1 Peter 1:1-2

B1 Greetings to addressees 1 Peter 1:1-2

C1 The letter is written to strangers

D1 The Greek word is παρεπίδημος parepídēmos. It refers to someone who lives in their native country and moves to another country.

D2 It might refer to

E1 Their earthly existence and moving from Israel to the foreign lands that are mentioned here.

E2 Their heavenly home and citizenship compared to their living here on earth. Compare: 1 Peter 2:11 NLT - Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

E3 Both

C2 Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia:

C3 The addressees were of the διασπορά diasporá, scattering. This is most likely from the church:

D1 Acts 8:1 NRSV And Saul approved of their killing him. That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.

D2 Acts 8:4 NKJV Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

D3 James 1:1 NRSV James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

C4 Elect

D1 The Greek word ἐκλεκτός eklektós means chosen.

D2 Elect is the noun for the phrase according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. This is the reason some translations place the word in verse 2 instead of verse 1.

C5 Foreknowledge

D1 The Greek word is πρόγνωσις prógnōsis (G4268) and means

E1 in its plain, normal sense a knowing beforehand (Bullinger’s Critical Greek. Also see Vine’s NT notes and Adam Clarke note on this passage).

E2 in Calvinist understanding pre-arrangement, thus, nearly that same as predestined (Thayer’s Lexicon. God foreknows what will be because He has decreed it—Pink. Source).

D2 Compare

E1 Acts 26:4-5 WEB “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5 having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. (Emphasis is mine. It is the word προγινώσκω proginōskō (G4267) which is the verb form). There is no hint of predestined. The word simply means know before.

E2 2 Peter 3:17 CSB - Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position. Same comment as the verse above.

C6 The Trinity in 1 Peter 1:2

D1 Foreknowledge mentioned with the Father

E1 Romans 8:28-30 LITV But we know that to the ones loving God all things work together for good, to those being called according to purpose; 29 because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers. 30 But whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

E2 Romans 11:2 (HCSB) God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew...

D2 The blood of His Son, Jesus Christ

E1 Hebrews 12:24 (HCSB) to Jesus (mediator of a new covenant), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.

E2 Ephesians 2:13 (HCSB) But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.

D3 The sanctifying work by the Holy Spirit

E1 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV) But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

E2 Romans 15:16 (NKJV) that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

C7 Application

D1 Without God’s intervention, all people will go to hell and be tormented forever and forever.

D2 It is God’s desire that all be saved.

E1 1 Timothy 2:4 (NKJV) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

E2 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

D3 God, in His sovereignty, decreed that humans would have a measured, limited libertarian free will.

D4 People can resist or not resist.

D5 When God works in your life are you going to resist or not resist.