32. 1 Peter - defined by suffering

Evening up the balance a bit by ticking off another new testament book, I have less remaining in the OT now (although they are much longer.) I've always liked Peter, many commentators seem to treat him like a bit of an idiot. I wonder if it's because he was impetuous and working class?

1. To God's chosen strangers, wherever this message finds you; you've been chosen by God, prophets proclaimed it and now Christ is doing a wonderful thing in and through you, so prepare yourselves

2. Remain faithful; you are precious stones in the holy temple that God is building, although others may see you as stumbling stones, and remember that it is through Christ's suffering that you are formed

3. So value your relationships, and work on self-improvement; we should always strive to do the most good, remembering that we are made clean by baptism and saved by Christ's suffering and resurrection

4. The world will not understand you, people will mock you; but you are being called to a different way of living, empowered always by God - learn to rely on this inner strength in these tough times

5. If you are a community leader, then lead humbly, relying on God, the leader of us all; because the accuser is always on the prowl to catch you out.

I send greetings of love and peace to all of you, from all of us, in Christ

Overall this feels like a very affirming message, and I loved the CEB phrase "God's chosen strangers". However, there is a calling to endure suffering, even if it is unjust, which is troubling to modern ears. Such texts can be used dangerously, to justify abuse and oppresion, and it's important to remember both the context of this writing (an empire built on warfare and slavery where there was little justice for the poor and dispossessed) and to focus on the important highlights of what is being said here (God's valuing of the poor and dispossessed, when no one else seems to.)

In chapters 2 and 3, Peter begins by having people look at their closest relationships first, always looking though, for that Christian transformation to spread both beyond those relationships, as well as deep within. And that strikes me as good practice.

Peter is clearly writing to community experiencing suffering, and it will have been suffering that I cannot imagine, in my comfortable life. There's a horrible phrase "it's a dog-eat-dog world", which would have applied much better to Peter's world than it does to mine. In such a context, encouraging charity and kindness among the community of the suffering (from one who's experiencing the same), is an incredible thing. Truly countercultural. How can a Christian like me follow in such footsteps?