By Jack Wilkie 
As a Christian born and reared in America, I must admit that persecution is a foreign idea to most of us. While we hear of cases of rejection from time to time, I think it’s safe to say that the large majority of Christians in our culture have never truly suffered for the cause of Christ. However, when considering the current trends in our culture, persecution may only be a generation or two away. If faced with the kind of suffering our first century brethren dealt with, how would we respond? Peter’s first epistle serves as a great encouragement for us to keep our eyes on Heaven regardless of the circumstances. 
Background Information 
1 Peter is typically dated at somewhere between 63 and 65 A.D., which places it right in the midst of Nero’s reign. Nero, of course, was famous for persecuting Christians and placing blame on them when something went wrong (like the burning of Rome). Some have cast doubt on Peter’s authorship, saying the written language was too advanced for a fisherman from Galilee. However, the author noted that he was writing “through” Silas (Silvanus), who also worked with Paul on some of his letters. Another charge is that the book should be dated later in the first century after Peter’s death. However, the early church had attested to the authenticity of the epistle and to Peter’s authorship by around 150 A.D. Finally, the letter contains greetings from “she who is in Babylon.” While we don’t have time or space to discuss that issue here, it makes for good study practice. 
Key Themes 
As noted earlier, suffering was a major issue Peter addressed in this writing. In conjunction with this, he discusses the calling Christians have from God to serve. Since we have been called by God and chosen to be His people, we must be prepared to serve Him in any way, even to the point of suffering or death. Why? Because Jesus did the same for us (2:21-24). Since the persecution involved society turning against Christians, Peter spent a significant amount of the book talking about the type of behavior for which the called should be known.  Because suffering was going to happen, he urged his readers to make sure they suffer for doing right so that their persecutors would be put to shame (3:16-17). They were to fervently love one another (1:22) and remain blameless in the face of great suffering (2:12, 20). The end goal of all of this, of course, is eternal life (4:13). 
Key Verses 
1:3-5 is important, in my opinion, because of the promise involved. God’s call offers a promise of protection, but that protection is for eternal life and not necessarily for this world. Before going on to discuss suffering, Peter included this promise to remind the saints to think in eternal terms. 2:11-12 is key because of the call to remain pure as examples among the world. 2:21-24 discusses Jesus’ role as the suffering Savior, giving Him every right to expect the same from us. 3:13-16 and 4:12-13 are important for the reasons discussed above under “Key Themes.” 
Key Words 
As you would expect, suffer occurs repeatedly throughout the five chapters of this epistle. Conduct (or behavior) is also a word that can be found numerous times in 1 Peter. While it is used a little less frequently than the other two, called also can be found in numerous places. One note of suggestion––if you use the New American Standard Bible, I would encourage you to keep another translation nearby when doing key word studies, such as the King James, New King James, or English Standard Version (along with some others) do a better job of translating Greek words into English consistently. 
As we continue the “Digging Deeper” articles into another year, it is my hope and prayer that these will serve as tools for aiding you in your personal Bible study. When we understand the basics of a book and see the big picture, more specific studies like topical studies, verse-by-verse studies, and word studies can be much more effective. When we understand the whole, the individual parts make more sense and become easier to remember. The importance of understanding the Word and using it correctly cannot be overlooked, so let’s always make sure to dig deep!