A PROMISING FUTURE
Written to believers undergoing trials, hardships, and discouragements, Peter’s letters are moving,
compassionate responses to human need in light of the gospel of Christ. The believers’ persecution is
the predictable result of obeying God’s authority instead of the ungodly political system under which
they live. Their suffering is the means by which their “faith … may be found to result in praise and
glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). Christ is the perfect model of the
righteous Sufferer, who strengthens, encourages, and gives hope to His followers in troubled times.
With Hebrews, James, 1, 2, 3 John, and Jude, Peter’s letters form a subdivision of New Testament
books called General Epistles. Unlike the apostle Paul’s letters, originally directed to individual
churches, the several authors of the General Epistles all address the church at large and emphasize
various points.