Within its passages, 1 Peter 4:1-11 holds particular exegetical significance. By offering insights into the challenges encountered by early Christians and providing timeless principles for believers navigating a secular and often hostile world, Peter provides wisdom that reaches far beyond the first century and the churches of Asia Minor. In this first post, we’ll delve into the historical context, helping us cross the boundaries of location, time, and culture.

Location

The letter addresses Christians living in Asia Minor, facing persecution and social ostracization due to their faith. This is an area that had many churches planted by Paul and other Christians, and also had faced difficulty with false teaching and persecution/oppression. 

Asia Minor is located in current-day Turkey (now the Republic of Türkiye). Stretching over a large amount of land, many different people groups occupied this area, which served as a gateway from the East to the West.

Ephesus was the capital port, linking Rome to the eastern part of its Empire. Another important city in the region included Tarsus (Paul’s hometown), which had an academy and had continuous imperial patronage because it was the home of Caesar Augustus’ first tutor, the philosopher Athenodorus Cananites.

Miletus, which had been settled since the time of the Minoans and Myceneans, which had been an important center for science and philosophy, is another important city in the area.

The northern area of Asia Minor was inhabited by Gallic (or Celtic) tribes (the area was sometimes called “Galatia” because ethnic Gauls lived there, but it was not the official Roman province of Galatia). 

In an area with so many different cities, cultures, and histories, it’s not hard to understand why a “new” group might have been viewed with suspicion.

Determining the Author

While the authorship has traditionally been attributed to Peter, Jesus’ apostle, scholars sometimes argue whether Peter actually wrote the letter. Their arguments are usually based on the complex Greek used in the letter, and the fact that Simon Peter was a simple fisherman from Galilee.

However, the letter clearly has an amanuensis (ah-man-yuh-en-sis), a scribe who could have had some editorial privileges. 1 Peter 5:12 identifies the scribe as Silas, one of Paul’s frequent companions and co-workers. It is plausible that Silas could have had quite a bit of editorial “say” in the letter (5:12 reads, “with the help of Silas, whom I regard as a brother, I have written to you briefly”). Identifying the author of the letter is important because it helps us determine the date of the letter. 

The Date of the Letter

If we believe Peter is the author (and I do!), then the letter is likely written sometime in the late 50s, early 60s. This is significant because it helps us understand the level of persecution that the communities Peter is writing to might have been facing.

Widespread official persecution of Christians didn’t occur until later in the first century, and it began in Rome and moved outward. Localized persecution occurred, but it was rarely organized, and was often the result of a specific action (or inaction) taken by the believers. 

Religious Contexts

Those who lived in the Roman Empire were expected to worship the Roman gods, and often had “household” or “national/local” gods to worship as well. Jews and Christians were seen as suspicious because they only worshipped one god and refused to worship any of the other gods.  People outside of the faith saw this as dangerous, because it could displease their gods, bringing destruction upon the whole society. By refusing to partake in religious festivals, sacrifices at the temples, and other state-sponsored religious activities, the Christians were seen as being subversive, anti-social, and even sometimes viewed as atheists!

Living in such a context was challenging, and often discouraging. It’s no wonder many of them were wondering if all this stress and trouble was worth it. This context sheds light on the challenges addressed in 1 Peter 4:1-11, where believers are urged to maintain their commitment to Christ despite opposition. 

Connecting the Dots

The letter reflects Peter’s concern for these beleaguered Christians, urging them to stand firm in the face of adversity.  As we dive deeper into 1 Peter 4:1-11, understanding its historical context illuminates the urgency and relevance of Peter’s exhortations to the persecuted believers of his time. The types of persecution they faced are more similar to the types of persecution believers in the West are likely to face today: social ostracization, name-calling, and other minor types of oppression. This helps us understand how we, too should respond in the face of such hostility.

In the next post, we’ll discover how the literary context of the letter helps us discover themes and theological insights to further our understanding of Peter’s message to these churches – and for us today!