Who Was Peter Writing To?

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ²who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:

The Dispersion, or Diaspora, was a scattering of Jews out of the Promised Land and across the Roman Empire.  To be exiled is to be removed from your own land by threat of punishment or destruction.  These exiles were the first people that the apostles reached out to as they traveled beyond the Promised Land.  The Dispersion itself happened in various waves over the history of the Promised Land, going back to the Babylonian exile and before.

We understand the Christian faith to be one that is distinct from Judaism.  That came later in the church’s history.  Understand that the New Testament was written first to the Jewish communities that were inside and outside of the Promised Land.  Jesus did not consider himself to be outside of the Jewish faith, but a progression of the faith that was recorded in what we call the Old Testament.  

Given the audience, there are a certain conclusions that can be drawn for the interpretation of the whole of Peter’s letter.  First, the ‘exiles’ and the apostles have the same religious base, what we call the Old Testament.  So they would share a common theological language and tradition.  That would allow Peter to use some ‘technical shorthand’, words or concepts that can be summed up in a few words.  This does not make the letter inaccessible to us, but it requires Old Testament knowledge and familiarity. 

Second, this is not an evangelizing letter.  What I mean by that is Peter is not writing a letter meant to win new believers.  These exiles of the Dispersion are people with whom he has already had contact.  This letter follows up the instruction and teaching already delivered to them by Peter and whatever ministry team he might have with him.

Thirdly, it requires a certain focus on our part to understand what Peter has written.  This is a personal letter, a pastoral letter, sent from a leader of the church whose area of responsibility includes the regions discussed in the last post.  It is a follow up, most likely of personal visits and contacts, the establishments of Jesus-oriented communities within the larger Jewish communities-not to challenge the Jewish faith, but to continue its natural development as given by God, through Jesus Christ. 

The exiles of the Dispersion are people known to Peter, people Peter has grown in faith with, people Peter cares about as pastor and apostle.  It is an audience we can expect him to be open, honest, blunt, and passionate with.