THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Ministry of Peter
Message One—The Economy of God in the Epistles of Peter
Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 1:2-3, 5, 10-12; 2:1-5, 9; 3:4; 4:14; 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:4; 3:13, 18
I. In his two Epistles, comprising only eight chapters, Peter covered the entire economy of God, from eternity past before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:2, 20) to the new heavens and the new earth in eternity future (2 Pet. 3:13); he unveiled the crucial things related to God’s economy, concerning which things the prophets prophesied and the apostles preached (1 Pet. 1:10-12) from four sides:
A. From the side of the Triune God:
1. God the Father chose a people in eternity according to His foreknowledge (vv. 1-2; 2:9) and called them into His glory (5:10; 2 Pet. 1:3).
2. Christ, foreknown by God before the foundation of the world but manifested in the last times (1 Pet. 1:20), has redeemed and saved His chosen people (vv. 18-19, 2) by His vicarious death (2:24; 3:18) through His resurrection in life and ascension in power (1:3; 3:21-22).
3. The Spirit, sent from heaven, has sanctified and purified those whom Christ has redeemed (1:2, 12, 22; 4:14)—the angels long to look into these things (1:12).
4. The Triune God’s divine power has provided the redeemed ones with all things that relate to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3-4) to guard them unto full salvation (1 Pet. 1:5).
5. God also disciplines them (5:6) by some of His varied governmental judgments (1:17; 2:23; 4:5-6, 17; 2 Pet. 2:3-4, 9; 3:7), and He will perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground them by His all grace (1 Pet. 5:10).
6. The Lord is long-suffering toward them that they all may have opportunity to repent unto salvation—2 Pet. 3:9, 15.
7. Then, Christ will appear in glory with His full salvation for His lovers—1 Pet. 1:5, 7-9, 13; 4:13; 5:4.
B. From the side of the believers:
1. The believers, as God’s possession, were chosen by God (1:2; 2:9), called by His glory and virtue (v. 9; 3:9; 2 Pet. 1:3, 10), redeemed by Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19), regenerated by God through His living word (vv. 3, 23), and saved through the resurrection of Christ (3:21).
2. They now are being guarded by the power of God (1:5), are being purified to love one another (v. 22), are growing by feeding on the milk of the word (2:2), are developing in life the spiritual virtue (2 Pet. 1:5-8), and are being transformed and built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to serve God (1 Pet. 2:4-5, 9).
3. They are God’s chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, and peculiar people for His private possession to express His virtues—v. 9.
4. They are being disciplined by His governmental judgment (1:17; 2:19-21; 3:9, 14, 17; 4:6, 12-19, 5:6, 9), are living a holy life in an excellent manner and in godliness to glorify Him (1:15; 2:12; 3:1-2), are ministering as good stewards of His varied grace for His glorification through Christ (4; 10-11)—under the elders’ exemplary shepherding (5:1-4)—and are expecting and hastening the coming for the Lord (1:13; 2 Pet. 3:12) in order to be richly supplied with an entrance into the eternal kingdom of the Lord (1:11).
5. Further, they are expecting the new heavens, and new earth, in which righteousness dwells, in eternity (3:13), and they are growing continually in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (v. 18).
C. From the side of Satan—Satan is the believers’ adversary, the devil, who as a roaring lion is walking about, seeking someone to devour—1 Pet. 5:8.
D. From the side of the universe:
1. The fallen angels were condemned and are awaiting eternal judgment (2 Pet. 2:4); the ancient ungodly world was destroyed by a flood (v. 5; 3:6); the ungodly cities were reduced to ashes (2:6); the false teachers and heretical mockers in the apostasy and mankind in his evil living will all be judged unto destruction (vv. 1, 3, 9-10, 12; 3:3-4, 7; 1 Pet. 4:5); the heavens and the earth will be burned up (2 Pet. 3:7, 10-11); and all the dead men and the demons will be judged (1 Pet. 4:5).
2. Then the new heavens and new earth will come as a new universe, in which God’s righteousness will dwell for eternity—2 Pet. 3:13.
II. The central focus and basic structure of 1 and 2 Peter are the energizing Triune God operating in His economy to bring His chosen ones into the full enjoyment of the Triune God; our human spirit, as the hidden man of the heart, and God’s Spirit, as the Spirit of glory and as the Spirit of Christ, are the means for us to partake of God, in His divine nature, as our portion—1 Pet. 1:2-3, 5, 11; 2:1-3, 5, 9; 3:4; 4:14; 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:4:
A. Although the subject of 1 and 2 Peter is God’s government, this is not the central focus and basic structure of these Epistles; everything concerning God’s government should bring us back to the central focus and basic structure of these Epistles—the Triune God as our full enjoyment.
B. The central and basic structure of 1 and 2 Peter are the Triune God operating to accomplish His complete salvation so that we may be regenerated, so that we may feed on His word, and so that we may grow, be transformed, and be built up in order that He may have a dwelling place and in order that we may be glorified to express Him—1 Pet. 1:23; 2:1-5, 9.
C. Peter was bold in admitting that the early apostles, such as John, Paul, and himself (although their style, terminology, utterance, certain aspects of their views, and the way they presented their teachings differed), participated in the same, unique ministry, the ministry of the New Testament—2 Pet. 1:12-21; 3:2, 15-16; 2 Cor. 3:6, 8-9; 4:1.
Ministry Excerpts:
THE TRIUNE GOD AS OUR PORTION
The first basic matter covered by Peter in his writings is the Triune God. Peter indicates that the God in whom we believe is the Triune God. In the opening words of Peter’s first Epistle we can see the Triune God: “According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (v. 2). Here we have the foreknowledge of God the Father, the sanctification of the Spirit, and the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. God the Father has regenerated us (1 Pet. 1:3), Christ has accomplished redemption with His precious blood, and the Spirit applies God’s full salvation to His chosen people. Here we see the Triune God in the accomplishment of full salvation.
Peter also unveils to us the fact that this Triune God is our portion. This fact is indicated by the word “partakers” in 2 Peter 1:4. According to this verse, we have become partakers of the divine nature. This indicates that the Triune God is now our portion. If God were not our portion, we could not partake of His nature.
THE MEANS FOR US TO PARTAKE OF GOD
In his writings Peter also reveals the way for us to partake of the Triune God as our portion. The way involves the hidden man of the heart, and this hidden man is our spirit (1 Pet. 3:4). In his Epistles Paul has much to say concerning our spirit, but he does not use the expression “the hidden man of the heart.” This hidden man, our human spirit, is the means by which we enjoy the Triune God as our portion.
Although Peter speaks of God’s Spirit only a few times, his terminology is marvelous. In 1 Peter 4:14 he says, “If you are reproached in the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” Literally, the Greek here means “the Spirit of glory and that of God.” The Spirit of glory is the Spirit of God. Peter also speaks concerning the Spirit of Christ (1 Pet. 1:11). Our human spirit as the hidden man of the heart and God’s Spirit as the Spirit of glory and as the Spirit of Christ are the means for us to partake of God as our portion.
THE TRIUNE GOD PROCESSED TO BECOME OUR ENJOYMENT
We have pointed out that the Epistles of Peter are on the subject of God’s government, in particular on God’s governmental dealings through judgment. This is the central subject of these two books. Nevertheless, the structure of 1 and 2 Peter is the Triune God, who has been processed to become our portion so that we may participate in Him, partake of Him, and enjoy Him through His Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of glory, and by the exercise of our spirit.
I encourage you to study all the details in the Epistles of Peter. However, as you study these details, do not be distracted from the central thought and the basic structure of God’s holy writings in general and the Epistles of Peter in particular. The basic structure is the Triune God who has been processed to become our all-inclusive portion. We enjoy Him by exercising our spirit to cooperate with and respond to the divine Spirit. We should never forget this basic structure or be distracted from it. If we hold firmly to the basic thought and the basic structure as we study all the other points in the writings of Peter, we shall be enriched and we shall experience the Triune God in a very rich, absolute, and detailed way.
The three Epistles of 1 and 2 Peter and Jude cover many points. But the basic structure of these Epistles is the Triune God operating on His elect that they may be brought into the full enjoyment of the Triune God. Both Peter and Jude indicate strongly that the Triune God has passed through a process in order to do many things for us and to become everything to us that we may partake of Him for our enjoyment.
THE TRIUNE GOD BECOMING OUR GRACE
Peter begins his first Epistle with a word concerning the threefold operation of the Triune God upon His chosen people to bring them into the participation and enjoyment of Himself. At the beginning of his second Epistle Peter speaks concerning the divine provision. He tells us that the divine power has granted us and even imparted to us all things related to life and godliness in order that we may partake of the divine nature. Furthermore, according to chapter one of 2 Peter, the divine provision gives us not only the divine life but also the divine light (v. 19).
At the end of his first Epistle Peter says, “But the God of all grace, who called you into His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground you” (5:10). Here Peter indicates that we shall be grounded in God Himself. Then at the end of his second Epistle Peter says, “But grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (3:18). Here the knowledge of our Lord is equal to the truth, the reality of all that He is. Therefore, in this verse Peter charges us to grow in grace and in truth, reality. Although Peter covers many matters in his Epistles, the basic structure of his writings is the Triune God becoming our grace that we may enjoy Him, grow in life, and through the growth in life be perfected, established, strengthened, and grounded in the Triune God.
As we study the details of the Epistles of Peter and Jude, we need to remember that all the detailed points help us to solve our problems so that we may be brought back to the enjoyment of the Triune God. Therefore, we should not consider the details in a detached way. Every point is a help in solving our problems so that we would not be distracted further from the enjoyment of the Triune God, but instead be brought back to this enjoyment.
CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH AND LIVING IN THE TRIUNE GOD
Toward the beginning of his Epistle Jude charges us to contend for the faith: “Beloved, using all diligence to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you, entreating you to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (v. 3). We have seen that the faith is the New Testament inheritance substantiated to us and realized by us. We pointed out in the Life-study of 2 Peter that this inheritance is actually the Triune God processed to be our portion.
Toward the end of his Epistle Jude says, “But you, beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (vv. 20-21). Jude’s word concerning building up ourselves in our most holy faith is equal to Peter’s word about being built up a spiritual house, into a holy priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5). Then Jude goes on to speak of living in the Triune God. This is indicated by Jude’s word concerning praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in the love of God, and awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
Jude ends verse 21 with the words “unto eternal life.” Here “unto” means issuing in or resulting in. This phrase indicates the enjoyment of the Triune God. Eternal life is the Triune God, and “unto eternal life” indicates the full enjoyment of what the Triune God is.
A WORD OF REMINDER
We need to be impressed with the fact that these three Epistles were written with a basic structure, and this structure is the Triune God processed to become the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit for our enjoyment. This structure is according to God’s economy, and it corresponds fully to what is unveiled in Paul’s writings. I hope that this word will serve as a reminder to you. When you consider the matters of God’s government and the historic examples of His dealing in His judgment, you should not be distracted by these matters. Instead, these things should bring you back to the basic structure of these Epistles—the Triune God as our full enjoyment. Furthermore, you need to take care of your spirit as the hidden man of the heart and realize that the divine Spirit, the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of Christ, is within you. Then you will enjoy the Triune God and express Him as godliness, which will consummate in glory.
CHOSEN FOR GOD’S PURPOSE
In the first one and a half chapters of 1 Peter we have a clear picture of how God in eternity past selected us according to His foreknowledge to be His chosen people. Praise Him that out of the billions of human beings He has selected us! God selected us for a purpose, and this purpose is that God would put Himself into us as our life so that we may grow with Him into a building, His dwelling place. This building is God’s house, the place where He houses Himself. Furthermore, this building becomes God’s expression to “tell out the virtues of Him” as the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). To tell out God’s virtues is to express what He is. This is God’s purpose. This is also God’s goal.
If God would fulfill His purpose and reach His goal, He needs to apply to us what He decided in eternity past. In order to do this, it is necessary for God to be the Spirit. It is the Spirit who applies to us what God has decided. Moreover, because His chosen people had become fallen, it became necessary for God to accomplish redemption. Hence, God came in the Person of the Son to accomplish redemption. The Lord Jesus shed His blood so that we may be sprinkled and redeemed to God.
In 1 Peter we see that the Spirit applies God’s decision to us, the Son redeems us, and the Father regenerates us. For this reason, Peter says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3). This means that God entered into us as the divine life containing the divine “genes” to regenerate us. Now that we have been regenerated, we may taste that the Lord is good (1 Pet. 2:3).
In the Epistles of Peter and Jude we can see God’s economy. In these Epistles we also see God’s purpose and goal. God’s purpose was formed in eternity past, and God’s goal will be attained in full in eternity future. God’s goal is to have His building as His expression, and He is reaching this goal through our growth in the divine life. (Life-study of Judge, msg. 4)