1 Peter and the Resurrection: A Case Study

Introduction

1 Peter is an excellent example of the importance of Jesus' resurrection in the scheme of salvation.  1 Peter has been plagued by its position in the canon, its relative brevity and its inevitable association with 2 Peter, but its message is in total agreement with what I term the Gospel Beyond Belief.

The Clarion Call of Resurrection

It does not take Peter long to mention Jesus' resurrection.  Already in verse 1:3 he says:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By his mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

What Jesus' resurrection means is nothing short of "salvation"; this can be seen by what immediately follows.  The Greek preposition that precedes "living hope" also precedes two other analogous phrases:

• to/for a living hope
• to/for an inheritance imperishable and undefiled and unfading
• to/for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last times

I think the thought is clear that Jesus' resurrection makes possible the resurrection of others and it is primarily this resurrection that is salvation.

In verse 1:21 we read:

Through him [Jesus] you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.

Once again "hope" is associated with the resurrection of Jesus because it makes possible the resurrection of others.

Finally, in 3:21, a very revealing passage, we read:

And baptism...now saves  you--not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is clear that the basis of salvation is the resurrection of Jesus.  For Peter, salvation is eternal life with God and this life is based on the resurrection of Jesus.  Peter tells us that the prophets were told of the career of Jesus (1:11): "sufferings and after these glories".  The sufferings [plural] no doubt include Jesus' crucifixion but are not limited to these.  Peter, after quoting Isaiah 53:9,  mentions suffering that goes beyond crucifixion (2:23):

When he was abused he did not return abuse; when he suffered he did not threaten

The glories mentioned in 1:11 no doubt refer to Jesus resurrection and exaltation.

"Atonement" Passages

I now want to look at some passages that have been read to bolster the view that Jesus' death is as an animal-like sacrifice for sin.  The first occurs already in verse 1:2:

[chosen] in the foreknowledge of God the Father and consecrated by the Spirit for obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ.

The reference here is most likely to Exodus 24:3-8.  After the Israelites profess to obey [note the obedience in our present verse] Moses sprinkles them with blood, the blood of the covenant.

Another passage also speaks of Jesus' blood (1:18-19):

You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like a lamb without defect or blemish.

The word "ransomed" is not  a word associated with animal-like sacrifice.  It has to do with the buying back of slaves and its referent is most likely the Exodus.  The same Greek word appears in the LXX of Exodus (6:6; 13:13, 15) and in passages often associated with the second exodus (Isa. 35:9; 51:11; 52:3).  The lamb therefore is the Passover lamb which is not an animal-like sin sacrifice. 

Another "atonement" passage is 2:24:

He [Jesus] himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that free from sins, we might live for righteousness.

This seems not to be about animal-like sacrifice for the simple reason that the sacrificial animal was not to be stained with imperfection (sin).  Rather, the imagery could be the scapegoat of Leviticus 16 or the condemed criminal of Deuteronomy 21:23 (in the LXX of that verse, we have the same words for "body" and "tree" that we find in 1 Peter 2:24).  Similar things can be said about 3:18, where we are told that Christ suffered for sins.  There is no clue about animal-like sacrifice and we are told that though Jesus was put to death in the flesh, he was made alive by the Spirit--a clear reference to his resurrection.  Anyway, the thought in 2:24 is close to Paul and the mention of "to live for righteousness" is a key for the path of salvation in 1 Peter.  This provides a nice segue.

Path to Salvation

Recall that in 1:3 we are told that we are given new birth through the resurrection of Jesus.  This new birth is the path to salvation.  Peter tells us to desire spiritual milk as new-born babes (2:2).  The reason is so that "you may grow into salvation".  Obedience is the key for Peter.  We are to be holy in all conduct (1:15, see Lev. 19:2), live in fear because God judges impartially on works (1:17!), purify our souls by obedience (1:22), live by the will of God (4:2), love one another because love covers a multitude of sins (4:8).  Peter tells us that it is hard for the righteous to be saved (4:18), but the clear implication is that one must be righteous to be saved!

Grace

Grace for Peter is none other than eternal life itself.  He calls it the "Grace of life" (3:7).  Elsewhere, salvation (again = resurrected life) is called a grace (1:10) and grace is something brought when Jesus is revealed, which again refers no doubt to resurrected life (1:13).  So, grace is always in the background for Peter.