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This paper will briefly show how the subject of suffering is significant in the study of First Peter. Though not all commentators agree, it will be argued that suffering functions as the controlling theme in the book. That is, suffering serves as the main motif around which the contents of the epistle revolve. At the end, some implications of this scrutiny will be given for Christians, especially for the suffering ones. I. Significance of Suffering in First Peter A. Historical Setting In considering the historical background of First Peter, three important questions need to be dealt with: who wrote it, for whom it was written, and when it was written. From the opening verse of the epistle, an undisputed conclusion can be made that the author is the apostle Peter, and that he writes it to “the strangers” (1:1). But who are these “strangers”? There are basically three interpretations. First, some commentators, such as John Calvin, maintain that they are Jewish Christians who, because of persecution, left their native land and lived in another place. Second, others take “strangers” figuratively, applying the term to all Christians (Jews or Gentiles) who are temporarily here on earth but are heavenly citizens. Third, some scholars combine these two views. They contend that Peter writes this letter primarily to the Jewish Christians, and secondarily to the Gentile believers. However, from verse one, we are certain that these “strangers” are those “scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,” which are provinces of Asia Minor or modern Turkey. Since Peter addresses his letter to a large group of people, to determine with specificity the kind of people whom he has in his mind is difficult. Frank Thielman states: “We should not expect, therefore, that Peter will give us a detailed account of the conditions of his audience.” Thus one can safely say that these “strangers” are Christians, possibly mixed Jews and Gentiles, who are living in those five regions. The next inquiry that has to be answered is this: When did Peter write his letter? Answering this question is vital to understanding the condition of these Christians at the time Peter was writing his epistle. The date that is commonly given to this epistle is either before or shortly after the great fire of Rome in A.D. 64. If the latter date is followed, the letter was intended for Christians who suffered under Emperor Nero (54-68 A.D.), who burned the city of Rome (July, A.D. 64). When the citizens of Rome learned from their emperor that the Christians burned the city, they increased persecution against this sect. Taking this position is to suggest that Peter was writing to a group of believers under state persecution. In other words, their persecution was not just social but imperial.
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