Things into Which Angels Long to Look

1 Peter 1:3-12

Click HERE to read the previous article in this series.

In last month’s series introduction, we looked at Peter’s greeting to persecuted believers in Asia Minor, unpacking the first two verses of chapter one. This month, we will look at the other four sentences of Peter’s introduction in which he retraces the power of God for salvation with layers upon layers of definition, leading up to “therefore” in verse 13 that marks a transition from description to exhortation.

1 Peter 1:3-5 is perhaps the best description of the wonder of salvation anywhere in the Bible: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Peter here continues His theme, proclaiming loudly and clearly that God, three-in-one, is the author and finisher of our faith, “according to His great mercy.” The Greek word here behind “mercy” is eleos, meaning compassion or active pity; it carries the connotation of sparing one from something. The mercy of God is one of his defining attributes, seen throughout the Old and New Testaments. This characteristic is described in Hebrew by the word chêsêd, which is a broader term that covers a broad spectrum of God’s infinite goodness toward His people, translated in some versions (notably the NASB) as “lovingkindness” (a word actually created by Myles Coverdale in 1535 to try to capture a fuller meaning of the Hebrew term). In essence, Peter tells us that God, acting out of His boundless lovingkindness “caused us to be born again.”

Birth is an act of passage—a child passes from the dark, warm womb to a bright new world. In the case of believers, God has brought us out of darkness into His light, “to a living hope” (alive because Christ is alive through His resurrection from the dead), to an inheritance “imperishable and undefiled”, and to God’s protection. Birth is also a very familial process—the child comes into a family; the family is enlarged by his presence—and the words like “inheritance” and “protection” used here strongly show that our salvation is a birth into the family of God, with the full rights and privileges of His children.

The gifts of salvation described here all point to the future. Our “living hope” is fixed on the sure return of Christ—a present effect of future reality. Our inheritance “will not fade away” and is “reserved” for us in heaven—it is not given to us at the point of salvation but kept for us. Our protection is for a salvation “ready to be revealed in the last time”—God does not take us out of the world but leaves us here for a purpose. Peter is reminding believers that God’s promises are true and permanent, even though they are not fully realized in the present.

The next sentence (verses 6-9) shows us why Peter, under the influence of the Spirit, describes salvation in this way. He tells his readers that this is something in which they should “greatly rejoice” even though they were presently being “distressed by various trials.” As discussed in the last article, the believers to whom Peter was writing were being persecuted by the Roman state, the Jews, and possibly also their friends, family, and neighbors—they did not have it easy and may have been often tempted to doubt the truth of salvation, the goodness of God, and His promise of protection. They desperately needed reassurance of these things for encouragement and joy.

Peter goes one step further, telling them that these trials were “necessary (Greek dei, implying that this is something that had to happen—i.e. it was a part of God’s plan for them), so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (v. 7). He tells them that their persecution is refining their faith (which is eternal) like gold (which is temporal) is refined by fire. In persevering to the end, they honor God, who praises and glorifies the faithful in the last day for the sake of His glory, which they proclaimed in the face of persecution.

These persecuted Christians were apparently very strong in their faith (even if tempted to despair by their circumstances), as Peter says that they love Christ despite the fact that they haven’t seen Him, and that they trust in Him (as their living hope) even though they did not have His physical presence. He says that they “greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls” (vv. 8b-9). Their faith in God’s power to save, protect, and preserve them fills them with a joy that trumps all hardships and worldly cares. 

This faith that God has given them (c.f. Eph. 2:8) that results in salvation is not new, but has been part of God’s plan all along. Peter references the Old Testament, telling them that the prophets who wrote about “the grace that would come to you,” that is, God’s mercy for all peoples (such as that described in Isaiah 49:6, and referred to in Matt. 13:17, Acts 13:47, and Heb. 11:13), longed and diligently searched for the revelation of that salvation

These prophets, Peter says, were “seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow” (v. 11). God, through His Spirit, moved faithful men of old (2 Pet. 1:21) to prophesy of the mystery of salvation—they told of the coming Messiah would be both a “suffering servant” but also the triumphant Savior of the world. What they knew in part, believers now can see in full, as we are the fruits of this salvation. Peter reminds his readers that their faith is founded upon God’s plan as revealed in His Word; it is ancient and unshakable.

Furthermore, Peter says in verse 12 that these faithful prophets knew that they wrote about things that they would never see in their earthly lives. “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you.” The great prophets of old were, in a sense, the servants of those who believe in Christ, and we are privileged to be the recipients of what God worked through them.

The Christians who received Peter’s letter did not simply stumble into the good news of salvation preserved in prophecy—the message had to be delivered. Peter says that “these things which now have been announced to you” came “through those who preached the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.” The message of the Gospel was revealed in the coming of Christ, and the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to tell it to the world. For the Gospel to spread, it must be preached (as Paul states in Rom. 10:14-15).

It is important to note that though (as Peter has repeatedly shown in these verses) God alone is at work in our salvation, He relies on the faithful proclamation of the Gospel to bring His truth to those in whom He works to bring to Himself. This truth is reflected in Peter’s reminder that we are left in the world for a time after our salvation (by implication, in order to preach the Gospel), and it sets up the theme of our responsibility in light of our salvation that carries through the rest of the book.

Peter closes the final sentence of his introduction with an interjected summary of everything he has previously described about our salvation: “things into which angels long to look.” This puzzles us, because we know that angels are in the presence of God, and we tend to assume that they are “in on something” that we can’t know until we reach heaven. Peter seems to be saying that the angels, who have not known separation from God, cannot fully grasp the beauty of redemption and reconciliation and are fascinated by the astounding work of God in salvation. Still, Peter’s focus here is not a statement of angelology but a final proclamation of the wonder of salvation for the edification of his readers.

Throughout these 10 verses, Peter reminds us of the sheer wonder of what we have been given by God. Our salvation, he says, flows out of God’s lovingkindness; it is eternal; it is undefiled; it is proved under fire; it is a cause of infinite joy; it is ancient; it was brought by preaching (under the influence of the Holy Spirit); it is something God gives to us especially that not even His angels are partakers of.

This gift of immeasurable worth is not something to be lightly regarded or kept secret—we are to treasure it in our hearts and proclaim it, impart it to others, and make disciples. This is what we were chosen by God (vv. 1-2) to do. If we aren’t stirred to this by Peter’s words, perhaps we do not put the same value on our salvation as he did. As we will see next month, the joy of our salvation is both the motivation and the call for an active, powerful faith.

Justin Lonas is the editor of Disciple Magazine.

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