Peter begins his first epistle with a brief identification of himself and his audience, showing that it is a general letter addressed to those “chosen” of God but focusing on an audience in Asia Minor (now Turkey, vv 1-2). After those formal introductory pieces, Peter immediately breaks out into a doxology, an offering of praise to God “who rebirthed us into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from out of the dead.” For Peter, this is the gospel, the “good news,” and it is...

In verses 13-16 of this chapter, Peter was exhorting his readers to holy living, telling them to be “alert” and “sober” and not fall back into the destructive patterns of living they knew before they knew Christ. Instead, they are called to live in a way that reflects the nature and character of the God who called them. Such an exhortation could easily be read as an exhortation to perfect performance, a burden or obligation that is now placed on followers of Christ to be conspicuously...

In this passage from the middle of the second letter we have from Paul to Timothy, Paul is encouraging Timothy to be faithful—unlike the people he mentions in the verses leading up to this text—and to embody that faithfulness in the way he conducts his own ministry. As hearers and readers of the Word, we get to take Paul’s message to Timothy personally, and in so doing, we find instruction and encouragement for what it means to be faithful today. Verses 3:14-3:17 After holding up his own life...