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General Outlines of the First Epistle of Peter

Names of Jesus Christ
1. Jesus Christ (1:1, 2, 3, 7, 13, 2:5; 3:21; 4:11);
2. The Lord Jesus Christ (1:3);
3. Christ (1:11, 19, 20; 2:21; 3:16, 18; 4:1, 14; 5:10, 14);
4. Lamb (1:19);
5. The Lord (2:4, 5, 13; 3:12);
6. Living stone (2:4);
7. The chief cornerstone (2:6, 7);
8. A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (2:8);
9. The Shepherd and Overseer of souls, the Chief Shepherd (2:25; 5:4);
10. Jesus (3:22);
11. He who is ready to judge the living and the dead (4:5);
 
Names of God 
1. God the Father (1:2);
2. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (1:3);
3. God (1:5, 21, 23; 2:4, 5, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20; 3:4, 17, 18, 21, 22; 4:2, 6, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 19; 5:2, 5, 6, 7, 12);
4. He who called you; He who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1:15; 2:9);
5. He who without partiality judges according to each one’s work (1:17);
6. God (1:17);
7. The LORD (1:25);
8. The faithful Creator (4:19);
9. God of all grace (5:10);
 
Names of the Spirit
1. The Spirit (1:2);
2. The Spirit of Christ (1:11);
3. The Holy Spirit (1:12);
4. The Spirit of glory and of God (4:14);
 
The Relations of Jesus Christ with Believers
1. Believers are those upon whom His blood are sprinkled and are redeemed (1:2, 18-19);
2. Believers are reborn again through His resurrection and are saved (1:3; 3:21);
3. Believers rest their hope upon the salvation and reward at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1:5, 7, 13; 4:13; 5:4);
4. Believers are as living stones and are built up a spiritual house (2:5);
5. Believers offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (2:5);
6. Believers shall imitate His example of suffering and follow His steps (2:21; 4:1).
7. Believers have died to sins and may live for righteousness since the Lord Jesus was on the tree (2:24);
8. By the Lord’s stripes believers were healed (2:24);
9. Believers have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls (2:25);
10. Christ suffered once for sins that He might bring believers to God (3:18);
11. Blessed are those who are reproached for the sake of His name (4:14);
12. Believers are called in Him by God and enjoy peace (5:10, 14);

The Grace of God

1. The source of grace ---- the God of grace (5:10);

2. The premise of grace:

a. The sprinkling of the Lord’s blood (1:2);

b. Faith (1:9);

c. Humility (5:5);

3. The giving of grace:

a. Be multiplied (1:2);

b. The manifold grace (4:10);

c. All grace (5:10);

d. True grace (5:12);

4. The receiving of grace:

a. Eat ---- taste (2:3);

b. Inherit ---- heir, receive (3:7; 4:10);

c. Stand (5:12);

5. The effects of grace:

a. In life (2:2-3; 3:7);

b. In service (4:10);

c. In testimony (5:5, 10, 12);

6. The acme of grace ---- salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1:5);

The Effects of the Lord’s Resurrection

1. God has begotten us again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1:3);

2. Through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that our faith and hope are in God (1:21);

3. We are saved through the resurrection of Jesus Christ now (3:21);

Living

1. A living hope (1:3);

2. The living and abiding word (1:23);

3. A living stone (2:4-5);

4. Living Spirit (4:6);

Incorruptible

1. An incorruptible inheritance (1:4);

2. Incorruptible things (1:18-19);

3. Incorruptible seed (1:23);

4. Incorruptible beauty (3:4);

Profits of the Lord’s Coming Again to Believers

1. The salvation ready to be revealed in the Lord’s coming again is the power of believers to bear sufferings in various trials (1:5-6).

2. The reward ready to be given in the Lord’s coming again is the power of believers to be tried (1:7).

3. The grace that is to be brought in the Lord’s coming again is the power for believers to be sober and rest their hope fully upon the grace (1:13);

4. The joy when the Lord comes again is the power for believers to suffer with Christ together today (4:13);

5. The judgment when the Lord comes again is the power for believers to be not ashamed in suffering and yet give glory to God (4:16-17);

6. The crown of glory ready to be rewarded when the Lord comes again is the power for believers to serve well (5:1-4);

The Nature of Believers’ Sufferings

1. Length: a while (1:6; 5:10);

2. Degree: like fire (1:7; 4:12);

3. Form: various (1:6);

a. Be defamed and reviled (2:12; 3:16; 4:4);

b. Suffer wrongfully (2:19);

c. Be afraid (3:14);

d. Be reproached (4:14);

e. Suffer in the flesh (5:8; 4:1);

4. Feeling:

a. Be grieved (1:6);

b. Grief (2:19);

c. Be troubled (3:14);

5. Result:

1. God is glorified (2:12; 4:13);

2. Be commendable before God (2:20);

Attitudes that Believers Ought to Have in Sufferings

1. Rejoice (1:6, 4:13);

2. Be sober and vigilant and lead a self-disciplined life (1:13; 4:7; 5:8);

3. Be in fear (1:17);

4. Believers have to love and care for one another fervently (1:22; 3:8; 4:8-10; 5:3);

5. Have good conduct and do good (2:12, 15, 17; 3:13, 16; 4:3, 19; 5:6);

6. Be patient and submissive (2:18-20);

7. Be not troubled or think it strange (3:14; 4:12);

8. Have the mind of suffering (4:1);

9. Resist the devil and be steadfast in faith (5:9);

10. Stand firm in the grace of God (5:12);

Precious

1. Precious faith (1:7);

2. Precious living stones (2:4, 6, 7);

3. Precious adornment (3:4);

4. Precious promise (2Pet. 1:4);

Why Believers Have to Go through Sufferings?

1. The genuineness of faith will be much more precious (1:7);

2. Obtain glory when the Lord comes again (1:7);

3. It is in keeping with the path of suffering first and glory afterwards (1:11);

4. Believers are called to imitate the example of Christ ---- suffer because of doing good (2:20-21);

5. For the will of God is suffering for doing good (3:17);

6. For he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin (4;1);

7. For we suffer with Christ together (4:13);

8. For we suffer for the name of Christ (4:14);

9. For we suffer as Christians (4:16);

10. For the purpose of giving glory to God (4:16);

11. For to be partakers of the glory that will be revealed (5:1);

12. For God will perfect and establish and strengthen and settle us after we have suffered a while (5:10);

Love of Christians

1. The objects of love:

a. Love the Lord (1:8);

b. Love brothers (1:22; 2:17; 4:8);

c. Love the pure milk (2:2);

d. Love all (3:8);

e. Love life (3:10);

2. The manifestations of love:

a. In sincere love (1:22);

b. Love fervently (1:22; 4:8);

c. Have compassion for one another and be tenderhearted and be courteous (3:8);

d. Greet one another with a kiss of love (5:14);

Identities and Ministries of Believers

1. Obedient children ---- seek holiness (1:14);

2. Newborn babes ---- desire the pure milk of the word (2:2);

3. Living stones ---- be built up a spiritual house (2:5);

4. God’s own special people ---- praise His marvelous light (2:9);

5. Sojourners and pilgrims ---- abstain from fleshly lusts (2:11);

6. True servants of God ---- fear in all things (2:16-17);

7. The flock of the shepherd ---- follow His steps (2:21, 25);

8. The vessel of inheriting grace ---- fear one another (3:7-9);

9. Stewards of the manifold grace of God ---- minister to one another (4:10);

Judgment

1. Judge:

a. God the Father (1:17; 2:23);

b. The Lord Jesus Christ (4:5);

2. Evidences of judgment:

a. According to each one’s work (1:17);

b. According to righteousness (2:23);

3. Objects of judgment:

a. The living and the dead and all men (4:5, 6);

b. The house of God (4:17);

The True Church and God’s Divine Revelation

1. Her creed ---- the absolute foundation of our faith ---- believe the redemption revealed by God and the word of rebirth (1:17-25);

2. Her code ----the absolute guideline of our life ---- receive the pure mild of the word given by God (2:1-3);

3. Her constitution ---- the absolute reliance of our life ---- be build up a spiritual house (2:5-10);

Our Lord

1. The Lord without partiality (1:17);

2. The Lord who judges according to each one's work (1:17);

3. The Lord who judges righteously (2:23);

4. The Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (2:25);

5. The Lord who is ready to judge the living and the dead (4:5);

6. The Lord who is a faithful Creator (4:19);

7. The Chief Shepherd who will appear (5:1, 4);

8. God of all grace (5:10);

The Moral Principles of Christians

1. Christians shall love one another sincerely and fervently with a pure heart (1:22; 2:17);

2. All Christian shall submit themselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake and honor the king (2:13, 17);

3. Servants shall be submissive to their masters with all fear (2:18);

4. Wives shall be submissive to their own husbands (3:1);

5. Husbands shall dwell with their wives with understanding and give honor to the wife (3:7);

6. Younger people shall submit themselves to their elders. And all of them shall be submissive to one another (5:5);

── Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible Commentary Series》

Translated by Mary Zhou