“the faith once delivered”

Download discussion questions:  Jude 1-3

I encourage you to look at the passage in Jude before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

There is quite a bit of overlap between letter of Jude and the Second Letter of Peter (see below).  It will be helpful to continue the present blog series as we study those two epistles together. Continue reading →

“be ye meeked”

Download discussion questions:  1 Peter 5:4-14
Jump to beginning of 1 Peter Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

As Peter comes to the close of his letter, he includes some final instructions and encouragements.  As one member of our group observed, there is a lot packed in those final few sentences. Continue reading →

“Being subject in a healthy way”

Download discussion questions:  1 Peter 4:17-5:11
Jump to beginning of 1 Peter Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Delivering a difficult message is never easy.  Telling people that there is no immediate relief for their suffering can even add to their discouragement.  What else can you say?  How can you help them heed the encouragement you have tried to provide?  Peter offers an important appeal as he wraps up this letter. Continue reading →

“How you live matters.”

Download discussion questions:  1 Peter 4:12-19
Jump to beginning of 1 Peter Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

English teachers sometimes describe good writing as three parts:  Say what you are going to say. Say it. Say what you said.  Introduction, Content, Summary.  Peter uses a similar approach as he nears the end of his letter, hitting the high points once again in a short summary. Continue reading →

“prickly people in proximity to prickly people”

Download discussion questions:  1 Peter 4:4-19
Jump to beginning of 1 Peter Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

When things are difficult and we are told that the trouble is almost over, how do we react?  Maybe we decide we can relax when we see the “light at the end of the tunnel.”  Or perhaps we experience encouragement, “Hold on just a little longer and this will be over.”  What response does Peter expect when he writes about “the end is near”? Continue reading →

“Is my mind right? Is my heart right? Am I paying attention to Your will?”

Download discussion questions:  1 Peter 3:17-4:6 (continued)
Jump to beginning of 1 Peter Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Words like “therefore” or “so that” or “because” or “in order that” should get our attention.  Those kinds of words are markers or signals that the writer is giving us an extra bit of insight into what he is thinking and why he is saying what he has just said or what he is about to say.  Those words or phrases connect the author’s ideas, and he wants to make sure we see the connections.

This passage uses two of those words nearly together at the beginning of 1 Peter 4: “Therefore” points back to what he has just said.  “Because” points forward to what is coming next. Continue reading →

“Drive-by verses”

Download discussion questions:  1 Peter 3:17-4:6
Jump to beginning of 1 Peter Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

This passage contains a concentration of challenging comments.  Peter makes several statements that are puzzling or even concerning.  What does he mean? Are these remarks consistent with other parts of Scripture? How have Peter’s words been misunderstood?  Why does he include these comments here in his letter?  In my journal, when studying this passage, I had noted this section as “red flags in a hermeneutical minefield.”  Our group worked on sorting out the puzzles. Continue reading →

“Shame is the world’s weapon we turn on ourselves.”

Download discussion questions:  1 Peter  3:8-17
Jump to beginning of 1 Peter Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

A paragraph (in Scripture or any document) that begins with the words “to sum up” deserves special attention.  How well have we understood the first two and a half chapters? Peter wants to be certain that we have followed his thinking so far. We want to be sure we haven’t missed his main point by following some tangent of our own.  Such a summary would be helpful in the original context of a letter.  As we have studied short sections spread over seventeen weeks, the review is especially valuable.  What do we need to remember from the first half of his letter?  What is our starting point as we continue into the rest of his inspired instructions? Continue reading →

“What’s in my heart when life is hard?”

Download discussion questions:  1 Peter 3:1-7
Jump to beginning of 1 Peter Discussion Group Blog
Listen to 1 Peter 1-2

I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Our last discussion on 1 Peter was four weeks ago.  Various circumstances (sickness, travel, and time spent in soul-care conversations) affected our Sunday morning routine (always very flexible).  In order to remind ourselves of Peter’s writing, we listened to an audio recording of the text from the beginning of the letter (1 Peter 1-2).

The text emphasizes the many things that God has already done for us, and the glorious future He has for us.  The history of what He has done, and the eternity awaiting us are the motivation Peter provides for believers’ perseverance.  Listening to (or re-reading) that beginning provides a foundation for the culturally challenging instructions in this week’s section.  That would be a good refresher before you read this blog (see the link above). Continue reading →

“We can only pretend to be nice for so long.”

Download discussion questions:  1 Peter 2:9-28
Jump to beginning of 1 Peter Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

One of the goals of inductive Bible study is to understand the thought process of the inspired authors.  Those writers often provide help to readers with connective words – “because,” “therefore,” “in order to,” etc.  In this passage, Peter uses a phrase indicating purpose four times: “so that.” Continue reading →