LESSON I.—SABBATH, JULY 1, 1893.
1 Peter 1:1, 2: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied." 1. By whom was this epistle written? and by whom is it addressed? Note 1. 2. According to what are we elected or chosen? 3. Through or in what are we chosen? Note 2. 4. What is the benediction pronounced upon us? II. The Living Hope; the Tried Faith.
1 Peter 1:3-7: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold temptations, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, might be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1. For what does the apostle bless God? 2. According to what has the living hope been given? 3. Through what event does that hope come? Note 3. 4. Upon what does this hope lay hold? 5. How are those kept for whom this inheritance is reserved? 6. How do they obtain this power of God? 7. What does this faith lead them to do? 8. What sometimes causes seasons of heaviness? 9. Why are these temptations permitted? Note 4. 10. How does God regard this faith? 11. For what purpose is it tried? 1 Peter 1:8, 9: "Whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." 1. In whom do this faith and hope center? 2. What has this faith put in the heart? Note 5. 3. What do this faith, hope, and love cause? 4. In what glorious event does faith culminate? 1. Sojourners of the Dispersion.—This expression is thought by many to refer to Israel according to the flesh; but while believing Jews are doubtless included, it is very evident that the epistle is addressed, and comes with peculiar force, to Gentile believers. See chapter 2:10. As we proceed in the study of the epistle, it will be seen that while it has been a blessing to the church through all the past, it has special application and force in the last days. See chapter 1:13; 4:7, 12, 13, 17. 2. Elect of God.—The elect of God primarily is Christ himself (Isa. 42:1), and all those who are Christ's are therefore also the elect of God. They are chosen before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), according to the foreknowledge of God (1 Peter 1:2), chosen to be holy and without blame (Eph. 1:4), chosen to salvation (2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:10), chosen through the belief of the truth, the sanctification of the Spirit, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus (2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2); they are to give diligence to make this election sure (2 Peter 1:10). God stays the hand of persecution for their sakes (Mark 13:20), holds against them no charge which any power can make (Rom. 8:33), and will wholly avenge every wrong and answer every prayer put up by their earnest faith (Titus 1:1) during the long centuries of the past (Luke 18:7). All God's blessings are for his elect, and such are we if we are Christ's. 3. Living Hope.—Faith is based upon God's word, let that word be narrative or prophecy, prose or psalm, warning or invitation, precept or promise. God says it; faith says it is so, and so it is. Hope is based on God's promise. The one all-embracing promise of God is that relating to the seed, Jesus Christ. (See Gen. 3:15; 13:16; 22:17, 18, and other passages.) This hope centers in the death and resurrection of Christ. To this Paul refers as "the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers." Acts 26:6. This hope included the resurrection of the dead (verse 8; 24:15); it is the "hope of Israel" (28:2); of the Lord's coming (Titus 2:13); of eternal life (3:7); of salvation (1 Thess. 5:8); of the incorruptible inheritance (1 Peter 1:4); of the gospel (Col. 1:23); it is Christ our hope (1 Tim. 1:1), Christ in you the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). We are begotten again unto that hope by the word of the gospel (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18), but that word of the gospel is the living word, Christ in the word, who demonstrated his power over sin and death by his resurrection (Acts 2:24). This hope in Christ is therefore a "living hope," ever growing brighter, bigger, stronger, as we appropriate more and more the living word. 4. The proof of your faith.—That which shows that faith is genuine, that is, tested faith, approved faith. It is not the proving which is more precious than gold, but the faith. Every day brings its trials of faith, every temptation puts faith to the test; but to him who has genuine faith there is never any more danger of faith's failing under the one test than another. It matters not how great the test; power awaits on faith sufficient for every need. It is not a matter of the strength of the person tempted, or the strength of the temptation brought; it is a matter of simple faith in Christ. Faith puts Christ in our place, and Christ is equally able to meet all the armies of Satan as one of his lowest minions. He who thus endures temptation proves in every trial that his faith is genuine, a precious experience indeed here, but more precious when found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 5. Love.—Faith begets love by continually proving God to be what he is. The Christian therefore knows Christ, though having never seen him. Faith has brought him into the heart (Eph. 3:17), put him into the life (Gal. 2:20), and proved him to be love in all places, under all circumstances, and the soul loves him with an ever-growing love. Again, the Spirit of God is given to those who ask in faith (Luke 11:9-13; Gal. 3:14), and to the sons of God (Gal. 4:6), and by that Spirit is the "love of God shed abroad in the heart" (Rom. 5:5). The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of love; for Christ is but the manifestation of God (2 Cor. 5:19), and "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Faith, hope, love are the trio of Christian graces, the greatest of which is love (1 Corinthians 13); and faith and love, in which hope is necessarily included, form "the gold tried in the fire" which Christ freely offers to all (Rev. 3:18). These graces, which are manifested in and through the believer, for God's glory, result in the end or object of faith, the climax of all, the salvation of the soul. WORD THOUGHTS.—Sojourners (verse 1) means persons staying for a brief season in a strange country. Christians are citizens of the coming country. Phil. 3:20; Heb. 11:13, 14. Hope (verse 3); this word meant in the classical Greek expectancy, either good or bad, because they knew not what to look for from their gods. To the Christian it always refers to some good thing, for God brings good things only. Reserved (verse 4), laid up and kept, is the thought, under God's special care. Guarded (verse 5), literally, garrisoned. The term is military. God surrounds us with his hosts. Power of God (verse 5), faith in the "word of his power" (Heb. 1:3; Ps. 17:4). Manifold (verse 6); for manifold trials, God gives manifold grace and wisdom (see chapter 4:10; Eph. 3:10). Temptations (verse 6), better, "trials," as margin. Not only solicitations to sin, but all things which test or strengthen character.