MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD 1 PETER _HELEN POCOCK_ INTRODUCTION THE WRITER Peter wrote this letter. He was one of the 12 *apostles. His name was Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter (John 1:42). ‘Peter’ means ‘a rock’ or ‘a stone’. In *New Testament times many people could speak and read the *Gree... [ Continue Reading ]
In those days people used to start letters with a greeting. This letter therefore starts with a greeting. The greeting tells us who is writing the letter. It also tells us who will read the letter. ‘I am Peter, an *apostle of Jesus Christ’. Peter was one of the 12 *apostles whom Jesus chose to be w... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse mentions all three members of the Trinity. The Trinity means that there is one God who is three persons. The three are God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. We cannot understand the Trinity. However, it is very important to know that Christians *worship one G... [ Continue Reading ]
Peter thought about all that God has done for people through Jesus. Then he *praised God. The more that people understand what a wonderful *salvation God has planned for them, the more they will love him. Then they will realise how great and good he is. ‘*Lord Jesus Christ’ is the full title of Jes... [ Continue Reading ]
An *inheritance is what becomes yours by law after the death of the present owner. It is usually land or property. In the *Old Testament, the *inheritance often refers to the country of Canaan. God gave Canaan to the *Jews who were the people whom he chose (Numbers 26:54-56; Joshua 11:23). In the *N... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Protects’ is a military word that has two meanings. It means to guard from attack and to prevent escape. Peter wants to encourage Christians who are suffering for being Christians. God’s power guards their spirits. As they trust in God, his power makes them strong. Then they will not run away from... [ Continue Reading ]
When Christians understand what Peter wrote in verses 3-5, it makes them very happy. They have joy deep in their spirits. But Christians may suffer troubles in their lives. These troubles make them sad for a little while. But they will not be sad for ever.... [ Continue Reading ]
It is easy to be a Christian when life is favourable. But Christians often have troubles in their lives. God uses these troubles to make their *faith in God strong and pure. To have *faith in God means to trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son. James 1:2-4 says that troubles help people to grow up... [ Continue Reading ]
Peter had been in the company of Jesus for three years. But Peter is writing to people who have never seen Jesus. They love Jesus without seeing him. To ‘believe in’ Jesus means to trust and obey him, although we cannot see him. It means more than believing facts about him. People who believe in Jes... [ Continue Reading ]
We understand *salvation in three ways: in the past, in the present, and in the future. • *Salvation in the past, when people first become Christians (verse 3). • *Salvation in the present, as they learn to trust God each day and to receive his help (the first part of verse 5). • *Salvation in th... [ Continue Reading ]
These *prophets of God lived before the birth of Jesus Christ. The ‘Spirit of Christ’ is another name for Christ or *Messiah or the Spirit of God. (In Romans 8:9-10 Paul, too, uses all these names to mean the same). The *prophets brought messages from God to the people. The messages are in the *Old... [ Continue Reading ]
In verses 3-6, Peter has been teaching his readers what *salvation means. He wants them to understand what God has done for them through Jesus. But to know these things only in their mind is not enough. What people believe will always affect the way that they live. So how should Christians live thei... [ Continue Reading ]
Children often look like their parents and behave like them. Christians are now children of God, because God is their Father in heaven. God is holy. God wants his children to be like him. They must have his character in their lives. To be holy means to be completely separate from all *sin and evil.... [ Continue Reading ]
Christians can pray to God as their Father. But he does not deal with other people in a different way. He does not judge people by what their faces look like. Instead, God judges all people by his standard of what is good and evil. God sees how every person lives. To fear God does not mean to be afr... [ Continue Reading ]
Peter then compares their past and present lives. In the past, they did not know how to live for God (see verse 14). People taught them wrong things. Nobody in their society knew the right way to live. ‘God has bought you’. Sometimes a person pays money so that a slave or a person in prison can hav... [ Continue Reading ]
People choose to do what is evil. Before God made the world, he knew that this would happen. So he made the plan of how Christ would save people from their evil lives. God ‘chose’ Christ. The word ‘chose’ is the same word as in verse 2. ‘In these last days’ refers to the time since Christ came to ea... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus says that the only way that a person can come to God the Father is through Jesus Christ his Son (John 14:6). People of many different religions say that they believe in God. If they do not believe in Jesus, then they are not Christians. They do not have *eternal life with God. Jesus rose from... [ Continue Reading ]
Every day, Christians must obey the truth. This will make their life pure. Psalms 119:9 says, ‘How can a young man live a pure life? When he lives the way that God’s word tells us’. The Bible is God’s word. The Bible is truth. As Christians become purer in their lives, they will have a deeper love... [ Continue Reading ]
The ‘word of the *Lord’ (God) can refer to the Bible. It also means the good news that God saves people from *sin through Jesus Christ. When people hear or read this good news, it is like a seed that God plants in their lives. Seeds grow into plants. However, plants die. But the seed of God’s word w... [ Continue Reading ]