Unit Theme:
Letters from Peter and Jude
The apostle Peter was one of the most vibrant and energetic people in the life of our Lord. The first part of his life—from his birth to the time he met Jesus—we know little about. We do know he was married and his mother-in-law was still living (Mark 1:30). He was a Galilean fisherman who lived in Capernaum and had a brother named Andrew (v. 16).
The second part of his life is given in some detail for us. This is his life following his conversion until the Day of Pentecost. The records are clear in the Gospels and in Acts.
The third period is from the Day of Pentecost to the Jerusalem Council. This is found in Acts 1—15 and Galatians 2. It covered a time frame from about AD 33 to 49.
From the Jerusalem Council to his death, the records are meager. We have only his two epistles and brief references in the remainder of the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 9:5 and John 21:18-19.
Peter’s first letter is addressed to a mixture of Jewish and Gentile Christians in five areas of Asia Minor. It was probably written from Rome in the early to middle part of the decade of the 60s. It is clear that these Christians were beginning to be persecuted for their faith. In light of this, the apostle Peter wrote “a powerful appeal to courage, purity, and faithfulness to Christ amid the sufferings which they are experiencing” (D. Edmond Hiebert, An Introduction to the Non-Pauline Epistles).
April 25, 2021 (Lesson 8)
PEOPLE OF HOPE
1. Sure Salvation (1 Peter 1:1-12)
2. Holy Calling (1 Peter 1:13-21)
3. Incorruptible Seed (1 Peter 1:22—2:3)
May 2, 2021 (Lesson 9)
A HOLY PEOPLE
1. Chosen by God (1 Peter 2:4-10)
2. Sojourners, Pilgrims, and Servants (1 Peter 2:11-17)
3. Submissive and Loving (1 Peter 3:1-9)
May 9, 2021 (Lesson 10)
A STEADFAST PEOPLE
1. Speaking Up (1 Peter 3:13-17; Acts 4:18-20)
2. Suffering in Christ’s Name (1 Peter 4:12-19)
3. Staying Humble and Standing Firm (1 Peter 5:1-11)
May 16, 2021 (Lesson 11)
AN EMPOWERED PEOPLE
1. Divine Power (2 Peter 1:1-9)
2. Divine Calling (2 Peter 1:10-15)
3. Divine Revelation (Matthew 17:1-5; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
May 23, 2021 (Lesson 12)
BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT (Pentecost)
1. Filled With the Spirit (Numbers 11:24-29; Acts 2:1-4, 16-17)
2. Spirit-Filled Living (Acts 2:41-47; Ephesians 5:18-21; Galatians 5:22-25)
3. Spirit-Filled Unity and Service (Acts 4:31-35; 2 Corinthians 3:5-6)
May 30, 2021 (Lesson 13)
A DISCERNING AND PERSEVERING PEOPLE
1. Rejecting False Teaching (2 Peter 2:1-9)
2. Living in Light of Christ’s Return (2 Peter 3:3-13)
3. Contending for the Faith (Jude 1:3-4, 17-23)
