1 Peter

Freedom is a bedrock cultural value; we can define it in different ways. While our culture tells us that freedom is about autonomy, Peter puts forward a different understanding: freedom comes from learning to embrace the life God has for us. Paradoxically, this often involves submission to authorities, even unjust ones. But as we love…

Jesus is like a superhero: He is the extraordinary hidden in the ordinary. As God makes his people more like him, they become the same. They embody God's glory in hidden ways. God is turning them into his household, and into a temple, where the people serve as priests, offering sacrifices (prayer) and showing people…

Salvation isn't just something that happens when someone prays a prayer, but about God setting things right. It is about God's promised future, secured by his past saving acts that allow us to live a different life in the present. When we begin to understand the bigger picture of salvation, it gives us purpose for…

Peter writes the persecuted Christians to help them understand how their suffering was a part of their salvation, not a sign of God's abandonment. In 1 Peter 1:3-12, he explains the hope they live with, helps them gain a new perspective on how God permits them to suffer, and explains how God faithfully keeps his…