First let's get something clear about erroneous notions of Paul and his founding a new religion, which he didn't. True, the halakhah of his Judaism switched from the Pharisaic oral law to the Ruach Hakodesh, but his religion was still one of the Judaisms of the time, not a new non-Judaism Gentile religion.

MOSHIACH'S LETTER THROUGH THE SHLIACH SHIMON KEFA TO THE BRIT CHADASHA KEHILLAH (I)

I Shliach Kefa was probably written around C.E. 64 in Rome

(referred to by the "underground" euphemism of "Babylon" in

5:13), near the time when Shliach Kefa was probably martyred in

Nero's pogrom.

According to the generally accepted reconstruction of events,

Shliach Sha'ul would not have been in Rome at this time, not

arriving back for his second imprisonment probably until the next

year or so, when he too, according to reliable tradition, would

be martyred. Mark, the author of Shliach Kefa's Besuras Hageulah

(which bears Mark's name) and Silas, Rav Sha'ul's one-time

fellow emissary of Moshiach's shlichut, are now with Shliach

Kefa.

The occasion which prompts the writing of the letter is the

widespread persecution presaged by the author (see 4:12). Shliach

Kefa is writing, with the capable help of Silas his secretary, to

the believers in the four Roman provinces which occupy the land

known today as modern Turkey. It seems the believers everywhere

were being libelled because they refused to join the pagans in

heathen debauchery( 4:4). Shliach Kefa warns those in attendance

in the various Messianic congregations to make sure these pagan

libels are groundless and therefore that their suffering will

prove they have broken with the domination of sin (4:1), and

having fought that good fight, are worthy of the good pleasure

of G-d.

One of the obscure teachings in this letter is found in 3:19.

Since there is no second chance to repent after death but only

judgment to face, 3:19 should be correctly interpreted so that it

does not contradict Heb. 9:27. It is likely that the "spirits in

prison" are all those to whom the Word (once dead but now alive)

was preached even at the time of Noah and are now in death's

prison. The water of Noah's flood is a type of Moshiach's tevilah

and salvation coming by means of the Techiyas HaMesim of Yehoshua

the Moshiach and the victory of his ascension to manifest

authority over all spirits everywhere. Ch. 4:6, on the other

hand, probably refers to those who heard the word and afterwards

died in the L-rd, so that, even though they have been judged in

the flesh (they did die), they are alive in the spirit in the

L-rd. Ch. 3:19 is a passage referred to in the Apostle's Creed,

which states that Moshiach Yehoshua descended into hell, so that

the Besuras Hageulah has already been preached among the dead as

well as the living. There is, however, no idea of a second chance

after death involved in this teaching about the Besuras Hageulah;

only the teaching of its sovereign ubiquity.

Notice, the text says that for those who are truly raised in

their spirits by faith in the Techiyas HaMesim of Moshiach

Yehoshua, their tevilah is their "answer" of teshuva to G-d's

Besuras Hageulah and it brings with it a good conscience. In I

Timothy Shliach Sha'ul spends a great deal of time emphasizing

the need to keep a good conscience (1:5,19; 3:9; 4:2). This

entails a transparent life before G-d and the brethren. However,

here in 3:19 Shliach Kefa also says that a good conscience is

given as a pledge to those who in faith obey the L-rd in

Moshiach's tevilah.

Believers need to read I Shliach Kefa often enough to remind

themselves of who they are: "elect strangers" and "aliens" in the

world (1:1; 2:11) as well as a "chosen race" (2:9), a "royal

kohenhood" (which infers the ministry to which all believers are

called, laity and clergy alike), a "consecrated nation or people"

set apart for G-d. Does this mean thet only professional

outreach ministers are to look for opportunities to proclaim the

excellencies of our L-rd the Moshiach and that witness is not the

duty of all believers? See 2:9-10.

By applying Tanakh names generally reserved for Israel to Brit

Chadasha Scriptures believers, Shliach Kefa imparts a sense of

identity in continuity with the covenanted people of G-d of old,

and, more than that, a sense of destiny which every child and

every adult needs in order to have courage and perseverance in a

dangerous world, a world where ridicule and slander can lead to

the loss of everything and even martyrdom without warning. The

parent who spends time imparting to the child this sense of

identity and destiny in the L-rd will be repaid later on, and,

negatively, so may the parent who neglects this duty.

Notice the personal decision of those predestined to destruction

is involved and not a mere secret decision of G-d before time

began. Ch. 2:8 describes this personal decision: "they stumble

because they are disobedient to the word."

On the other hand, 2:11-25 describes a submissive quality of

purity without rancor as characteristic of those who are born

again (1:3). Citizens to government, servants to masters, spouses

to their mates--all manifest this G-dly submissiveness. On the

other hand, G-d alone is to be feared (2:17), Satan is to be

resisted (5:8-9), and Acts 5:29 is an important commentary on I

Shimon Kefa 2:11-3:7.

Though evil men did put Moshiach Yehoshua to death, G-d brought

him to life in the spirit. Those who truly believe that about

Moshiach Yehoshua can believe that about themselves and not fear

their persecution, who are in infinitely more danger than those

they persecute. Shliach Kefa calls all believers to realize that

suffering may befall them (3:17), that it is through suffering

that their faith is tested and found to be real (1:7), and that,

though many false teachers today teach otherwise, suffering to

get the Besuras Hageulah out to a dangerous Besuras

Hageulah-rejecting world is no small part of their vocation as

believers (see 4:12-13), for such tribulation is to be expected

as the lot of a believer (4:12). The Lord's people are not immune

from tribulation and suffering and distress; in fact, it begins

with them (4:17). To face this suffering, our hope is placed in

one thing: read 1:13 to see what it is.

A holy abstinence from former lusts (1:13-16), a fear of G-d

permeating all conduct (1:17-21), and a pure and fervent love of

the brethren from the heart (1:22) are all part of the next

world's counterforce with which the reborn face this world's

sufferings. Notice, in all this that befalls you, both good and

bad, you are protected (1:5). If you really are a believer and in

fact doing the work of witness believers are called to do, you

really will suffer in an increasingly wicked society that will

hate ever more bitterly the Name you stand for (4:14,16,19).

However, the promise of 5:10 should be enough for us.

Shliach Kefa concludes with a word to elders and leaders in the

Lord's house. Money-mindedness is not to characterize the

servant of G-d. We are not climbing some kind of economic ladder

in the Lord's vocation (5:2) and we are not to be overlords of

the flock, pressuring them to obey our dictates (5:3). This last

verse says we are to set examples for them, but the flock must

follow freely. Mutual humility among brethren will shield us all

from the L-rd's opposition (5:5). Look at the wonderful promise

to those who take the harder humble road (5:6). Ch. 5:7 tells you

what the real focus of your prayer life needs to be.

The word zao (to live) is very important in I Shliach Kefa

(1:3,33; 2:4,5,24; 4:5). Shliach Kefa writes like an awe-struck

zoologist observing a wonderful new-born colony of living beings

multiplying all over the world, regenerated to a living hope

(1:3) from the living Word of G-d (1:23), who is the living Stone

(2:4) and who makes us living stones of a spiritual Beis

Hamikdash (2:5) so that we might live to righteousness (2:24)

before the One who will judge the living and the dead (4:5).

Here is a phrase we can preach: (1:3). This idea of being

regenerated by G-d or reborn is repeated in 1:23 and 2:2. This

teaching is also found in Yochanan 3:3. Shliach Sha'ul refers to

the new birth as being saved (Titus 3:5). Ya'akov 1:13 also

refers to this idea. This is a Jewish idea, as it says in the

Babylonian Talmud, Yebamoth 22a, One who has become a proselyte

is like a child newly born.

A key idea for reborn people in I Shliach Kefa is upakoe,

obedience. 1:2 says that G-d's foreknowledge of us results in our

upakoen, obedience (1:2). We are to be tekna upakoes children of

obedience (1:14) not conforming ourselves to the passions of our

former ignorance but instead living holy lives with holy conduct

Anastrofe (1:15,18; 2:12; 3:1) like the Holy One who called us

(1:15). This means we must live in reverent fear (1:17) of our

impartial Judge, purifying our souls by the obedience to the

truth resulting in unhypocritical brotherly love (1:22). This

means that wherever there is lovelessness in the Lord's Body

there is disobedience and hearts that are impure (1:22)!

According to 2:1-2, this obedience is very specific: new-born

babes are obedient children who put away all dolos (deceit,

cunning, treachery, guile), all hupokrisis (hypocrisy, pretense,

outward show), all fthonos (envy, jealousy), and all katalalia

(evil speech, slander, defamation). These things are part of the

darkness out of which we have been called (2:9). To put these

things to death is part of our "acceptable sacrifices" as

obedient kohanim or ministers of G-d (2:5). Disobedient

unbelievers (2:7-8,20; 3:1,20) do not enter the spiritual Beis

Hamikdash we are building but instead stumble over the

Cornerstone we must obey (2:7-8). This obedience is

comprehensive: because of the L-rd, we must submit to

government (2:13). In this we are not slaves of men but free

because we are Theos doulos, G-d's slaves (2:16). However,

submission in the L-rd to employers (2:18) is commendable (2:20),

even if they are harsh, and even if submission to them entails

unjust suffering for us (2:18-19). This is the upogrammos (model,

pattern) the Moshiach gave us to follow. In I Cor. 9:19, Shliach

Sha'ul says, "Though I am free with respect to all men, I made

myself as slave to all men so that I may win more of them." In

Phil. 2:5-13, Shliach Sha'ul exhorts believers to have this same

kind of free and willing "slave" mentality that Moshiach Yehoshua

had. Nietzsche (German philosopher 1844-1900) would

misunderstand this slave morality as herd morality

(Herren-Moral), whereas he glorified Herren-Moral (the morality

of slavemasters). According to I Shimon Kefa 2:25, obedience to

G-d is part of the radical turn-around of repentance. Wives must

be obedient to their husbands (3:1-6) to win over such men who

are disobedient to the Word. Obedience is involved in the clothes

we put on and the way we dress and groom ourselves (3:3) and in

our attitudes (3:4). A by-product of this obedience is lack of

fear of intimidation, which comes from the L-rd (3:6), and having

G-d's "ears open to our prayers (3:7,12). Obedience means

"seeking peace (3:11). Messianic ministry itself is willing

obedience, not under compulsion (5:2) and not by lording it over"

those to whom we minister (5:3).

Submission in G-d's house to spiritual "elders" is commanded also

(5:5). Compare presbuteros in 5:1 and 5:5. Even anxiety and worry

must be submitted to the L-rd (5:7). Satan is the one we cannot

submit to, the devil is the one we must oppose (5:8).

The Second Coming is never far from Shliach Kefa's view. It is

called the emera episkopus the Day of Visitation (2:12). It is

called the apokaluyei Iesou Xristou (1:7) the Revelation of

Moshiach Yehoshua.