Pastor John,
Wednesday night was absolutely wonderful… I love what God is revealing to us! Just to begin to see how great the Son is! I can’t even get it across here. It is just so sweet to feel the blood flowing like it is. And then to hear (again) that God was just tolerating, in compassion for them, the Jews who had the Spirit continuing to observe the law. As soon as the spirit was sent down, the Law was as filthy rags! Amen! I had never looked at it that way before. Something in me thought the Law was still holy for a little while for the Jews after the spirit came.
Anyways, last weekend when my parents were up here in Boone working on the house with Abby and I, we read 1 and 2Peter. While we were reading through it, it really stuck out to us some of the things that Peter was telling the Gentiles! I went back through it this week and read it, knowing where Peter had come from and trying not to take for granted that Peter was saying these things to the Gentiles. What Peter told the Gentiles was really good. It felt like Peter understood by this point the greatness of the Son.
Thank you! I hope God lets us share what we are learning with His people.
Aaron
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My notes from 1Peter:
1Peter 1:1-2
- Peter actually wrote to the Gentiles: “to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…”
- Peter tells the Gentile believers that they were chosen by God! …
- … through sanctification of the Spirit! Not included or necessary: circumcision, laws, just water baptism or even John the Baptist’s baptism.
1:10
- The prophets prophesied of God turning to the Gentiles.
1:15-16
- The Gentiles, by the Spirit, can be holy and please God.
1:17
- The Father has no “respect of persons”, but judges according to every man’s work. What good news for the Gentiles! Paul’s doctrine being preached, and what God had tried to get across to Peter before he went to Cornelius’ house: “What God has made clean, don’t you call common!” (Acts 10:15). And then what Peter told Cornelius when he went, “Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation, whoever fears Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34b,35).
1:23
- They had been born again of incorruptible seed (unlike the corruptible seed of man that the Jews had been born of).
2:5, 9–10
- These Gentile believers “are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ… ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people… Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
This would have been considered (the highest?) heresy by devout Jews in Jerusalem. A very bold thing to say! Peter seems to have learned his lesson from Paul, that Paul told Peter in Galatians 2:11-21. Galatians 2:16:“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
3:6
- Peter calls Gentile women who had the Spirit, Sarah’s daughters, “as long as you do well and are not afraid with any amazement”.
5:2
- The Gentile believers were part of “the flock of God”.