Peter's letters.
(Note to self: Put yourself in the readers' shoes. Get the geography clear. And the timing. And then ask: what does this mean for us today?)
With what tenderness Peter writes to those Jewish Christians who were scattered across the areas to the north of present day Israel. How glad they must have been to hear his encouraging words. And how Christian congregations today - small and large - can take comfort and guidance from these same letters.
Whether we are in a capital city in Australia, a remote village in Africa, or a mostly non-Christian country like Thailand, we are "united in one band" (Hymn 29 from the Christian Science hymnal). We march under the banner of Christianity.
And, as Christian Scientists, we see the godliness of each one of God's spiritual ideas as children of the one divine Father-Mother.
Today I read First and Second Peter from The Living Bible. Oh, how much easier it is than the King James Version. How enlightening were some of the previously puzzling passages. Here are some that I enjoyed:
I Peter 1: 23 Christ, God's ever-living message to men.
II Peter 1: 19 Christ, the morning star
I Peter 2: 6 As the Scriptures express it, "See, I am sending Christ to be the carefully chosen, precious Cornerstone of my church..."
I Peter 3:1 Wives, fit in with your husband's plans, for then, if they refuse to listen when they talk to you about the Lord, they will be won by your respectful, pure behavior.
1 Peter 3: 7 Husbands, ...Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God's blessings
I Peter 5: 13 The church here in Rome - literally "she who is at Babylon". Babylon was the Christian nickname for Rome!
The more I read this book, the deeper the insights.
Julie Swannell
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