In verse 4 Peter goes on to say, “Unto an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, kept in the heavens for you.” The major point in this verse concerns the inheritance. Three subpoints related to the inheritance were also included here. The inheritance is incorruptible in essence, undefiled in condition, and unfading in expression. I believe that this description of our inheritance implies the Trinity. “Incorruptible” refers to the Father’s nature; “undefiled,” to the sanctifying work of the Spirit that keeps the condition clean and pure; and “unfading,” to Christ as the expression of God’s glory which never fades. Two other points related to this inheritance are that it is kept in the heavens and that it is for us. Therefore, in this verse we have one major point with five subpoints. None of these points is either Jewish or Greek. In other words, nothing in this verse is either religious or philosophical. Everything here is according to the divine revelation.
Verse 5 says, “Who are being guarded by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time.” Here Peter tells the believers that they are being guarded, garrisoned, by the power of God. They are not guarded by religious rituals or philosophical reasonings, but are guarded by the power of God through faith. Once again, this is not common language; it is not an ordinary way of speaking. Rather, this is something extraordinary. The first point in this verse concerns being guarded; the second is the power of God; the third is “through faith”; the fourth is “unto salvation”; and the fifth is “ready to be revealed at the last time.” Again we see that in a single verse Peter covers many points.
In verse 6 Peter continues, “In which you exult, though for a little while at present, if it must be, you have been made sorrowful by various trials.” The word “exult” is stronger than the word “rejoice.” To rejoice is to be joyful in an audible way; to exult is to rejoice with a full and complete release. When we exult, we are beside ourselves with rejoicing. In addition to exulting, Peter speaks here of being made sorrowful for a little while, if it must be, by various trials.
In verse 7 Peter goes on to say, “That the proving of your faith, much more precious than of gold which perishes and is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ.” This verse does not speak concerning the preciousness of our faith; it talks about the preciousness of the proving of our faith. In 2 Peter 1 precious faith is mentioned. What is precious in this verse, however, is not the faith itself; it is the proving of our faith that is more precious than the proving of gold. Peter’s desire is that this proving would be found unto praise, glory, and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ. The proving tests out our faith. At the judgment seat of the Lord, this proving may be found unto praise, glory, and honor. Peter concludes this verse by referring to the unveiling of Jesus Christ. Here he does not use the words “manifestation” or “revelation.” He deliberately selects the word “unveiling.”
Verse 8 says, “Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, not seeing at present yet believing, you exult with unspeakable and glorified joy.” The relative pronoun “whom” refers to Jesus Christ. Although we have never seen the Lord Jesus, we love Him. At present we cannot see Him, yet we believe in Him. Furthermore, according to this verse, we exult with unspeakable and glorified joy. This is a joy that it is beyond our ability to utter. Things that are wonderful are also unspeakable. In this verse Peter uses a special expression— “glorified joy.” Glorified joy is joy immersed in the expression of God.
In verse 9 Peter says, “Obtaining the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Here Peter indicates that the end of our faith, the consummation of the process of our faith, will be the salvation of our souls.
Verses 10 and 11 say, “Concerning which salvation the prophets, who prophesied concerning the grace unto you, sought out and searched out, searching into what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in them made clear, witnessing beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories after these.” Here Peter says that the prophets prophesied of the grace that is unto us, that they sought out and searched out, and that they witnessed beforehand the sufferings of Christ and His glories. Peter seems to leap from one point to another. In verse 12 he concludes this section by saying, “To whom it was revealed that not to themselves, but to you they ministered these things, which have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven; which things angels long to look into.”
The writing of these verses is not according to religious or philosophical knowledge. These verses were written according to Peter’s spiritual experiences. For this reason, Peter’s composition is not common, not ordinary. This should strengthen our belief in God. If there were no God, how could such words be written? These words testify not only that there is a God, but also that there must be One, the Son of God, whose name is Jesus Christ. Furthermore, there must be One who is called the Holy Spirit. This Triune God has surely worked in Peter, the writer of these verses. Therefore, Peter had experience of the Triune God.
The source and the ground of Peter’s writing are not religion or philosophy. The source and ground of Peter’s writing are the experiences of the Triune God operating in him. Peter gathered together much of his experience and put the various points of his experience into writing. Peter did not care for literary style; he cared only for the genuine points of his experience of the Triune God.
Although I am short of utterance in speaking about this, I hope that this brief word will help you understand that 1:3-12 is indeed the divine revelation. This revelation is different from anything religious or philosophical. It is altogether divine. But although it is divine, it is something experienced by a human being through the Trinity of the Godhead. Therefore, Peter’s well-speaking of our Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—came from his own experience.
As Peter was writing his first Epistle, he was surely inspired by God. No human mind is capable of producing such a work. No philosopher or ethical teacher would write in such a way. No one else in history has written such a thing, and no one today can write such a thing. Who could possibly invent all the terms used by Peter? Who would think up all the different points? The answer is that no one can invent these terms or think up these points. Not one of the Greek philosophers would even imagine them. All these points have their source in the very God Himself.
God not only originated these terms, but He also wrought Himself into a fisherman such as Peter so that, although he was not a learned person, he could write this composition with all its wonderful points. As we read chapter one of 1 Peter, we need to touch Peter’s spirit as it is expressed in his writing. If we do this, we shall see that his writing is not human. Peter’s writing is spiritual and divine. Here we see the divine revelation expressed through humanity.