tongues, that is a miracle gift, the ability to speak another language. But that was a result of apostolic ministry. This confirmed Paul’s position as an apostle because it was mediated through him. Those gifts aren’t present today. It doesn’t mean God doesn’t do the miraculous. We pray for one another and God may heal the sick. I don’t have the gift of healing. Those who have claimed it are not genuine. It is not a gift present today. If everybody had these miracles gifts it wouldn’t be demonstrating you were a true apostle and it was given in context of the Word of God.

One more passage and we will move on, two more passages. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was first spoken through the Lord it was confirmed to us by those who heard. God also testifying with them by signs and wonders and various miracles by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His will.” You note, it was the Word spoken by the Lord, spoken through His messengers, confirmed by the miraculous. The writer to the Hebrews does not claim to have that gift. He said it was confirmed to us; God testifying with them. One of the reasons that I don’t think Paul was the writer to the Hebrews like in the book of Galatians where we just were, he claimed that he got it by direct revelation and we just read the end of Corinthians. He claimed that his ministry was validated by signs, wonders and miracles. Here it says, “God testifying with them, validating their ministry.” And the book Hebrews is an inspired Scripture as the Gospel of Luke is, the book of Acts but they weren’t written by those who were part of the apostolic group.

The last passage is Ephesians 2:20 on this matter, Ephesians 2:20. We have been through this many times but the charismatic movement, neo-charismatic movement where it talks about these gifts are supposedly going on continues to expand and grow and we ought to be clear on what does the Scripture say about these things? Ephesians chapter 2, verse 19: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens you are fellow citizens with the saints or of God’s household having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.” The truth conveyed through the apostles and prophets, New Testament prophets here which would include those who weren’t apostles but had the gift of prophecy have received direct revelation from God and it’s recorded for us.

The church is built on that foundation. We don’t need the other gifts. We have the completed revelation from God now. We proclaim that. There is a lot of false teaching going on, yes but what if they choose not to believe it? That’s their problem. This is God’s truth. That’s it. It’s the Word of God. You proclaim it. I proclaim it and God uses it to accomplish His purposes. That’s the plan of God as we talked about earlier today.

Alright, come back to Peter, I Peter. He is an apostle so he writes with authority, apostolic authority. This is a message from God, the Spirit of God speaking in and through him. He is going to write to those who reside as aliens, scattered through these regions, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. It is a broad area.

The translation here doesn’t help. It breaks it up and makes it a little hard to follow. It said “those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout these regions who are chosen.” As it really flows and I think we will mention it. Literally, “To elect sojourners of the diaspora.” That word, “scattered” is the Greek word diaspora. We have carried it over into English to talk about the diaspora. He is writing to the elect and we are going to talk about that; God’s sovereignty here in choosing these people. They are aliens, sojourners, non-citizens, foreigners that don’t belong.

A question comes and it is important. We are going to spend some time because we have to resolve that here because if we don’t get this right at the beginning of the letter then we are going to be in trouble as we move through. We talked about covenant theology and some of the passages in I Peter become key verses for covenant theologians who say the church has become Israel and we get into trouble in the very first verse if we don’t get clear and have clarity on those that are the recipients of this letter. It’s to the elect sojourners of the diaspora. They are sojourners, they are aliens, they are foreigners, they are the elect of God, and they are the diaspora.

I want to talk about the diaspora. What is the diaspora? There is confusion here not only among covenant theologians but among dispensationalists and it gets dispensationalists in trouble as the letter moves along.

First we must identify what is the diaspora? We are familiar with it, the diaspora. Let me read you one and this would be a covenant theologian. “In extra Biblical Greek diaspora is the scattering, the scattered ones. It’s found only in one context in its use in Hellenistic Judaism as a technical term for that part of the Jewish people that lived outside the Palestinian motherland scattered among peoples from Persia to Spain.” That is its only use. That’s the only context it is found in in extra Biblical Greek to refer to the Jewish people that live outside the land of Palestine, their motherland. His next statement: “As such it is applied here to the church which only use outside the Bible is for Jews scattered outside their homeland” the way it would be used today and Jews returning to Israel from the diaspora having been removed.

Where does this next statement come, “As such it is applied here to the church.” As such, what is connecting to “as such?” It’s only use in extra Biblical Greek is of literal, physical Jewish people living outside of Palestine. As such it is applied here to the church and then he says, “As it will be in chapter 2, verse 9.” That’s where you start being in trouble, added trouble.

Later he says “the diaspora, it is the Jews self-understanding in this situation that the term diaspora expresses. In Hellenistic Judaism the term replaced what the Old Testament referred to as deportation, exile, captivity. Through the Septuagint (which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, basically a couple hundred years before Christ it is understood as that same thing and that someday they would be brought back from their diaspora).” Well how then do you say here it is applied to the church?

Another writer of a commentary, that man I don’t consider an evangelical but he’s referred to by another writer as an evangelical but I question it. Here is a commentary, the word Biblical commentary. Who is the audience that Peter is writing to, the audience – Gentile Christians and here is his explanation. “The phrase exiles of the dispersion or diaspora in 1:1 builds on the notion of the Jews as a people scattered in the world. Ever since the Babylonian captivity of 586 B.C. or for the northern ten tribes, the Assyrian Invasion of 721 the clear impression is that the readers of the Epistle are Jewish Christians.” Then and I am not going to read consecutively for time. “No New Testament letter is so consistently addressed directly or indirectly to Israel. That is (and then in parenthesis) on the face of it, to Jews. So successful was the author of I Peter in appearing to write to Jews that the Christian historian Eusebius in the fourth century A. D. took him at his word. Peter, he claims, wrote to those of the Hebrews in the dispersion. Many commentators on I Peter through the centuries have followed Eusebius in that judgment.” Peter is writing to Jews scattered outside their homeland of Palestine. “Yet in the face of all this evidence there is near consensus that I Peter was in fact directed to a predominantly Gentile Christian audience. The best explanation of the data is that I Peter was written primarily to Gentile Christians in Asia Minor but that the author for his own reasons has chosen to address them as if they were Jews.” Maybe he really was addressing Jews but that would be a radical thought. “Even though the testimony of Eusebius is not a reliable guide to the audience of I Peter his mistake was a natural one. He perceived that I Peter was a diaspora letter and in fact the diaspora letter in Judaism was a well-known means of formal communication to Jewish communities” and then he goes on to different regions so that is his introduction to the book.

Then when you get into verse 1 he has and this is on the Greek text of it so he does the Greek words and he has the diasporas. “The diasporas further characterizes this communities experience as parallel to that of Israel. Diaspora is used 12 times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint to refer to the scattering of Israelites among the Gentiles as a divine judgment. From the time of the first departure to Babylon in 586BC all Jews outside of Palestine were by definition in the diaspora or in exile from Jerusalem, their true home. Israel’s hope was that its people would one day be regathered, its diaspora restored.” So that is what he was just giving you the idea.

I am going to read you another one. I know you are enjoying this. This is from a rather recent commentary, in the Southern Baptist commentary, the New American Commentary on I Peter written by Thomas Schreiner, a covenantalist. “Were the readers Jews or Gentiles? Some in the history of scholarship noting this emphasis on the Old Testament conclude that the readers were Jewish. Today, however, most scholars agree that the readers were mainly Gentiles. The evidence and support of this conclusion is quite compelling.” Well I don’t think the evidence is as compelling. We will move through the book when we get there.

“The term scattered, diaspora, in I Peter 1:1derives from a Jewish rather than a Hellenistic background. The word is used metaphorically in I Peter for literally it designates the Jewish dispersion but Peter applied it to Gentiles.” Not one of these writers gives any case outside the Bible or within the Bible that the word “diaspora” is used of anything but Jews scattered outside the land. I read you the first commentary, in extra Biblical writings the diaspora is what? Jews scattered outside.

“The believers in I Peter are the new people of God, the church.” So he is calling the church now the diaspora. “Peter indicates at the outset, therefore, that the church of Jesus Christ is the Israel of God, His chosen people. The term scattered, diasporas, could be translated literally as of the dispersion. The term dispersion was often used of Jews who lived outside Palestine who were scattered from their homeland because of their sin.” Then he’s got all the verses listed both in the Bible and outside the Bible where it is used that way. I love when he says, “The term dispersion was often used of Jews who lived outside.” The accurate way to put that is as a scholar would be, the term dispersion was always used of Jews who lived outside the land.

That is important because I think people that used to attend Indian Hills and now say they are covenantal. They attend covenantal churches. How did they get so confused? Was I not clear? So I am being clearer and you have to endure this. I will not be responsible for such miserable confusion.

“In the New Testament the word is used in only two other places. In both cases probably referring to Jews who were outside the land.” So in all the uses outside the Bible and in the only other two uses in the Bible it probably refers to Jews but I Peter 1:1 is not referring to Jews. Upon what basis do you do this? We will look at those two references in a moment. “In this instance, however, the word probably is used metaphorically. Peter was not writing to Jews but primarily to Gentiles and hence he was hardly suggesting that they were the dispersed of Israel in the literal sense” because the church is the new Israel in his thinking.

Alright, these are the covenantalists. I am just going to read you two dispensationalists that are confused. This is D. Edmond Hiebert who has written some fine commentaries. He’s dispensational but for some reason, maybe he had a headache, maybe he didn’t get enough sleep. Here he talks about the elect sojourners of the diasporas giving the Greek words. “It appears that the terms are used figuratively. The earthly status of the readers is further described by the added genitive of the dispersion, the diasporas, the elect sojourners of the diasporas. That would be a genitive, the “of the” diasporas, the form of the word. “The dispersion was a standard Jewish way to refer to Jews living among the Gentiles outside of their homeland.” And he gives John 7:35 where when Jesus said He was going to a place they couldn’t come they said is He going to go to the dispersion among the Greeks?

In James 1:1 the expression, James is writing to the 12 tribes in the diaspora in James 1:1. “It mostly refers to Jewish Christians outside of Palestine. Those who believe that Peter too was writing to Jewish Christians understand the term to confirm their position.” Now note here. Here is where you can get caught. “But the lack of a definite article does not appear before diasporas in the Greek text.” The definite article is “the”, thou or thee. “The lack of a definite article and the failure to mention the 12 tribes as James 1:1 does. It seems more natural to understand Peter’s use of the term metaphorically as a picture of Christians scattered in various areas as minority groups in a Christian world.”

So, does it make that big a difference? It is a huge difference because if we don’t have this right when we get to chapter 2 you are going to end up trying to call the church a nation and the covenantalists will say "See, God calls the church a nation.” If you get it wrong to begin with …

One other person who picks up the same error, John MacArthur and we appreciate much of John’s work but I think here he stumbles. “In its other two New Testament appearances diaspora is a technical term referring to the dispersing of the Jews throughout the world by the Assyrian, Babylonian captivities. Both times the word has a definite article, John 7:35, James 1:1. Here however, Peter does not include the definite article. Therefore it is best to interpret the term as a non-technical reference to believers widely distributed geographically. God called Peter to be the apostle to the Jews. The absence of the definite article with diaspora argues that Peter is not addressing the Jews.”

The use of the definite article in Greek had nothing to do with that. You have to bear with me. We are almost done so this is as far as we are going.

Daniel B. Wallace wrote what has become the grammar you would use after you use the basic grammar, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics to replace Dana and Maney’s work. From page 245 to page 254; “It is not necessary for a noun to have the article in order for it to be definite. It may be definite without the article. When a substantive is anartheris it may have one of three forces, indefinite, qualitative or definite.” A substantive is a noun. When it is anartheris, it doesn’t have the article. There is no indefinite article. In English we have the definite article “thee” and the indefinite article “a.” In Greek they only have the article, “thee.” If the article is not there, “thee,” it can be “a,” it can be “thee,” or it could be expressing something about the quality.

He goes on to say “there are at least ten constructions in which a noun may be definite though without the article.” And he goes on for the rest of the pages. Diaspora only has one meaning, outside of the New Testament and within the New Testament, the dispersion of the Jews so it is definite. I take it, it would be the sixth construction, monodic. Some of you have taken Greek and are familiar with Wallace’s grammar. It doesn’t need the definite article. The presence or absence of the article doesn’t change the meaning of the term because it only has one meaning, diaspora. Say diaspora today to someone. They say, “Oh, you are talking about the Jews outside of Israel.” It is a common down to today. The presence or the absence of the article it’s definite without the article because there is only one diaspora. Now we have belabored this because here is where you go. This is Wayne Grudem, a covenentalist. He says that on I Peter 1:1, “The dispersion, the diaspora, was a term used by Greek speaking Jews to refer to Jewish people scattered throughout the nation, dispersed from their homeland. The term here has a new spiritual sense referring to Christians dispersed throughout the world living away from their heavenly homeland.” We are just going to change the meaning here. So by the time you get to the end of the letter and his closing remarks in chapter 5 of I Peter, it is best to understand Babylon, we will get there, in chapter 5, verse 13 as a reference to Rome. And it’s got other references. We will deal with that when we get there. “It’s not that Peter was trying to disguise his location but rather that he is carrying through the imagery of the church as the new people of God, the true Israel, see note at chapter 2, verse 10 which he has maintained since the word dispersion in chapter 1 verse 1.”

If you start out and get off track you are going to get in a world of confusion and trouble. So it’s not well you know it’s not that big. I can see the church as God’s people scattered throughout the world so it’s not a big difference. It is a big difference and it will become humungous by the time we get to chapter 2 and the dispensationalists that run off the rails here are really in trouble in chapter 2 and the covenantalist (if you read any covenantalists) bring it up all the time because those are key passages for them to show the church has become Israel.

So we have to start out being careful and the clarity of Scripture. Why would we give a unique totally different meaning that is never found in the Bible or outside the Bible to the word diaspora? We will take it the elect sojourners of the diaspora. Peter is writing to believing Jews. We will talk about the doctrine of election next time in our role as sojourners.

Peter, an apostle writing to believing Jews scattered throughout a rather large region much of which is present day Turkey. Alright that has got us started. I Peter is going to be fun. We go from having to deal with that to talk about the doctrine of election. Good way to start a letter. We will talk about the elect next time.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord for Your grace. Thank You for Your Word, a precious treasure that Your Spirit directed, moved men through the Old Testament, moved men through the New Testament to record accurately and faithfully Your very Words and Your Spirit has guaranteed the preservation of that revelation so that we now have in our possession, possessing each one of us, copies of our own of Your Words given with a clarity, the intention that we understand so that we can respond in faith and believe what You have said and live in light of Your truth. I pray that our lives in the days of the week before us will be a testimony of Your grace and we will be faithful to You, our testimony will be strong, shine brightly wherever we are we pray in Christ’s name amen.