We are at 1 Peter 1:10. The author tells the reader that "prophets (which prophets?) who spoke of the grace ( what's grace?) to come to you searched intently (what did they search?) and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the spirit of christ in them was pointing (You mean the "spirit of christ "didn't make it clear? Imagine that! ) when he predicted the sufferings of christ and the glories that would follow. Supposedly, even though the time and circumstances of the sufferings of christ weren't revealed to the aforementioned prophets, it was revealed that they weren't serving themselves but the readers of this letter! The prophets spoke of the things that have been told to the readers by those who preached the gospel to them, by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
Okay, so, the letter readers got their version of the gospel, whatever that was, from people who got the gospel message from the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, not Jesus. And all this was supposedly prophesied, but we don't know when, where, or by whom, and we are given no quotes. But even angels want to know about this stuff. Riiight.
Therefore, the recipients of the letter are to prepare their minds for action, set their hopes fully on the grace (What's grace?) to be given them when Jesus christ is revealed. Wait. Jesus hasn't been revealed yet? They are also to be obedient, and holy in everything they do, because god is holy. What does holy mean and how do mortals attain holiness if it's a god thing?
In verse 17, God is referred to as a father who judges each man's work impartially. (What about women's work? ) That's why they should live as strangers on the earth, in reverent fear. (Be afraid!) They weren't redeemed with silver and gold from the empty way of life handed down from the ancestors. In this context, redemption is probably a metaphorical reference to being freed from slavery buy having their debt paid off or freedom purchased. They were redeemed by the blood of christ, who is described as a lamb without blemish or defect, chosen before the creation of the world. So, before lambs, blood, sacrifices, altars, etc., were even twinkles in god's eye, he knew he was going to sacrifice Jesus. That's weirdly specific don't you think? And very odd. Before he created anything, god decided to make his human/god son (who wasn't all human yet so how was he a "son?" ) a blood sacrifice to pay for the redemption of people he hadn't created yet.
All this was revealed in those "last times," for their sake. Those "last times" were almost two thousand years ago. Through Jesus, they believe in god, who raised Jesus from the dead. So, their faith and hope are actually in god. Does this mean they believed in Jesus first? They must be gentiles. According to the author they purified themselves by obeying the truth. Obedience to the truth seems to entail loving each other deeply and sincerely, from the heart. They do this because they have been born again, not from biological sperm (seed), but from imperishable seed "through the living and enduring word of god." In other words, invisible and metaphorical mumbo jumbo some how makes them have a renewed life.
Next, we have a quote from Isaiah 40:6-8 about the word of god, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, (because the breath of the lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass) but the word of the lord stands forever." The words in parentheses are in Isaiah but not in 1 Peter. How comforting and encouraging for the author to remind the reader of their eventual demise. However, he seems to forget that without people there wouldn't be transmission of, or need for, a word of god. When people disappear, so does god.
No comments:
Post a Comment