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Name - The authenticity and Petrine authorship of the Epistle are abundantly sustained by the
early traditions of the church and by frequent references among the early Christian writers. The
writer calls himself "Peter" (1:1); he exhibits throughout the Epistle personal familiarity with
Christ and His teachings, claiming to have been a "witness of the sufferings of Christ" (5:1).
Theme - Peter addresses this Epistle to "the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1:1), which might appear to refer to Jewish Christians; but he
does not include, as James did, the twelve tribes, and several statements in the contents clearly
indicate that he did not have in mind exclusively, or even primarily, Jewish Christians. What he
meant was that those addressed were Christians dispersed among the heathens, chiefly Gentile
converts.
The date of this Epistle cannot be determined, but it should be noted that it was written after the
churches were well organized under elders (5:1), at a time when various types of persecution
were common in the territory where the churches addressed were located, and during a period
when some were being charged with disloyalty to the state (2:13-17).
Outline - The purpose of this Epistle is clearly set forth in the following simple analysis: I. The
Certainty of the Future Inheritance (1:1-12) II. A Befitting Personal Relation of Christians
toward God and Man (1:13-2:10) III. A Befitting Social and Domestic Life for a Christian
(2:11-3:12) IV. The Befitting Christian Attitude toward Suffering (3:13-4:6) V. The Befitting
Christian Conduct in the Light of Life's End (4:7-19) VI. Befitting Relation between Elders and
the Congregation (5:1-11) VII. Conclusion (5:12-4-14)
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