Suffering servants and adventist identity in 1 Peter
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19141/1809-2454.kerygma.v19.n1.pe1669Keywords:
Adventist identity, Mission, Suffering, Obedience and electionAbstract
The Epistle of 1 Peter was written to people from a gentile background. Peter underscores that these Christians were elected according to the foreknowledge of God, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and the sprinkling of Jesus’s blood. They are called ‘beloved.’ Their identity has changed to becoming children of God. Their new identity was then accorded with the mission they needed to carry out, and fulfilling this mission would bring them various trials and suffering. Today, there is a tendency to believe that accepting Christ is tantamount to being exempted from suffering. However, 1 Peter presents a contrasting viewpoint. Becoming a member of the church means acknowledging and embracing suffering. The letter presents why Christians would suffer for the sake of the gospel. They would endure suffering because of Christ’s example. Through a careful literary analysis of the letter, the study aims to present how 1 Peter portrays Adventist Identity. Examine how the church needs to carry out the mission from 1 Peter’s perspective. The study also underscores that the suffering church is the triumphant church.
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