Should Christians Observe Jewish Ritual Circumcision, Sabbath and Dietary Laws?

 

SHOULD CHRISTIANS OBSERVE JEWISH RITUAL CIRCUMCISION, SABBATH  AND DIETARY LAWS?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

This question has always propped up in Christian conversations or forums, especially during the season of festivities. Should Christians observe each set of Jewish religious law to the letter? Should we for instance observe the Jewish Sabbath and if so, why do some worship on Sunday? What about the dietary laws observed by Jews? Are these laws binding on Christians and if so, to what extent? 

My view is that Christians have been freed from the bondage of Jewish ritual laws. They are however bound to observe the moral laws that God prescribed for His people and whose value is timeless. 

Christians are however not bound by Jewish circumcision law or the Sabbath worship or dietary laws, except as outlined below. 

I am persuaded from my study of New Testament Scripture that there is no legal or religious obligation for Christians:

1. To worship on the seventh day or on any other day of the week including Saturday or Sunday (Colossians 2:11-23). A Christian community is at liberty to choose a day of worship that is convenient for them.  Whether we worship on Saturday or Sunday is immaterial in my view. What is significant for us is the focus of our worship. 

2. To perform or submit to ritual circumcision. Gentile believers are not bound by Jewish circumcision law. They are spiritually complete in the eyes of God without being circumcised. Paul rebuked the Galatians for giving in to the whims of radical Jews on ritual circumcision (Galatians 3). Ethnic Galatians never circumcised their males. 

I must however place a caveat at this point. It is not my intention to teach that African Christians or any other society that culturally observes male ritual circumcision should avoid the rite altogether! Male circumcision is not repugnant per se. Believers should modify aspects of the traditional rite in order to exclude anything that offends our Christian faith.

Believers from communities that do not practice the circumcision rite are not bound to observe it either. 

3. To observe ritual dietary laws. Gentile believers are not bound by the extensive Jewish dietary laws. They are however forbidden from knowingly consuming food offered to idols and eating ritual blood. This was affirmed under the resolutions of the Jerusalem Council that involved Jewish and Gentile Christian leaders (see Acts 15:22-29). 

Christians are therefore at liberty to consume whatever food is appropriate for their nutrition and health. Any foods or substances that are harmful to our bodies are forbidden. God places high premium on our souls and our bodies and so should we (see 1 Corinthians 6:18-20). 

Finally, believers should abstain from any secular rituals or revelries or celebrations that do not glorify God and have the potential of negatively impacting on their Christian witness and moral standing. Wisdom is required here. Believers, and particularly Christian young men and women, should refrain from secular "End-of-Year" bashes or celebrations that can lead them into moral disobedience. 

God has called us out from this sinful world so that we may glorify Him in our lives (1 Peter 2:9). The Bible exhorts "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God" (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, NKJV).

We cannot live as the world does without dimming our gospel light. We are the salt and the light of the world; the bearers of moral etiquette in Christ Jesus wherever we are (Matthew 5:13-16, 1 Peter 3:1-7). 

We have been purchased by Christ through His sinless blood that He shed at Calvary for our redemption. We are His Bride, betrothed and set apart for Him until the day of His coming (Acts 20:28-29; Titus 2:11-14). 

We should therefore keep our garments free from moral stains. 

Shalom. 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2022

Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?

DO MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS WORSHIP THE SAME GOD?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

This question could be informed by the universalism view that all religions primarily worship the same God. This is best illustrated by the adage that all roads lead to Rome; an attestation of the universalism approach to understanding global religions. 

Universalism proponents argue that since it is logically given that there must be one eternal God, a supreme deity that created all things, religions in their diversities are merely attempts by human societies to relate with this one God in their specific cultural contexts. Each religion, according to universalism adherents, is therefore a culture specific expression and neither is superior nor inferior to the other. 

While this theory has received increasing attention in our postmodernist society, the biblical Scriptures refute its validity. 

Here's how...

The Bible recognizes that there is only one true God who is supreme over all creation and by whom all things in heaven and on earth exist (Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 24:1-2, 50:10). This, according to Christianity, is the God of Israel whose attributes are described in the Bible. Scripture attests to God's eternity (John 1:1; Rev. 1:8), immutability (Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17), preeminence (Exodus 20:4-6), omniscience (Jeremiah 17:9-10) and omnipotence (Colossians 1:15-18), among other divine attributes. 

According to the Christian faith, the God of Scripture has also revealed Himself in three divine persons that constitute the Holy Trinity. Islam rejects the trinitarian revelation of God. They also reject the divinity of Jesus Christ. 

This implies that a person subscribing to one of the two religions inescapably treats the other as false. This therefore excludes any possibility that another deity or religion can be contemplated outside each faith. 

Timothy Tennent observes the doctrinal distinction between the two major religions as thus:

"It is not as if the texts of the Qur’an and the Bible differ on minor points of eschatology or the precise nature of the soul. They differ on central doctrines of identity such as the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the doctrine of the incarnation, the redemptive power of the cross, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. All of these doctrines are central to what we as Christians mean when we say, “We worship God.” For the Christian, the doctrine of God cannot possibly be separated from Christology." 

Islam is founded on the teaching of the Quran which proclaims that Muhammad is God's only prophet. This religion recognizes sections of the Old Testament Scripture as inspired. Islam however rejects the priesthood and prophetic mandate of Jesus Christ as the mediator between God and men. It also rejects Jesus' incarnation and His redemption work. This is perhaps where the conceptions of God in Christianity and Islam are irreconcilable. 

Islam classifies Christianity as a pagan religion and Christianity on its part does not recognize Islam as a related faith in the same way that Judaism is! My view is that the two religions cannot be considered to worship one and the same God. Each has a distinct doctrine, text and eschatology. 

REFERENCE 

Timothy G Tennent: Theology in the Context of World Christianity: How the Global Church is Influencing the Way We Think about and Discuss Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2022

How Effective is the Marathon Reading of Scripture?

HOW EFFECTIVE IS A "MARATHON" READING OF THE BIBLE? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

This question was raised in a certain forum after someone argued that the "marathon" study of Scripture is the most effective method that should be applied by Bible readers. He added that the New Testament Scriptures follow one line of thought, making it easier for straight reading through the passages. 

A marathon approach to the reading of Scripture essentially involves a survey or overview related reading through the 66 Scripture books over a given period of time. The primary intention is to cover the entire text of Scripture within the prescribed period. Little emphasis is given to its topical or thematic divisions or theological coherence. 

In some cases, different passages of different books of Scripture are read together each day so that the reader cascades his focus across a number of Scripture books at any given time. 

While this method provides a bird's eye view of the entire text of Scripture, my view is that it leaves the reader with pieces of Scripture information that are largely unrelated. 

I am persuaded that established hermeneutical principles should guide the reader in the study and interpretation of the passages of the books of Scripture so that the full counsel of God is distilled. Besides, internal evidence refutes the notion that New Testament writers follow one line of thought in their letters. The reality is that most of these writers address a number of independent issues that require to be hermeneutically distilled by the reader within their passage contexts.

We should therefore approach the Scriptures with the relevant interpretative principles. 

One primary principle concerns the recognition of the theological harmony in the body of Scripture. No book of Scripture speaks independently of the rest or on absolute terms. Its authority rests on the theological foundation that God's word is one indivisible cannon that collectively conveys the mind of God (2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17). 

Secondly, Scripture interprets Scripture. This principle is affirmed in the cannon itself, especially under the New Testament Scriptures. For instance, some Old Testament truths are amplified or illuminated in the New Testament Scriptures. 

Notice also that New Testament writers intermittently make reference to Old Testament Scripture in their work. A good example can be drawn from the authorship of the four Gospel books where Old Testament prophecies and characters are juxtaposingly mentioned. 

The "marathon" study of the books of Scripture under various captions such as "the Bible in one year" are undoubtedly great knowledge adventures. Unfortunately, such approaches, if exclusively embraced, may present serious hermeneutical limitations for the devotional study of Scripture, which is critical to the spiritual development of the child of God. We should study Scripture passages to discern the mind of God in a given context and harmonize its exhortation with the related themes or topics taught elsewhere in Scripture. 

My view is that a marathon reading through Scripture books can obscure the reader's focus on the consolidation of truths taught in the Bible. 

Here's how... 

First, reading through one Gospel book in a marathon without bearing in mind what other Gospel writers or Scripture authors convey on a related passage or topic can be extremely limiting, in my view. 

Secondly, without the benefit of the knowledge drawn from related passages of New Testament Scripture, a marathon reading of, say, Ezekiel, Daniel and Zechariah may be reduced to a text book adventure. 

Finally, such reading ignores the literary construction of Scripture under different genres or writing styles. For instance, poetic sections of Old Testament Scripture that are commonly identified with the wisdom books such as Psalms and Proverbs cannot be interpreted in the manner that the narratives or prophetic writings are done. The reader needs to be armed with the relevant hermeneutics for the interpretative study of each category. 

CONCLUSION 

My view is that Scripture was not intended to be read on a marathon basis if its devotional benefits are to be derived and assimilated. The Bible should be approached in a methodical manner, giving regard to its topical and thematic organization. I would therefore be hesitant to recommend the marathon approach as an exclusive method of study for a serious devotional reader. If one opts for the marathon study method, they should maintain the contextual/thematic method as their primary focus for effective study of Scripture. 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2022

God's Moral Test for Israel - Lessons from Judges 3:1-11

GOD'S MORAL TEST FOR ISRAEL: LESSONS FROM JUDGES 3:1-11. 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

In Judges 3:1-2, the writer of Scripture records that God deliberately declined to drive away sections of the Canaanite nations from the Promised Land in order to teach the new generation of Israelites war and to test the people's moral fortitude. 

A list of these nations is given in Judges 3:3. They include five lords of the Philistines, the Canaanites, Sidonians, and Hivites. It is instructive that these heathen nations were identified with the following cultural features:

1. They were idolatrous people. Some worshipped more than one deity. They worshipped Baal and Ashtoreths and Asherahs (Judges 2:11,13, 3:7). 

2. The Philistines were among the largest and most prominent in the group. Their influence in the days of the Judges and specifically during the reign of Samson is profound (cf. Judges 3:31,10:7,13:1). 

3. These heathen nations surrounded the people of Israel from all sides. 

4. The Israelites were ill equipped militarily and were therefore disadvantaged in asserting their right to the Promised Land without divine intervention. The Canaanites had superior iron weaponry (see Judges 1:19, 4:3). 

A second list of Canaanite nations is provided in Judges 3:5-6 showing those among which the people of Israel specifically dwelt. These were perhaps the closest and most influential among the Canaanite nations at the time. 

A curious statement is conveyed in Judges 3:6. The writer reveals two moral transgressions committed by Israel under the influence of the Canaanite culture:

1. The children of Israel intermarried with these heathen nations contrary to God's express prohibition in Scripture (cf. Deut. 28:15-68; Neh. 13:25).

2. They forsook the LORD and served the Canaanite gods, contrary to the command in Exodus 20:2-6 that forbids the worship of any other deity besides Yahweh, the God of Israel. 

This marked the beginning of the cyclical pattern of moral disobedience, leading to God's judgment, followed by the people's cry under Canaanite oppression; God's rescue, and back to disobedience. 

The first judge is Othniel. He was the younger brother of Caleb, the man of valor whose fame was earlier identified with the positive report among the twelve spies sent out by Moses (see Numbers 13-14). Othniel's 40 year reign is narrated in Judges 3:7-11. He was by any standards a godly ruler. His departure marked the next cycle of apostasy in Israel. 

MORAL LESSONS

The passage of Judges 3:1-11 conveys a number of moral lessons to the reader. We shall outline a few lessons below.

1) God tests the obedience of His covenant people to prove their moral faithfulness. Job, a faithful man,  was tested under a painful experience and was later approved by God (Job 1-2, 42). Elsewhere in Scripture, we learn that God permits some trials and afflictions on believers for the purpose of proving their faith (James 1:2-4). 

In our passage of context, the Bible reveals God's intentions in leaving the hostile Canaanite nations to coexist with the children of Israel "...that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses" (Judges 3:4). There is no ideal environment for Christian obedience. Every situation that we find ourselves in is a testing environment. What ultimately stands out is our response to the tests. 

2) God sets out clear consequences for disobedience. The people were aware of God's divine standards for them but they still chose to disobey. When they intermarried with the Canaanite nations, God gave them over to their enemies. The Bible  laments that God "...sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years" (Judges 3:8). God's patience has its snapping limits. Choices have consequences. When we deliberately choose to act against God's moral standards in our lives, God is grieved and He will punish us. 

The children of Israel deserved their punishment because of their willful disobedience despite having witnessed God's powerful works of deliverance and provision during their wilderness journey. Hebrews 12:6 says "For Whom the Lord loveth, he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives."

3) It is easy to forget the things that God has done for us and to lower the moral standards whenever we experience the comforts of life that come through His blessings.  Someone said the greatest danger to our spiritual wellbeing does not come from Satan per se but from the trappings of comfort that lull our spiritual consciousness!

In the midst of the economic progress in the land "flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8), the people forgot and forsook the very God who brought them into the promised land. Does this experience ring a bell in your ears? The exhortation conveyed in Deuteronomy 8:11-17 is instructive. Moses had warned the people not to forget the Lord in the midst of their prosperity. This scenario finds a theological parallel in Haggai 1. 

4) God punishes the disobedient. Several passages of Scripture illustrate this truth. The Rich Fool, under the haughtiness of material success, forgot that God was the ultimate source of his prosperity. The statement in Luke 12:20 is instructive: "But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’". When God is forgotten, the human ego is exalted. 

5) Godly leadership brings moral stability and political advancement in society. The 40 year reign of Othniel the son of Kenaz brought peace to Israel (Judges 3:7-11) and so did Samuel's godly leadership centuries later (1 Samuel 7).

CONCLUSION

The Bible is replete with illustrations that reveal God is in the business of testing the moral fortitude of His covenant people. We should therefore be conscious of this fact in every situation of life so that we are not tossed about by the allures of this passing evil world. We should discern God's will for our lives at all times and submit to Him. Our response to godly trials will depend on our moral prudence. We should depend on God's enabling grace to overcome.

 The Bible warns in 1 Corinthians 10:12, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." Jesus' statement in Revelation 16:15 is tacit: "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2022

Why is the Fall associated with Adam yet it was Eve who was first deceived?

WHY IS THE FALL ASSOCIATED WITH ADAM YET IT WAS EVE WHO WAS FIRST DECEIVED? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:27). The order of creation and God's responsibility for Adam as head is apparently what separates the two, both under Old Testament and New Testament theology. 

Adam was responsible for his wife and this is perhaps the reason God called him out when both he and his wife attempted to hide themselves from God after they fell into disobedience (Gen. 3:8-10).

As head of his family, Adam ruled over his wife and his children and was responsible for them. This model is identified in the New Testament Scriptures as well. Colossians 3:18-20 says "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."

Notice also the delegated responsibility that God assigned Adam in naming God's creatures. He was even permitted to assign a name to his wife (Gen. 2:18-25).

Yes, Eve was the first to fall through Satan's deception in the first instance. She subsequently drew Adam into her disobedience so that both ultimately fell (Gen. 3:1-6). 

Turning to the New Testament, we notice that the fall is primarily identified with Adam. 1 Timothy 2:8-14 reveals that God used the order of the creation and the fall as a basis for His design on church leadership. This passage has been recognized as the theological foundation for the complimentarian doctrine held by a number of Christian traditions (cf. 1 Timothy 2:8-14, 3:1-7). The Egalitarian traditions however dispute this doctrine. 

What stands out significantly, in my view, is the fact that Adam is reckoned as the icon of the fall, not because the magnitude of his transgression was higher than Eve's but because of the federal headship responsibility that God recognized in His dealings with him. Adam took ultimately responsibility for the fall because he was God's steward over his wife. 

In the New Testament Scripture, we notice that the federal headship doctrine is modeled on the relationship  between Christ and His church on the one part, and the husband and his wife, on the other part. Christ is head over His church even as the husband is head over his wife. 

Ephesians 5:24 says "Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." The wife ought to submit to her husband in the same manner that the church should submit to Christ. 

On his part, the husband ought to love his wife sacrificially just as Christ loved the church and died to redeem her. This truth is affirmed in several other passages of New Testament Scriptures.

In conclusion, my view is that, notwithstanding the federal headship doctrine, both Adam and Eve fell into disobedience and both equally deserved God's judgment. 

In the context of New Testament Scripture, those who come to Christ, whether male or female, shall equally share in God's divine heritage in Christ Jesus. 

The Bible says "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:26-29, NKJV).

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2022

Did Judas Exercise Free Will in Betraying Jesus?

DID JUDAS EXERCISE FREE WILL IN BETRAYING JESUS OR WAS HE COMPELLED BY A DIVINE FORCE TO ACT?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

I came across this question in a conversation on a Christian forum. 

A response to this question would largely depend on the reader's theological persuasions. We shall first consider two theological positions below and conclude with my reflection.. 

REFORMED CALVINISTIC VIEW 

A five pointer Calvinist who subscribes to the Reformed Calvinism tradition would state that God caused Judas to betray Jesus. They would in fact go further to argue that Judas had no free will of his own and that God directed every step of the betrayal process so that the prophecy of Zechariah 11:12-13 would be fulfilled with precision!

In this context, Judas is considered as merely a tool at the disposal of an all powerful and controlling creator and that Judas could not resist or act against God's will. 

EVANGELICAL VIEW 

On the other hand, a non-Reformed/Evangelical reader would argue that Judas acted under the compulsion of his own free will in betraying Jesus and therefore rightly stood condemned for his transgression. They would consider that Jesus foresaw and foretold this event ahead of time because of His perfect omniscience and exhaustive foreknowledge as God. They would disagree with the view advanced by Reformed Calvinism that God's causative determinism was behind Judas' action.

MY TAKE 

Whereas God is eternally sovereign over His creation, Scripture reveals that He permits His creatures to exercise free will and is justified in judging them for their transgressions. 

Coming to the context of our question, my view is that Scripture does not teach or imply in any section of the relevant passages that Judas Iscariot was compelled by any external force to betray Jesus other than by His love of money. 

It is important to appreciate what Scripture reveals concerning the moral character of Judas Iscariot. His statement in Matthew 26:14 is instructive of his greed. His response to the religious authorities plainly reveals this moral character. He placed his interests ahead of his ministry calling and was prepared to sacrifice his Master in the process. He asks, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him" (NKJV).

We also learn from John 12:6 that Judas was a thief and that he used to apply the ministry resources that was in his custody for his personal benefit. He was an evil steward. 

We can pick out three important correlations on the issue of free will and human responsibility under two other passages of Scripture relating to three independent characters -  Peter, Adam and Joseph. 

Jesus foretold that Peter would deny him thrice before the cock crowed (Matthew 26:34-35, 75; Mark 14:30, 74; Luke 22:61). This event occurred with divine precision. 

We can observe that both Judas and Peter willfully acted in their disobedience and both later expressed remorse for their actions. 

My view is that God's foreknowledge in both instances does not imply that God causatively compelled them to act the way they did. 

Similarly, God did not cause or orchestrate the fall of Adam (see Genesis 3:1-6). God had plainly warned him in advance about the consequences of his disobedience and this affirms Adam's exercise of free will in this context (Genesis 2:16-17).  

Genesis 37, 49-50 describe Joseph's experience in the hands of his wicked brothers, his afflictions in Egypt under Potiphar, his incarceration in an Egyptian dungeon and his subsequent elevation by God to the highest office in the land. 

Joseph's brothers wilfully sought to harm their brother and cutting him off from their father's heritage but God intervened in the course of time to fulfill His purposes concerning Joseph. God did not compel the sons of Jacob to commit their evil acts.

If the advocates of deterministic theology are consistent, their view would inescapably imply that God was ultimately responsible for the fall of Adam and Eve because, in their view, nothing was beyond Him! 

My view is that deterministic theology is inconsistent with the revelation and authority of Scripture. God cannot act contrary to His revealed nature as a holy and righteous. The Bible proclaims in James 1:17 that God is "the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." 

Numbers 23:19 says "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" 

God is neither the cause nor the author of sin or evil. He abhors evil (Isaiah 1:15). 

God can however make His interventions in circumstances of evil so that His purposes are fulfilled. Again, this does not imply that God is party to the circumstances that precipitated the commission of evil. 

Psalm 5:4-6 says "For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man." (NKJV).

CONCLUSION 

Yes, Judas Iscariot knowingly and willingly committed the transgression of betrayal upon his Master, handing Him over to His persecutors, in whose hands He was finally crucified. Judas was the son of perdition, a man driven by the spirit of Balaam in pursuing dishonest gain. He, like Balaam, perished in his pursuit of greed (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11). 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2022

Chosen in Christ - A Biblical Exposition of 1 Peter 1

CHOSEN IN CHRIST - A BIBLICAL EXPOSITION OF 1 PETER 1

By Ezekiel Kimosop

INTRODUCTION 

First Peter is the first of two Epistles authored by Apostle Peter. It was written to encourage Jewish believers to remain steadfast in their faith amidst trials and afflictions. It is instructive that the place of writing was concealed. Some Bible scholars say the reference to Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13 suggests that Peter may have been in hiding or that he was careful to conceal his location because of the persecution of Christians at the time.[1] 1 Peter 1 conveys the apostle’s opening address to Jewish Christians in the ancient cities of Asia Minor that are mentioned in the passage. The letter was therefore intended for circulation among the listed locations or towns.

Internal evidence reveals that these believers were undergoing persecution on account of their Christian faith (vv. 6-9). Bible scholars believe that the dispersal mentioned by Peter is historically consistent with the Jerusalem persecution described in Acts 12 that saw the martyrdom of Apostle James and the arrest and imprisonment of believers, including the writer himself (Acts 12:1-19).

PASSAGE STRUCTURE 

The passage consists of the traditional epistolary salutation section (vv. 1-2), a doxology or praise on the heavenly heritage of God’s covenant people in Christ (vv. 3-12) and a closing section that captures the author’s call to faithful Christian living and trust in God’s promise in His word (vv. 13-25). We shall examine the three sections in their succeeding order.

THE SALUTATION 

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace be multiplied” (NKJV).

In this brief salutation section of the passage, the writer conveys his opening statement. He introduces himself by his name and by his apostolic title – Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ. This is the traditional epistolary salutation that is replicated in his second Letter (2 Peter 1:1). It identifies the author and asserts his apostolic authority. The writer's apostolic oversight over his audience is implied from the address. 

The pilgrims were members of his Jerusalem Christian community in diaspora. Some consider Peter’s introduction of himself as “an apostle” as tinged with humility given Jesus’ affirmation of his higher apostolic stature in John 21:15-19.[2] Whereas Peter’s restoration was a personal experience, Jesus’ exhortation on feeding the lambs and tending the sheep cannot be exclusively ascribed to Peter alone. It was a core apostolic mandate touching on all the apostles, including Paul who was called into the apostolic office much later (1 Corinthians 9:1-18).

Some say Peter’s use of the term “pilgrims” was in reference to all believers in their fraternities, including Gentile Christians.  The writer of 1 Peter was a prominent Christian leader in the Jerusalem church along with Apostle John and James the brother of the Lord, who is credited with the authorship of the Letter of James (Galatians 2:6-10; James 1:1-2). It is instructive that Apostle James was martyred during the early period of the Jerusalem persecution (see Acts 12: 1-2). Secondly, Peter’s apostolic influence in the wider Gentile territory is less significant.

RECIPIENTS 

First Peter is addressed to Jewish believers who are metaphorically described as “pilgrims of the Dispersion”. This suggests that they may have been part of the Jewish Christians who fled the Jerusalem persecution by Herod. The use of the word “pilgrims” to describe these believers is consistent with their circumstances as aliens in their destinations. It also mirrors on the transience of the believer's earthly life as compared to the life to come (cf. Psalm 90:10-12; Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36). Scripture elsewhere teaches that the Old Testament saints confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth (Hebrews 11:13). The mention of the five regions in Asia Minor is perhaps indicative of their prominence as predominant locations of Jewish Christian presence rather than an exhaustive list.[3]

ELECTION OF BELIEVERS IN CHRIST

The writer further describes these Christians as “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” (v.2). Two important features relating to believers are captured in this statement – God’s foreknowledge of their election and the means by which this process was achieved. 

First, we can infer that the election of believers in Christ was conceived in God’s eternal omniscience and foreknowledge because God sees the end from the beginning. He is the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8); the immutable God – the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

The second feature of the election of believers relates to the manner in which it was actualized at God’s appointed time. Notice that the statement in v.2 is syntactically unbroken, implying that the process of election is encapsulated in the activities outlined in the entire text and should therefore be construed in its composite sense. 

God’s foreknowledge is actuated in the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is not causative but futuristic in this context. The activities relating to the election should therefore be consolidated and read together in the text. This is a unique text where all the members of the Trinity are identified as acting in concert. Here is how....the Father conceived the election of believers in His eternal omniscience even as the Son supplied the atonement by His incarnate coming and sacrificial death. The Spirit sanctifies the believer in obedience throughout his life of faith.

The sanctification of the believer is a divine process that contemplates the working of the Holy Spirit beginning with the drawing of the sinner into conviction of sin upon the proclamation of the gospel (cf. John 16:18, Acts 2:37) and into obedience to Christ as a new creation set apart from the sinful world (2 Cor. 5:17). The sprinkling of the blood of Jesus relates to the atonement, the ritual cleansing of sin and the covenant affirmation in His sinless blood (cf. Exodus 24:6-8). 

The Greek word eklektos for "elect" or "chosen" is a participle of the verb eklegomai which can be employed as a noun or an adjective depending on the grammatical context.[4] Its application in 1 Peter 1:2 is in its plural sense, indicating that believers were collectively foreknown as a community of God’s chosen people, a body of God’s faithful people (cf. 1 Peter 2:9). This does not however override or disregard the significance of the calling of each individual or the obligation of each believer in responding to God's grace in Christ Jesus. A sinner that comes to Christ adds to the number of this community as they are admitted to Christ through His saving grace (1 John 1;12, 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-9). The calling demands an individual response and the result is the corporate constitution of believers in Christ as His Church. 

Why was the election in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father?

This is because it was in God’s divine omniscience and foreknowledge that He would establish for Himself a people through the redemption works of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11-14, 1 Peter 2:6-9). The reference to sanctification and the Levitical ritual sprinkling of blood is descriptive of both the efficacy and preeminence of Christ’s atonement in the election of believers. Christ’s blood was intended for the cleansing of sin and for maintaining covenant faithfulness in those that come to Christ (1 John 1:8-10, cf. Hebrews 9:13, 11:28, 12:24). The phrase “according to the foreknowledge of God” recognizes God’s divine provision in the election. The Greek feminine noun πρόγνωσιν [prognosis] is best translated as “knowing beforehand”. 

The election of God’s people was therefore conceived in the eternal omniscience of God but the means by which this would be achieved was provided by God at a time when His divine clock synchronized with human history in the incarnate coming of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, as the atonement of God (John 1:29). Peter’s statement in 1 Peter 1:2 should be exegetically synthesized with Paul’s statement in Ephesians 1:3-5 that says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” [NKJV). 

Again, it is instructive that the election of believers in Paul’s context is exclusively in Christ as outlined in Ephesians 1:4-5. It is by God’s grace in Christ’s atonement that sinners are drawn to Christ. This points to the individual election of each believer through repentance and forgiveness of sin as a prelude to the constitution of the corporate body of believers – the church (John 3;16-17). Notice further that the adoption of believers is by the gospel of Jesus Christ (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:5). This is further highlighted in 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 where the election of believers is tied to the preaching of the gospel.

Biblical theology in its holistic essence attests that no believer was chosen beforehand outside the works of the cross! The choosing of believers in Him [in Christ] before the foundation of the world should therefore be construed and interpreted in its proper theological context as taught in Scripture. It should be consistent with God’s foreknowledge in 1 Peter 1:2 as earlier examined. As Wayne Jackson aptly opines, election involves God’s redemptive plan, Christ’s sacrificial death, the Holy Spirit’s revelation of truth and man’s obedience.[5] This process could not have occurred prior to or outside the work of the cross.

Additionally, nothing in the two passages above suggests or implies that God secretly determined beforehand the specific number and identity of those to be redeemed or that His atonement in Christ is limited to a given number of sinners who were unconditionally elected beforehand. The election process should therefore be distinguished from the implications of causative determinism, the notion that God predetermined both the number and the means by which those He called in Christ would be identified. This doctrine is advanced by sections of deterministic soteriology groups under the presupposition of unconditional election of a specific group of sinners by God to the exclusion of the rest. 

According to deterministic theology, reprobates were deliberately denied God’s saving grace and predestined to eternal damnation from the foundation of the world. While the proponents of this doctrine purport to uphold God’s sovereignty in the election of believers, my view is that they inevitably impugn God’s character and distort the divine essence of His redemption plan outlined in Scripture. God's redemption plan is encapsulated in His revelation in Scripture and this reveals His loving grace for all sinners without prior distinction or discrimination (John 3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:9). 

The Bible proclaims that the atonement of Christ is the exclusive means by which God’s election of His saints is achieved in the singular and corporate contexts. I am persuaded that no sinner could have been chosen for salvation outside Calvary. The individual election of a sinner is therefore conditional to the sinner’s response to God’s grace as taught in Scripture. The sinner must repent of sin upon conviction by the Holy Spirit in order to receive God’s forgiveness and assurance of eternal life. This opportunity is open to any sinner who hears the gospel proclaimed.

David Allen observes that the atonement unapplied saves no one [6]. In other words, salvation is conditional to the sinner receiving the atonement by faith. God’s sovereignty and human free will are therefore mystically embedded and inextricably intertwined in the process of election. Neither can be discounted. 

Several passages of Scripture reveal that God permits man's exercise of free will in relating with God. Notice the moral in the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14). The king gave an open invitation but there was a condition that had to be satisfied by those to be admitted to the feast. The expulsion of the man who did not adorn the wedding garment reveals that the invited guest was required to comply with the terms of the royal invitation! The parable metaphorically addressed Israel’s rejection of God’s offer of salvation in Christ, as a result of which God turned to the Gentiles with the gospel.

It is also instructive that no text of Scripture affirms the notion that some sinners were either irresistibly saved against their will or arbitrarily excluded from the influence of God’s saving grace. John Wesley observed that “the true predestination, or fore-appointment of God is that he that believeth shall be saved from the guilt and power of sin… They who receive the precious gift of faith, thereby become the sons of God; and being sons, they shall receive the Spirit of holiness, to walk as Christ also walked. Throughout every part of this appointment of God, promise and duty go hand in hand.” [7]

God’s foreknowledge is consistent with His knowledge of the future based on His divine omniscience. God’s foreknowledge in this context cannot be divorced from His revealed will in other sections of Scripture that assign man the free will choice for obedience in response to the gospel. 

God gave Adam and Eve a free will choice for obedience and outlined the consequences of their disobedience (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:2-6). Scripture elsewhere affirms that God gave His covenant people a choice for obedience. Joshua 24:15 says “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (NKJV). In Judges 2, the Bible teaches that the people of Israel willfully rebelled against God and were punished by God for their disobedience.

There are numerous illustrations in Scripture that demonstrate God’s conditional offer of salvation to those who turn from evil. In Genesis 7, we learn that Noah warned the people of his day about God’s judgment even as he built the ark. The fact that the people refused to give heed to Noah’s exhortation is affirmed in the New Testament Scripture (Luke 17:27, 2 Peter 2:5). God finally shut the door of the ark when His appointed time came and the wicked perished in the floods (Genesis 7:17). 

In Genesis 19, Lot warned the people of Sodom and Gomorrah about the coming judgment but only his wife and two daughters heeded his prophetic voice. The rest of the people perished in their rebellion. Those who perished in both cases had a chance for redemption which they willfully forfeited! 

Elsewhere in Scripture, we learn that God gave the wicked people of Nineveh 40 days as the final window of His grace before His wrath fell on them. When they repented, God's wrath was appeased and they were spared by God (Jonah 3-4). 

God’s dealing with sinners in Christ is predicated on the same terms. It is based on a free will response to the invitation in Christ through the appeal of the gospel (John 3:16-17, Romans 10:8-13). Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost was punctuated by a significant question from his audience. Acts 2:37-38 says “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The sinner must respond to the gospel. This is a condition that God demands of every sinner.

Romans 10:10-12 says “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (NKJV). This passage affirms the conditional offer of election to every sinner.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This text recognizes the synergy between God’s saving grace and the sinner’s response through faith in the process of salvation. Salvation can be described as consisting of the operation of God’s grace 100% and the sinner’s responsibility 100%.  The unconditional election doctrine obfuscates this revelation in its attempt at discounting and expunging the moral obligation of the sinner.

Exhortation on the heavenly heritage of God’s covenant people in Christ.

In the second section, we now turn our focus to the passage of 1 Peter 1:3-12 where the writer continues to encourage his audience. This section can be described as a celebration of God’s investiture on believers through His redemption works in Christ. Several adjectives are employed in describing the heavenly heritage awaiting those who are in Christ – living hope (v. 3­) that is incorruptible, undefiled and reserved in heaven (v.4). Meanwhile, believers are kept or preserved by God through faith as they await Christ’s coming (v. 5).  This truth should inspire believers to persevere trials and afflictions (vv. 6-9). 

The believers are further reminded of their privileged status as God’s chosen people who have experienced His saving grace in Christ Jesus in their time. This is what the saints of old and the holy angels earnestly sought after but did not receive or experience (vv. 10-12). This is a soothing exhortation for believers who were undergoing great suffering on account of their Christian faith.

Exhortation to Godly Living and Trust in God’s word.

The final section of this passage carries the writers closing appeal. He calls upon believers to gird up the loins of their minds. This is a figure of speech imploring them to firmness and decisiveness in their Christian convictions in view of the afflictions that they were undergoing even as they looked forward to their spiritual heritage in Christ when He will be revealed (vv. 13-16).  

The call to godly Christian living extends to vv. 17-18 where God’s atonement in Christ is described as precious and incomparable to the world’s top precious metals – gold and silver. Christ is the sacrificial Lamb whose sinless blood was without blemish and was therefore acceptable to God for the atonement of sin. Jesus was foreordained by God before the foundation of the word for the redemption of souls (vv. 19-21). This statement should be understood in the context of the statement in v. 2 read together with Ephesians 1:4, which was examined in the first section of the passage. It is an affirmation of God’s divine foreknowledge in the provision of redemption for sinners.

Peter concludes his exhortation in the first chapter through the closing statements in vv. 22-25. The Jewish believers are reminded of one paramount Christian obligation - that they should love one another with sincere hearts (v.22). This exhortation is intended to build their Christian fellowship even as they struggled with external threats and afflictions by enemies of the Christian faith. A Christian community should not neglect this godly duty (cf. Hebrews 10:25). Believers were begotten by God’s word, a reference to the gospel message by which they were drawn to faith. 

The word of God is metaphorically described as an incorruptible seed, thus underscoring the fidelity of God’s word in growing communities of faithful people through the ages. The writer uses a poetic Old Testament text drawn from Isaiah 40:6-8 to firm up his exhortation (v.24) and concludes with a closing statement touching on the pre-eminence of God’s word in sustaining believers in sanctification and obedience. 

CONCLUSION & MORAL APPLICATION

The passage of 1 Peter 1 underscores the significance of our redemption in Christ that was conceived in God’s eternal omniscience and fulfilled in Christ’s incarnate coming as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Peter speaks to believers today who are undergoing Christian sufferings of various descriptions. The Bible encourages us to keep our focus on God’s faithfulness in Christ Jesus during those trying moments. We learn that such trials are for a season and that there is a greater hope awaiting us in Him who was pierced for us. 

There are no ideal conditions for  Christian living in this passing evil world. We are reminded that in all ages of human civilization, God’s covenant people suffered for their convictions but in all these circumstances they received His divine approval. 

We should therefore cherish our calling in Christ and treasure God’s word and submit to God’s leading at all times. We should also encourage one another in love and exhortation in the way of Christ. We should fix our eyes on Christ no matter how painful the suffering may be. No matter what we go through in this life, we should anchor our faith on the assurance of His eternal word that never fades away.

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[The writer is a PhD candidate in theological studies at Africa International University, Nairobi Kenya and an Associate Member of the Insurance Institute of Kenya]

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2022

References:

               [1] John MacArthur, “Bible Introductions – 1 Peter”, MacArthur Commentary on 1 Peter 1, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/macarthur_john/bible-introductions/1peter-intro.cfm. Accessed 12 August 2022.

               [2] Arthur J. Mason, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 387.

               [3] See Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers on 1 Peter 1:1-2.

               [4] http://helpmewithbiblestudy.org/9Salvation/ElectionEklektos.aspx accessed 9 August 2022.

               [5] Wayne Jackson, “1 Peter 1:1-2 – Foreknowledge” in Christian Courier, https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/856-1-peter-1-1-2-foreknowledge accessed 10 August 2022.

              [6] David Allen, Atonement: The Biblical, Theological, and Historical Study of the Cross of Christ, 2019. 

              [7] John Wesley's Notes on the Bible, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, https://www.ccel.org/ccel/wesley/notes.i.xxii.ii.html. accessed 10 August 2022.