Who Wrote Peter And When: Can We Trust The Findings?

Blessed be the God and Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ, which according to

His abundant mercy hath begotten us

again a lively hope by the resurrection

of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an

inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,

and that fadeth not away, reserved

in heaven for you, who are kept by

the power of God through faith unto

salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I Peter 1: 3 -- 5

     Peter addressed to his audience those who were suffering persecution and placed an emphasis upon proper Christian conduct in the face of those anti--- Christian hostilities.  Furthermore, he spoke about the compensatory gift of salvation that they will receive in the completion of these days and the fulfillment on the last day.  There is no question as to who is the author of this book for Peter himself (1:1) identifies who it is who wrote this book.  The phrases in this book are seen to be the same phraseology that can be seen in theaters sermons as recorded in acts and his allusions to the words and sayings and deeds of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels.  We should accept the letter's own claim to have been written by the apostle Peter.

     The date of this letter suggests that Peter wrote this letter around 63 -- 64 A.D.  And shortly before his martyrdom in Rome under Nero about the year 65 A.D. and this letter suggests that Peter wrote this letter not due to the Imperial ban on Christianity as he still speaks of the government as protector (2:13 -- 17; 3:13).  We must remember that the persecution at this time was more local and had yet became an empire -- wide ban so this letter seems to speak more about social ostracism, mob riots, local police action, and the slanderous act fusion thrown against the Christians. Peter more than likely used Silvanus as his amanuensis (5:12).  It is interesting to note  that the name Silvanus in Latin  sounds like the Aramaic"Silas" and probably refers to Silas who is a companion with Paul on his second missionary journey (2 Corinthians 1: 19; 1 Thessalonians 1: 1; 2 Thessalonians 1: 1), and Luke's narrative of the same journey and "Silas" and uses this name nine times in Acts.

     Peter writes from "Babylon" (5:13), but certainly not the city and Mesopotamia, rather in Rome.  Why?  The Mesopotamian Babylon had lost almost all its inhabitants by the beginning of the Christian era, and "Babylon" occurs as a symbolic name for Rome in Revelation (17:4 -- 6, 9, 18) in as much as Rome was the ruling city in the New Testament period. Rome was the world's capital of idolatry a position held by the Mesopotamian Babylon and Rome became the persecutor of the Church furthermore there has never been known to be a Christian church in the ancient city of Babylon.

     I opened this blog with both verses from first Peter and will once again address those verses and tomorrow's blog and felt it important for you to have a background and setting for Peter's writing of this letter to the Christians.  While Peter was writing to the Christians of his day the Holy Spirit inspired him to write this not only for them but for our education and edification.  Therefore, I will begin tomorrow to go verse by verse and address what Peter wrote under inspiration and see how those words apply to us and how some have misused and misinterpreted what Peter wrote. 

    Peter has begun this letter by informing Authentic Christians that they have and are from the Dean by the blood of Jesus Christ and are reserved for the heavenly kingdom on the last day.  So now, prepare yourself to learn what God has instructed Peter to write so that we can enlarge and enjoin in a greater way our relationship with Jesus Christ.

So now, O son of man, I have set thee

      a watchman unto the house of Israel;

therefore thou shalt hear the word and my mouth,

      and warned them from Me.

                             Ezekiel 33:7

You are protected and saved by God 

Richard L. Crumb