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This is an examination
of the Apostle Peter’s concept of God’s grace as described in
the book of 1 Peter. The translation used is the New American
Standard Bible (NASB). When necessary for clarity, differences
in translation between the NASB and the King James Version (KJV),
Modern King James Version (MKJV) New King James Version (NKJV)
and the Amplified Bible will be examined.
Peter summarizes
the intent of his letter in Chapter Five Verse Twelve where
he states, “I have written to you
briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace
of God.” It is from this summarizing
statement that we understand that the Epistle of 1 Peter is
about the true grace of God.
The word “grace”
found in 1st Peter is translated from the Greek word “charis.”
The word is found ten times in the book of 1st Peter. Twice
“charis”
is translated as “favor,”
and the other eight times it’s translated as “grace.”
“Charis”
is defined as “of manner or act:
- acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace, gracious, joy liberality,
pleasure, thank, thanks, thank worthy.”
Our examination
of 1st Peter will reveal that the author was not only referring
to “grace”
as the “unmerited favor of God,”
but also as, “God accomplishing
for us that which we were unable to accomplish on our own.”
By examining the original texts and comparing translations,
it is hoped that a deeper and broader understanding of this
grace will emerge for the reader. Through this exegetical method
of examining the text, the reader will further understand and
appreciate the true grace of God.
Peter begins the
book in verse one with a declaration of who the letter’s author
is: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ,” and who the intended recipients
are, “To those who reside as aliens,
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia.” Peter further identifies
his intended readership by stating that they “are
chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”
(1 Peter 1:1-2).
The word translated
as “aliens”
is the Greek word “parepidēmos”
and is defined as a “resident foreigner.”
Peter is referring to the fact that the true citizenship of
a believer is in heaven and we who are in Christ reside on earth
as ambassadors in a foreign land. While Peter refers to specific
places such as “Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,”
we understand by his statement “to
those who reside as aliens;” that
the letter is addressed to all believers living as resident
foreigners, regardless of locale. Therefore the letter is just
as applicable to modern day Christians as it was to those living
in the time it was authored.
The word “chosen”
in Verse One is taken from the Greek word “eklektos.”
It is translated as “elect”
in the KJV, and in the MKJV and it’s defined as “selected,"
and by implication it means "favorite.”
We were once objects of God’s wrath, but in Jesus we obtained
salvation and were adopted into God’s family. This is not done
through any thing we could accomplish ourselves, but rather
only through the finished work of Christ on the cross. Therefore
we see the true grace of God at work when He calls us His “favorite,
chosen or elected.”
The word “foreknowledge”
in 1 Peter 1:2 is translated from the Greek word “prognosis.”
It means “to know a thing before
it happens.” From this we can understand
that God knew from before the foundations of the world were
created those who would be in Christ, chosen, His favorites.
The Greek word
“hagiasmos”
is translated as “sanctifying”
in 1 Peter 1:2, where Peter states that we are sanctified by
the work of the Spirit. It means “to
be consecrated” and it can mean,
“purification, purity, holiness.”
This too demonstrates the true grace of God. We are purified
and made holy by the work of His Holy Spirit, not by any effort
of our own. It is unmerited, undeserved and completely at the
discretion and desire of our Loving Father God.
Peter explains in Chapter
1 Verse 2 that our sanctification is for the purpose of obeying
Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood. This is a reference
to the consecration of Aaron and his sons to minister as priests
to the Lord as described in Exodus 29:21. Just as Aaron and
his sons were consecrated and set apart to minister as priests
to the Lord, we who are in Christ are sprinkled with blood by
the Holy Spirit, for the purpose of making us priests to the
Lord.
While the sprinkling
of blood in Exodus 29:21 was literal, the work of the Holy Spirit
on the Christian believer is literal also, but done in a spiritual
sense. The Greek word translated as “sprinkled”
in 1 Peter 1:2 is “rhantismos“
and is derived from the Greek word “rhantizō”
which means to be “cleansed.” The word “rhantizo”
is found in Mark 7:4. There it is a description of how the Pharisees
“cleansed”
themselves before eating. It is also found in Hebrews 10:22
where the author describes our hearts as being “sprinkled
clean.” We can therefore understand
that this spiritual cleansing is a work the Lord performs by
His Holy Spirit, since we are unable to perform this work ourselves.
In 1 Peter 1:10,
Peter writes, “the prophets who
prophesied of the grace that would come to you.”
He further writes that these prophets “made
careful searches and inquiries seeking to know what person or
time” was being mentioned as they
“predicted the sufferings of Christ
and the glories to follow.” In
verse 12 Peter explains that the prophets were actually serving
us, by writing down the revelations given by “the
Spirit of Christ.”
Some examples of the
predicted sufferings of Christ can found in Isaiah and Psalms.
Other examples of the glories of Christ are found in Psalms
and Hosea.
Peter points out that
not only was the grace of God through Jesus Christ prophesied,
but in the prophecy itself, God was demonstrating his true grace
towards us. God has revealed knowledge to us through the prophets
that we could not possibly have uncovered for ourselves.
In 1 Peter 1:13
Peter writes, “Therefore prepare
your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely
on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.” The NASB translation of
“prepare your minds for action”
is translated in the KJV as “gird
up the loins of your mind.”
To “gird
up your loins” was an expression
used to symbolize preparing yourselves for action. To “gird”
means to “wrap, tie”
or to “strap”
an object onto the body. Soldiers in Biblical times would “gird
on a sword,” tying it to themselves
with cord or some kind of leather strap. “Girding
up the loins” meant tying up the
loose cloth surrounding the legs so the wearer could move about
more easily and quickly. In Exodus 12:11 we are told that the
Passover meal is to be eaten with the loins girded, shoes on
your feet, your staff in your hand, in haste. It’s a picture
of being ready to escape quickly. The NASB therefore accurately
translates the Greek word “anazonnumi”
found in the original text, which literally means to “gird
afresh,” as in “prepare
your minds for action.”
Peter exhorts us to
prepare our minds for action, and fix our hope completely on
the grace to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Our complete hope must be on God’s ability to do for us that
which we could not do for ourselves, revealed to us through
his son Jesus Christ.
In 1 Peter 2:19-21,
the MKJV reveals to us that it is God’s grace that allows us
to endure under hardship, and suffering. 1 Peter 1:19 is one
of the instances where the NASB translates “charis”
as “favor”
and the MKJV translates it as “grace.”
The KJV translates “charis”
in 1 Peter 2:19, as “thankworthy,”
the NKJV translates it as “commendable”
and the American Standard Version (ASV) translates it as “acceptable.”
The implication conveyed is two-fold. The first is that we find
“favor”
with God when we endure under hardships and the second being
that it is God’s grace that enables us to endure. We conclude
therefore that God provides the means with which we endure,
and then He commends us for doing so.
Peter reveals
in 1 Peter 2:19 that we play a part in this gracious receiving
of God’s enabling power to endure hardship. He explains that
we find favor, “if for the sake
of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when
suffering unjustly.” The section
translated “If for the sake of
conscience toward God” can also
be translated, “if on account of
our comprehension of God.” The
Amplified Bible translates this section, “as
in the sight of God.” We conclude
from this that it is our comprehension, or our faith in God,
which enables the empowerment of God and results in the favor
of God.
Peter explains
in 1 Peter 2:21 that Christ is our example of “bearing
up under sorrows,” having suffered
for us on the cross, bearing our sin and shame that was not
His own. Peter states that people will expect us to endure the
harsh treatment of others for our own wrongdoing. However, when
we patiently endure “under sorrows
when suffering unjustly,” especially
when we “do what is right,” we are demonstrating the grace of
God to others and this “finds favor”
with Him.
In 1 Peter 4:10
-11, Peter explains that every member of the body of Christ
has received a spiritual gift. He admonishes us to use these
gifts to serve each other, being good stewards of the gift which
we have been given. The Greek word translated as “each
one” is “hekastos,”
which means, “each”
or “every.”
From this we can conclude that every Christian has been given
some type of spiritual gift.
In 1 Peter 4:10,
Peter uses the Greek word “diakoneo,”
to describe using our gift to serve each other. “Diakoneo”
is the word from which we get our word “deacon,”
which means, “to be an attendant”
or “to wait upon.”
The idea is like a waiter or server in a restaurant. The Apostle
Matthew used the same word “diakoneo,”
translated as “servant”
in Matthew 20:26 when Jesus said, “whoever
wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.”
Peter further
explains that we are to use our gift “as
one who is serving by the strength which God supplies.”
Not only are we to use our spiritual gift to serve one another,
but we are to use our spiritual gift in accordance to how God
directs us and empowers us. According to Peter, the purpose
of the use of the spiritual gift is for the glorification of
God through Jesus Christ.
In 1 Peter 5:5,
Peter admonishes us to be submissive and humble. The Greek word
used to describe being “submissive”
is “hupotasso.”
It is a Greek military term used to describe being under another
person’s leadership or command. It is the same word Peter used
in Chapter 3 verse 1 to describe to wives how they should be
submissive to their husbands and the same word the Apostle Paul
uses in Ephesians 5:21 to describe how we are to be “subject
to one another in the fear of Christ.”
Peter continues
in 1 Peter 5:5 by exhorting us to “clothe
ourselves with humility.” The Greeks
had a word they used to describe the wearing of an apron for
service. The word is “egkomboomai”
and is translated here as “clothe.” We can therefore conclude
that Peter is encouraging us to “wear
humility like we would wear the apron of a servant.”
Peter comforts
us in 1 Peter 5:10 when he tells us that after we have suffered
for a little while, the God of all grace will perfect, conform,
strengthen and establish us. It’s interesting to note that in
this verse Peter describes God as, “the
God of all grace.” The Greek words
used to describe God in this fashion are “Theos,”
“pas”
and “charis.”
“Theos”
is a Greek word that means “God.”
“Pas”
is a Greek word that means “all,
any, every, the whole all.” In
other words, nothing is excluded and God is complete in this
aspect of who He is. “Charis” as we’ve discussed means “grace.”
So from this we can see that God is truly the God of “all
grace.” Grace originates from Him,
and He is the embodiment of grace.
Peter explains
in 1 Peter 5:10 that the God of all grace will perfect us. The
Greek word Peter uses is “katartizo”
and means, “to complete thoroughly,
that is, repair or adjust.” It is reflective of the Apostle
Paul when he says that “He who began a
good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
While the Apostle Paul is speaking of the ongoing work of perfection,
Peter is looking to the future when we will be made perfect
and the work is complete.
Peter also says
in 1 Peter 5:10 that the God of all grace will confirm us. The
KJV translates the Greek word “sterizo”
as “establish.”
The NASB translates the same word as “confirm.” The definition
of the word means, “to set fast
or to turn resolutely in a certain direction or to confirm,
fix, establish or strengthen.”
Peter is telling us that God is the one who causes us to be
firm and established in our faith.
Peter continues
in 1 Peter 5:10 and tells us the God of all grace will "strengthen"
us. The Greek word used here is “sthenoo,”
which means “to strengthen in spiritual
knowledge and power.” Peter uses
this different word to show us the various ways and means God
is going, by His grace, to work on our behalf. In this case,
God causes us to increase in our spiritual knowledge and power.
Finally in this
same passage, Peter tells us that the God of all grace will
“settle”
us. The Greek word used here is “themelioo,”
which means “to lay a basis for,
erect or consolidate, lay the foundation, ground, or settle.”
Peter is showing us that God is the one who lays the foundation
for the purpose of building us up.
The Apostle Peter is
communicating to the saints using various Greek words that the
God of all grace will do the work in us. He firmly establishes
our faith, laying a foundation and strengthening us, causing
us to grow in knowledge and power, until we are perfected in
our faith.
Peter concludes
the letter by explaining that the work that God does in us through
establishing, strengthening, and perfecting us is the “true
grace” (5:12) of God. He (God)
is the one who does the work in us.
In the NKJV the
last portion of 1 Peter 5:12 is written as, “this
is the true grace of God in which you stand.”
The NASB translates that same section as “this
is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!”
Considering all that Peter has explained about how it is the
God of all grace who does all these things in us, the NKJV translation
seems more consistent with the overarching theme of “God
doing for us that which we could not do ourselves.”
The phrase, “in which you stand,”
demonstrates that it is God’s grace which has placed us in Christ
Jesus and enabled us to stand. “Stand
firm in it!” seems to imply that
it is the saint’s responsibility not to lose one’s footing.
Peter’s concept
of the “true”
grace of God is reflected throughout the book of 1 Peter. It
is a reiteration of “God doing
for us, that which we could not do for ourselves”,
in various ways, using various examples. When people use the
phrase “just give me a little grace,”
they are really asking for mercy. If they were truly asking
for grace, they’d be asking for someone else to do the work
that they themselves either will not, or cannot do.
God has manifested His
true grace in my own life in countless ways. To enumerate them
all, or even a portion would take more time and space than this
paper allows. One example stands out above the rest.
In 1984 while working
as a police officer in southern California, I was severely injured
while attempting to arrest a man. For the next 20 years, I suffered
from migraine-like headaches that the doctors were unable to
do anything about. During this time, God poured out His grace
upon my life. He provided for me when I could not and He drew
me and my family to Himself. Through a series of circumstances
my wife and I re-dedicated our lives to serving and following
after the Lord.
However, while in His
service, the pain continued to worsen until I was unable to
work for seven years. I was on 390mg of morphine a day to attempt
to control the pain with additional medication and still the
pain would break through.
One day, miraculously,
God took away my headache pain and healed me completely. I have
since been able to go back to work, I am completely drug free
and I am able to continue to serve the Lord. The Lord is restoring
the years that the locusts have eaten.
I was completely unable
to help myself when the Lord intervened and did for me what
no one else could do. The doctors were unable to do anything
and were amazed by the miraculous healing of the Lord.
This is but one example
of the true grace of God and I am forever grateful for it.
Ken Haynes
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