The Analysed Bible, Volumes 1, 2, 3, by Rev. G. Campbell Morgan: The Book of 1 Peter - Analysed and Explained in Detail (Full Text and PDF).

A detailed analysis of the book of 1 Peter: Christ the Strength of His People.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, being published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

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The Book of 1 Peter - Analysed and Explained in Summary - Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of "The Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, taken from Volumes 1, 2, & 3 of the "Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

1 PETER - CHRIST THE STRENGTH OF HIS PEOPLE

INTRODUCTION - 1 Peter 1:1-1:2

1. The Apostle and his Elect Readers - 1Pet. 1:1

2. Explanation of "Elect" - 1Pet. 1:2

Part A: ESTABLISHED FOR TESTING IN CONFIDENCE - 1 Peter 1:3-2:3

A1. The Life of Faith - 1Pet. 1:3-1:5

  1. The Beginning. "Begat us again" - 1:3
  2. The Issue. "An Inheritance" - 1:4
  3. The Assurance. " ... are guarded" - 1:5

A2. The Proving of Faith - 1Pet. 1:6-1:12

  1. The Value of Proof - 1:6-1:7
  2. The Principle of Believing - 1:8-1:9
  3. The Testimony of the Past - 1:10-1:12

A3. The Practice of Faith - 1Pet. 1:13-2:3

  1. Personal - 1:13-1:21
  2. Relative - 1:22-2:3

Part B: ESTABLISHED FOR TESTING IN CONDUCT - 1 Peter 2:4-3:9

B1. The Life of Holiness - 1Pet. 2:4-2:10

  1. Composition. Living Stone and living stones - 2:4-2:6
  2. Quality. The Preciousness of the Living Stone - 2:7-2:8
  3. Vocation. Exhibiting the excellencies - 2:9-2:10

B2. Practice of Holiness - 1Pet. 2:11-3:9

  1. General Instructions. Personal - 2:11-2:12
  2. National Relationships - 2:13-2:17
  3. Household Relationships - 2:18-2:25
  4. Home Relationships - 3:1-3:7
  5. General Instructions. Corporate - 3:8-3:9

Part C: ESTABLISHED FOR TESTING IN CHARACTER - 1 Peter 3:10-5:7

C1. The Life of Victory - 1Pet. 3:10-3:22

  1. Principle. "If ye should suffer" - 3:10-3:17
  2. Pattern. "Christ also suffered" - 3:18-3:22

C2. Process of Victory - 1Pet. 4:1-5:7

  1. The Equipment. "Arm yourselves with the same mind" - 4:1-4:11
  2. The Principle. "Partakers of Christ's sufferings" - 4:12-4:19
  3. Responsibilities - 5:1-5:7

Part D: ESTABLISHED FOR TESTING IN CONFLICT - 1 Peter 5:8-5:11

D1. The Life of Conflict - 1Pet. 5:8-5:9a

  1. The Adversary - 5:8
  2. The Attitude - 5:9a

D2. The Fellowship of Conflict. "The God of all grace" - 1Pet. 5:9b

D3. The Strength of Conflict - 1Pet. 5:10-5:11

CONCLUSION - 1 Peter 5:12-5:14

Introduction - 1 Peter 1:1-1:2

This letter was directed to the same persons as that of James. Its main purpose is the establishing of such as are passing through a period of suffering and testing. In the solemn days in which the Lord had foretold Peter's fall and restoration, He had said to him, "When once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren." In both his epistles the apostle carried out that commission.

The letter abounds with references to his own experiences. Its twofold method is indicated in the closing words, "exhorting, and testifying" (verse 12). The word "exhorting" is derived from the same root as Paraclete, and thus reveals the nature of the exhortation. The word "testifying" means witnessing, in the sense in which the Lord had said to His disciples that they should be witnesses to Him. Thus in the power of the Paraclete, Peter exhorted, and emphasized his exhortation by testifying to Him of Whom the Holy Spirit is Representative and Administrator. These two aspects of the epistle are intermixed, the apostle perpetually passing from exhortation to testimony. The epistle may thus be divided; Introduction (1:1-1:2); Established for Testing in Confidence (1:3-2:3); Established for Testing in Conduct (2:4-3:9); Established for Testing in Character (3:10-5:7); Established for Testing in Conflict (5:8-5:11); Conclusion (5:12-5:14).

The apostle introduced himself by the name which Jesus gave him, "Peter," and announced his apostleship. He described those to whom he wrote as "the elect," and explained the meaning of his own term. Election is "according to the foreknowledge of God." Its process of realization is "in sanctification of the Spirit." Its purpose is "unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." He saluted his readers with the words of the new covenant; "grace" indicating all the favour of God operative through the work of Jesus; and "peace," the resulting condition and consciousness of the life.

A. Established for Testing in Confidence - 1 Peter 1:3-2:3

In order to establish them for testing in confidence, he first described the life of faith; then showed the place of the proving of faith; and finally gave them practical exhortation as to the practice of faith.

As to the origin of the life of faith, he reminded them that the beginning of their life was by the act of God, in which He "begat us again" through the liberation of the life of Christ in resurrection. The final issue of this is that of an inheritance, all the characteristics of which are in direct contrast to the inheritances of earth. It is "incorruptible," while everything here is corruptible; it is "undefiled," while everything here is tainted with defilement; it "fadeth not away," while everything here is passing, even while it is possessed; it is "reserved in heaven," while everything here is overshadowed by the coming of death. The assurance of the ultimate realization lies in the fact that the saints are guarded by the power of God.

The value of the present proving, is the consequent vindication at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The principle of strength in the process of proving, is that of love which springs out of perfect confidence in the Lord Himself. The salvation which is to be revealed is even now received by faith, and so the joy of the present is of the nature of that which is to come; and out of this grows the victory of courage and gladness over all the grief of the manifold trials of to-day. He finally reminded them that this wonderful salvation had been the subject of the inquiries and the search of the prophets of old; and angels themselves had desired to look into them.

Having set the testing of their confidence in relation to its purpose, the apostle proceeded to practical exhortations, dealing first with individual, and then with relative responsibility. In personal life the attitude to be maintained is that of strenuous readiness for all present emergencies, in the absolute certainty of the ultimate issue. The ruling principle of obedience is to be that of relationship to God as children. He concluded the personal injunctions with the strongest argument it was possible for him to use. They had been redeemed at infinite cost. In dealing with the relative practice, the individual obedience is taken for granted. The only injunction laid upon the saints, conditioning their relation to each other, is that of love. The character of the love enjoined is described as being "from the heart fervently." The energy sufficient to enable obedience in this matter is that of the new birth, wherein life, containing forces equal to every demand, is received. The method of obedience is that of putting away all things contrary to the spirit of love, and the sustenance of life by the Word.

B. Established for Testing in Conduct - 1 Peter 2:4-3:9

Passing from the subject of the testing of confidence to that which is closely allied, the testing of conduct, the apostle first dealt with the life of holiness, and the practice of holiness.

In dealing with the life of holiness he described the Church as a building, of which the chief corner Stone is the living Christ, and in which all members are living stones, deriving from Him a preciousness. The fellowship of this preciousness issues in fellowship in the suffering resulting from rejection by the men of the world. In a passage of remarkable force and beauty, the vocation of the Church is declared to be that of the manifestation of the excellencies of God.

The application of this master principle immediately follows. Generally, it means that the members of the Church are to behave as those not of the world, conducting themselves among outsiders in a seemly manner in order to silence slander, and vindicate God.

This general principle is then illustrated in its national bearing. Submission to God does not express itself in disobedience to earthly government, but rather in subjection to such.

The application to household relationships illustrates how things generally considered menial are transfigured in the light of Christian experience. Servants are to be subject, not only to masters who are reasonable, but also to the froward. For the encouragement of such the apostle quoted the great example of Christ, to Whom they have returned, and in relation to Whom it is possible for them to obey.

The application to home relationships begins with the marriage relation. The attitude of the wife is to be that of subjection, the true adornment of woman being that of womanly character. The injunction to husbands is that they dwell with their wives according to knowledge. Thus the woman is to be subject to a love which acts in knowledge, and not in selfishness and ignorance. The final reason for the fulfilment of the true ideal of the marriage relationship is that "prayers be not hindered," a forceful suggestion that the whole married life is consecrated by mutual intercession.

The section closes with general exhortations to the cultivation of such disposition as shall fulfil the ideals in conduct.

C. Established for Testing in Character - 1 Peter 3:10-5:7

The apostle now passed to the establishing of those tested as a result of their realization of the true Christian character, and he first described the life of victory, and then indicated the process of victory.

He commenced with a quotation from the Psalms, which calls to a life of holiness and declares a truth concerning the attitude of God towards men. In the light of this truth, those who suffer for character are urged to be zealous of that which is good. The one supreme responsibility is expressed in the words, "Sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord." The perfect Pattern for the believer in order to victory is Christ Himself, and the apostle stated comprehensively the facts of the suffering and victory of Christ. These are. His death and resurrection; His descent into Hades and proclamation of the evangel; His ascension to the right hand of God and assumption of authority. The force of the argument in its bearing on suffering saints is that of showing how through suffering Christ reached a triumph. Through His suffering He was able to make proclamation of His evangel in Hades, and then to ascend to the place of final authority, even above all angels and authorities and powers. Through their baptism of suffering they also find their way into victory.

The process of this victory is therefore, first that of being armed with the same mind. This mind belongs to the saints, and is a good conscience through the finished work of Christ. Let them act in the power of it by ceasing from sin, and all those gratifications of the fleshlife which has characterized their past. The result of that will be their suffering, but the issue will be their triumph in the Gospel, as through them it is preached to others. The apostle then suddenly turned the light of the future on to the present. "The end of all things is at hand." The darkness of every day has on it the purple promise of the end. The proper effect of this certainty is then described in its personal and relative aspects. The individual is that they be of "sound mind" and "sober unto prayer." Relatively, love is to be the master motive, and this is to find expression in hospitality and mutual ministration.

The apostle then showed that the fiery trial resulting from loyalty to Christ is inevitable, as partnership in the sufferings of Christ. In such fellowship with His sufferings they are to rejoice, inasmuch as the issue must be that of fellowship in His glory. That result, however, does not follow suffering which is the consequence of sin; if a child of God suffer through wrong-doing, there must be no expectation of glory issuing therefrom. Remembering that the fires through which His children pass are watched by God, Who never allows them to harm His own, let them commit their souls to Him.

Finally the apostle gave instructions as to the orderliness of the Church. The leaders are to care for the flock, not lording it over them, but serving them; not indeed under the authority of the flock, but under that of the Lord and Master, Who is the chief Shepherd. The younger are to be in subjection. All of them are to gird themselves to service, which is to be characterized by humility, and by freedom from all anxiety.

D. Established for Testing in Conflict - 1 Peter 5:8-5:11

The life of the saint is one of conflict. The apostle named the adversary; he is the devil; he is neither careless nor neutral; his business is the destruction of all good. To those to whom Peter wrote the attitude of the devil was that of a roaring lion. It is not always so. Sometimes his opposition is stealthy and slimy as that of the serpent. At others it is radiant and fascinating as that of an angel.

His purpose is always the same, "seeking whom he may devour"; and his method is ever that of seeking, watching for the weak moment, the unguarded entrance, the unprepared occasion. The attitude of the Christian toward this foe is to be that of soberness, watchfulness, and actual conflict. An incentive to all this is that we are not alone. Our brethren in the world are all fighting. Our battle is not our own; it is theirs also. They fight for us; and we for them. The strength of conflict is the certainty that the God of all grace will through the process accomplish His purpose.

Conclusion - 1 Peter 5:12-5:14

In the last words the apostle indicated the method of the letter, with which we dealt in the introduction; and closed with personal salutations and the benediction of peace.