Did Peter Write Only to The Jews or to All The Church?
In short, Peter wrote to The Church. But before we explore the clear insights of this fact let's lay a concise background on Simon Peter.
Simon Peter was one of the earliest believers in Jesus. Like his brother Andrew, he was probably a disciple of John the Baptist, till John directed them to Jesus (Joh 1:40-41; cf. Act 1:15,21-22). The change in Peter was evident in the early days of the church. He took the lead when important issues had to be dealt with (Act 1:15; 5:3,9), and he was the chief preacher (Act 2:14; 3:12; 8:20).
Peter had been brought up an orthodox Jew and did not immediately break his association with traditional Jewish practices (Act 3:1; 5:12-17). Yet he saw that the church was something greater than the temple, and he readily accepted Samaritans into the church on the same bases as the Jews (Act 8:14-17). He showed his increasing generosity of spirit by preaching in Samaritan villages and in the towns of Lydda and Joppa on the coastal plain (Act 8:25; 9:32,36).
In spite of all this, a special vision from God was necessary to convince Peter that uncircumcised Gentiles were to be accepted into the church freely, without their first having to submit to the Jewish law (Act 10:9-16). As a result of the vision he went to Caesarea, where a God-fearing Roman centurion, along with his household, believed the gospel and received the Holy Spirit the same as Jewish believers (Act 10:17-48). More traditionally minded Jews in the Jerusalem church criticized Peter for his broad-mindedness. Peter silenced them by describing his vision and telling them of the events at Caesarea (Act 11:1-18).
Another factor in Peter’s changing attitudes towards Gentiles was the influence of Paul. The two men had met when Paul visited Jerusalem three years after his conversion (Gal 1:18). They met again eleven years later, when Peter and other Jerusalem leaders expressed fellowship with Paul and Barnabas in their mission to the Gentiles (Gal 2:1,9).
Although Peter understood his mission as being primarily to the Jews (Gal 2:7), he visited the mainly Gentile church in Syrian Antioch and ate freely with the Gentile Christians. When Jewish traditionalists criticized him for ignoring Jewish food laws, he withdrew from the Gentiles. Paul rebuked him publicly and Peter readily acknowledged his error (Gal 2:11-14). When church leaders later met in Jerusalem to discuss the matter of Gentiles in the church, Peter openly and forthrightly supported Paul (Act 15:7-11). He travelled over a wide area (accompanied by his wife) and preached in many churches, including, it seems, Corinth (1Co 1:12; 9:5). Early records indicate that he did much to evangelize the northern parts of Asia Minor. The churches he helped establish there were the churches to which he sent the letters known as 1 and 2 Peter (1Pe 1:1; 2Pe 3:1 (refs2)).
During this time Mark worked closely with Peter. In fact, Peter regarded Mark as his ‘son’ (1Pe 5:13). There is evidence that at one stage they visited Rome and helped the church there. When Peter left for other regions, Mark remained in Rome, where he helped the Christians by recording for them the story of Jesus as they had heard it from Peter.
Later, Peter revisited Rome. Mark was again with him, and so was Silas, who acted as Peter’s secretary in writing a letter to the churches of northern Asia Minor. At this time Nero was Emperor and his great persecution was about to break upon the Christians. Peter wrote his First Letter to prepare Christians for what lay ahead. He wrote his Second Letter to give various reminders and warn against false teaching. By the time he wrote his Second Letter he was in prison, awaiting the execution that Jesus had spoken of about thirty years earlier (2Pe 1:13-15; cf. Joh 21:18-19). According to tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome some time during the period AD 65-69.
The proof that Peter wrote to The Churches made of Both Jews and Gentiles is within the greeting of his first epistle.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers dispersed through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect, - 1 Peter 1:1
Strangers
The word sojourners/strangers refers to people who have left their native land and are living temporarily on foreign soil, and among strangers. It is translated from the greek pare pideemos, compounded from;
para = beside, epi, upon,
and
epidēméō = reside
thus, literally, to dwell alongside those of a strange land.
He could have used other words such as:
G245 - allotrios - alien, strange, [foreigner]
G246 - allophulos - foreign, gentile, one of another nation
G3581 * ξένος xenos - host, strange
G3941 * πάροικος paroikos - foreigner, sojourn, stranger
G4339 * προσήλυτος prosēlutos - proselyte[convert]
But he did not choose to do so.
Instead Peter purposely describes the 5 churches he writes to as parapedimos, translated as strangers, sojourners, pilgrims...
Thayers Lexicon Definition:
one who comes from a foreign country into a city or land to reside there by the side of the natives
a stranger
sojourning in a strange place, a foreigner
in the NT metaphorically in reference to heaven as the native country, one who sojourns on earth
The 4th meaning matches Peters additional description of the churches in verse 17
17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here[THE EARTH] in reverence.
Dispersed
Peter describes the church as dispersed. This is one of many times where he uses expressions and phrases exclusive to the Israelites and instead applies such terms to all The Churches in general.
Greeting
1Pe 1:1 petros apostolos iesos xristos eklektois PAREPIDEMOIS DIASPORAS[sojourners dispersed] pontou, galatias, kappadokias, asias, kai bithunias,
1Pe 1:1 ¶ Peter, an Ambassador of Jesus the Anointed, ¶ To the chosen exiles scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia
-TGNT
Compare to James' greeting
JAMES 1
Greeting
Jas 1:1 iakobos theos kai kuriou iesos xristos doslos tais dodeka fulais tais EN TO DIASPORA[of The Dispersion] xairein.
Jas 1:1 ¶ James, slave of God and Master Jesus the Anointed, the scattered twelve tribes:
- TGNT
Peter writes to the churches as dispersed sojourners or pilgrims while James writes to THE 12 tribes of THE Dispersion, putting a distinction between the two similar phrases and indisputably different audiences.
The church was first scattered in acts 11 by the unbelieving Jews. At the time they were nearly ALL Jews who converted to Christianity by the disciples but in verse 1 of the chapter the gentiles, specifically cornelius, received the gospel too. Tho the believers were scattered, it was the apostles who soon after went out and established churches among the early believers. In Peter's letters to them, these churches were undeniably gentile, such as Galatia, the church paul wrote to and established. Asia was another church, which Ephesus was it's capital, which was another church Paul established and wrote to. Lastly there's Bythinia. A place the holy spirit forbid the disciples to go in the book of Acts. We know from pliny the younger, a Roman governor, complained of pagan temples being nearly emptied of devoted followers and became Christians. Yet Peter wrote to the Bythinians. Yet also Philo does speak of Jews there but seeing that the gospel was held Back from there by the holy spirit in acts it stands to reason that when the gospel did eventually reach there then it makes the case that both synogogues and pagan temples were emptying out and being added to the church making it a possible Jewish and gentile church. Back to the "dispersion",
The "Dispersion" was a technical term of common usage among the Jews to designate those of their [covenant]race who were scattered among the Gentile nations. (John 7:35.) It occurs in the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament scriptures) in the passage, "Thou shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." (Deut. 25:28.) In view of these facts, the temptation is strong to assign a literal significance to these terms here, and conclude that Peter wrote to Christian Jews away from Palestine, and in the provinces designated. An examination of the whole epistle, however, raises serious doubts as to the correctness of this conclusion. In 1 Peter 2:11, He uses the word parapedimos again(where it is translated pilgrim) in an obviously figurative sense for Christians generally, (as does Paul in hebrews 11:13), without regard to former relationships or races and it is therefore probable that in 1 Peter 1:1 he intended to indicate by "sojourners" all people of God who were then sojourning on the earth among unbelievers, and therefore in a more comprehensive sense than the traditional terms would signify. The crucial verse that shows Peter using these words in such manner is in 1 Peter 2:12 where he uses the Greek word παροίκους G3941 paroikos to describe non believers.
It's meaning from Thayer Definition is:
dwelling near, neighbouring
in the NT, a stranger, a foreigner, one who lives in a place without the right of citizenship
metaphorically
without citizenship in God's kingdom
one who lives on earth as a stranger, a sojourner on the earth
of Christians whose home is in heaven
Most translations use "gentiles" or "nations". Others use words such as:
NET = non Christians
Cloverdale bible = heathen
Wycliffe bible = heathen men
UDB = those who do not know God
T4T = Those who do not know God
Though the thoughts of the epistle are Jewish in background, and many quotations from the Old Testament occur, the usage of these Jewish terms are defined by his very statements occurring in 1 Peter 1:14, 1 Peter 2:10, 1 Peter 4:3 and elsewhere seem to require a non- Jewish background for those particularly addressed.
A powerful example:
The Apostle wrote that Jewish Christian women that they were (would "become", grk egeneetheete, 2nd person plural, aor. 1 ind. pass. of ginomai, to become) daughters of Sarah "if ye do well." (1 Peter 3:6.)..... NOT BY THE FLESH, OR BIRTH NOR DESCENDANCY.
These premises lead to the conclusion that the apostle wrote to Christians, both Jew and Gentile, without regard to their religious or racial backgrounds, as composing the body in which there is "neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman but Christ is all and in all." Colossians 3:11.)
Even how Peter wrote his farewell at the end of his epistle only further confirms this reality, "to all those in Christ".
GREETING CONTINUED
Verse 2--Grace to you, and peace be multiplied.--The author, in this salutation, joins the lovely and impressive greeting of the Greeks (Chaire! "grace") and the Hebrews (shalom, peace!), (“May your peace be multiplied,” was a form frequent with the rabbies. - Whedon) with which the people of these races were accustomed to hail one another. A similar salutation occurs often in Paul's epistles. (Rom. 1:1 Cor. 1:3; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2, etc.) See Matt. 10 12, 13 for an example of the Hebrew usage (Acts 15:23), for the usual formula of Greek missives.
The Churches
“Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia(Ephesus was its capital), and Bithynia”
J. Ramsey Michaels says the Roman provinces listed in the opening verse of 1 Peter were located north of the Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor, which is located within modern-day Turkey. [82] Philo the Jew testifies to Jewish colonization of these provinces. [83] When these areas were first evangelized is a mystery. There are several suggestions:
(1) Converted Jews on the Day of Pentecost - We find that Jews from three of these provinces were in Jerusalem on the day Peter preached and converted three thousand souls (Act 2:9).
(2) Peter - Peter may have traveled there, avoiding the regions of southern and western Asia Minor where Paul the apostle had established churches. But, we must note that Peter does not include any personal references within his two Epistles that reveal personal contact between him and his readers. In fact, his statement in 1Pe 1:12 seems to disassociate him from those who brought the Gospel to this region.
(3) Paul - Our strongest evidence suggests that Paul traveled to these regions and planted some of these churches. We know that he preached the Gospel in parts of Galatia (Gal 4:13), thoroughly evangelized Asia (Act 19:10) after having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit earlier to go there (Act 16:6), and he was forbidden by the Holy Ghost to go into Bithynia (Act 16:7). So, the fact is, Paul did plant churches in some of these Roman provinces.
References: [82] J. Ramsey Michaels, 1 Peter, in Word Biblical Commentary: 58 Volumes on CD-Rom, vol. 49, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Inc., 2002), in Libronix Digital Library System, v. 3.0b [CD-ROM] (Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corp., 2004), comments on 1 Peter 1:1
[83] Philo writes, “It, as I have already stated, is my native country, and the metropolis, not only of the one country of Judaea, but also of many, by reason of the colonies which it has sent out from time to time…and also with those more distant regions of Pamphylia, Cilicia, the greater part of Asia Minor as far as Bithynia, and the furthermost corners of Pontus… And not only are the continents full of Jewish colonies, but also all the most celebrated islands are so too…” ( On the Virtues and Office of Ambassadors: Addressed to Caius 36) See C. D. Yonge, The Works of Philo Judaeus, the Contemporary of Josephus, vol. 4 (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1855), 161.
Act 2:9, “Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,”
1Pe 1:12, “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”
Gal 4:13, “Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.”
Act 16:6, “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,”
Act 16:7, “After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.”
Act 19:10, “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.”
Donald Guthrie suggests that these five Roman provinces are listed in the order that one would naturally visit them if traveling from the east by ship. After entering into the Black Sea and landing at a seaport of Pontus, a traveler would have made a circuit through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, which puts him back on the shores of the Black Sea near his original port of entry into Asia Minor. [84]
[84] Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction (Downers Grover, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1990), 784.
In 1Pe. 1:1-2 we have two facts about those to whom this epistle was addressed so far:
(1) they lived in Asia Minor (Turkey) and
(2) they were Christians.
It is also very obvious from even a superficial reading of the book, that the apostle intended Gentile Christians to receive and study it. See such passages as 1Pe. 2:10 (compared with Eph. 2:11-13) and 1Pe. 4:3. Peter’s benediction is general; “unto you all that are in Christ” (1Pe. 5:4). True, the “Gentiles” are mentioned in the third person, 1Pe. 2:12, 1Pe. 4:3, but Peter consistently uses this term religiously in context referring to non believers as wicked Gentiles—heathens.
It seems best, therefore, to regard the epistle as being addressed to all Christians within the geographical boundaries specified.
The Inheritance According to Peter - verse 4
that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1:4
Peter had no thought in his mind of regaining an earthly Jerusalem or any such inheritance. He adds his eschatology in saying that the inheritance is guarded in heaven for us. This echoes so many other places where he heard Christ's sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:10-12 where Jesus teaches the same thing. The Jews hoped for an earthly kingdom and rule connecting their old covenant promise to the land of Canaan. But Peter speaks of the eternal promises that cannot receive corruption of any kind, which preaches behind the epistle to the hebrews that states "the new covenant is based on better promises"... We have no inheritance on earth; his inheritance is with the saints in light, Col. 1:12; an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven.
1 Peter 1:4. In the meanwhile the Holy Spirit is given as the earnest of the inheritance. Eph. 1:14. “If sons, then heirs, heirs of God through Christ, and heirs of God with Christ [Note: Rom 8:17. Gal 4:7.].” Now, the inheritance to which God has begotten us is nothing less than all the glory of heaven; an inheritance, “not corruptible,” as earthly treasures, “which moth and rust will corrupt;” “not defiled,” like the earthly Canaan, by wicked inhabitants, (for “into heaven nothing entereth that can defile [Note: Rev 21:27.];”) “not fading,” by use, or age, or enjoyment, like the pleasures of sense: no, it is an inheritance worthy of God to give to his beloved children, even that inheritance which Christ himself, as our Forerunner, our Head. Again there are no tendencies to corruption there, no possibilities of defilement, not even that fading which must pass over the fairest things of earth. This inheritance Peter speaks of is reserved in heaven for you. The many mansions in our Father's house have been kept from the beginning; Satan cannot rob them of it, as he robbed man of the earthly paradise. Some of the Greek commentators find in the words, "in heaven," an argument against the millenarians.
We rejoice in his present and future blessings—in the new birth, and in the hope of the heavenly inheritance, in the assured protection of God. "The grass withereth, the flower falleth away;" it is not so in the "land that is very far off." The crown reserved for its blessed inhabitants is an amaranth wreath (comp. Wisd. 6:13 and 1Pe 5:4,)
LASTLY
PETER AND HEBREW ISRAELITE TEACHINGS DONT MIX... THE REST OF THE CHAPTER
5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In the old covenant it was your obedience to the law that guaranteed your partaking of the promises.
In the New Covenant your inheritance is protected by God himself. No enemy nations are breaking in.. And you receive this promise of heaven through faith not the law, and it also for your salvation too.
6 This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials.
In the old covenant you suffered due to breaking the covenant law and your blessing was on earth(Deuteronomy 28)
In the New Covenant you suffer when you do right and your reward is in heaven and according to Peter heaven itself is your reward.
7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away – and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.
Peter puts no need for those who never saw Jesus to know what he looks like nor his nationality. Believing in him was what he emphasized. And the goal of your faith is the salvation of YOUR SOUL. NOT BEING SAVED FROM YOUR ENEMIES AND HOSTILE NATIONS. NOT TO ATTAIN THE LAND OR TO RULE.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who predicted the grace that would come to you searched and investigated carefully. 11 They probed into what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ and his subsequent glory.
12 They were shown that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things angels long to catch a glimpse of.
Hebrew Israelites teach that the prophets prophesy that in the end of time the gentiles will serve them forever as slaves in the kingdom.
Yet Peter says the prophets were serving Christians in their prophecies about the future time through al those who now presently preach the Gospel to them. Not the law, but the gospel BY THE HOLY SPIRIT SENT FROM HEAVEN. NOT THE LAW SENT DOWN FROM MT. SINAI
13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action by being fully sober, and set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Set your hope on the grace that Jesus will bring. Nothing about hoping on land return, regathering, or national sovereignty.
14 Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, 15 but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct,
16 for it is written, “You shall be holy ones, because I am holy.” 17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence.
The translation of the Revised Version is more exact than the Authorized Version, "If ye call on him as Father." Who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work.
The adverb ἀπροσωπολήπτως, rendered "without respect of persons," occurs nowhere else in the New Testament; but the thought is familiar. St. Peter himself had said, when he was sent to receive Cornelius into the Church, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons" (Act 10:34). The disciples of the Pharisees had said the same of our Lord (Mat 22:16; comp. also Rom 2:11; Gal 2:6; Jas 2:1-4. The Lord said (Joh 5:22),the people of God in this world are "sojourners", as all their fathers were; they are not natives of the place in, which they are; though they are in the world, they are not of it; they were natives of it by their first birth, but by their second they are born again from above, and so, belong to another place; they are of another country, even an heavenly one; are citizens of another city, a city which, has foundations, whose builder and maker is God, their citizenship is in heaven; and there is their Father's house, which is not made with hands, and is eternal; and there lies their estate, their inheritance; and though they dwell here below, neither their settlement nor their satisfaction are here; they reckon themselves not at home while they are on earth, and are strangers in it, to the men of the world, and they to them; with whom they have not, or at least ought not to have, any fellowship. It is indeed but for a "time", that they are sojourners, not an eternity; which time is fixed, and is very short, and will be quickly gone; it is but a little while, and Christ wilt come and take them home to his Father's house, where they shall be for ever with him; for it is only here on earth that they are pilgrims and strangers.
He judges according to every man's work, regarding, not distinctions of rank, or wealth, or nationality, but only the character of the work. Observe that the word "work" (ἔργον) is in the singular number, as πρᾶξιν in Mat 16:27. God judges according to every man's work as a whole, according to the whole scope and meaning of his life as issuing from the one governing principle, whether faith or selfishness.
18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for your sake.
NOT FOR ISRAELS SAKE... BUT FOR THE SAKE OF HIS FOLLOWERS AND DISCIPLES, HIS BRIDE THE CHURCH
21 Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart. xref-4
23 You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
The physical descendants of Abraham are not born of imperishable seed. But the seed of the promise.
24 For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the grass; the grass withers and the flower falls off,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
This word is the Gospel. Yet he pulls a psalm and turns the word away from being torah, to the word being The Gospel preached.
In conclusion, Peter by the Power of the Holy Spirit and Authority of Christ taught The Church
1. That She is a sojourners on earth
2. Her home is in heaven
3. Her inheritance is in heaven and it comes through faith for salvation. Not the law through being a part of Israel.
4. That the work they will do will be of the totality of their very lives. Not the works of the law.
And there are perhaps more insights into Peter's epistles that reveal the lack of Hebrew Israelite beliefs in his writings. Rumors have swirled for centuries as to whom Peter directed his epistle - whether to the Jews, the Gentiles, or both. Some say his words were intended solely for the Jewish community, while others argue that his message transcends all cultural boundaries. We have proven here beyond any doubt that The Apostle Peter indeed wrote to Both Jews and Gentiles in Christ.
Christ is Risen