Instructions for Last Days Living from 1 Peter 1
(by Bill Stevenson using the Lockman Foundation’s Amplified Bible)
Directions: Read the Scripture carefully, trying to
decide why I formatted it as I did. Why
the indentions? If you were preaching,
what would you say about the words in bold font and the ones underlined? Thoroughly answer the interjected
questions. This is assignment worth 3
units, so write at least 4 quality pages (single spaced lines and no
redundancies).
1 Peter 1
1
Peter, an Apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ,
[writing] to the elect exiles of the dispersion
scattered (sowed) abroad
in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1.) How can you be a special messenger of
Jesus Christ?
2.) “Elect” in this context means “specially
chosen”. Why do you think it was
necessary for God to cause the new Christians to leave Jerusalem? What would cause you to leave where you are
at and how would you want to serve God elsewhere? See the Parable of the Sower and its meaning before answering the
question-- Matthew 13:3-23.
2 Who were
chosen {and} foreknown by God the Father
and consecrated
(sanctified, made holy) by The Holy Spirit
to be obedient to Jesus
Christ (the Messiah)
and to
be sprinkled with [His] blood:
3.) What does being chosen and foreknown by God
the Father mean to you?
4.) How does one get consecrated and become holy by
the Holy Spirit? See John 16:13 and
Romans 8:1-27 before answering the question.
5.) How can you be obedient to Jesus Christ? And how can you be sprinkled with His blood?
May grace
(spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance
[that
spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ,
freedom
from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts].
6.)
What are
some good examples of grace and peace?
7.)
Why would
God give such to you in increasing abundance? (See Romans 14:17 and Philippians 4:6-7 before answering.)
8.)
What does
“that spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ, freedom from
fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts” mean to you? Before answering, read Philippians 4:6-8 and
1 John 4:15-19.
3 Praised (honored,
blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By
His boundless mercy
we have been born again to
an ever-living hope
through the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 into
an inheritance which is
beyond the
reach of change {and} decay [imperishable],
unsullied (undefiled) and unfading,
reserved in Heaven for you
5 which is being
guarded (garrisoned) by God's power
through
[your] faith
that is ready to be revealed in the Last Time.
9.)
Why should
you praise God? After listing the
reasons from the last 3 verses, look at Ephesians 1:4-13 to see if there are
some other reasons why God should be thanked by you.
10.)
What do
God’s “boundless mercy” and “ever living hope” only true
Christians can have mean to you?
11.)
What is a
true Christian’s inheritance and why is it reserved in Heaven?
12.)
What are
the three salvations for a true Christian? (Think about justification, sanctification, and glorification.)
13.)
What does
verse 5 mean to you? (Read Ephesians
2:1-10 before answering.)
6 [You
should] be exceedingly glad on this account,
though now for a little while you may be
distressed by trials
{and} suffer temptations,
7 so that [the genuineness]
of your faith may be tested,
which is infinitely
more precious than the perishable gold
which is tested {and} purified by fire,
to result in
[your] praise and glory and honor
when
Jesus Christ (the Messiah,) is revealed.
14.)
Why should
you be “exceedingly glad”?
15.)
How have you
been “distressed by trials” and suffered temptations?
16.)
What is
genuineness of Christian faith? What
are observable signs of such? Why is it
so precious?
17.)
Skim Job
1:1-2:10. For what reasons have you
praised God for allowing bad things to happen to you? Why did you do such?
18.)
How have 1
Corinthians 10:13 and Romans 8:28 helped you when your faith has been
challenged?
8 Without
having seen Him, you love Him;
though you do not [even] now see Him,
you believe in Him and exult {and} thrill
with inexpressible
and glorious joy.
9 [At
the same time] you receive the result
(outcome, consummation) of your faith,
the Salvation of your souls.
19.)
Read John
20:24-31. How did you come to believe
in Jesus Christ?
20.)
What does
exulting “thrill with inexpressible and glorious joy” mean to you? How can you do such?
10 The prophets, who prophesied of the
grace (divine blessing)
which was intended
for you,
searched and inquired
earnestly about this Salvation.
which the spirit of Christ working within
them
was indicating when
He predicted
the
sufferings of Christ,
and the
glories that should follow [them].
21.)
What are
your impressions of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and the other true, 100% right
prophets of God? Why would Peter say
that the Holy Spirit was within them when the other references of the Holy
Spirit are upon certain individuals like some of the Tabernacle artisans?
22.)
Find
verses in their prophecies which indicate God’s grace for the Jews. There are many negative warnings, but there
are wonderful promises of God too.
23.)
Why does
Peter praise them? Besides their
prophecies, what was different about them than the other Jews? Before answering, read John 5, Matthew
22-23, and Isaiah 53.
24.)
Why did
Judas betray Jesus Christ? What part of
the messiahship prophesies did he, and probably the other 11 Disciples ignore?
12 It was then disclosed to them that the
services they were rendering
were not meant for
themselves {and} their period of time,
but for you.
[It is these very] things
which have now already
been made known plainly to you
by those who preached the Good
News (the Gospel) to you
by The [same] Holy Spirit sent from
Heaven.
25.)
What does
Matthew 7:7-8 mean to you? Read Hebrews
1, Hebrews 11:35-40,
1 Corinthians 15, and John 3:16-21 before
answering.
26.)
Why do
think that the angels long to look into such things as this passage
indicates? Remember that Jesus Christ
returned to them and others from Earth are in Heaven, and none of them have
kept silent.
13 So brace up your minds; be
sober (circumspect, morally alert);
set your hope wholly
{and} unchangeably on the grace (divine favor)
that is coming to you when
Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.
14 [Live] as children of obedience
[to God];
do not conform
yourselves to the evil desires
[that governed you] in
your former ignorance
[when you did not
know the requirements of the Gospel].
27.)
How can
you specifically obey those two verses?
you yourselves also
be holy in all your conduct {and} manner of living.
16 For it is written,
“You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
28.)
Why do you
think so many times the in the New Testament that believers of Jesus Christ are
referred to as children or sons of God?
29.)
How can
you specifically obey verses 14-16?
Skim 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Philippians 2-3, Ephesians 4-6, Romans 8 &
12, and Galatians 5-6 before answering this question.
17 And if you call
upon Him as [your] Father
Who judges each
one impartially according to what he or she does,
[then]
you should conduct yourselves with true reverence
throughout the time of
your temporary residence
[on the Earth, whether long or short].
30.)
Read 1
Corinthians 3:10-15, James 1:22-25 & 2:14-26, Ephesians 2:1-10, and Matthew
28:18-20 before answering the following two questions: How does the Second
Great Commandment relate to faith and works in a true Christian’s life? What should be the main motive of each thing
you say or do?
18 You
must know (recognize)
that you
were redeemed from the useless (fruitless) way of living
inherited
by tradition from [your] forefathers,
not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold,
19 but [you were
purchased] with the precious blood of Christ,
like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.
20 It is true that He
was chosen {and} foreordained (destined and foreknown for it)
before the
foundation of the world,
but
He was brought out to public view (made manifest)
in these days for the sake of
you. (Isaiah
53)
Who
raised
Him up from the dead
and
gave Him honor {and} glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God. (John 14:6)
31.)
Why do you
personally love the Gospel and Jesus Christ?
32.)
Which of
the facts in verses 18-21 do you agree with and would die for?
you have purified your
hearts for the sincere affection of other believers,
[see that you] love
one another fervently from a {pure} heart.
23 You have been regenerated
(born again),
not from a
mortal origin (seed, sperm),
but from
One that is immortal
by the {ever}
living and lasting Word of God.
and all its glory (honor) like
[the] flower of grass.
The grass withers and the flower drops off,
25 but the Word of
the Lord endures forever.
And this Word is the
good news which was preached to you.
33.)
What was
the first time that you realized the full Gospel? What circumstances and how?
34.)
Why do you
personally love the Bible?
35.)
What are
the major differences between the New Testament and the Old Testament?
36.)
Which of
the facts about the Bible would you be willing to die for?
37.)
What does verse
22 mean to you? How do you live it?
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