1 and 2 Peter: “Rejoice with Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory” (November 20-26)

Detail of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s statue of Peter. Artists have traditionally represented Peter holding keys, in reference to the Savior’s words to Peter in Matthew 16:19: “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

How did the apostle who walked on water toward Jesus later deny he even knew Him? And how did he recover from that failing to become such a courageous defender of the truth?

We learned a lot about Peter from the Gospels and from Acts. This week, we are studying two epistles he wrote to the church. These were undoubtedly influenced by the epistles of Paul, but the audience is more broadly defined. The first epistle is addressed to “the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1), and the second is for “them that have obtained like precious faith with us” (2 Peter 1:1). As the leader of the church holding “the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” Peter spoke with authority to all members of the church.

The content of these letters flows fairly seamlessly from one topic to the next, making it difficult to identify an overall structure. Here’s how I would outline the first epistle:

• 1 Peter 1 – You can become holy through the “precious blood of Jesus Christ.”
• 1 Peter 2:1-10 – Build a “spiritual house” on the cornerstone of the Savior.
• 1 Peter 2:11-25, 3:1-11 – Relationships between citizens and government leaders, servants and masters, husbands and wives.
• 1 Peter 3:12-22, 4:1-19 – If you suffer because you are doing good, so did the Savior. “Ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.”
• 1 Peter 5 – Church leaders should be humble and lead by example.

And here’s my outline of 2 Peter:

• 2 Peter 1:1-11 – Acquire Christlike attributes.
• 2 Peter 1:12-21 – Peter’s testimony of Christ
• 2 Peter 2 – Warning: avoid false teachers
• 2 Peter 3 – Remember the words of the prophets and prepare for “the day of the Lord.”

“Be ye holy,” he writes in the first epistle, quoting Leviticus 20:7. (See 1 Peter 1:15-16.) And in his second epistle, he invites his readers to “be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Here are some principles in these epistles which have helped me to grow closer to God:

Our Precious Cornerstone

Peter quotes three Old Testament scriptures to illustrate the many ways Jesus is our Rock:

1. “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isaiah 28:16). (See 1 Peter 2:6.)
2. “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Psalm 118:22). (See 1 Peter 2:7.)
3. “He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel” (Isaiah 8:14). (See 1 Peter 2:8.)

Peter’s purpose in quoting these scriptures is to bring us to the “living stone,” Jesus Christ, and to help us become “lively stones” who can do His work. Therefore, he emphasizes that even though “the builders,” religious and political leaders of the time, have rejected Him, the Savior is our cornerstone. Others may “stumble” or take offense at the truths He taught, but to us He is “precious.” As a result, we fulfill the promise of Moses, becoming “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9; see also Exodus 19:5-6).

Here is a blog post about the Savior’s role as our cornerstone:

• The Cornerstone

The Spirits in Prison

Joseph F. Smith, who served as president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1901 to 1918, puzzled over two brief passages in 1 Peter which mentioned the Savior in the postmortal spirit world:

1. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:18-19).
2. “For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (1 Peter 4:6).

As he pondered these verses, President Smith saw a vision in which he learned more about the Savior’s time in the spirit world between His death and resurrection, and he learned about the work the Savior organized there which still continues today. “From among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:30).

Here is a blog post that explains what we know about the spirit world in more detail: What Happens After We Die?

A New Heaven and a New Earth

Peter warns us in his second epistle that the day is coming when “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise…the earth also…shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Sounds pretty grim! But Peter sees this as a practical message, not a fatalistic one: “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” (2 Peter 3:11). Part of his answer is that we should “[look] for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:12).

What does he mean by that? I think he’s telling us not to get too comfortable in this temporary world. It will be gone soon enough, and we will be in a new place. Will we be ready to live in that place?

The Book of Mormon prophet Ether also spoke of this transformation. “There shall be a new heaven and a new earth,” he taught, “and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away.” And he added, “All things have become new” (Ether 13:9).

If we want to live in a place “wherein dwelleth righteousness,” it stands to reason that we need to become righteous. So Peter’s admonition, “Be ye holy,” takes on an added urgency. We are not merely trying to be good enough to be successful on this earth. We are becoming prepared, with God’s help, to live in a far better world.

See this blog post for more information: “A New Heaven and a New Earth” – Ether 13:9

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