1 Peter 1:2

Election originates in the eternal will and purpose of God the Father. The foreknowledge (Gr. prognosin; cf. Acts 2:23) of God refers, of course, to what God knows beforehand. God’s foreknowledge has an element of determinism in it because whatever really happens that God knows beforehand exists or takes place because of His sovereign will. Therefore when Peter wrote that God chose according to His foreknowledge he did not mean that God chose the elect because He knew beforehand they would believe the gospel (the Arminian position). God chose them because He determined beforehand that they would believe the gospel (the Calvinist position; cf. Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Peter 5:13). [Note: For further explanation of the Calvinist position, see L. S. Chafer, Systematic Theology, 7:158-60.]

"When applied to God’s knowledge of persons (whether of Jesus or his people), ’foreknowledge’ is more than mere prescience, it involves choice or determination as well (cf. Acts 2:23 -the only other NT use of the noun-and Judges 9:6; also the verb proginoskein, ’know,’ in Romans 8:29; Romans 11:2, as well as 1 Peter 1:20). In this sense God ’knows’ some people and not others, whereas a general prescience would be all inclusive (cf. the particularized use of ’know’ in Amos 3:2; Hosea 5:3; Hosea 12:1 [LXX]; 1 Corinthians 8:3; Galatians 4:9)." [Note: Michaels, pp. 10-11.]

The Holy Spirit accomplished election when He separated the elect and set them aside to a special calling. God’s purpose in election was that we might obey God the Son and that He might sprinkle us with His blood (cf. Ephesians 2:10).

"To ’sprinkle with Christ’s blood’ means to take a person into the realm of influence of Christ’s dying, to align him or her with the One who died. This alignment accomplishes, as the figure expresses graphically, purification and thereby appropriation into a new connection to God." [Note: Goppelt, p. 75. Cf. Bigg, p. 93.]

This is probably an allusion to covenant ratification (cf. Exodus 24:5-8). Jesus’ blood was the ratification of the New Covenant (cf. Matthew 26:27-28; Mark 14:23-24; Luke 22:20) since it was the basis for the forgiveness of sins (as promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34). [Note: Buist M. Fanning, "A Theology of Peter and Jude," in A Biblical Theology of the New Testament, pp. 441-42.]

"Peter’s choice of images confirms the impression that he writes to communities of Gentiles as if they were a strange new kind of Jew." [Note: Michaels, p. 13.]

In this verse Peter referred to all three members of the Trinity.

"The primary import of the three clauses [that begin 1 Peter 1:2] is to open up clearly at the outset of the Epistle the transcendent origin, nature, and purpose of the Church and its life." [Note: Selwyn, p. 119.]

Probably Peter had Old Testament sprinkling of blood in mind when he wrote this verse. There are many Old Testament allusions in this epistle. Sprinkling with blood in Israel resulted in cleansing (Numbers 19:9), bringing the person sprinkled under the terms and blessings of a covenant (Exodus 24:3-8), and induction into the priesthood and kingship. Members of the priesthood enjoyed the privilege of mediating between God and people (Exodus 29:21; Leviticus 8:30). Members of the royal line in Israel enjoyed the privilege of reigning under God. All of these benefits belong to the Christian whom God has figuratively sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ, the final sacrifice for our sins. Obedience is our responsibility, and sprinkling is our privilege. Christ’s blood covers our sins as sinners, cleanses our defilement as unclean people, and consecrates our service as priests and kings.

"The author sees himself and his readers as a community situated in the world in much the same way the Jews are situated, and sharing with the Jews a common past." [Note: Michaels, p. l.]

Peter prayed for God’s fullest outpouring of His favor and help on his readers. They needed this in view of their sufferings, which Peter proceeded to discuss. His readers also needed God’s gift of peace since they were suffering.

"In looking back over Peter’s designation of his readers, one is awed by the sweep and richness of his statement. If one has been prone to think of Peter primarily as an aggressive man of action, he here reveals himself also as a man who had a firm grasp of the great spiritual realities of the faith." [Note: Hiebert, pp. 73-74.]