1 Peter 1:22-2:3 Bible Class

The outline below was used by the teacher. Other classes in this series can be found here.

Purified souls in obeying the truth in sincere love of the brethren
1. Purified by God at baptism, as a faithful response to the gospel
  1. Jesus’ blood purifies, but because we are called to obey, it can be said that in a sense we purify ourselves
  2. “Save yourselves from this wicked generation” (Acts 2:40)
1. Contra the idea that we can do nothing in regards to our salvation
  1. We must respond: “Repent and be baptized”, “believe”
  2. Many acknowledge that man must respond, but then negate it by saying it is only God’s prompting
    1. Man becomes a puppet, God a ventriloquist
  3. Taking the Bible at its word, that man is truly called to respond to the gospel, does not diminish God’s sovereignty, glory, or the fact that salvation is a free and undeserved gift
Born into God’s family, made up on earth of all Christians
1. When we become a Christian we should know we are joining a family
  1. This family is both universal and local
2. Early church took seriously this family and rejoiced in it (Acts 2:46-47)
3. We enter a loving family; we also take on family obligation
  1. Our talents are to be a blessing to the family
  2. While the family of God is universal, we are not
    1. The only way to interact with that family is through the local congregation
    2. Facebook and websites can be useful tools, but they can never replace actually being part of God’s family
Love one another fervently with a pure heart
1. Because we are a family of the redeemed, we ought to love one another
2. “Love one another” is a frequent command in the NT
  1. Love others, especially the household of God (Gal 6:10)
  2. “Owe no one anything but to love one another” (Romans 13:8)
  3. Shows others we are Jesus’ disciples (John 13:34-35)
3. Care for each other physically
  1. When we minister to Jesus’ disciples, it is as if we are ministering to Jesus, whose body we are (Matthew 25:37-40)
  2. Early church willing to sell possessions to care for others (Acts 2:45; 4:32)
  3. Care for orphans and widows (James 1:27)
4. Care for each other spiritually
  1. Edify one another, push one another to good works
  2. Pray for one another
  3. Correct one another (even church discipline when necessary)
Born again of incorruptible seed: the word of God
1. One of Peter’s recurring dichotomies: corruptible / incorruptible
  1. Incorruptible inheritance (1:4)
  2. Not redeemed with corruptible things (1:18)
  3. Born of incorruptible seed (1:23)
2. The gospel is the seed of the kingdom (Matthew 13)
3. We become Christians only by responding to the gospel
  1. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)
  2. The Spirit acts with and through the word to convert
    1. Philip sent to Eunuch, Peter to Cornelius, Paul to Macedonia
    2. We have no example of a conversion apart from the word
4. The word of God is incorruptible, enduring forever (Quoting Isaiah 40:6-8)
  1. This generation of Christians will fade away, but the Church will continue
  2. For Peter’s audience, the persecutors will fade away, but the seed of the Christians’ faith would endure and live on
Lay aside all things anti-love
1. For the flower of love to flourish, the weeds of anti-love must be destroyed
  1. Malice -> Friendship
  2. Deceit -> Honesty
  3. Hypocrisy -> Sincerity
  4. Envy -> We should rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15)
  5. Evil Speaking -> Edifying
2. Don’t expect these things to leave on their own, they must be “laid aside”
As babes, desire the pure spiritual / rational milk: the pure milk of the word
1. λογικός (logikos): spiritual / rational, referring to the word of God
  1. God’s word is spiritual and rational
    1. We must know and affirm certain things (“know”, “confess”)
    2. We are told to know, meditate on, defend the truth
      1. The faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3)
2. We are to be as babies, desiring pure milk of the word
  1. Babies in a good sense, not as in immaturity (as in 1 Cor 3:2, Heb 5:12)
  2. As babies crave milk, so we ought to crave receiving the word
    1. Crave, cry for, no appeasing until fed
3. As a baby will die without milk, so too will we die without the word
  1. If we neglect the word, we are neglecting the nourishment of our souls
  2. Israel’s problem
    1. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6)
    2. Famine of the word (Amos 8:11)
    3. Josiah reformed Israel when the law was rediscovered (2 Kings 22)
  3. The divisions and mistakes throughout Church history often are the result of lack of milk, or defiled milk
4. As a baby grows with milk, so we grow spiritually with the word
  1. Pure milk, undefiled: Pure word, not mixed with speculation
    1. Keep to God’s word, don’t get drawn into speculation
      1. 1 Timothy 1:3-4; 4:6-7, Deuteronomy 29:29
    2. This is “boring” which leads some to drift into speculation
      1. Legends about Mary, division over abstract questions
    3. Speak where the Bible speaks, be silent where the Bible is silent
  2. The pure milk of God’s word nourishes and strengthens us
    1. Scripture is good for reproof, instruction, etc. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Conclusion
1. Let us desire the pure milk of the word and grow thereby
2. And let us love one another in light of our common salvation, being born into one family of God

Share this: