The Church
Notes
Transcript
What took us 21 sermons to get through, takes less than 20 minutes to read, beginning to end. The churches which initially received this letter in the 1st Century likely read this aloud before the congregation. From beginning to end. And they would have beat us to lunch.
This morning, we conclude our time in 1 Peter by reading and studying Peter’s closing remarks. He introduces a few people and gives a few exhortations to the church. As with every word of this letter, it’s addressed to the church (the people of God in Christ).
What Peter writes here is addressed to the churches in Asia Minor, scattered around. This is how Peter starts his letter:
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
The Church—the scattered people of God—wherever the church gathers, needs to hear what God is saying. God speaks through His Word. To those people then. And to us here today.
If you have your Bible (and I hope you do) please turn with me to 1 Peter 5. And if you are able and willing, please stand with me for the reading of God’s Holy Word:
12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
May God add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!
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In these closing verses, Peter teaches us some incredibly important truths about the church. Now, the word ‘church’ doesn’t appear in these verses, but it’s all over.
The word ‘you’ shows up a handful of times, and is the implied subject a couple of times. This word ‘you’ is plural; “you all” is a better fit. “Y’all” or “you’ins” works, too.
Peter is writing to a group of people—1 Peter 1:1–2 “God’s elect, exiles scattered…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father…”
This is the “you” he addressed throughout the letter, and here at the close.
“You” is the church. That’s bad grammar, but good theology.
What Peter writes to the church—them, then; you all, now—teaches that:
The Church Must Stand on the True Grace of God
The Church Must Stand on the True Grace of God
We’ll get to Silas in a bit, but we’re going to start with the main focus of verse 12, the second half of verse 12.
Verse 12 summarizes the letter as a whole. Peter wrote, what he believes is briefly (his letter is brief in the same way my sermons are brief). Peter wrote this letter to encourage and testify to the true grace of God.
He writes, “this is the true grace of God.”
What’s “this” referring to? It refers to the whole of his letter.
Peter wrote to exhort believers (to urge them on). And he wrote to testify to God’s grace—that is, what God has done for believers in Christ. What God has done in Jesus is the content of the gospel, the true grace of God, and is the content of Peter’s letter here.
The gracious work of God in Jesus is emphasized throughout this brief letter.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
1 Peter is a treatise, a tract, a work focused on the true grace of God, what God has done in and through the person of Jesus. What God has done through Jesus for His people.
The grace of God has been manifested in Jesus, the Christ, who suffered on the cross and then was exalted to glory.
This is the true grace of God.
Peter urges his readers: Stand fast in it. Stand firm in it.
We have to understand that a church is not a church if it does not stand firm on what Jesus has done.
Standing fast or standing firm is about belief and obedience.
Standing fast is not about holding to some impersonal moral code. Standing firm is not about clinging to some philosophical abstraction. Standing fast, standing firm is about clinging to the grace of God.
It’s not about what you have done for God. It’s not about what the church has done for God.
It’s about what God has done for you in Christ; what God has done for us in Jesus.
“The entire Christian life is one of grace—God’s daily bestowal of blessings, strength, help, forgiveness, and fellowship with Him, all of which we need, none of which we ever deserve. All is of grace, every day.” - Wayne Grudem
All the imperatives (to-dos) and the exhortations (urgings) are based on what Jesus has done.
This is the true grace of God. It’s here, church, that we must position ourselves. We cannot begin to think there is any other footing for us. No other foundation will hold. We must hold firmly to and trust fully in God’s grace.
The Church stands on the True Grace of God.
The Church Consists of Those Chosen by God
The Church Consists of Those Chosen by God
In these closing comments, Peter mentions a few people. We’ll talk about Silas and Mark when we get to the last point.
There’s another mentioned person: (v. 13) she who is in Babylon.
It’s unlikely that this is an individual woman. Some people think this is a reference to Peter’s wife (not sure why he’d refer to his wife as “she who is in Babylon”). If you stop and think about what Peter is saying, it’s clear this isn’t Peter’s wife. Nor is this an individual woman saying “Howdy” to the churches in Asia Minor.
She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends her greetings...
The words—chosen together—are a pretty big tip-off as to the identity of this “she.”
In 2 John, the church is described as (2 John 1) “ the lady chosen by God and to her children…”
2 John closes by saying (2 John 13) “The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.”
The teaching of the NT is that the church is Christ’s bride (Eph 5, Rev 19).
Beyond all that evidence (which is enough for us to say this is referring to the church in Babylon), Peter is writing from that location. Only because he’s there is he able to tell the churches in Asia Minor that “she” says hello. There is no need for Peter to specify his wife was in Babylon with him.
The “she” is the church. And “Babylon” is something other than the historical OT city of Babylon. At this point in time, the actual Babylon is in ruins; Peter can’t be referring to that city.
Peter is drawing on the OT tradition that “Babylon” represents those opposed to God. In Revelation 17-18, Babylon stands for Rome itself, the enemy of God.
That’s a lot of up-front information to make the point of this main point, but we can’t miss this.
Peter is writing from Rome, and he’s gathered with the church there. And the church in Rome/“Babylon” is thinking about, praying for, and sending their greetings to their sister churches in Asia Minor.
She, the church in Rome, is chosen together with you [all], says Peter. He writes this to the churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia—those elect (chosen), scattered exiles.
The church consists of those who have been chosen by God. The Bible is clear about God’s election, God’s choice of His people.
Now, what we believe about this doctrine can differ from person to person. I’m not saying we all have to believe the same way in regard to this theological truth. But we can’t dismiss it or ignore it.
Peter referred to the members of the churches in Asia Minor as “God’s elect”, and here refers to the church in Rome as “chosen together” or “fellow elect”. He starts and ends his letter with this idea. The entire letter is framed by the theme of God’s sovereign choice.
The church is not the church by its own devising. The church is made up of people who have been chosen by the Sovereign God. The Church is the new people of God, the true Israel.
The church throughout the ages: chosen. The church in the 1st Century and in the 21st Century: chosen.
Church, we who carry Jesus’ name have been chosen by Him. Chosen to be His. Chosen to reflect His mercy and grace.
He has chosen His church—a people of His own possession—to be set-apart for Him, holy.
His Church are the called-out ones, those who are different from the people living in sinful, adulterous, idolatrous Babylon.
The Church consists of those who are chosen by God.
This is, for me, equal parts encouraging and convicting.
As part of Christ’s Church, I have an unwavering belief in God’s choice of me. I would never have chosen to follow Him; but He chose me and gave me a new heart. It’s all God’s work.
“Once I was not part of His people; in Christ, by His choice I am one of His people. I once had not received mercy; in Christ, I now have received mercy.”
This is the story of all who believe. That’s encouraging for me, to know that God is at work, drawing people to Himself.
The convicting part of this is that, as part of Christ’s Church, we will live in places that could be referred to as “Babylon”. We may be called to live for the LORD in places that actively oppose Him and His ways. Regardless of where or when we are located, we are HIS Church, God’s Church, Christ’s Church—purchased with His precious blood.
He has chosen us to be His people, to live for Him, to stand for Him in the midst of horrible suffering; to be His, no matter what those around us are doing, believing in, or living for.
We are His.
This is what it means to be the church—His chosen people, God’s special possession.
The Church is a Loving Family in Christ
The Church is a Loving Family in Christ
This is one of my favorite truths about the church, both in theory and in practice. I have been personally and pastorally impacted by the reality that the church is a loving family in Christ. This, more so than just about any other truth.
Peter begins these closing comments with the mention of Silas (or Silvanus). This is the same fella who is mentioned in the book of Acts doing ministry alongside Paul. It was Paul and this Silas who were arrested, chained in prison, and singing in the middle of the night.
Paul and Silas and Timothy, all three, had a hand in writing 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians.
Silas was a leader among the believers in the early church. His name would have meant something; it would have carried some weight.
Peter here uses Silas as either a secretary, someone who wrote this letter on paper for him as he dictated it. Or, more likely, as one who delivered this letter to the churches in Asia Minor.
His task aside, whatever his role here in helping Peter, Silas is known to us as a faithful brother. Peter, as an apostle, gives Silas credibility among the churches. Good ol’ trusty Silas is a partner in ministry, a friend, and a brother.
Silas is closer than a friend. Much more more than a coworker. Peter thinks of Silas as a brother. Silas is family.
There’s Silas. And then there’s the church in Rome. We’ve discussed them a little, but it’s significant that Peter mentions them. They have a connection to the churches in Asia Minor; they send their greetings.
Lastly,Peter refers to Mark. This is the Mark who accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey. Peter, of course, would have known Mark from the earliest days of the church. The church gathered in Mark’s mom’s house.
Peter calling Mark his “son” is not literal, but designates a fatherly love Peter had for the younger Mark. Peter probably trained and invested in Mark, discipling him. Tradition states that Mark wrote his Gospel under Peter’s influence and from Peter’s point-of-view. This makes sense, and is historically credible.
Peter and Mark were family. More than friends. Mark may have looked to Peter as a father figure, certain a father in the faith. Peter lovingly calls Mark his son. In many ways, that’s accurate.
There’s no biological connection between Peter and Mark. As they say, “Blood is thicker than water.” They mean familial bonds are more significant than a non-family connection.
Even more true is something one of my college professors said: “Blood is thicker than water; the blood of Jesus is thicker still.” - Dr. Greg Delort
Your deepest relationships are not your biological family. Not your friends. Your deepest relationships are with those you’re bonded to by the blood of Jesus.
Church is family. This, by God’s design and intention.
Here at the end of this letter, Peter speaks about one who is his brother, someone who is his son, and refers to a group of believers in Rome as a sister.
This is a family thing.
Church is family.
There was, and is, a connection between members of the church wherever they gather. The fellowship is sweet and the connection is immediate, regardless of language or location.
Ranulfo y Silvia, and their children (Abi, Ranulfito, Misael) are family to me. They have been since I first met them 25 years ago. You’ve never met them, but they’re your family, too.
We refer to our sister churches from time to time. Hume Christian Church, Rinehart Christian Church, Double Branch Christian Church, to name a few.
The Church is a family.
More than merely a family, the church is a loving family. The church is a body of believers who love each other. Peter tells them to greet one another with a kiss of love.
Kisses in the ANE were performed regularly as greetings between close friends and family. Similar greetings remain common in Middle Eastern cultures today.
I grew up in a largely Mennonite community in western Kansas and it wasn’t uncommon at all to see people greet one another at church with a kiss on the cheek.
In Mexico, I was routinely greeted by a kiss on the cheek from my brothers in the churches there.
A kiss is a little outside our normal custom, though not completely unheard of.
I’ve thought about how a church might implement this here and now. Set up a kissing booth in a spare Sunday School room? Put greeters at each entrance ready to greet [everyone] with a kiss of love?
What’s this supposed to look like today? A handshake? Maybe. A hug? That’s probably the closest we can get culturally to this kiss of love.
Peter isn’t alone in making this part of his closing comments. Paul tells the Romans, the Corinthians (both letters) and the Thessalonians that they should greet one another with a holy kiss.
It’s important enough to Peter that he includes this at the end of his letter.
The point is that love is to mark the Christian community. This is one of those one another passages. It’s a one another imperative. A “you all need to do this!”
The love between members should be comparable to the love that exists in a healthy family…The kiss of love shows that no ethnic group, no gender, no social class is better than another. Believers are united in Christ to one another.
This is how Peter closes his letter, with a final prayer that his readers will know peace. Peace belongs to those who are in Christ.
The phrase “In Christ” means “Christian”. Peace belongs to those who follow Jesus. They are God’s elect, chosen in Christ before the creation of the world, sprinkled with the blood of Christ who bore their sins in His own body. Christ suffered in their place, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring them to God.
This is what it means to be in Christ.
The Church is a Loving Family in Christ.
Far and away the most important question I can ask is whether you are in Christ.
Are you in Christ? Is your faith placed solely in Him and in His work?
Are you aware of His sovereign choice of you?
Are you standing on the true grace of God—the Good News about what God has done in Jesus Christ?
If you answer “yes” to those—if you are in Christ—then you are part of the Church, the people of God, the family of believers.
To be part of Christ’s Church is an immeasurable blessing. The Church is a gift from our gracious God.