1. Peter - Chapter 1

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

as is customary, the signature is at the beginning. Nowadays we have to look at the envelope or the end of the letter to find out who wrote it.
Peter presents himself as an apostle, of which there is no doubt in his case. Paul also saw the Lord (which is the main, but not the only, mark of apostleship), but he had to "fight" more for his legitimacy. For Peter, it was unquestionable
Peter's denial (and other shenanigans) are long gone - all has been forgiven. Peter has no doubts about his apostleship. He doesn't suffer from mind-numbers. Yet he might - considering that billions of people on the planet know of his betrayal and failures, some embarrassment would seem appropriate. But Peter writes an authoritative letter without question.
that's right, that's the way it should be. It is a sign of Christian maturity that we do not dwell excessively on our weaknesses and failures. King David, in particular, is an example of this. For our position is not based on our performance, but on our calling. And "walking in the light" means that we don't make ourselves better than we are.
We all have had our share of missteps, and we could dwell endlessly (and rightly) on our misadventures and character flaws. But why would we do that? We never claimed to be perfect. And we weren't called by Christ because of our perfection.
How does the author address the addressees? This already reflects the writer's setting and frame of mind. For John, everyone is a child or a loved one. Who are they to Peter?
who are elect: this is related to the never-ending discussion about Calvinism, but there is no need to over-complicate things now. Christians, in short, are the elected, we are the elected. We have to "accept" that fact.
(Human free will is also at play, but if God had not chosen us, elected us, we would never be able to respond. There is the mystery of it, but also overwhelming grace. That I am the one chosen, the least likely candidate on the planet. Election can only be understood by the Holy Spirit; our ordinary reason defies it.)
elected is writing to elected: Christians form a "brotherhood", a brotherhood of initiates, a brotherhood of those "who know". The brotherhood of those who have had the same experience: they have been addressed by God, they have had an encounter with Christ
it's not a "secret" fraternity, nothing hidden. Christianity is an "open code" available to all
that this experience is universal (the same for all Christians on the planet), I consider one of the proofs of God's existence
So to you who know "what it is all about", who know Christ, to you, I Peter, now write. I pass on to you what I know, and what you may not know. No one knows everything.
exiles: exile, the newcomer is not a native, he is an immigrant, a foreigner. We live on this land, but we no longer belong. I am in the world, but we are not of the world, the world is not our permanent home
v Žd 11,13 je napsáno o hrdinech víry, že „zaslíbení jen zdaleka je zahlédli a pozdravili, a vyznali, že jsou cizinci a příchozí na zemi“
there's no reason to settle permanently on the earth. Given the absolute impermanence of everything, it doesn't even make sense. Something as "fake" as this world can't be the desired home for God's chosen children
For those of us who are materially well off and live in freedom, this is not entirely easy to understand: for the better off we are here on earth, the harder it is for us to understand. The slaves on the plantations certainly had no problem looking forward to a home on the other side. Neither did Richard Wurmbrandt in the dungeon of a communist prison.
the problem illustrates the story nicely:

There's a visit to the rabbi. They are astonished to find that he has only a bed, a table, a chair and books in his home. They ask, "Rabbi, where is your furniture?" The rabbi replies: "And where do you have it?". "We? We're just on our way.""So do I."

dispersed: Christians are everywhere, but they are a minority everywhere. They are the salt of the world
Peter addresses his letter to Christians in five geographical areas. Not to one church, but to several churches. He assumed they would pass it around, share it, copy it. That's what happened - this web page is proof of that.

2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

cf. 'which he knew beforehand'
or~: sanctification;
foreknowledge of God the FatherThe Father knew in advance, He knows everything. He knows what he's doing, he knows how things are going to turn out. How that fits in with human free will is a mystery unsolvable by our reason. But the way that God is in perfect control of things is encouraging.
in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:: difficult to disassemble, but beautiful.
some verses are like a morsel that you "chew on your tongue" for so long that you get all the flavour out of it, even the smallest whiff of taste
sanctification of the Spirit,: thus purifying and separating for God.
like when there are in a cupboard a hundred glasses - and I'll choose one for a particular "special" purpose, for a special service. I wash it and separate it from the others. From then on it is holy - it is no longer used for ordinary purposes like the others. It is my personal special glass, marked with my name and used by me. For example, to give water to the thirsty
I expect her to serve me faithfully, do as I say and keep herself clean
we are the gasses - sanctified/separated by God from others, washed in the sprinkling of Christ's blood and obediently doing what is expected of us
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.: we really need it, grace and peace are never enough.
Peter knew it too, he needed it too.
we need the Most High He looked down graciously on us to have his gaze set in such a "mode". We can look at the other either primarily graciously or primarily negatively. For example, we look kindly on our children. If God looked at us primarily critically, that would be the end of us.
. peace is also essential for us: knowing that everything is okay. The perfect resting of the child in the Father's arms. Everything is as it should be. I am where I am supposed to be, and God has my life perfectly in His hands.
Peter knows we have peace and grace. But he also knows that it is "never enough", that we need even more.

 
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Bless God is strange. But why not: to bless is to wish well. "Why not wish God the best?" because He is so kind to me.
According to his great mercy: He is like that, that is His nature. "It is of the blood" to be merciful. Some are naturally harsh, our God is naturally merciful
what then, being merciful, has he done for us? he has caused us to be born again Peter seems to be referring new birth. We were unreformable, irreparably broken.
our internal "program" was totally infected with sin. The supreme "programmer" therefore decided on a radical solution: no software patches, but a complete formatting of the disk and uploading a new system. (He preserved our self).
what characterizes our new life? Living hope
First, let's say what hope is: there are two invisible areas - the spiritual world (where we relate by faith), and the future (where we relate by hope). With hope we relate to the unseen future. Hope means believing that things will turn out well.
this hope was impossible before our conversion. Simply because things could not turn out well. But after the "new birth," on the other hand, this hope is absolutely real, absolutely justified.
and it is still "living", i.e. every day topical. We can be sure that things will turn out well for us on a daily basis, that is, in the face of the new and novel problems of life.
that we can even think of any hope at all comes from the fact that Christ has been raised. Jesus is the "forerunner" of our hope. It worked out well with Him in the end (despite the difficulty of the journey), so it will work out well with us in the end.
if the slain Jesus had remained in the tomb, we could have no real hope either. But if God has raised Jesus, it will turn out well for us. He'll raise us too.

4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

It seems, then, that He has begotten us not only to a living hope, but also to inheritance. To inherit means to come to something only by virtue of kinship, without "self-infliction". From whom do we inherit? From God - there is no other option. By virtue of the adopted sonship we have received we become heirs (receive a share) of some of God's things. What are they? We are not told right away, but we learn what qualities our inheritance will have:
it will be imperishable: i.e. durable. Unlike everything on this planet - here everything is perishable, nothing on earth is truly indestructible
undefiled: i.e. clean, without any trace of contamination
God guards that purity, watches over that inheritance so that it remains completely untainted
unfading: probably similar to indestructible. It doesn't lose quality over time, it doesn't fade, it doesn't decompose, it doesn't fade away. Even the best things in the world lose their appeal and luster over time. It follows, among other things, that there's no need to rush to "pick up"
kept in heaven for you: the inheritance is in heaven deposited in our name
we already know what the characteristics of the inheritance are, but we still don't know exactly what the inheritance is.
Below are the occurrences of the word "inheritance" in the NT: the meek shall inherit the earth (Matt 5:5), Christ inherits with us (Rom 8:17), we inherit salvation (Heb 1:14), the promise (Heb 6:12), the grace of life (1Pe 3:7), the blessing (1Pe 3:9),
The "best" is Rev. 21:7: He who overcomes will receive this as an inheritance; I will be his God, and he will be my son.
We see, then, that they are the permanent, indestructible, deposited heritage for us: salvation, earth, God's promises, life, blessing and sonship of God
that doesn't sound bad at all

5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ⁽ready to⁾be revealed in the last time.

ř.: připravené
we were talking about inheritance. Now Peter reminds the addressees that it's about salvation
salvation from hell to eternal life
this salvation is ready. Prepared by God. It is "pre-prepared": the dwellings in heaven that Jesus is preparing for us, the new earth, the new bodies. Everything is prepared like a set feast. We just have to get there.
is to be revealed in the last time. - It is obvious, then, that what we are experiencing is not yet salvation in its fullness. We are already saved now, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God - but that is as yet invisible. But after Christ's coming (or after our death), this salvation will become evident
we further learn that by being born again we have come under the influence of God´s power. All Christians have come within the sphere of God's power. It works upon them.
and which way is it working? What does the power of God do? What does the Almighty use His immense infinite power for?
guards for a salvation: so the immeasurable power of God watches over us. He watches over us, oversees us, monitors us, and intervenes when necessary.
and why are they guarding us? To save us. The monitoring and God's intervention is to keep us from straying from the path of salvation. So that we will go all the way (and thus be saved in the end)
it is said that the greatest of all graces, is the grace to go to the end
God is watching over us, helping us to reach our final destination, eternal life with Him
and how does God do that? How does he reach it? Through faith - that is, by sustaining, by strengthening our faith. As long as we don't lose faith, "all is well". We are on that journey to Him.
or vice versa: only by losing faith can one fall from God's grace.
we know that faith = relating to the invisible spiritual sphera. We believe there is a God (even though we can't see Him) and behave accordingly.
We behave like Moses, who (Heb.11:27) "By faith he left Egypt, and did not fear the king's anger; he resisted, like he's seen the Invisible One."
that's not a given. Angels and demons can't do it (because they can see God), many people don't. We Christians do.
Moreover, we have a personal relationship with the Invisible One - a relationship of trust, i.e. we are sure (according to the definition of faith) that He means well with us and is leading us to a good future (hope). Thus, to have faith is not to lose the relationship of trust with the invisible God.
it's interesting that God is so concerned about our salvation. It shows how important salvation is
Anyway: what else, what less should it be? To have a good time? Why? Everything in our lives is infinitely less important than our salvation. God knows this and therefore subordinates everything to this one goal
God cares about the other things in our lives, but He does not lose sight of the main goal and when our temporal and eternal interests conflict, his choice is clear
It's similar to our relationship with our own children: I want my children to "do well", but if I knew my children were in mortal danger, I would subordinate everything to saving them.
when will it be? When will the rescue become apparent? When will we see it with our own eyes? When will the veil that shields us be torn down?
in the last time.: at the very end of history. All of this, to which we relate by faith and hope, will only be "translated" into the visible at the end of history at the second coming of Christ (or at our death)
does it seem too long? Apparently not so much: given the observable acceleration of history, we can conclude that Christ's return is imminent.
at my age, despite all the signs of Jesus' imminent return, it remains far more likely that I will meet Christ at my death than at His second coming.

6 In this you rejoice, i though now for a little while, if necessary, has you have been grieved by various trials,

or: rejoice!
or: a little bit;
so far, the "Galilean fisherman" has given us only encouraging information. After this "preparation" he can slowly begin to introduce us to the realities of everyday Christian life. We will take the verse apart from the back:
various trials,: trials, or tests, are a common theme in the Bible (and not only in the book of Job). Who is the tester and who is the tested? God tests us humans.
We know much about God's trials from Scripture: we know, for example, that God watches over their adequacy (1 Cor. 10:13), that God never tempts to evil (James 1:13), and much more.
if necessary: God does not test people on purpose, without reason.. Trials always have a purpose. What is it? There are two main ones: first, our education and character growth (if we leave the child in a padded cot until adulthood and feed it from a bottle, nothing proper will grow out of it¹). It is also about pruning the crown of the tree, removing ballast.
second: when the Most High "wants to brag about us or when it is necessary to test the genuineness and sincerity of our faith
Christianity is a narrow path. The prosperity gospel, the idea that believers have no problems in the Christian life, is a fallacy
grieved: although we are repeatedly urged to rejoice (or even exult) in trials, it is an illusion to think that going through a trial is something pleasant. The exam is difficult by definition - if it were easy, it would not be an exam
and we're not masochists - problems make us sad. To pretend that they don't is nonsense. The so-called concept of positive thinking has nothing to do with Christianity - it is a nonsensical psychological or religious construct²
that difficult circumstances cannot take away God's peace from me is another matter, which with "positive thinking³" has nothing to do.
for a little while (From the perspective of eternity, everything is "brief", but that's not what Peter means). That's comforting. No suffering lasts forever (though it is always longer than we expect or wish).
(a variant translation is "a little bit"which doesn´t make that much sense)
you rejoice/ rejoice!: perhaps rather rejoice!, unless Peter already knew the recipients of the letter as such mature Christians that he knew they would welcome every trial.
what is actually "to cheer about" in the trials, we will find out below
Sometimes I remember a brother who, when things were going well for a long time (he didn't deal with anything critical at work, at home or in the church), got nervous. Sometimes he would even ask me: Am I doing something wrong that I haven't had trials for so long? I completely understand him. It wasn't his case (we all go through periods of struggle and periods of rest), but in general it is true that the absence of tests can be a sign that God is no longer disciplining a person, that He has "broken His rod" over him, "let him go his own way". Nothing worse could happen to us in life
Although it doesn't seem like it, we can take Peter's advice seriously and see every problem in life as an opportunity for growth

7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

as a result of the examination;
we learn the reason why Christians should rejoice over trials - it is about the validity of their faith
prove yourself means to stand up and prove ones quality. In the D test magazine various products are tested - the procedure is always the same: the product must retain its function even when exposed to adverse conditions. For example, a mobile phone is dropped ten times on a hard floor. It will only stand up if it still works after being dropped. A waterproof jacket only holds up if the inside remains dry after a long shower, etc. .
these tests cannot be avoided. Mobiles and jackets all look equally good in normal conditions, and only the hard concitions of the test will reveal what they are really like
we see that faith is also such a "product": it must not cease to function even after being subjected to mistreatment. Faith that ceases to function (is lost) in deteriorating conditions is not of good quality
faith is more valuable than gold: we're talking about worth in God's eyes. God doesn't value gold very highly, but of a man who, even under pressure, will not lose his relationship with Him, He values very much
gold is like everything on this earth ephemeral - that means it will disappear or be worthless one day. The price of faith will never be abolished
gold is tested by fire: if we want to find out whether the gold is pure, that is, without impurities, we have no other way than to expose it to the heat. It is only by melting the gold that its quality is revealed, i.e., impurities and admixtures become apparent. With faith it is analogous: until faith is exposed to problems, its quality cannot be detected.
under resting conditions, every golden metal looks like gold, and every Christian's faith looks like quality
the heat of the test verifies how it is actually
if faith stands the test, that's the reason to praise and glory and honor: thus the bearer of this belief is praised, the story of his faith becomes famous and receives from God and others honour
But this appreciation does not come immediately, but only at the moment when the hidden spiritual things become manifest, that is, at the second coming of Christ or at the death of the faith bearer - at the revelation of Jesus Christ
typical examples of faith-bearers who stood the test are, besides Jesus, e.g. Job or the Christian martyrs
what it actually means not to lose faith, we'll see further on

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him .Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,⁾

var: did not know
or.: impv. (love! ... rejoice!)
r.: glorified
To believe means to act as if we had seen the Invisible One (Heb. 11:27 By faith he left Egypt and did not fear the king's wrath; he resisted as if he had seen the Invisible One.)
we believe in the Invisible God, we love him and we rejoice over it
The joy of a relationship with God is very strong and difficult to describe, ordinary words can hardly convey it. People try to describe it in art, among other things.
among the angels this joy of our Invisible God is well known and is admired and famous among them.

When one has a powerful spiritual or artistic experience, one wants to be alone with it. Trying to put it into words doesn't capture the essence and can be seen as sacrilegious.

9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

n.: ends / meaning
what's all this for? What is faith for? Why faith? What is the goal of faith? It's about the human´s salvation
faith is the way to salvation, to eternal life with God

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,

the way to salvation has been sought by people since ancient times
the verbs searched and inquired carefully, show that they cared very much and their efforts were intense
God has always provided some people (prophets) with a way of salvation through faith.. These people became God's messengers and reported their findings to others
people have always sought the way to God, trying "everything possible" and impossible. Although tehy felt something was always "not right", something was missing. They still could not "fight their way" to God. They had clues, they were close, but until Christ came, their picture was never complete. It was always just a hint.
the fact that people finally got saved is pure grace (i.e., God's unmerited favor). God did not have to, nothing compelled Him to, send His Son as Savior to earth
the prophets suspected, they had indications that the salvation of the people will take place in an unexpected way - not by works but by faith

The problem of man's salvation is well captured by a familiar image: man is separated from a holy God by the abyss of his sin. There is no way to bridge this gap until the cross of Christ comes. After the cross was given it is then possible to use it as a bridge to reach God by faith.

11inquiring what at person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent ⁽glories . .⁾

gr.: the glories after them )
OT prophets had the same Holy Spirit in them⁴that we have
this Spirit informed them of the future: of the "planned" coming of the Messiah into the world and of his suffering
and also that these things are going to be extremely famous
it is difficult for us to put ourselves in the position of prophets (to think "ex ante") when we live after the Messiah's coming. To "unthink" everything we know about Jesus and think about Him from Old Testament positions. From this perspective, it must be interesting to talk to Jews who are still in the position of waiting for the Messiah's coming⁵

The issue of ex post and ex ante perspectives is well explained by an example "complaints against doctors". Let´s iagine that a doctor has a patient die during the night shift.  The family files a complaint. The case comes to the hands of an expert witness who has to assess whether the doctor was at fault. The expert has to be very careful not to evaluate the doctor's actions ex post, i.e. over coffee, "from the table", knowing the result of the autopsy and all the circumstances. He must look at the case ex ante, i.e. imagine the situation in which the doctor made his decision (two o'clock in the morning, patient confused or drunk, laboratory and X-ray results ambiguous, etc.).⁶

The Old Testament prophets knew about the Messiah - they knew about his future coming and his suffering. In this context, they sought to find out as much additional information as possible, especially the time when the Messiah would come
the Jewish spiritual authorities were responsible for recognizing the Messiah's coming - they were systematically prepared for it, they were "trained" for it
Sadly, when the Messiah did come, when the Jewish authorities were to apply their preparation "for real", in practice - they failed miserably: not only did they fail to recognize the Messiah (even though he flagrantly fulfilled all the Messianic signs), but worse than that - they had the Messiah destroyed.
I don't elevate myself above them (I'm not at all sure I could have done my role better in their place) and I don't really wonder them too much: Jesus didn't make their job any easier, and besides, "prudence fails by long waiting." They waited for centuries, during which false messiahs "popped up very frequently.⁷ Rather, I feel sorry for those who have been suckered into making this crucial decision. Not to recognize the incarnate Son is a disaster and a shame.
By the way: not knowing is not a sin. Gamaliel's attitude (Acts 5:34) "wait and see" is really wise
By the way: the Jewish spiritual authorities had already started their problem before the coming of Christ, already in the time of John the Baptist. Their pride then prevented them from recognizing that they themselves were sinners. When the Savior came, their hearts did not recognize Him. Those who think they do not need saving will not appreciate the coming of the Savior. Anyone who doesn't know there's a hole in the boat will refuse a life jacket.
that the Messiah's coming and suffering was followed by great glory, we also know better than they do today. While we are still waiting for the ultimate glory of Christ's assumption of power with the Old Testament believers

12It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

What else (besides the Messiah's coming and suffering) was made known to the prophets? (The wording is "complicated" by our present standards)
First: by imparting information from God to the people, they serve not only their contemporaries but also the believers of the future
when someone in Peter's time⁸ bringing the good news (of the coming, death, and resurrection of the Messiah) was fulfilling what the Old Testament prophets had prepared the people for
contemporaries have only "slipped" into this message - the "terrain" of their hearts prepared by the prophets the new message readily accepted. In the hearts of contemporary believers, the old and the new have "fallen into each other"⁹
The ancient prophets, therefore, have their share in the conversion of Peter's contemporaries and in the conversion of our
they brought the gospel in the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,: the good news, the gospel, is a heavenly message - it is a unique dispatch from the "highest places". It is therefore not ordinary "everyday" information
angels long to see into these things: God's plan of salvation is so "interesting", so strangely unexpected, so hard to understand. That's what the angels don't "get". God's plan to save mankind is beyond their comprehension.
The angels have it all the harder because they see with their own eyes the immeasurable gap between the divine and the human. It's hard for us to understand how deep fall was for God in the incarnation - we do not see our own wretchedness, neither "biological" nor moral (because we don't know anything else)
The idea of a missionary voluntarily leaving civilization for the Amazon among the most primitive tribes only partially captures the depth of the slump. I suspect that the worst for God was not the issues of physical limitations (from the immortal perfect body to the frailty, vulnerability, and baseness of human bodies), but human moral marasmus. If we accept the thesis that sin stinks to God, we might imagine the incarnation as a transfer from a clean, fragrant home to the sewer
God's plan of salvation is remarkable in many respects: to devise a plan to bring free beings with a propensity for evil under God's rule, into union with God, to eradicate evil, is virtually impossible. For free will hinders everything. Love and voluntariness are unforced.
to create a universe, galaxies, DNA, atomic nucleus, planet this or that is a mere "trifle" compared to dealing with beings endowed with free will
that God nevertheless "succeeded" in devising a plan at the end of which Christ will abolish the rule of all principalities and powers and surrender the kingdom to God and the Father. When all things are subject to Him, then the Son Himself will be subject to Him who subjected all things to Him, and so God will be all in all¹⁰ is absolutely unbelievable
all, including free human beings (with an original inclination to evil) will willingly and gladly be in union with a holy God - this is a true "masterpiece". No wonder the genius (and God's personal involvement) of this plan does not leave the angels in peace.

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

against the background of all this, i.e., knowing what valuable and time-tested information you have received from Christians - it is high time to "start behaving" accordingly. How?
By preparing your minds for action (by girding the loins of your mind).. When does one gird one's loins? Before he goes out into the world, or into battle. Holding pants are essential for a person to be able to function, whatever they do.
the belt can moreover carry sword and dagger or necessary equipment - mobile phone, canteen, etc. It's about being prepared to face the reality outside.
So Peter says: Prepare to face the world with all its problems, dangers and pitfalls. And prepare yourself not physically, that is, by having functional equipment or arming yourself, but mentally. Your mind, let it be alert, ready to react, on full alert.
like a soldier on the alert, he can't start wondering where his boots, pants and rifle are, we too, when the need arises, cannot just start waking up from sleep, sober up from drunkenness, turn off the TV, confess our sins, start reading the Bible and start "seeking" the Holy Spirit where He could be.
we must be able to get up at midnight, put on the armor of God, and "go out to exorcise."
set your hope fully on the grace: our hope is that God is dealing and will treat graciously with me. This allows me not to dwell too much on myself, to "wallow" in my imperfections and mistakes. When I am confident that things will work out well with me, it frees my hands for God and serving Him. I can be sure that, being full of the Holy Spirit, I can be used by God
the word fully shows that this adherence to grace must be 100%
on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.: if it were not for Christ, there could be no question of God's grace towards us at all. The hope of our good end is not of us, but of Him.
this paradigm shift is liberating: we don't have to keep re-inventing ourselves, keep failing and getting up again.
God's great servants knew how to do it - David, Peter, Paul had no doubt that God would use them, even though they had no illusions about themselves.

14 As ⁽obedient children,⁾ do not be conformed to the passions of your ⁽former ignorance⁾,

gr.: children of obedience
in yours
are given here as an example obedient children,. What distinguishes them? Obedience to their parents, of course - not forced obedience, but natural obedience. If you have to "beat your child like a rye" to force obedience, it is not worthy of praise. As always, a relationship is not about perfection, it's about the relationship. Children naturally trust their parents, and although they sometimes misbehave, they basically do as they are told¹¹
So what does Heavenly Father advise Christians to do and what does Peter recommend that they obey? do not be conformed to the passions of your (former ignorance), Before their conversion, before they knew Christ, they had passions. What kind of passions? Probably the usual, "like everyone else" - to be well off, to work a little and earn a lot, to be famous, rich, successful, beautiful, admired, strong. Own stuff from commercials, go on vacation. Look like the people on the posters.
in Father's eyes, these things have only limited meaning. Just as we try to explain to our children (if we have minimum of common sense) that it is not the purpose of life to look like the men and women in the magazines, so Heavenly Father tries to correct us and show us that the lusts of this world are not right
e.g. in the Beatitudes, Jesus shows us what the ladder of values is in the kingdom of God (being poor in spirit, weeping, striving for justice, making peace, etc.)
usilovat o takové věci může ten, kdo je v ignorance, tedy neví, „jak se věci mají“; nemá informace o tom, jak věci vidí Bůh, co je opravdu důležité a co ne
after we get this information, it makes no sense to continue to pursue these unimportant matters. The logical thing to do is to "go for the best"
we are not ignorant of what is important and what is not. But information is not everything. It's one thing to know, it's another not to desire or seek it. For all these requests are pleasant and desirable (like the apple in paradise).
reason helps us to decide against old desires¹²but body and soul resist. The old man never stops asking, longing, begging for the things of this world. It must be fought with reason (knowing that the things of God are worth it), but not only with reason - it is also necessary to overcome the flesh with the Spirit
the word conform is peculiar: it occurs except here only in Rom 12:2 (And do not cnform yourselves to this age). Greek συσχηματίζομαι [syschématizomaj], means to assimilate according to the scheme. We are over this age and its demands - the goal is not to fit into their scheme.
we used to live according to the schemes of the world because we didn't know there was an alternative¹³
I'm just pointing out that the Christian life does not necessarily and only mean asceticism - all things of this world are not necessarily evil, they can be used with wisdom. But they must not become our idols and we must keep them under control.¹⁴

15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

not conforming to the world is related to holiness. The One who called us, God, is holy - perfectly separated from the impurities of the world, set apart for Himself. Our goal is to be like Him in this - to separate ourselves from the world and make ourselves available for His service
this separation and making oneself available must manifest itself in in all our conduct,
Besides, we have nothing else to show our separateness than our way of life. Life in general manifests itself through movement, activity, interaction with the environment. Our Christianity, holiness or unholiness, can only be manifested in a "way of life"
(I guess there are also cases of only "inner" Christianity: i.e., I'm a believer inside, but it doesn't show. If I am paralyzed and aphasic (cannot speak), I am not capable of any action. Yet what goes on inside me is of fundamental importance.)
I read a book once,¹⁵ where the main character's father was a renowned yoga guru. He sat in a trance for weeks, without food or drink or communication. Everyone admired his "godliness", but she, as a daughter, didn't care much for it - she would have preferred a normal "functional" father
This raises the question of how our holiness manifests itself in everyday life. How our lives differ from those of unbelievers. In ordinary circumstances, our Christianity may hardly be recognized. When I am "working at the conveyor belt" all day, there is no noticeable difference between me and the unbelieving colleague next door.
Plus, we are taught by Jesus not to do things ostentatiously - So, even when we get the opportunity to show our Christianity (we are reliable, hardworking, helpful, encouraging, non-confrontational, content, etc.), we do it subtly
we don't pray ostentatiously before meals either, going to church we usually don't brag about praying at work, it's not visible
That's all fine, but we probably often overdo it with our Christian "subtlety." The line between trying not to be ostentatious and being ashamed of Christ is a fine one.
Reading the Bible at snack time, not engaging in silly debates, praying in silence, praying out loud, skipping meals, refusing the Sunday shift are all things that are nothing to be ashamed of
the question is, for example, the wearing of the cross: Personally, I don't wear it because I tell myself that if my Christianity is not evident without it, the cross won't "save it"
for the same reasons I don't admire special clothes (robes) or life in a community (monastery)

16 since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

var.: Budete
The assignment is therefore clear. It is a realistic goal because, as we know, holiness does not mean perfection, but separateness and keeping oneself pure for the purpose of serving the Supreme
it is written in Deuteronomy 11:44 For I the LORD am your God. Sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. Do not defile yourselves with any vermin crawling on the ground.
since :one word with a big reach. Peter actually uses this word to say: Why am I telling you this, it's written in Leviticus, so I assume you all know it and live by it.
isn't Peter overestimating us? Have we really thought about how crucial this one phrase is hidden among the many ritual commands of Leviticus 3?
(moreover, it is written in the context of "vermin", so it is mainly about following dietary orders)
should, then, if we read the Scriptures in their entirety - the concept of holiness comes out very clearly in the Scriptures
speaking of Old Testament dietary do's and don'ts - the Jews had a clearly defined set of dietary precautions that set them apart from others. This was the outward manifestation of their "holiness," their separateness, and their distinction from those around them. We Christians have nothing of the sort - nothing tangible that we adhere to that would be visible and would draw attention to our difference. That's where our witness is harder - that we belong to Christ must seep into our whole lives. A Jew can "eat no pork" and be a nice "bitch"; a Christian can eat anything, but must shine with goodness(which is harder)
The line between not making things obvious and being ashamed of Christ can sometimes be related to our sincerity: if I pray before eating so that others can see, that is hypocrisy. If I'm deeply grateful for the food and want to praise God out loud for it, that's okay, and the opinion of those around me may be indifferent. If my prayer serves as a witness to those around me, it is only a "by-product"
In the Old Testament, the outward signs of godliness are very important. In the New Covenant, Jesus requires almost none.¹⁶. Our New Testament piety is primarily an internal¹⁷. It manifests itself externally in a secondary way. That's what we live in, and that's right.

17And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

if you call on him as Father: if you consider yourself a Christian, a member of the family of God, something follows for you (cf. How we found out that Christianity is easy in the Articles section). Let's see what
the word call on we don't usually use. It includes "referring to," "invoking," as well as "worshipping" and "exalting"
maybe Peter is referring to some "over the top" spiritual manifestations. He's saying something along the lines of: When you are so wildly expressing yourselves in praise and prayer, when you are heartfeltly singing about how wonderful God is and how much you love Him, I would expect that to be manifested in your lives somehow as well. Maybe he's witnessed a disconnect between religious expression and real life
Peter points to a feature or characteristic of God: He judges according to each one's deeds, Let us remember that although we are saved by faith without works, how we live as Christians matters a great deal.
impartially means that it "does not accept persons". We can be sure that "he is betting on everyone equally", whether you are a "lord or a khan", an emperor or a beggar, a white or a Gipsy, whether you have been with God for a month or fifty years. Whatever your circumstances in life, you will be judged fairly
does that calm me down or make me nervous? Maybe it's more unnerving, because somehow you expect internally to be treated more gently than others. That God will have more consideration and more understanding of how I've "had it rough". I guess you could say that God will certainly have consideration and understanding, but not in the sense of scolding or excusing, for example, laziness
In this context, a visit to a prison is an interesting experience - it is a world unto itself, where the rules are absolutely clear and strictly enforced. There are no considerations, no concessions, no turning a blind eye. A parcel is supposed to be five kilos - if it's over that, it's returned. The prison guard treat visitors fairly, but absolutely strictly. It's a strange feeling.
we are used to a different approach from everyday life: police officers can be reasoned with, officers are empathetic and considerate, etc.
So, in God's final evaluation of my life, I probably subconsciously expect an understanding, superior attitude. That I will have the opportunity to explain things, to "talk things through". When God asks me, for example, "Did you fast?"(Christians fast, it's a normal part of their lives.) That the Lord will be sympathetic to the fact that I have often had things come up or have "particularly" badly tolerated fasting. Not that he will just check the yes/no box or put the numbers of my fasts into the "equation"¹⁸
To judges according to each one's deeds,: of course we are still talking about the evaluation of the Christian life in the sense of 1 Cor 3:12-15: If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, the work of everyone becomes manifest. That day shall show them, for they shall appear in the fire, and the fire shall try every man's work as it is. If anyone builds a work on this basis and it remains, he will receive a reward; if his work is burned up, he will suffer damage; he will save himself, but as through fire.
a Christian can waste his Christian life standing before God with his bare hands (we must emphasize again and again that we will all stand before God with bare hands when He asks us: Why should I keep you here? Here we are talking about a different judgment - the evaluation of the lives of Christians saved by faith. By faith we get to heaven, and then our lives will be judged by our Christian works)¹⁹
Peter seems to want to warn us about attitude first and foremost: I am saved by grace, everything is wonderful, I "enjoy" my salvation - and most importantly, I don't have to lift a finger²⁰
how we live as Christians "really matters".
God says: You are indeed my adopted son by grace. But that doesn't mean you can slack off. On the contrary, I have high standards for my children.
God will not back down in His discipline and demands on us, He will not be deceived or manipulated.
Parents often get pushed by their children at the supermarket checkout to buy them that "kindre egg". God never does - no matter how much we scream and kick our "feet" on the ground.
Parents who eventually give in and buy their children an egg instead of "spanking" them are in fact making big mistake on their children and harming them
for the sake of interest, the description of some monks according to Benedict's order:

The third, very low, species are the sarabaites. They are not refined like gold in fire by any order or school of experience, but are as soft as lead. By their deeds they still serve the world faithfully, and by their tonsure they evidently deceive God. Two by two, three by three, or singly, they shut themselves up without a shepherd, not into the fold of the Lord, but into their own folds, where the law is only to gratify their own lusts. Whatever they think or choose they declare holy, and whatever they do not want they consider illicit. The fourth kind are the monks called gyrovagi. They spend all their time moving from one region to another, and leave themselves there in cells for three or four days. Eternal, never-stopping vagabonds, slaves to arbitrariness and the lures of the throat, far worse in every respect than the Sarabaites. It is better to keep silent than to speak of the excesses of all these monks. Let us therefore leave them, and with the Lord's help proceed to arrange everything for the brave cenobites.

conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, - meaning, of course, our life here on earth. We are here as in a foreign country - as strangers. What characterizes such a stay? Transience, not settling in, temporariness, expecting something better back home. Not being rooted, not forming lasting bonds. Not fixating on real estate and other things of the world. Not clinging to comfort
we are to live this temporary stay with respect for God - with the fear of wasting or spoiling this stay
our home is with God, we are in the world but not of the world.

18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

was formerly our way of living futile: it was not useless, it was not useful, it led nowhere
isn't that a to much generalization? Non-believers are engaged in so many things, so many activities. Some seem good and right. Can all the lives of all unbelievers really be described as futile?
I'm afraid so. Life other than for Christ brings nothing meaningful.
it's very much a matter of definition. If we define meaningfulness (as the opposite of futility) as something valued by God, things are clear
So God doesn't appreciate anything people do without Him? All the incredible achievments that humans and humanity are capable of? For some things it is obvious: the Tower of Babel, the pyramids of Giza, and other architectural masterpieces do not impress God. The incredible feats of athletes or acrobats, the infinite number of skilled TikTok people, probably don't either.
They don't impress God, but they could: it makes a difference whether my athletic performance is a tribute to the Creator of my body or a celebration of myself. Whether conquering a mountain peak leads to an appreciation of God's creation or a glorification of myself. Whether an architectural structure honors God or the architect. That goes for every talent, every ability, every thing that a person does
so we see that one thing or activity may or may not be a vanity depending on the attitude of the one who does it
even the best things done without God are vanity
inherited from your forefathers: that's the way of the world. We were born into this situation, the cards were dealt to us from the outside. Hereditary sin has been at work in the world since time immemorial.
but that doesn't mean the situation is hopeless. God get us out of this mess by ransome Whoever wants to, can break free - his life can begin to have meaning
Redemption means it wasn't that free. Christ had to pay for us - on his "credit card" we can then, (if we believe, that is, if we want to), get out of a life of futility
to whom did Jesus pay the ransom? Not to the devil (this is a common misconception). The Son brought a ransom for men to the Father, the righteous Judge (see also occurrences of the word ransom in the Bible Study section)
by what Jesus did for us paidwe'll see about later. But it is already clear that it wasn't money.

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

the "payment" for our redemption was the blood of Christ
Peter appeals to the Old Testament principle of substitutionary sacrifice - so that the one who committed the sin does not have to be killed for his sins, God opens up the possibility of sacrificing a substitute, a representative
to be accepted, the representative or substitute had to be "first class", himself flawless. This is logical: if the substitute himself "had his own sins", if he had his own faults, he would have no room to bear someone else's fault - he would pay for his own
such a flawless lamb offered in our place became the Son of God

20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.

gr.: foretold
This ingenious plan of salvation has always been thought out and prepared by the Most High. He knew that with the creation of beings endowed with free will, things "would not go easily"
it must be stressed that this was not a "back-up" or contingency plan "in case things didn't work out with Adam". Meaning: I will create Adam and Eve and we will live happily together in paradise. Oops, that went wrong, I didn't see that coming - they took the apple! What to do with it now? How do we save it now? Etc.
when this age-old plan to save humanity would be put into action, it was subject to expectations of all creation from the very beginning. Humans and angels alike sensed that "something was afoot"
that Peter and his contemporaries witnessed the realization of this eternal plan was an incredible "coincidence" for them. And also a privilege. Few people in history have encountered God incarnate in person
on the other hand, everyone will have some form of "personal" encounter with Christ in their lifetime
we who live two thousand years after Christ are not robbed of anything
it may even seem that it is a special privilege to live in the end times, as we are experiencing (I believe we are living in the end times)
Peter talks about the last timeswhich has two aspects: firstly, it is obvious that Christ's incarnation inaugurated the last phase of history. There will be no more revolution. Not until Christ's second coming will history end
The second aspect is that if Peter speaks of his time as the end of times, what about us living two thousand years later. Christ's second coming is imminent.
The times we live in are exciting and it is an honour to have been deemed worthy to be born into such an important period
Sometimes I think I would "enjoy" swinging a sword with Joshua or David against physical enemies more than fighting a spiritual battle against invisible spiritual enemies ²¹, ²²
But these considerations are misguided, in fact I know that things are fine as they are. Moreover to live in the end times apparently really is an extraordinary privilege. Who knows, maybe the Apostle Peter would like to "change" with us

21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Peter picks up on " manifest in the last times for the sake of you.": so, for what "you"? For believers, for those who believe in God
there are many ways to believe in God (even the devil and demons believe in God - James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. ), but God seeks those who believe in the resurrection of His Son. God does not accept any other kind of faith.
If we are serious about believing in God, we believe in the resurrection of Christ. On the presence or absence of this faith "all things are broken"
God not only raised Christ from the dead, but gave him glory. He did not awaken Him to some kind of marginalised existence or reincarnation. Jesus was resurrected to take control of the universe. To become the highest and most glorious of all who have ever lived, are living, and will live.
your faith and hope are in God.: by faith and hope we relate to the invisible realms - faith to the spiritual world, hope to the future. We are convinced of the existence of an invisible God (we have faith) and that the history of the world will "turn out well" (we have hope)
we rely on God in all things through Christ

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

or: persistently
Peter speaks in a complex way: the sentences and the thought constructions are complicated. Let's break them down one by one
obedience to the truthA: Believers are those who have heard the truth at some point in their lives. The truth about Christ and His resurrection. But hearing is not enough - they have believed this truth (that is, they have believed that it "really is", that it is a reality), they have accepted this truth as their own. And then they acted on it, arranged it, began to act on it.
hearing is not enough, even believing is not enough. We need to start acting on the truth
through the Spirit (in some manuscripts): man himself is unable to believe. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit helps us, works in our hearts, works on us, leads us to faith
by obedience to the truth we purified our souls: the first thing the Holy Spirit leads us to do is to accept the forgiveness of sins. Our souls are in dire need of cleansing. Jesus paid for our sins on the cross so that we could be forgiven.
and if we eventually accept forgiveness of sins, what is the next step? What do we "free our hands" to do by accepting forgiveness? To have a brotherly love (Greek: philadelphia). That is, a loving relationship with other Christians (and thus with people in general). An unpurified soul is not capable of brotherly love, a purified one should be able to do it.
sincere brotherly love,: why does Peter mention it? Isn't it clear? Apparently not entirely - polite friendly behaviour is not enough, it is not brotherly love. The goal is sincere love from the heart.
The goal of the Christian life is not to live a decent life and be nice to others - we can do that without Christ. But to love sincerely from the heart - we can't do that without God.
ove one another earnestly from a pure heart,: Peter is "pushing the envelope". Brotherly love is not enough, but it must be without pretense. But more than that must also be earnestly - so intense, burning. We are to love others intensely and fully. We are to love every sibling in Christ, every person, as if they were our closest, as if they were the only person on the planet.
that's a very high bar to set
if the correct translation was persistently, it would perhaps be a little less "unsolvable". It's harder to command earnestness than it is to try to persevere in love

It is said that Christ loves me (everyone) so much personally that He would go to the cross for me even if I were the only person on the planet.

this bar is so high that it seems impossible to meet - I cannot love everyone (even if he is a brother) earnestly. The solution may be that it is agape - which is a love of decision, a love of reason, independent of feelings, manifested in action. We can't do much about emotional love, but it is possible to decide to love
not to make the demands on our brotherly love too few, there is to be from a pure heart,. I guess it was meant to be sincere, not sneaky, childish. Our thinking should be simple and direct, our love too. I simply chose to love this man, so I love him.

23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

Peter may be anticipating the readers' objection that his expectations are impossibly difficult, humanly unmanageable (much as the disciples sighed, "Who then can be saved?" when Jesus told them a camel would rather go through the eye of a needle than the rich into the kingdom of God, or when he asked them to forgive without limit, "Add to us faith")
Peter argues that they are no longer the old beings, but new beings who should be able to handle it
It can be born in different ways: firstly, classically from sperm. Which is indeed a birth, but at the same time it is the beginning of the road to inevitable extinction. From the moment of conception, each of us is irreversibly on the road to death.²³
but there is another birth: of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; JIf we are "fertilized" (the word of God is sown into us). If it takes hold, it also gives birth to new life in us. But this life is already permanent; it does not perish, but lasts forever.
the word planted in us is living: similar to sperm, i.e. active, after implantation, causing changes that lead to new life.
the Holy Spirit is the one who works the changes to eternal life - he confirms the word of God and helps it to take up residence in man

24 for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,

when we speak of the transience of human life, it is a truly depressing matter: the speed, the suddenness with which human life can pass away is extreme. The comparison to grass, which withers instantly when plucked, or to a flower, which fades quickly, is quite apt.
the glory of the flesh: just as a plant can be beautiful and impressive, even famous²⁴, so it is with our lives, Even the greatest glory or splendour of anyone's life is unable to remove this transience

25 but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

the contrast between the impermanence of anything human and the durability of God's word is absolute
it's encouraging that if any man allows himself to be "fertilized" by the Word of God (accepts it, believes it), his life "slips" from the realm of absolute impermanence to absolute durability
and that's what we're talking about here. This is what every person experiences when they believe in Christ - the recipients of Peter's letter and we Christians today
the living Word of God walking through history doing what needs to be done - "catching" those who are chosen to be saved.

cf. some generations of fragile children (snowflakes). I remember when my daughters did their driver's license it was not easy for me to launch them independently into crisp traffic. But there was no other way. God is definitely not a "helicopter parent" who would always be "on his kids' backsides" and not let them live. ↩︎
I remember a sister who was going through a difficult time in her life - a death in the family plus partner and parenting problems. In the congregation, she was always trying to look happy that "nothing was happening". She was relieved when someone told her that, after all, "can cry"she's not obligated to "be happy" ↩︎
A nice movie (and play) in this regard was A Course in Negative Thinking: https://www.csfd.cz/film/232435-kurz-negativniho-mysleni/prehled/ ↩︎
In the OT era, the Holy Spirit was present in a New Testament way in prophets, kings, or priests. Since Pentecost, He has been "available" to all believers ↩︎
I have not had a deeper conversation with any rabbi or other Jew ↩︎
this issue is nicely captured in the movie Miracle on the Hudson, when the board evaluates ex post the pilot's actions when the plane's engines are shut down ↩︎
Jesus himself said that if the owner knew when the thief was coming, he would have been careful ↩︎
but it applies to today ↩︎
Mt 13:52 He said to them: "Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a householder, bringing out of his treasure new and old." ↩︎
1 K 15,24 ↩︎
my grandchildren have been splitting wood since they were little. They always stood at it with their straddles apart, as their father had advised them to do. The fact that their father entrusted them with such a risky activity shows a great deal of mutual trust ↩︎
on TWR there was a report from Monte Carlo, where the marinas are crowded with super yachts. One of them invited the Czech Christian on his yacht. He said to him: I have a yacht, but it's no use to me. I don't have any of what you have. ↩︎
the people of this world are often unaware of the alternative. Even I, until I was a non-believer, did not know that it was possible to live differently ↩︎
asceticism has its place in the Christian life ↩︎
perhaps the Forbidden City? It was serialized in The Life of Faith journal ↩︎
except baptism and the Lord's Supper, which are at most "ordinary acts" ↩︎
it manifests itself externally, but only secondarily ↩︎
which will result in my "status in heaven" ↩︎
But be warned: the parable of the talents is a serious warning to believers that a completely unfruitful and wasted life can cause even a complete fall from salvation ↩︎
likewise James in his epistle ↩︎
Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly realms. ↩︎
fighting Aragorn and Legolas rather than trudging around with Frodo and Sam ↩︎
just like a holiday or a vacation - when they start, they begin to fade away. ↩︎
there are famous varieties of flowers, tulips, orchids for thousands of dollars, etc. Typically a black tulip. But who will remember them in a few weeks or years? ↩︎

Vít Šmajstrla

Vit.Smajstrla@bormed.cz

1. Peter - Chapter 1

Vít Šmajstrla

1. Peter - Chapter 1

Vít Šmajstrla

Bible Verse by Verse

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