"Preparing the Mind to Battle the Flesh" - 1 Peter 1:13-16 Commentary

13] Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [14] As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, [15] but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, [16] since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16 ESV)

      Man, at his most basic, most infantile, is ruled by his passions.  The satisfaction of desires and the relief of pain are primary motivating factors for the young brain.  It is natural for a newborn to cry when it is hungry or uncomfortable, and it has little to no concern for others.  Just as Object Permanence is something that must be learned by the child, so must things like Consideration and Empathy.  These abstracts are not part of an innate knowledge-base the child is born with, they are things that are learned.  We have all known of a child whose favorite word was "mine."  Mankind, at his core- left unattended- is naturally inclined to be ruled by his passions.
      Since The Fall of Man, our natural inclinations have become contrary to our intended design.  While we were created to worship God alone, we naturally worship ourselves.  Idolatry is our default.  But in Christ we find freedom from the default.  This becomes one of the great challenges of the christian life.  Once we recognize our need for a savior, we spend the rest of our lives in the process of Sanctification, fighting against our flesh, working to conform our will to that of the Father's.
      I have counseled many young men who find themselves stuck in this place, desiring to be holy, but drowning in repeated sin.  This frustration often results from a lack of proper preparation.  Peter's words are valuable here for one looking to find a life of holiness.  It is not simply enough to focus on eliminating the sin action- in fact, this can be counter-productive!  Peter does not herein focus on actions at all, but on the focus of the mind preceding the action.  Before you act, prepare your mind; before action is required, prepare your mind.  Do not wait until you are in the moment to combat your sin, for by this time for many, the battle is already lost.  No, you must first focus your mind, setting it on Christ and the hope you have been promised as his sons and heirs.  Actions will flow out of the state of mind.
      The way to fight sin is on the battlefield of the mind first.  In training the mind to be holy, the actions will follow suit.  Verse 14 speaks of being "conformed to the passions of your former ignorance."  First, let me point out that these passions are past tense.  They are of your former self, but now in Christ you have been freed from them.  You were once ignorant, so these things were all that you knew, but now that Christ is at work in your life you have been given the wisdom to know better, so prepare your mind, and in the moment you will not fall so quickly into the old ways as you once did.  It takes time, but the preparation and training of the mind to a new default, the default of holiness, is the first step towards defeating the flesh.

"Making Angels Jealous" - 1 Peter 1:10-12 Commentary

[10] Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, [11] inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. [12] It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12 ESV)

      I believe here that Peter is expressing that his audience lives in a time of blessing.  (I also think that this section furthers my proposition that the audience of this letter is jewish as he is talking here of the Old Testament prophets, which again are more significant to the jews of the time. )
      Since the times of the prophets, Israel had been looking for Messiah; their hope was to see Messiah come and set them free-  What they were in bondage to had changed many times over the years; Babylon, Persia, Rome- but the glory days of David and Solomon remained etched in their ancestral memories.  This was so much the case that they expected Messiah to return and build an earthly kingdom for Israel once again.  But Jesus came quietly and humbly, and established a church, not an empire.
      Whether the prophets knew that this was the plan or not, they did know that the Messiah they spoke of was not one for the current generation- I interpret verse 12 to read that the prophets understood that Messiah would not come in their own lifetimes, but that their words were written for future generations, that they might recognize Messiah when he comes.
      Peter then reveals that his audience is that generation that the prophets were speaking to; that they live in a time to be coveted- so much so that even the angels are jealous!

"Believing Without Seeing" - 1 Peter 1:8-9 Commentary

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV)

      I can imagine the words Jesus spoke to Thomas echoing in Peter's memory, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe..."  Words Peter had heard with his own ears; the same ears that had heard innumerable public sermons and countless intimate conversations from The Lord Incarnate.  Peter was one of Jesus' closest throughout his years of ministry.  He had firsthand experience to solidify his faith.  Peter's feet had been washed by the King of Heaven-  His eyes had seen the risen Christ.
      Peter's authorship of these verses strikes me as significant.  By writing them, it is almost as if he is saying, "You have greater faith than I - I walked, talked, and I dined with the Man- and you believe and love one you have never met."
      Not only that, but Peter here describes a depth of love that is "inexpressible and filled with glory."  These people truly and purposefully loved a God they had never seen, and trusted in a salvation that would not be definitively proven until they left this world.

"Trouble in the Already, Not Yet." - 1 Peter 1:5-7 Commentary

who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:5-7 ESV)

      While on Earth we find ourselves in a state of "already, not yet."  I have become increasingly familiar with this reality over the past few months as I am now engaged to be married-  The "already" is that the feelings and level of commitment that accompany marriage are already present within me, and have been promised now to my fiancee, but the "not yet" is that there are still several months until our wedding, when we can live in that reality to it's fullest.  There is a promise that precedes the paradise, and a period of waiting for the fulfillment of the promise.
      This story is also told through the narrative of the Israelites in the wilderness as they eagerly await entrance to the Promised Land.  Later in verse 17, Peter makes mention of "the time of your exile," which is widely understood to be metaphorical in usage-  In the NASB, it is translated, "during the time of your stay on Earth," which lays the metaphor aside for a more literal representation of Peter's meaning.  I believe here Peter is referring to the state of "already, not yet," or the expectant time that we now live in, promised salvation at the coming of Christ.
      So, now that we have been promised a heavenly inheritance through the death and resurrection of Jesus, there are multiple promises here:  not only is there the promise of the inheritance of salvation, but verse five promises God's protection until that time.  Peter goes on to reference the grievous trials these churches are now experiencing, likely due to persecution, and assures them that they have God's protection in the "already, not yet."
      He also reassures them that there is a purpose behind their current struggles.  Untested faith cannot be trusted.  It is easy to believe in the easy.  When trouble comes, that is when you must decide whether to stick  to it, or abandon it.
      Peter here says that tested faith, proven genuine by the choice to press on, is more valuable than gold.  Gold is finite, and will eventually decay even though we place great worth in it, but tested faith is infinite and produces praise, honor, and glory in the life to come.

"To the Elect Exiles..." - 1 Peter Chapter 1:1-4 Commentary

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion ^a in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (1 Peter 1:1-2 ESV, footnote added)

Author: Peter, as stated in the opening lines.

Intended Audience: ^{a "}elect exiles of the Dispersion" (It is safe to assume that Peter's writing can now be applied to the entire church, but it did have specified recipients at the time of writing.)

      The first question I had to ask was, "Who are these elect exiles?"  I am torn between two answers here: Jews or Christians.  I am tending to lean more toward Jews for a number of reasons.  He references "the Dispersion" which traditionally is Israel's plight of being removed from their homeland after the destruction of the temple until the nation of Israel was established in 1948 (though later in the chapter he uses "the time of your exile" metaphorically, so i am not sure if this is part of that extended metaphor or not.)  The Roman Empire occupied Israel at the time of Peter's writing-
      He also references "the futile ways of your forefathers" later in verse 18.  The phrasing makes me think of the Jewish system of law following and sacrifice, which was ultimately futile in producing salvation for them as a people, but he could also just be referring to the Gentiles forefathers' ways as being futile, but to me this seems less likely given the overall message of the chapter.
      Also, I believe Peter is traditionally viewed as being minister to the Jews, whereas Paul is called distinctly to the Gentiles.  Peter makes reference to multiple passages of the old testament in this chapter alone, including Deuteronomy and Isaiah, which is far more effective a tool of persuasion to Jews than Gentiles, though that in and of itself is not enough to go on.
      From the context of the book, mainly Peter's multiple discourses on suffering, I think that it was written during the time of persecution of the early Christian church by Rome, so it is also possible he could be referring to Christians who were refugees of the persecution rather than the Jewish Diaspora.
      Now whether or not they were originally Jews, we know from the language used in verse two (and the word elect in verse one) that they were believers in Christ and that they were residents of those five city regions all within modern day Turkey (Asia Minor) which is near halfway between the Holy Land and Rome.
      Peter talks about the the role of the Trinity in bringing them to salvation and sanctification as was the Father's plan from the beginning.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:3-4 ESV)

       I have noticed recently a tendency to gloss over any verse about salvation and what Jesus did because of my involvement in church for the better part of my life, and the fact that I have heard it so many times.  Father, help me to view this with fresh eyes.
      This section praises God for the salvation we achieve through Christ's sacrifice; We enter a "living hope" through his death.  Death is defeated by life and we are transferred out of our previous inheritance (death) to a hope of a life to come.  Verse four talks more about the inheritance we are promised now that we are no longer in death; our inheritance is unspoiled and is forever and we now look forward to receiving it.  A past action (the Resurrection) has put us in line to receive future glory- The payment is already made, we just have not yet collected what is now owed us.  This is the great mercy of God.