I Peter 1:10-12
(A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)
May 23, 2013
There
is an interesting exchange which took place between Jesus and Pontius Pilate
just before Pilate sentenced Jesus to death. The conversation is recorded in John’s
gospel. When Pilate asked Jesus if Jesus
was a king, Jesus said, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I
have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
And
Pilate’s classic response was, “What is truth?”
And
that question, “What is truth?” is one that is still being asked
by people today. How can we know what is
truth and what is falsehood? In a world
who so many philosophical systems, so many theological perspectives, so many
seemingly well intentioned spiritual teachers and advisers, all claiming to
have the answer to life’s mysteries, how do we know what to believe?...
It
has been said that life is a never ending search for meaning. While I wouldn’t
dispute that, I believe it is more accurate to say that life is a never ending
search for truth.
On
our flight back from Barcelona last week I watched on the plane the movie Life of Pi. It is the story of a young boy, named Pi,
from India who grew up in a family that owned a small zoo. Because of economic conditions the family was
forced to take the zoo animals and leave India by ship. There was a shipwreck
and Pi ends up stranded on a small raft with several of the animals, including
a ferocious Bengal tiger. Throughout the movie, which is based on a book by the
same name, Pi is searching for God. In
his search for God, he simultaneously embraces the religions of Hinduism, Christianity (Catholicism),
and Islam. In one of the scenes his
father confronts him during a family meal.
He said to his son, "Believing in everything is the same as
believing in nothing."
Contrary to popular opinion,
all paths do not lead to God. And because of that, it is vitally important for
us to make sure we are on the right path.
That is an issue addressed in 1 Peter 1:10-12.
Notice verse 10 begins with
the phrase “As to this salvation…”
Salvation is one of the main themes of this first paragraph in 1 Peter. In its narrowest sense, salvation is the
transaction that takes place between an individual and God when that person
chooses to trust his/her life to Jesus.
In its broadest sense, salvation is the truth upon which that
transaction stands. That truth is the
basic message of the gospel—the good news.
It formed the foundation of the preaching and teaching of the church in
the 1st century. It includes
the following:
1. The
promises by God made in the Old Testament have now been fulfilled with the
coming of Jesus the Messiah (Acts 2:30; 3:19, 24; 10:43; 26:6–7, 22; Rom. 1:2–4;
I Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:1–2; I Peter 1:10–12; 2 Peter 1:18–19).
2. Jesus
was anointed as Messiah by God at His baptism (Acts 10:38).
3. Jesus
began His ministry in Galilee after His baptism (Acts 10:37).
4. His
ministry was characterized by doing good and performing mighty works by means
of the power of God (Mark 10:45; Acts 2:22; 10:38).
5. The
Messiah was crucified according to the purpose of God (Mark 10:45; John 3:16;
Acts 2:23; 3:13–15, 18; 4:11; 10:39; 26:23; Rom. 8:34; I Cor. 1:17–18; 15:3;
Gal. 1:4; Heb. 1:3; I Peter 1:2, 19; 3:18; I John 4:10).
6. He was
raised from the dead and appeared to His disciples (Acts 2:24, 31–32; 3:15, 26;
10:40–41; 17:31; 26:23; Rom. 8:34; 10:9; I Cor. 15:4–7, 12ff; I Thess. 1:10; I
Tim. 3:16; I Peter 1:2; 3:18, 21).
7. Jesus
was exalted by God and given the name “Lord” (Acts 2:25–29, 33–36; 3:13; 10:36;
Rom. 8:34; 10:9; I Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:3; I Peter 3:22).
8. He gave
the Holy Spirit to form the new community of God (Acts 1:8; 2:14–18, 38–39;
10:44–47; I Peter 1:12).
9. He will
come again for judgment and the restoration of all things (Acts 3:20–21; 10:42;
17:31; I Cor. 15:20–28; I Thess. 1:10).
10. All who hear the message should repent and be
baptized (Acts 2:21, 38; 3:19; 10:43, 47–48; 17:30; 26:20; Rom. 1:17; 10:9; I
Peter 3:21).[1]
When Peter speaks of salvation in verse 10, I think he is
speaking in that broad sense.
The question is, how can we know those things are true? To answer that question, Peter turns to the
prophets of the Old Testament who looked forward to the message of salvation.
What
do you think, what image comes to your mind when you hear the word “prophet?” Not p-r-o-f-i-t as in a dollar prophet,
but p-r-o-p-h-e-t as in an Old Testament prophet. If you’re like the average person the word “prophet”
probably brings to your mind the image of a wild-eyed person, with an unkept
appearance, wearing sackcloth, and babbling mysterious things about the
future. And while some of the Old
Testament prophets did some things that seem rather strange from our
perspective, basically the word prophet simply means one who speaks the truth
of God.
In
these verses Peter tells us how the prophets came to a knowledge of the truth. If you’ll look carefully at the text you will
see that for them coming to a knowledge of the truth was a two step process. And the process they followed is the same
process we must follow to come to a knowledge of the truth...
I.
The
discovery of spiritual truth requires personal effort on our part
1. The
prophets of old didn’t neglect the use of their intellects in their efforts to
come to knowledge of the truth...two phrases in these verses indicate that the
prophets understood that discovering spiritual truth required some effort on
their part:
·
“made careful search and inquiry”
in last part of v.10 – This implies personal effort on their part. The prophets didn’t just sit around waiting
for truth to fall from heaven into their laps.
They searched, they dug, they studied, they worked, they used their
intellectual ability to learn all that they could.
·
“seeking to know the person or (and) time” in the first part
of v.11 – From their study they discerned that a Messiah from the line of David
would break into human history at a certain time.
2. See
in that two important lesson for us today...
i. First,
we are responsible for our own spiritual well-being...the only people
on earth who have to be fed by others are the babies and the infirm...just as
you are responsible for feeding yourself physically, you are responsible for
feeding yourself spiritual...read your Bible...search... inquire...use your God
given intellect...that’s what the prophets did and God blessed them for doing
so...
ii. Second, we should approach this
responsibility with great diligence...there is simply no excuse for
Christians being mentally or intellectually lazy in things of the faith...we
wouldn't put up with medical doctor or attorney or teacher or pilot who was
incompetent in his/her profession because laziness...and wrong for us be that
way in relation things of God...
When
we stand in the pulpit to preach...when we open Bible to teach SS Class...when
we share our faith with another person, dealing with most sacred things in all
eternity...as deal with them, ought muster every ounce mental ability have...as
did the prophets we must "make
careful search and inquiry"...
T.S.
- However, that by itself, is not enough...it is impossible to understand
spiritual truth on human effort alone...the most intelligent person in the
world will come up woefully short if that person’s efforts to come to a
knowledge of the truth are based only on human effort...in addition to
involving personal effort...
II. The discovery of spiritual truth requires a
spirit of dependence on God
1. Peter
tells us that the prophets allowed God’s Spirit to teach them...it is not
enough to rely upon our intellect...while we must do our part, ultimately truth
is revealed to us by God...
2. The
phrase “...the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating...” in
v.11 and the phrase “It was revealed to them...” at the beginning
of v.12 reminds that the prophets depended on God as the ultimate source of
truth...
3. Suspect
when Peter wrote these words he had in mind what he had heard Jesus say about
the Holy Spirit...on several occasions Jesus described to the disciples the
Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth”...and once He told them, “But
when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth...”[John
16:13a]
4. Read
this week that G. Campbell Morgan, the great Bible commentator, said the best
way to refer to the Holy Spirit was as “the other Jesus”…I like that…we have
the Spirit of Jesus, Himself, to guide us into truth…
1. We
must not be arrogant when it comes to spiritual things... ultimately all
spiritual truth is revealed truth...what we discover about God through our
inquiries...what we learn of God through our searching are those things which
God has chosen to reveal to us...
2. Christianity
is a religion of revelation...and in these verses Peter reminds us that God’s
ultimate revelation, full revelation is in the person of Jesus...and until we
open our lives to Him...until we allow Him a resting place inside of us, we
will never come to a knowledge of the truth because, as Jesus said, “He, Himself,
is the truth.”
1. When
Harvard University was founded, its motto was "Veritas Christo et
Ecclesiae" (Truth for Christ and the Church). Its crest showed three books, and one of the
books was face down to symbolize the limitation of human knowledge. But in recent decades the book which was face
down on the crest of Harvard has been turned face up to represent the unlimited
capacity of the human mind. And the
motto has been modified to simply "Veritas" (truth), dropping any
reference to Christ and the church. [INFOSEARCH]
2. But
the prophets of old remind us that the process of discovering real truth
involves more than just human effort...while we certainly should make “careful
search and inquiry” as the prophets did, we should also allow the
Spirit of God to lead us into truth...
[1]
Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Vol. Volume 2:
The Gospel according to Peter: Mark and I
& II Peter. Study Guide Commentary Series (220). Marshall, Texas: Bible
Lessons International.
