Slides: Who is God (1 Peter)

Who’s who

 • Who is Peter? An apostle of Jesus Christ.

• Who are you? Elect exiles, chosen, set apart, obedient and cleansed

• Who is God? Father, Son, Spirit

Who is God?

…chosen according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood. (1:2)

God the Father

• Chosen according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father (1:3)

• Shielded by God’s power (1:5)

• Father judges fairly (1:17)

• Faithful Creator (4:19)

Who is Jesus?

• Our Lord (Κύριος) Jesus Christ 
(1 Peter 1:3; 2 Peter 1:8, 14; 16)

• The righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1)

• Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:2; 3:18)

Who is Jesus?

• Victor over death (1:3)

• Perfect lamb, precious blood (1:19)

• Bears sins and heals (2:24; 3:18)

• Shepherd of souls (2:25; 5:4)

• Ascended King of angels (3:22)

• Returning to judge & restore (1:7)

Who is Jesus?

Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet… a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal… Not the Son of God. (Dan Brown)

Jesus was not originally considered to be God in any sense at all. (Bart Ehrman)

Who is Jesus?

• Our Lord (Κύριος) Jesus Christ 
(1 Peter 1:3; 2 Peter 1:8, 14; 16)

• The righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1)

• Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:2; 3:18)

Who is Jesus?

• The gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God… “Surely this man was the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1; 15:39).

• In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God.” (John 1:1; 20:28)

Who is Jesus?

He is the image of the invisible God… by him all things were created… And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together… For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. (Colossians 1:15-19)

Who is Jesus?

… God’s Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:2-3)

Father and Son

• God and Father of Jesus Christ (1:3)

• Faith in Christ = faith in God (1:21)

• Acceptable to God through Jesus (2:5)

• God is praised through Jesus (4:11)

• God’s eternal glory in Christ (5:10)

Who is the Spirit?

• Sets apart, makes holy (1:2)

• Gave prophets foresight (1:11)

• Empowers gospel preaching (1:12)

• Made Jesus alive again (3:18)

• Activates spiritual gifts (4:10-11)

• Shines glory on sufferers (4:14)

Who is the Spirit?

• Spirit of God/Christ

• Counselor sent by Father and Son (John 14:16, 26; 15:2; 16:7).

• “You lied to the Holy Spirit… You lied to to God.” (Acts 5:3-4)

• Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.  (Ephesians 4:30)

Father, Son, Spirit

As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:10-11)

Father, Son, Spirit

• Baptism: Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:18)

• Blessing: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Blessed Trinity

1. God forever exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. Each person is fully God.
3. There is one God.  

(Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology)

Athanasius against the world

• Proclaimed the Trinity when much of the world and politicians were Arian

• Mocked as “the black dwarf”

• Exiled 5 times; targeted by assassins

• Listed 27 New Testament books

Cappadocians

• Basil the Great

• Gregory of Nyssa

• Gregory of Nazianzus

• Thought deeply about Trinity and led many back to accurate belief.

• Council of Constantinople 381

Denying Trinity

• Arius: Christ was created, not Creator

• Muslim: Jesus was prophet, not Son

• Mormon: Jesus came from Mary’s union with Elohim’s visible body

• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Archangel Michael became Jesus the human.

• Secularists: Trinity was made up later

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth… And in one Lord Jesus Christ… God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God… And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified.

Who is God?

• Mercy (1:3)

• Power (1:5)

• Grace (1:13)

• Holy (1:16)

• Fair (1:17)

• Good (2:3)

• Light (2:9)

• Shepherd (2:25)

• Patient (3:20)

• Ruler (3:22)

• Faithful (4:19)

• Creator (4:19)

• Caring (5:7)

• Glory (5:10)

Who’s who

• Who is Peter? An apostle of Jesus Christ.

• Who are you? Elect exiles, chosen, set apart, obedient and cleansed

• Who is God? Father, Son, Spirit