Citizens of the Kingdom: The Hope of 1 Peter in Troubled Times

1 Peter reveals a profound transformation of the foot-in-mouth man we meet in the Gospels. He declares Jesus as the Messiah, receiving commendation, and in the next moment his ignorance of Jesus’s true mission leads to the devastating rebuke, “Get behind me, Satan!” (see Matthew 16:13-23). He’s quick with the sword at Jesus’s arrest in Gethsemane, but shrinks back and denies him after the inquiry of a servant girl. Further, it seems Peter (like the other disciples) expected Jesus to return Israel to her former glory. Even after the resurrection they ask, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

But with the outpouring of the Spirit and the gospel spreading to the Gentiles, something shifted in Peter. He is no longer focused on the overthrow of Rome and reestablishing the Davidic monarchy. He is aware that we are strangers in this world and citizens of a different Kingdom. This perspective radically shapes his view of government, work life, and relationships in the home. It affects how he relates to his neighbors and the ordering of his private life. In short, a deeper understanding of Jesus risen, ascended, ruling the universe, and the empowering by his Spirit impacts every facet of life in the here and now!