Expedition 44 is Dr. Will Ryan's Theology Video Site. Dr. Ryan is the Chair of Theology and Biblical Studies for Covenant Theological Seminary.

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1 Peter 2 and Romans 13 have some parallelisms. Yet in 1 Peter there’s no mention of 1) Taxes, 2) Wrath, 3) governing officials being God’s servants, and 4) the discussion of “fear” is in relation to God and not authorities in 1 Peter vs Romans. 
 
The American/Western interpretation of Romans 13 (4 myths) 
From Luther’s justification of the prince killing peasants in a revolt to Hitler and the holocaust to the apartheid in Africa, Romans 13 has been used to justify the “divine right of kings” and the goodness of the government. Recently Jeff Sessions used Rom 13 to justify splitting immigrant families up at the border because the government has the right to because it was ordained by God. 
 
#1- Everyone should “obey” the government 
#2- God chooses government leaders 
#3- God approves of the government’s use of violence (bearing the sword) 
#4- Christians can/should work in government 
 
An Alternative Examination of Romans 13 
The Context of Romans 
A Deuteronomy 32 Worldview 
Submit to Governing Authorities 
Ordained by God 
Bear the sword and avengers of wrath 
Authorities are God’s servants and Ministers of God 
Taxes 
 
3 Options of interpretation 
• Western view 
• Paul is telling everyone to “obey” government 
• God chooses even the leaders 
• God approves of Government’s use of the sword (war and capital punishment) 
• Since this is all approved and God ordained, it is a good thing for even Christians to work in government and military 
• Anti-Imperial view 
• Romans 12 is about the Christian, Romans 13 is about the hardest enemy to love- the state, because it is anti-Kingdom of God (the Greek voice changes between these chapters) 
• God allows the system government to keep peace and justice until Jesus returns, but it is ultimately a rejection of God 
• Christians should not revolt or take revenge but leave that to God, zealotry and patriotism go against the Romans 12/Sermon on the Mount way of life. This leads to the fact that Christians should not work in Government. “The sword” is about local civil justice (policing) 
• Evil nations were used for God’s purposes in the OT and this explains the “servants” and “ministers” of God verses. It doesn’t mean that God approved of them. God uses Assyria to punish Israel but then God condemned them for the excessive violence. 
• Need to keep “Wrath” in its context in Romans (God handing people over to the consequences of that they chose). 
• Taxes are given but not owed- Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and God what is God’s. The only debt owed is love (Rom 13:8). 
• Neighborhood view 
• Based on historical findings and the literary context of the weak and the strong, it seems like Paul is talking about interpersonal relationships in the local neighborhood. 
• Rome was divided up into neighborhoods with an “authority” appointed (like an HOA manager). The authorities were in charge of keeping order. These people were not necessarily “government officials” but they did manage the neighborhood for Caesar and the state. 
• Christians may have been tempted to not pay the “dues” (not a tax) due to how the money might be used (upkeep of altars, pagan festivals, etc). Paul’s concern is that they should still pay them but what is “owed” is love alone. 
• This fits with the context of Romans 12 which is all about how to live and love as a living sacrifice. 
• Similar to 1 Peter 2 this behavior may lead to the winning over of their pagan neighbors. 
 
 
• #2 and #3 can exist together as a micro and macro view of authorities (local authorities and Empire). The Christians response is not that they are good but that they are fallen and pagan. Christians are called to be a light in them but never called to take on the 4 myths we see in the western view of Rom 13. 
• When using a Biblical Framework of the D32 worldview and still see that the Powers have power in the systems of this world we need to be careful to not get entangled. We belong to another kingdom not of this world. This is why the mindset of exile is so important rather than American citizenship. America was never and can never be a “Christian nation”, the Kingdom of God alone is and all nations will come to nothing as Paul says and be put under Christ’s feet. 
• The way we “fight back” is not like the world. 
• In Romans Paul identifies the Christians response in Chapter 12 with loving neighbors, blessing those who persecute us, not returning evil for evil or acting in violence and wrath. But leaving vengeance to God. 
• In 1 Peter we see the way of the suffering servant as the way of the Christian life 
• In Revelation we see the call to be faithful witnesses to the point of death but taking on the way of the lamb (again like the suffering servant and the sermon on the mount) 
• All of these point to the opposite conclusions of the western interpretations of these texts, which ultimately lead to worldly entangled behavior- Christians looking more like Caesar than Christ.

1 Peter 2 and Romans 13 have some parallelisms. Yet in 1 Peter there’s no mention of 1) Taxes, 2) Wrath, 3) governing officials being God’s servants, and 4) the discussion of “fear” is in relation to God and not authorities in 1 Peter vs Romans.

The American/Western interpretation of Romans 13 (4 myths)
From Luther’s justification of the prince killing peasants in a revolt to Hitler and the holocaust to the apartheid in Africa, Romans 13 has been used to justify the “divine right of kings” and the goodness of the government. Recently Jeff Sessions used Rom 13 to justify splitting immigrant families up at the border because the government has the right to because it was ordained by God. 

#1- Everyone should “obey” the government
#2- God chooses government leaders
#3- God approves of the government’s use of violence (bearing the sword)
#4- Christians can/should work in government

An Alternative Examination of Romans 13
The Context of Romans
A Deuteronomy 32 Worldview
Submit to Governi

Expedition 44 1 Peter 2 & Romans 13 (Matt Mouzakis Dissertation Proposal Film)

1 Peter Overview 
 
Background 
• Location: Asia Minor 
• Author: Peter 
• Audience: Mixed- Primary Gentile Christians 
• Occasion: Persecution- probably based on leaving ancestorial faith which would make them seem unpatriotic to Caesar and the gods and this would bring hostility. 
 
1 Peter 1:1-12 Themes 
• Chosen Exiles 
• Protected by faith for a FUTURE salvation 
• Testing brings mature faith (gold) 
• Born again- Introduction of family language (God as father, Kinship, household of God, brothers and sisters, etc.) 
 
1 Peter 1:13-2:10 Themes 
• 1:13-16 thesis statement (Gird up the mind, obedient children, Be holy) 
• Blood of Jesus marks them out as covenant people (like in the exodus) 
• Peter’s rock/stone analogies- Jesus is the cornerstone and we are stones built up in him as a temple 
• Also like Israel the church is a holy nation, royal priesthood, and a special possession, and called people. 
• Because of this they are called to represent God well amongst the pagans. This is done through behavior that looks like Jesus (Christoformity). 
 
1 Peter 2:11-3:7 Themes 
• Peter gives 3 examples of how to live this out in fallen social structures (under Rulers, Slaves/Masters, Patriarchal household codes) 
• In each they are to submit (not obey) for the Lord’s sake in order to win over their oppressors to Christ. 
• Honor and respect are given to all. 
• Christ was the example to follow. We walk in the way of the IS 53 suffering servant who while suffering did not revile or seek revenge but loved and entrusted himself to God. 
• Peter ends this section with a contrast to the Household code ways saying that believing husbands should live in understanding and unity with their wife, elevating here as the socially weaker person. 
 
1 Peter 3:8-4:11 Themes 
• Peter echoes the Sermon on the mount here as the model for behavior rooted in Christ 
• Peter also says believers should not only behave as Christ but be able to provide an answer for the hope within them 
• When you suffer for what it right it shows participation in Christ 
• Peter gives the analogy of baptism connecting it to Spiritual warfare and making a declaration to the Powers. Baptism identifies you with Jesus and his Kingdom. 
• Peter uses Noah as another example who was saved through the waters 
• Peter indicates that your baptismal identity requires allegiance and a new way of life and this transformation may result in persecution due to your new allegiance. 
 
1 Peter 4:12-5:14 
• Since Christ suffered at the hands of evil men, the world and the Powers believers should also expect that. When you suffer you do it for bearing Christ’s name (a Christian). 
• Peter addresses Elders and Shepherds to be examples in humility and not lord over authority as the gentiles do. They are to serve like Jesus the chief shepherd. 
• The people are allotted to these Elders and Shepherds they are not their possessions. 
• Young men are called to respect and submit to the elders and the example they set- likely to persevere in suffering. 
• There is not hierarchy but mutual submission in the church 
• There is a call to be alert and resist the Devil through faith/allegiance to Christ 
• Peter ends with greetings of peace from “Babylon” (Rome)- exile theme bookends the letter. 
 
Conclusions 
• Christoformity is the major theme of the letter. In mind and in behavior. 
• Christians should have the mindset of exile within the kingdoms of the world 
• Family identity permeates the letter. God is father and Jesus is our brother and example. The ethos of the family dictates what is honorable and not what society does. We bear God’s name. 
• Suffering is not something we should look for, but it is something we should be willing to do for Christ. It shows our participation in Christ and trials form our faith. Christ suffered at the hands of the world and his followers likely will too. 
• Upside-down kingdom identity- Peter uses many phrases that are derogatory in the culture to describe Christians as honorable 
o Elect/beloved exile- Basically loved or chosen homeless person 
o Christian- Identifying with someone crucified as your leader 
o Spirit of humility- having the mind of a slave 
 
Peter offers hope to persecuted Christians and guides them with practical instruction on following Jesus. 
1 Peter emphasizes the role of the disciples as chosen by God to share his Gospel. Because of this, their persecution can actually be seen as a gift because it offers them a chance to show others the surprising generosity and love of Jesus, which is fueled by hope in his return and victory over evil. Peter is hopeful that their imitation of Jesus and demonstration of his upside-down Kingdom will give power to their words as they bear witness to God's mercy and show people the beautiful truth about Jesus.

1 Peter Overview

Background
• Location: Asia Minor
• Author: Peter
• Audience: Mixed- Primary Gentile Christians
• Occasion: Persecution- probably based on leaving ancestorial faith which would make them seem unpatriotic to Caesar and the gods and this would bring hostility. 

1 Peter 1:1-12 Themes
• Chosen Exiles
• Protected by faith for a FUTURE salvation
• Testing brings mature faith (gold)
• Born again- Introduction of family language (God as father, Kinship, household of God, brothers and sisters, etc.)

1 Peter 1:13-2:10 Themes
• 1:13-16 thesis statement (Gird up the mind, obedient children, Be holy)
• Blood of Jesus marks them out as covenant people (like in the exodus)
• Peter’s rock/stone analogies- Jesus is the cornerstone and we are stones built up in him as a temple
• Also like Israel the church is a holy nation, royal priesthood, and a special possession, and called people.
• Because of this they are called to represent God well amongst the pagans. This is done through be

1 Peter Series Overview Expedition 44 Biblical Theology with Dr. Will Ryan and Matt Mouzakis

1 Peter (part 6): 4:12-5:14 
 
Topics in 1 Peter 4:12-19 
Fiery Ordeal 
• Christians should not see suffering as strange because of the backwards way of their kingdom 
Suffer for the Name 
o Christians should not be surprised at their suffering since they are in participation with Christ who suffered at the hands of the world. 
o Reproaches should be seen as a test of allegiance 
o Suffering is bearing witness for Christ and a cause to rejoice 
o Suffering looks like shame to the world, but it is actually glory 
o Those who suffer innocently can with confidence put themselves in God’s hands who will make all things right 
Judgement in the Household of God 
• Judgement beginning in the household of the Lord is an OT concept (Ez 9:6, Amos 3:2, Mal 3:1-5). 
• Judgement does not necessarily equal punishment for the believers. It is connected to the testing/fiery ordeal 
 Topics in 1 Peter 5:1-7 
Witness 
• The early followers of Jesus weren’t just ordinary witnesses who could be called upon to give their testimony in a court setting. By bearing witness or sharing their experience with the risen Jesus, they ran the risk of persecution and even death. What’s interesting is that the Greek word for witness, μάρτυς (mártus) began over time to carry the connotation of martyr—someone who is willing to suffer or even die for bearing witness to King Jesus. In the New Testament, we begin to see this association with witnesses and martyrdom. 
 Elders, Shepherds, Flocks 
• Considering the sufferings of Christ Peter exhorts church leaders in their responsibility towards God’s flock. They are not merely caretakers for a time, but they are to equip the church to persevere. 
 Young, Old, and Humility 
o The Greek word for humility here was a derogatory word meaning “the mindset of a slave/servant”. But for the Christians this was the way of Christ (Phil 2:1-11= Kenosis). 
Topics in 1 Peter 5:8-14 
The Devil and resistance 
o Peter is seeing the persecution connected to the deceiver the one who is behind the false gods, idols, and empire. 
Stand firm 
• Jesus is the example. He humbled himself in submission to God even to death on the cross. The cross in the world POV looks like a loss, not a victory, but it was actually the greatest victory of all. Christians are called to do likewise. 
 Perfection (in Christ) 
• Perfection is better thought of as wholeness or completeness, not in a strictly moral sense. 
• Peter uses Paul’s favorite phrase for Christianity- “In Christ” 
• This indicates the importance of location. Either in Christ or in the world 
• God in Christ will bring about all the things in this verse, but we must be connected to him through submission, humility, and allegiance. 
 
If you have questions on 1 Peter please email Ryan@expedition44.com or matt@mtzn.com and we’ll try to address them in the series conclusion episode

1 Peter (part 6): 4:12-5:14 Topics in 1 Peter 4:12-19 Fiery Ordeal • Christians should not see suffering as strange because of the ...

1 Peter Series PART 6  4:12-5:14 Expedition 44 Biblical Theology

1 Peter 3:8-4:11 
 
Empire/rulers, Slavery/Masters, Patriarchy/Pagan Husbands. 
Sermon on the mount 
• Tapeinophron Psalm 34 
Earlier Peter uses Psalm 34 (LXX) 
1 Peter 3:13-17 
Suffering for Righteousness 
Be prepared to give an account 
Honor and Shame 
1 Peter 3:18-22 
 
Died for sins 
o Peri/Dia- because of. 
o Huper- For a benefit 
 
Put to death/Made alive in Spirit 
Proclamations to Spirits in prison 
o 1 Enoch12:4-13:2 Baptism 
1 Peter 4:1-6 
The Purpose of Christ 
Separate from the world 
Gospel preached to the dead? 
1 Peter 4:7-11 
 End of all things? 
Love and Hospitality 
Stewards of Grace

1 Peter 3:8-4:11 Empire/rulers, Slavery/Masters, Patriarchy/Pagan Husbands. Sermon on the mount • Tapeinophron Psalm 34 ...

I Peter Series PART 5 1 Peter 3:8-4:11 Expedition 44 Theology Dr. Will Ryan Matt Mouzakis

Aliens and strangers 
Evangelism by behavior/christoformity 
• “Submission 
Authorities and Freedom 
1st Century Slavery 
Treatment 
Suffering 
Favor with God 
Hypogrammos is the word for example here. It has a meaning of discipleship, a pattern to follow. Literally it means to follow in the footsteps. 
Peter’s use of Isaiah 53 
Heb 9:28 uses the same word as 1 Peter 2:24, anaphero (bare/bore) 
Isaiah 53 and Atonement 
Conclusions 
Slaves (and all believers) are to be like Jesus displaying an attitude in suffering that does not fight back, knowing that through their suffering they may bring healing to the ones causing the suffering. And when one suffers unjustly, we know that God is a just judge who will do righteousness because he is the protector of our souls. 
 
1 Peter 3:1-6- Believing wives and unbelieving husbands 
 
Unbelieving husbands and submission 
 
Adornment 
Abraham and Sarah 
Conclusion 
o A major take away is that all 3 of these examples (empire, slaves, and patriarchal household codes) were structures of human making. None of them are ordained by God. Christians might be called to endure this as they lived in these societies, but these structures were never said to be set forth by God in the Bible. 
o The Christian response to all of these structures were to live as witnesses and let the power of the Spirit change those who were in power. If these witnesses won over their governors, masters, husbands then we’d see the transforming power of God take place in the systems. God is not interested in “baptized” versions of these systems though. 
 
 
1 Peter 3:7- Believing husbands and wives 
 
Weaker body, vessel, person 
o Skeuos- does it mean body, vessel, or person? 
 
Fellow Heirs in Grace 
Your Prayers will not be hindered

Aliens and strangers Evangelism by behavior/christoformity • “Submission Authorities and Freedom 1st Century Slavery Treatment ...

I Peter Series Part 4 1 Peter 2:11-3:7 Theology Biblical Studies Dr. Will Ryan and Matt Mouzakis

1 Peter 1:13-2:10 
 
 
Prepare your minds 
Future grace 
Obedient children 
Conformed 
Holiness and Sanctification 
• Watch Bible Project: Holiness 
• The root of holy (hagios) is the same word for saint. But a better term is to be a “holy one” 
Judgement based on works 
• Ransom: Lutron in Greek. Means the price of release or manumission (release from slavery). In its primary usage, the lutron/kōpher referred to neither a sacrifice for sin nor a punishment for transgression, but a price of release or a price of return. 
• Luke uses Lutrosin (from Lutron) to describe the Exodus in Luke 1:68 and 2:38, and the verb form in 24:21, and the compound in 21:28. Luke, Mark, and Matthew all use this word to talk about slaves being set free, specifically in an Exodus motif. 
• This is the ransom atonement theory which is often conflated with substitution. 
• To answer the age-old question- “who was the ransom paid to?” (God, the Devil, Death?) we need to look at the exodus because Peter is connecting this word ransom/redemption to Jesus’ blood. 
Blood and Exodus 
A few things to notice… 
• In this there is no one getting paid off. Not debts are getting collected. The gods are getting their butts kicked and slaves are being set free. 
• The blood represents life as we see in Leviticus. So, the blood/life of the lamb gives life to those in the house. Death does not touch them. 
• The blood has nothing to do with sin or forgiveness in Exodus. It’s about protection in a cosmic battle. It marks out God’s people from God’s enemies. 
 
Jesus as foreknown (Corporate election and participation) 
Last times? 
Obedience and Love 
Born again and seed 
Babies and Milk 
Jesus the living stone & the Church as living stones 
Priesthood and sacrifices 
Stumbling stone and offense at Jesus 
Chosen Race 
Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation, & God’s Possession 
Darkness, Light, and Mercy

1 Peter 1:13-2:10


Prepare your minds
Future grace
Obedient children
Conformed
Holiness and Sanctification
• Watch Bible Project: Holiness
• The root of holy (hagios) is the same word for saint. But a better term is to be a “holy one”
Judgement based on works
• Ransom: Lutron in Greek. Means the price of release or manumission (release from slavery). In its primary usage, the lutron/kōpher referred to neither a sacrifice for sin nor a punishment for transgression, but a price of release or a price of return.
• Luke uses Lutrosin (from Lutron) to describe the Exodus in Luke 1:68 and 2:38, and the verb form in 24:21, and the compound in 21:28. Luke, Mark, and Matthew all use this word to talk about slaves being set free, specifically in an Exodus motif. 
• This is the ransom atonement theory which is often conflated with substitution. 
• To answer the age-old question- “who was the ransom paid to?” (God, the Devil, Death?) we need to look at the exodus because Peter is connecting this w

1 Peter Series PART 3 ! Perter 1:13-2:10 Dr. Will Ryan Matt Mouzakis Expedition 44 Theology

1 Peter 1:1-12 
 
Topics in 1 Peter 1:1-2 
Aliens/Exiles 
Elect/Chosen 
Dispersed/Diaspora 
Foreknown 
Trinitarian action in sanctification 
 
In his introduction Peter exhorts his audience to view themselves as exiles in society, to be defined as set apart for obedience to Jesus and displaying him. 
 
 
Topics in 1 Peter 1:3-12 
Born Again 
Family language in 1 Peter 
Salvation, inheritance, & resurrection 
Faith and testing/trials 
Prophecy 
 
Application and discussion 
We are primarily Gentiles living in a post-Christian nation, though still with less persecution than Peter or his audience, our “suffering” and social pressures may or may not be as intense as the author and audience. We do still face trials and share in the same hope as the author and audience and submit to the same authority of God and the same Spirit inspired texts. 
 
We belong to a new family because of God. We should understand the magnitude of the inheritance. 
 
Jesus is the hope of all ancient and modern eschatological expectations. 
 
Sufferings in the present have a purpose, as they always have. The goal of our sufferings is to give honor, glory, and praise to God. Likewise, sufferings prove to be part of our sanctification: to be formed into the image of Christ. Christ suffered so we should be willing to suffer. 
 
The sweep of human history points us to Christ. The testimony of the Spirit from the Old Testament to the present is Christ-centered, and so should we be Christoform too.

1 Peter 1:1-12

Topics in 1 Peter 1:1-2
Aliens/Exiles
Elect/Chosen
Dispersed/Diaspora
Foreknown
Trinitarian action in sanctification

In his introduction Peter exhorts his audience to view themselves as exiles in society, to be defined as set apart for obedience to Jesus and displaying him. 


Topics in 1 Peter 1:3-12
Born Again
Family language in 1 Peter
Salvation, inheritance, & resurrection
Faith and testing/trials
Prophecy

Application and discussion
We are primarily Gentiles living in a post-Christian nation, though still with less persecution than Peter or his audience, our “suffering” and social pressures may or may not be as intense as the author and audience. We do still face trials and share in the same hope as the author and audience and submit to the same authority of God and the same Spirit inspired texts.
 
We belong to a new family because of God. We should understand the magnitude of the inheritance.
  
Jesus is the hope of all ancient and modern eschatological expectat

1Peter Series Part 2 Verses 1-12 Expedition 44 Biblical Theology

Dr. Will Ryan and Pastor Matt Mouzakis 
Peter: Background and Intro 
 
Significance of 1 Peter 
 
The life of Jesus and the believer’s life are inseparable in Peter’s thought. 
 
First Peter encourages a transformed understanding of Christian self-identity that redefines how one is to live as a Christian in a world that is hostile to the basic principles of the gospel. 
 
First Peter challenges Christians to reexamine our acceptance of society’s norms and to be willing to suffer the alienation of being a visiting foreigner in our own culture wherever its values conflict with those of Christ. 
 
The new birth that gives Christians a new identity and a new citizenship in the kingdom of God makes us, in whatever culture we happen to live, visiting foreigners and resident aliens there. 
 
Date and Authorship 
The weightiest evidence that 1 Peter is a pseudonymous work has rested on 3 points: 
(1) the Greek of the epistle is just too good for a Galilean fisherman-turned-apostle to have written. 
(2) the book’s content suggests a situation both in church structure and in social hostility that reflects a time decades later than Peter’s lifetime. 
(3) Christianity could not have reached these remote areas of Asia Minor and become a target for persecution until a decade or more after Peter had died, at the earliest. 
 
Other considerations 
Babylon in 1 Peter 
Rural conversions 
Early Pseudepigraphal views 
Allusions to Jesus’ teachings 
 
Date- Arguments for a 64-ish AD date 
 
• Peter could have easily traveled to and from Rome to Jerusalem and elsewhere after release in Jerusalem to his martyrdom. 
• Paul and Peter may have overlapped areas, but not necessarily communities. 
• Persecution in region fits Nero's early reign. 
• Letter’s destination fits early colonies in Asia Minor 
 
Conclusions 
Because the evidence used against Petrine authorship is not conclusive and because of further evidence that points the letter to the lifetime of Peter, many other prominent interpreters believe that an amanuensis wrote under Peter’s personal direction. 
 
Audience 
Peter describes his audience as “aliens” and “strangers in the world,” foreigners in this sense: their commitments to the lordship of Jesus Christ have led to transformed attitudes and behaviors that place them on the fringes of their communities. 
 
Arguments for a Jewish Audience 
• The letter contains direct quotations from the OT (e.g., 1:24*; 2:6*; 3:10–12*) and abounds in allusions to it, in phrases (e.g., 1:16*; 2:3*, 7*, 8*, 9–10*, 22*, 24*; 3:14*; 4:18*; 5:5*), characters (Sarah and Abraham, 3:6*; Noah, 3:20*), and in references that evoke Jewish history (e.g., dispersion, 1:1*; exiles and aliens, 2:11*; Babylon, 5:13*). 
• Absence in the letter of any reference to tension with Christians of Jewish origin, as one regularly finds in Acts and the Pauline epistles, for example, could also argue for a Jewish origin of the readers. 
• Those who take a Jewish audience at times do so out of dispensational eschatology and “replacement theology” concerns putting a distinction between the church and Israel. 
 
Arguments for a Gentile Audience 
• References to the unholy state of their pre-conversion life (e.g., 1:14*, 18*; 2:10*, 25*; 4:3–4*; cf. 3:6*) 
• On the basis of 1:18, most modern commentators disagree that the audience was primarily Jewish Christian; that verse refers to the “the useless way of life you inherited from your ancestors” This understanding is reinforced by the further description in 4:3, “For the time past was [more than] enough to do what the Gentiles like to do, as you went along with acts of abandon, lust, drunkenness, revelry, carousing, and licentious idolatries.” 
 
Conclusions 
The metaphors of exile can be attributed to both Jews and Gentiles. Jews in the classical definition of being in exile (out of the promise land) and gentiles in the sense of being in exile in their homeland (παρεπίδημος= resident alien) based on their citizenship in God’s kingdom. Regardless of whether the audience is primarily Jewish or Gentile it should be seen as written to the church, which is defined as Jew and gentile in the NT. Peter encourages these churches with phrases connected with God’s chosen people in the OT such as a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, God’s possession, and people of God. 
 
Occasion 
• The current situation from the text implies that there are doubts and confusion in these churches about God's work and presence in their lives, causing some to doubt or waver and abandon the faith to old ways. 
• Strengthen and teach the churches of the true grace from God through Jesus Christ and his life, death, and resurrection. 
• Teach how to live as citizens in God's kingdom as his family, while being foreigners and resident aliens in the interim. 
• To encourage or command certain courses of behavior and action in resistance to societal pressures, persecution, and scorn.

Dr. Will Ryan and Pastor Matt Mouzakis
Peter: Background and Intro

Significance of 1 Peter

The life of Jesus and the believer’s life are inseparable in Peter’s thought. 

First Peter encourages a transformed understanding of Christian self-identity that redefines how one is to live as a Christian in a world that is hostile to the basic principles of the gospel.

First Peter challenges Christians to reexamine our acceptance of society’s norms and to be willing to suffer the alienation of being a visiting foreigner in our own culture wherever its values conflict with those of Christ.

The new birth that gives Christians a new identity and a new citizenship in the kingdom of God makes us, in whatever culture we happen to live, visiting foreigners and resident aliens there.

Date and Authorship
The weightiest evidence that 1 Peter is a pseudonymous work has rested on 3 points: 
(1) the Greek of the epistle is just too good for a Galilean fisherman-turned-apostle to have written. 
(2) the

SERIES ON 1 PETER: PART 1 INTRO  Expedition 44 Exegetical study Theology

Doc Ryan with Expedition 44 
Christian “Perfection” 
 
What in world does God want? 
 
We get 2 ditches: Legalism (Keep every law and be perfect) and Libertinism (Jesus paid it all so I do nothing). Both are wrong. 
 
 
Walk before me and be perfect (Gen 17:1) 
Be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect (Matt 5:48) 
 
Tamim 
Shalem 
Righteousness 
Jesus and perfection 
 
Fulfilling the Law 
 
• The Hebrew and Greek terms we’ve looked at denote someone who is whole, intact, mature, and wholehearted. In no instance do they denote what our English word perfect communicates: flawless, without error. 
• To Torah called for Israel’s faithfulness to God, for whole heartedness in relation to God and his ways, and for loving-kindness/mercy that reflected God’s character. This is expressed in the idea of tamim, shalem, and telios. 
• What does God require? 12 And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? (Deut 10:12-13) 
 
Tamim/Telios is to be of a God Centered, allegiant, loyal life and of God like impossible perfection. It is about the trajectory of your life- the consistent path.

Doc Ryan with Expedition 44
Christian “Perfection”

What in world does God want? 

We get 2 ditches: Legalism (Keep every law and be perfect) and Libertinism (Jesus paid it all so I do nothing). Both are wrong.  


Walk before me and be perfect (Gen 17:1)
Be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect (Matt 5:48)

Tamim
Shalem
Righteousness
Jesus and perfection

Fulfilling the Law

• The Hebrew and Greek terms we’ve looked at denote someone who is whole, intact, mature, and wholehearted. In no instance do they denote what our English word perfect communicates: flawless, without error. 
• To Torah called for Israel’s faithfulness to God, for whole heartedness in relation to God and his ways, and for loving-kindness/mercy that reflected God’s character. This is expressed in the idea of tamim, shalem, and telios. 
• What does God require? 12 And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD yo

Christian or Biblical Perfection Expedition 44 Word study with Dr. Ryan and Matt

Christoformity Week 1: 
Portraits of Christ 
Christoformity 
 
Image of God/Image of Christ 
Read Genesis 1:27-28 
Read Romans 1:22-23, 3:23, 8:18, 8:29-30 
 
Bearing the Name/Faithfulness of Christ 
Like the Image of God, Israel was called to bear God’s name. 
Read Exodus 20:1-7 
• The first 2 commandments are 1) no other gods/no images. This was because Israel was to worship 
The Example (Phil 2:1-11)/Kenosis 
Read Phil 2:1-11 
 
Portraits of Christ week 2 
The Kingdom of God and the Gospel 
 
5 elements of the Kingdom 
 
Kingdom as both present and future 
Present: Mark 1:14-15, Luke 17:20-21, Acts 8:12, 19:8, 20:25, 28:23, 28:31 
Future: Mark 14:25, Luke 19:11 
 
The Gospel 
• Gospel mean good news. It was usually a royal announcement in the ancient world 
o Priene inscription 
o Royal announcements of Caesar 
 
Portraits of Christ 
Week 3: The Way of the Exile 
 
 
Nationalism is an “idol” 
 
Mark of the Beast 
Live as Exiles 
 
Romans 12:2- Be transformed by the renewing of our minds… We don’t think in the ways of this world. We have the minds of the King and the Kingdom, with his rule in focus.

Christoformity Week 1: 
Portraits of Christ
Christoformity

Image of God/Image of Christ
Read Genesis 1:27-28
Read Romans 1:22-23, 3:23, 8:18, 8:29-30

Bearing the Name/Faithfulness of Christ 
Like the Image of God, Israel was called to bear God’s name. 
Read Exodus 20:1-7
• The first 2 commandments are 1) no other gods/no images. This was because Israel was to worship 
The Example (Phil 2:1-11)/Kenosis
Read Phil 2:1-11

Portraits of Christ week 2
The Kingdom of God and the Gospel

5 elements of the Kingdom

Kingdom as both present and future
Present: Mark 1:14-15, Luke 17:20-21, Acts 8:12, 19:8, 20:25, 28:23, 28:31
Future: Mark 14:25, Luke 19:11 

The Gospel
• Gospel mean good news. It was usually a royal announcement in the ancient world
o Priene inscription
o Royal announcements of Caesar 

Portraits of Christ
Week 3: The Way of the Exile


Nationalism is an “idol”

Mark of the Beast
Live as Exiles

Romans 12:2- Be transformed by the renewing of our minds… We don’t think in the ways

Citizens of the Kingdom (Part 7): SERIES RECAP with Pastor Matt & Dr. Ryan

The importance of land begins early in the biblical narrative in Eden. This is where heaven and earth overlap. Where God dwells and walks with his priests in the garden which is sacred space. Sacred space is the place were God and humanity dwell together. 
 
 With Israel the promise land, the land of Israel, was sacred space. God’s temple was there, and he dwelt with his people. The temple was the new place where heaven and earth overlapped. Israel was exiled for polluting the land with their false worship and God’s presence left. 
In Jewish thought the land is essential to their eschatology and their theology. It would be crazy to think that God is a king with no country. 
 
What is Salvation? 
Our idea of what salvation is plays a lot into the land. In the west our view of salvation has been based on what we are saved from. We know we are saved from Hell, sin, death, and the Devil. But what are we saved for? Many Christians believe we are saved for heaven but is this true? We are saved for the redemption of creation to image God. The narrative begins with Eden and ends with Eden. 
 
What is the purpose of Heaven? 
Heaven is usually understood as a transcendent realm beyond time and space. Heaven is primarily characterized by fellowship with and worship of God. The final destiny of the faithful is conceived of as an unending worship service in God’s immediate presence in another world. In the Bible we see heaven as God’s throne room but also as the place where his rule and reign are perfect… Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Lord’s Prayer). We see very few mentions of going to heaven in the Bible, but it has become a huge part of Christian theology. 
 
Redemption 
What is our future? Life after death is not the goal… life after life after death is! 
* Rom 8:18-25. Liberation from decay and the redemption of our BODIES is the hope we are saved for. And Why? To be the image of God bodily on earth. Creation is longing for us to be redeemed so it can be redeemed too. 
* Jesus speaks of the regeneration when he sits on his throne. To Jews this was when God would rule on earth again. (Matt 19:28) 
* Acts 3:21 speaks also of the restoration of all things. 
* Colossians 1:20 talks about all things reconciled in Christ. 
* Eph 1:10 speaks of all things being summed up in Christ. In heaven and on earth. Heaven and earth is what is mentioned in Gen 1:1 for all of the cosmic creation so that is what Paul has in view of what is redeemed. 
* God pronounces creation “very good” Gen 1:31. Our task is to steward that creation not to escape from it to heaven (escapism is platonic and gnostic thinking). 
 
Resurrection 
* 1 Cor 15:44-55- spiritual body is not being disembodied but being imperishable. 
* Phil 3:20- our body will be like his. Jesus was resurrected bodily. 
* John 5:28-29 The dead in their graves will rise 
The importance of the resurrection is so that the image of God can be restored to its vocation perfectly when death is defeated. Our concentration in salvation is usually being saved from going to hell but we often leave the resurrection behind. Jesus died to defeat death. Death was the result of separation from God in the garden and that is what needs to be reversed. Why?... Image of God 
 
New Heavens and New Earth- What is our destination? 
* Rev 21:1-7. Heaven comes to earth. Koinos (renewed) is used here. 
* Isaiah 65:17-25- Consistent with the OT. The Jews didn’t have a disembodied view of being human. They believe in God restoring his Eden mission. 
* The meek will inherit the Earth!

The importance of land begins early in the biblical narrative in Eden. This is where heaven and earth overlap. Where God dwells and walks with his priests in the garden which is sacred space. Sacred space is the place were God and humanity dwell together. 

 With Israel the promise land, the land of Israel, was sacred space. God’s temple was there, and he dwelt with his people. The temple was the new place where heaven and earth overlapped.  Israel was exiled for polluting the land with their false worship and God’s presence left. 
In Jewish thought the land is essential to their eschatology and their theology. It would be crazy to think that God is a king with no country.  

What is Salvation?
Our idea of what salvation is plays a lot into the land. In the west our view of salvation has been based on what we are saved from. We know we are saved from Hell, sin, death, and the Devil. But what are we saved for? Many Christians believe we are saved for heaven but is this true? We are save

Citizens of the Kingdom (Part 6): New Heavens and New Earth

Law as Grace 
* The Torah was Grace. God didn’t say get right and then I’ll free you from Egypt. 
* Torah was Israel’s instructions on how to live in a wise way and how to properly represent God in the world. Not necessarily rules but a way of life. 
 
What is the Sermon on the Mount? 
* The context is about the kingdom of God (Matt 4). So this is the kingdom ethos… the “law of the Kingdom” 
* The Sermon on the mount is an all-out assault on the ego… a call to be crucified and live the Jesus way. 
 
Beatitudes 
* Makarios can mean happy or blessed. In classical Greek it meant the divine life… the life of the gods 
 
Poor in Spirit 
* Kenosis (Phil 2/ foot washing) 
* Poor= beggar… kingdom of the desperate 
* This flows into all the other beatitudes 
 * Gentleness that renounces selfishness and my rights over others 
 * The capacity to mourn with the broken and not be obsessed with fixing them 
 * Mercy that puts aside dominance and coercion 
 * The hunger for justice and God to set things right as in the Amos, Micah, and Isaiah prophetic traditions. 
 * The pure heart of the peace maker who does not demand vengeance. 
 
Salt and Light 
* Light bearers… it’s about reflecting God’s light to those we come in contact with… bearing the name, imaging God 
* Salt is about impact. Salt was put on sacrifices (covenant), purified things, preserved and restored, was also a weapon of warfare (spiritual?), connected with friendship in the NT. 
* Light was connected to the gentile mission and Israel’s calling to represent God and also connected to good works (1 Peter 2:11-12) 
 
Dealing with the heart issues 
* Not legalistic but transformative 
* Murder… Don’t hate… go even further, actively seek restoration (leave your sacrifice and go reconcile… remember communion last week) 
* Adultery… Don’t lust 
* Don’t make Oaths… Be a person of integrity 
* From the heart your actions flow 
 
Enemy Love 
* Eye for and Eye was about limiting retaliation in a violent culture. Jesus says don’t even get retribution even if you are entitled to it. This is a picture of Jesus forgiving enemies. 
* Our love must be displayed as God did… kenosis, service, self-giving (not self-seeking) love. 
* If this is our high calling, how do we treat those that the church has seemed to make into enemies… Muslims? Gays? Political opponents? … religious, political, and opposites in lifestyle? Jesus would eat with these people. 
 
Be perfect 
* Telios means complete and the context of this is not moral perfection or without error, but it is about love. Luke 6 translates this same verse as be merciful as your father is merciful. The Jews concentrated on God’s mercy as his chief attribute and not his perfection, power, or sovereignty. For a Jew to be perfect was to be full of mercy 
 
Conclusion (Matt 7:12-28) 
* Jesus gives a few parables. Narrow and wide gates, true and false prophets (I never knew you), and wise and foolish builders 
* We often hear these in the context of salvation… the real context is in living the way of Jesus, walking his path. The way of the sermon on the mount life is narrow (difficult) 
* Believers can do miraculous things but might not know Jesus. Jesus is looking for the fruit of this sermon… Kenosis, Enemy love, surrender, taking up our cross, …. It’s the cruciform life.

Law as Grace
* The Torah was Grace. God didn’t say get right and then I’ll free you from Egypt. 
* Torah was Israel’s instructions on how to live in a wise way and how to properly represent God in the world. Not necessarily rules but a way of life. 

What is the Sermon on the Mount?
* The context is about the kingdom of God (Matt 4). So this is the kingdom ethos… the “law of the Kingdom”
* The Sermon on the mount is an all-out assault on the ego… a call to be crucified and live the Jesus way. 

Beatitudes
* Makarios can mean happy or blessed. In classical Greek it meant the divine life… the life of the gods

Poor in Spirit
* Kenosis (Phil 2/ foot washing)
* Poor= beggar… kingdom of the desperate
* This flows into all the other beatitudes
    * Gentleness that renounces selfishness and my rights over others
    * The capacity to mourn with the broken and not be obsessed with fixing them
    * Mercy that puts aside dominance and coercion
    * The hunger for justice and God to set things

Citizens of the Kingdom (Part 5): Law of Christ- Sermon on the Mount

The Ekklesia is a group of Christ Followers who come together to be the living body of Christ. We image him by living in love and unity and continually being a witness to the Kingdom Rule of Christ in the world. 
 
4 Things the church is: a Bride, a House, a Body, and a Family 
 
Bride 
Rev 19:7; Eph 5 
 
House 
Ephesians 2:11-22; 1 Peter 2:1-10; 1 Cor 6:19 
 
Body 
1 Cor 12:12-30; Eph1:20-23; Col 1:21-29 
 
Family 
The church is described as New Birth, Children of God, sons of God, brothers and sisters, fathers, an household in the New Testament: Gal 6:10; Rom 8:29, Eph 2:19, 1 Tim 5:1-2, 1 Tim 3:15, 1 John 2:12-13, 1 John 3:14 
 
How should the church family act? 
 * The Members take care of each other. James 2:14-17, Eph 4:28, Gal 6:2, Rom 12:13 
 * Spend time with each other. Acts 2:42,46 
 * Show affection towards each other. 
 * Grow: internally (spiritually) and externally (in numbers) 
 * Share responsibility 
 * Reflect the triune God in their relationships 1 John 1:1-3, 
 
The Lord’s Supper 
In the Roman context they would have these banquets where there were 3 parts. 
* First course was a meal together with people ranked from greatest to least (remember Jesus’ saying about not seating yourself in the pace of honor at a banquet?) 
* Second part was when a cup was raised (drink offering) to Caesar and pledged allegiance to him 
* Third part consisted of poems, songs, speeches and etc in honor of the emperor. 
 
1 Cor 8-11 
 * 1 Corinthians 8 and 11:17-34: The importance unity in relationships and community when taking communion. 
 * 1 Corinthians 9 and 11:17-34: Communion represents the fellowship meal of the priesthood in the OT. The church is the priesthood and communion is our fellowship meal. 
 * 1 Corinthians 10 and 11:17-34: We connect with God and proclaim our allegiance to Him during communion. 
 * 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 and 11:17-34: the necessity for equality within the Church and the importance of meeting needs in the Body. We come to the table as equals. 
 
 
Gifts and Meetings 
Rom 12:6-6 
1 Cor 12:8-10 
1 Cor 12: 28-30 
Ephesians 4:11 
1 Peter 4:11 
We need all the gifts in action because they display and model Christ. We cannot elevate one over another (such as pastor or teacher). 
 
Church Unity 
Rom 15:7; 1 Cor 1:11-13; John 17:20-23 
 
 In short, whenever the church gathers together, its guiding and functioning principal is simply to incarnate Christ (1 Cor 12:12)

The Ekklesia is a group of Christ Followers who come together to be the living body of Christ. We image him by living in love and unity and continually being a witness to the Kingdom Rule of Christ in the world.

4 Things the church is: a Bride, a House, a Body, and a Family

Bride
Rev 19:7; Eph 5

House
Ephesians 2:11-22; 1 Peter 2:1-10; 1 Cor 6:19

Body
1 Cor 12:12-30; Eph1:20-23; Col 1:21-29

Family
The church is described as New Birth, Children of God, sons of God, brothers and sisters, fathers, an household in the New Testament: Gal 6:10; Rom 8:29, Eph 2:19, 1 Tim 5:1-2, 1 Tim 3:15, 1 John 2:12-13, 1 John 3:14

How should the church family act?
    * The Members take care of each other. James 2:14-17, Eph 4:28, Gal 6:2, Rom 12:13
    * Spend time with each other. Acts 2:42,46
    * Show affection towards each other. 
    * Grow: internally (spiritually) and externally (in numbers)
    * Share responsibility
    * Reflect the triune God in their relationships 1 John 1:1-3, 

The Lo

Citizens of the Kingdom (Part 4): Ekklesia

We see that in the Biblical Narrative, and still true today, there are only 2 kingdoms: The World and the Kingdom of God. All the structures and systems of the world are influenced and run by Satan and the Powers. 
The Bible speaks of this often in the way it uses the word “kosmos” usually translated as World. It can mean a few things 1) the earth or creation, 2) The people of the earth, or 3) the systems of world (under the enemy). 
Examples of Kosmos: 
1 John 5:19; James 4:4; Matthew 4:8; Mark 8:36; John 15:19; John 18:36; Gal 4:3; Col 2:8; 2 Pet 2:20 
 
Baptism 
Baptism in the 1st Century was not only an outward sign of an inward faith or simply a religious ritual but it was a political pledge. 
“The early Church of the first century viewed baptism as their sacramentum to Jesus. Tertullian (160-225 AD) contrasted the Christian sacramentum with the Roman soldier’s pledge of loyalty to the emperor and the empire. He makes the case that just as a soldier, upon his oath of allegiance, was inducted into Caesar’s army, so a Christ-follower was initiated by the sacrament of baptism into God’s Kingdom. Each person vowed faithful (allegiant) service to his ruler and kingdom. Baptism into empire or baptism into Christ’s nation was the dividing line. Tertullian condemned any Christian who would be willing to swear the Roman sacramentum, since baptism was the only sacrament a Christian should observe. For the early Church, baptism was abandoning empire and claiming new citizenship in Jesus’s nation.” (RivalNations.org) 
 
1 Peter 3:17-22 
 
Babylon 
In the early church the phrase “Babylon” became the code word for the system of Satan or the kingdom of the world (kosmos). 
 
The Way of the Exile 
We need to view America less like a biblical Israel and more like a biblical Babylon. How do we live as exiles in the midst of empire? -Brian Zahnd 
 
Way not to live as Exiles 
Tribalism 
Political Parties 
Violence 
7 Mountain Mandate 
 
Ways to live as Exiles 
Jeremiah 29:5-7 
1 Peter 
Daniel 
 
Jesus calls us to radical allegiance to His Kingdom alone 
* You cannot serve 2 masters (matt 6:24) 
* Paul tells Timothy that as a soldier of God’s kingdom he should not be caught up in civilian affairs. (2 Tim 2:4) 
* James says that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4) 
* We are called to seek first God’s kingdom (matt 6:33) 
 
5 differences between Kingdom and Empire 
1. DIFFERENCE OF TRUSTS 
2. DIFFERENCE OF AIMS 
3. DIFFERENCE OF SCOPES 
4. DIFFERENCE OF RESPONSES 
5. DIFFERENCE OF BATTLES 
 
Honor and Pray for the leaders (Emperors) 
1 Peter 2:17 
1 Tim 2:1-2 
 
We are not called to change the world’s systems but as the church to be the change and embody the kingdom here on earth 
 
Romans 12:2- Be transformed by the renewing of our minds… We don’t think in the ways of this world. We have the minds of the King and the Kingdom, with his rule in focus.

We see that in the Biblical Narrative, and still true today, there are only 2 kingdoms: The World and the Kingdom of God. All the structures and systems of the world are influenced and run by Satan and the Powers.
The Bible speaks of this often in the way it uses the word “kosmos” usually translated as World. It can mean a few things 1) the earth or creation, 2) The people of the earth, or 3) the systems of world (under the enemy). 
Examples of Kosmos: 
1 John 5:19; James 4:4; Matthew 4:8; Mark 8:36; John 15:19; John 18:36; Gal 4:3; Col 2:8; 2 Pet 2:20

Baptism
Baptism in the 1st Century was not only an outward sign of an inward faith or simply a religious ritual but it was a political pledge.  
“The early Church of the first century viewed baptism as their sacramentum to Jesus. Tertullian (160-225 AD) contrasted the Christian sacramentum with the Roman soldier’s pledge of loyalty to the emperor and the empire. He makes the case that just as a soldier, upon his oath of allegiance, was 

Citizens of the Kingdom (Part 3): Living as Exiles

When we talk about Kingdom, we need to have 5 ideas at play. All 5 are necessary ingredients to define the Kingdom of God 
1. King 
2. Rule or a reign 
3. A People 
4. A Law 
5. Land 
 
So, it’s a king who rules by rescuing and saving people. A People who live the way of Jesus reflecting and imaging the king in sacred space… we are sacred space but our home and churches are also this space and we take this Kingdom with us and expand it as we live like the king and teach others to live under his Rule and his Law. 
 
The Gospel 
* Both Jesus and Paul derived this important word (Gospel) from the prophetic poetry of Isaiah in the Old Testament (Isaiah 52:7-10) where the future arrival of God’s Kingdom through the Messiah is called good news. 
* The 4 Spiritual Laws and the Romans Road all contain “truths” but look a lot different than the way the apostles presented the Gospel in the Bible. 
* The Gospel Romans 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Tim 2:8 
 
Acts 17:5-7…no king but Christ. Are we being accused of turning the world upside-down by our gospel? And how we live it out? 
 
How do we live? 
Skinny Jeans 
* All about social justice and humanitarian efforts 
* Kingdom to them means: good deed done by good people in the public sector for the common good 
* We often hear from these people that “I don’t want to work in the church, I want to do Kingdom Work” 
Pleated Pants 
* Usually means God’s rule or reign but rarely means his realm. 
* Concentration on souls… salvation… Savior vs. Lord….Kingdom is purely religious and about getting to heaven. 
* Kingdom work as public activism… trying to get our states and government to be “moral” or transform the culture. 
 
3rd Way 
John Nugent: “Our responsibility is not to make the world a better place, but to be the better place God has begun in this world through Christ. We are his kingdom work. We are ambassadors who proclaim what God has done, is doing, and will do. God’s strategy is for his people not to fix this world but to plant a new world in the midst of the old one and to woo the old world to Himself through it. As followers of Jesus, the body of Christ, the new humanity and new creation is us. A new creation as begun in the midst of the old world that remains. It is the new world of God’s Kingdom and its people. So God’s people are not responsible for making the world a better place, but for being the better place that Christ has already made… the early believers were vocal in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and visible in living it out in community… the church’s calling centers on being the better place God began in Jesus.” 
 
John 13:35 By our love for one another, the world will know you are my disciples. 
John 17:23 By being in unity, the world will know that the Father has sent Jesus. 
Phil 1:27; 1 Thes 4:10-12; Eph 3:10

When we talk about Kingdom, we need to have 5 ideas at play. All 5 are necessary ingredients to define the Kingdom of God
1. King
2. Rule or a reign
3. A People
4. A Law
5. Land

So, it’s a king who rules by rescuing and saving people. A People who live the way of Jesus reflecting and imaging the king in sacred space… we are sacred space but our home and churches are also this space and we take this Kingdom with us and expand it as we live like the king and teach others to live under his Rule and his Law.  

The Gospel
* Both Jesus and Paul derived this important word (Gospel) from the prophetic poetry of Isaiah in the Old Testament (Isaiah 52:7-10) where the future arrival of God’s Kingdom through the Messiah is called good news. 
*  The 4 Spiritual Laws and the Romans Road all contain “truths” but look a lot different than the way the apostles presented the Gospel in the Bible. 
* The Gospel Romans 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Tim 2:8

Acts 17:5-7…no king but Christ.  Are we being 

Citizens of the Kingdom (Part 2): The Gospel of the Kingdom

Matt launches a series on Expedition 44 looking at the Kingdom of God and how to live as Kingdom citizens. 
 
Christoformity 
To be conformed/transformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29- the purpose of salvation) and reflect that in our daily life. The church has gotten off track when it comes to discipleship. We think that to create a disciple is to teach someone how to make a conversion or just share their faith. True discipleship is to reflect Jesus; to become more like Jesus. 
 
The Word of God 
Mark 9:2-8; John 1:1-18 
 
Image of God/Image of Christ 
Genesis 1:27-28; Psalm 8:4-8; Romans 1:22-23, 3:23, 8:18, 8:29-30 
• Glory here can mean honor, but the glory given to mankind as we’ve seen in Psalm 8 is to bear God’s image. 
• To fall short of the glory is not moral perfection as the modern western tradition teaches. It is failure to bear God’s image. 
• Glorification in 8:30 is in the present tense (aorist). Glorification is the result of being conformed to the image of the son who is the image of God. 
• Christian theology teaches us that Jesus has always existed as part of the Godhead. If we are made in the image of God, we are made in the image of Christ (Col 1:15). Christ came and showed us how to be human and live out our calling as image bearers. So, when we conform to Christ, we conform to the image of God our vocation. Jesus is our example of how to be an image bearer (John 12:45). 
 
Bearing the Name 
Exodus 20:1-7 
 
Faith(fulness) 
Gal 2:16,19-21; 3:21-29 
• Faith in the western Christian tradition is usually defined as agreeing with certain beliefs or propositions. Essentially a checklist of doctrine… believing Jesus died for you, saying a prayer, affirming God created, etc. … James actually condemns this as true faith; even the demons believe and tremble… faith without works is dead… we are not saved by faith (belief) alone but also works. 
• While this has an aspect of the word pistis (translated as faith) this is not it’s primary meaning. Faith in the ancient world was a relational word and not primarily mental ascent. 
• Allegiance to Jesus is also embodying the life and mission of Jesus ourselves. 
 
The Example /Kenosis 
Phil 2:1-11; John 13:1-17 
Kenosis reveals the fullness of what God is like… remember John 1… “no one has ever seen God at any time”. The fullness of God dwelt in a human body (Col 2:9). Kenosis is not the surrender of attributes but the definition of God’s nature. 
 
Living Epistles 
2 Cor 3:3 
• How might we be living epistles? 
• How do we embody kenosis to the world around us? 
• How does “faith” play into being a living epistle? 
• How do you reflect the image of Christ?

Matt launches a series on Expedition 44 looking at the Kingdom of God and how to live as Kingdom citizens. 

Christoformity
To be conformed/transformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29- the purpose of salvation) and reflect that in our daily life. The church has gotten off track when it comes to discipleship. We think that to create a disciple is to teach someone how to make a conversion or just share their faith. True discipleship is to reflect Jesus; to become more like Jesus. 

The Word of God
Mark 9:2-8; John 1:1-18

Image of God/Image of Christ
Genesis 1:27-28; Psalm 8:4-8; Romans 1:22-23, 3:23, 8:18, 8:29-30
• Glory here can mean honor, but the glory given to mankind as we’ve seen in Psalm 8 is to bear God’s image. 
• To fall short of the glory is not moral perfection as the modern western tradition teaches. It is failure to bear God’s image. 
• Glorification in 8:30 is in the present tense (aorist). Glorification is the result of being conformed to the image of the son who 

Citizens of the Kingdom (Part 1): Christoformity

X44 Atonement Conclusion/Recap 
 
Where have we been and what conclusions have we come to with atonement? 
 
Intro 
• What is Atonement? We saw that the word atonement is an etymology (At- One- Ment) but the Bible speaks more of the words (KPR and hilasterion) translated as atonement as covering or purging. Expiation of sin not propitiation of wrath. God is not acted upon, sin is. 
Sacrificial system 
Sacrifices: 
o Burnt offering is about a gift and just wanting to spend time with God. 
o Grain offering is about remembering the covenant 
o The well-being (Peace) offering is simply a thank you to God 
o The Purification (sin) offering is about cleansing sacred space 
o The guilt or reparation offering is about repayment for an unintentional sin (humans making things right with other covenant members and recommitting to the Covenant with God) 
• Blood: the blood manipulation was about cleansing sacred space. In combination with atonement language, it meant to purge or cover to decontaminate the sanctuary. The blood was never applied to people except in the ordination of the priests or when the covenant was enacted at Sinai. It was a ritual detergent… the ancient power washer. Blood represented life and not death. 
• Laying on of hands: Was not transferring sin but rather setting apart the animal for a purpose 
• The animals were never a substitute for the person 
• We saw that blood was not requires for forgiveness (there was no sacrifice for intentional sins). There are many examples of sacrifices that were not animals and didn’t require blood for forgiveness. 
 
Exodus is the central image of the cross in the Bible. Jesus dies during Passover so we need to make this our main motif of interpreting the cross 
Day of Atonement 
 
Isaiah 53 
The Gospels and Acts 
Romans 
 
Hebrews 
o By offering his own life and blood Jesus made purification (1:3) and atonement for sin (2:17- 18). These Died for us - Huper and peri are always used in the “for us” and “for our sins” verses. 
 
Legal Framework 
 
Righteousness and Justification 
 
Imputation 
 
Atonement History and Church Fathers 
Recap Framing questions 
• Retribution or Restoration? 
• Substitution or Representation? 
• Transaction or Transformation? 
• Judicial or Relational? 
• Did God need his mind changed about us or our mind about God? 
• Is there a debt owed? How does the cross bring about justice? 
• Holiness and/or Love… are they opposed to each other? 
• Who killed Jesus? God or us? 
• Is our view of the cross to individualistic? 
 
Recap Atonement theories 
 Moral Influence Theory 
 Ransom Theory 
 Christus Victor 
 Satisfaction theory 
 Penal Substitutionary Atonement 
 The Scapegoat Theory 
 Recapitulation 
• New Covenant Theory 
 
Do we see one theory or many in the scriptures? 
Do we see any non-existent theories or themes in scripture on this list? 
Golf club analogy… 
What do we think are the major themes and how do they work together?

X44 Atonement Conclusion/Recap

Where have we been and what conclusions have we come to with atonement?

Intro
• What is Atonement? We saw that the word atonement is an etymology (At- One- Ment) but the Bible speaks more of the words (KPR and hilasterion) translated as atonement as covering or purging. Expiation of sin not propitiation of wrath. God is not acted upon, sin is. 
Sacrificial system
Sacrifices:
o Burnt offering is about a gift and just wanting to spend time with God. 
o Grain offering is about remembering the covenant
o The well-being (Peace) offering is simply a thank you to God
o The Purification (sin) offering is about cleansing sacred space
o The guilt or reparation offering is about repayment for an unintentional sin (humans making things right with other covenant members and recommitting to the Covenant with God)
• Blood: the blood manipulation was about cleansing sacred space. In combination with atonement language, it meant to purge or cover to decontaminate the sa

The Atonement Series Part 12: Overview Recap Conclusion

PSA advocates claim that this theory was there from the beginning, and this is witnessed by the church fathers. Yet the Church Fathers don’t really have modern atonement theories when they speak about the cross. They use phrases like “Jesus died for us”, “Jesus shed his blood for us”, they connect the cross with forgiveness, Jesus freeing humanity from a curse, Jesus as a ransom, Jesus as the 2nd Adam, etc. Though they use this “biblical language” do they mean what PSA has defined them as. 
 
Many pin a fully formed view of PSA on John Calvin in the 1500s. Calvin was a lawyer and interpreted the Bible through a legal lens. Though Calvin did have most of the PSA building blocks in place he never systematized it like the modern atonement theory school does. This didn’t happen until Charles Hodge wrote his systematic theology set in 1871. This was the first time PSA was but together in print as a theory. 
 
The building blocks came into being with Augustine. Paul Vendredi notes this with his 17 historical claims of PSA. 3 were made by Augustine, 9 were Anselm, and 5 are the modern atonement schools built on and expanded upon Calvin. (Check out Idol Killer’s Youtube for more on this). 
 
The 17 Claims: 
1. Original Sin 
2. Total Depravity / Inability 
3. Infant Depravity 
4. Sin is an Infinite Offense 
5. Sin is a Debt we owe 
6. Infants also owe this Debt 
7. Animal Sacrifices 
8. God could Cancel the sin debt by His will... 
9. But, God cannot Forgive a Sin without punishing the Sinner 
10. Death Must be Painful 
11. "Propitiation" 
12. Substitution 
13. God pours out His Wrath 
14. Jesus Became a Literal Curse 
15. The Father turned His back on Christ 
16. Old Testament Sacrificial System 
17. Ransom Paid TO God 
 
Conclusions: 
• The early church used biblical language to talk about the cross… retribution must be read into them 
• Healing was the focus and not legal metaphors in all of these 
• A major focus is on death, sin, and the devil’s defeat and these 3 concepts are connected. 
• The results of their defeat are a rescue and restoration of the image of God. 
• Until Augustine’s 3 foundational points (original sin, Total depravity, and infant depravity) the early church had nothing to build PSA upon, so it is a fallacy to show that they taught it. 
• PSA has no historical leg to stand on. Most often they read PSA into ransom and then back into other theories like recapitulation taking them out of their context and projecting onto the language of the Church Fathers.

PSA advocates claim that this theory was there from the beginning, and this is witnessed by the church fathers. Yet the Church Fathers don’t really have modern atonement theories when they speak about the cross. They use phrases like “Jesus died for us”, “Jesus shed his blood for us”, they connect the cross with forgiveness, Jesus freeing humanity from a curse, Jesus as a ransom, Jesus as the 2nd Adam, etc. Though they use this “biblical language” do they mean what PSA has defined them as. 

Many pin a fully formed view of PSA on John Calvin in the 1500s. Calvin was a lawyer and interpreted the Bible through a legal lens. Though Calvin did have most of the PSA building blocks in place he never systematized it like the modern atonement theory school does. This didn’t happen until Charles Hodge wrote his systematic theology set in 1871. This was the first time PSA was but together in print as a theory. 

The building blocks came into being with Augustine. Paul Vendredi notes this with hi

The Atonement Series Part 11: Atonement History and The Church Fathers  (problems with PSA)

Major issues with the double imputation paradigm: 
 
 
 The assumption of perfection as the goal rather than what Genesis says: Imaging God (defined as relationship, vocation, and allegiance). If you are building on the wrong foundation, you’ll always get the wrong answers. 
 Punishment as a prerequisite to forgiveness. The bible states that God forgives and casts sin away. It never states that punishment is pre-requisite for forgiveness. This is payment and not forgiveness. 
o The assumption of the sinner needing to have sin punished rather than sin healed. In the Bible as we have shown sin is seen more as “biological” than as a “statutory crime”. In the OT sin stains or taints or infects like a disease. You don’t punish a disease out of someone. You kill the disease to heal the person. 
 Righteousness is assumed to be a substance that can be passed from one person to another in the reformed outlook. This is absent in the text. 
 Our sins being imputed but at the same time washed away is a contradiction. 
 God seeing you as Jesus is problematic. God is essentially participating in a lie. A legal fiction. The Bible says that God sees all things so if he does to know we are a sinner but pretend otherwise would go against the nature of God as described in scripture. 
 We are called slaves to sin, but we need to pay the debt to God… is God the author of sin? 
 The issue of the Torah that says sons should not suffer for the sins of their fathers and each should die for their own sins. God also wouldn’t allow Moses to give up his life on behalf of Israel. Does God break Torah to make this framework work? 
 The phrase “righteousness of Christ” is never mentioned in scripture. This is not to say that he is not righteous. He is called the righteous one (the faithful covenant partner). But if we are looking for Christ’s righteousness becoming ours, we never see this transaction in a single verse in scripture. 
 The trinitarian issues in this model are outside of orthodoxy. The father and son always act in unison and not against each other. This model has the father punishing the son. This is a split in the trinity or at the least disunity in the Godhead. 
 Logically the courtroom analogy makes no scene in this context… 
o The judge’s righteousness is in doing what is right and making a proper judgement 
o When either the plaintiff or the defendant is declared ‘righteous’ at the end of the case, there is no sense that in either case the judge’s own righteousness or anyone else’s has been passed on to them, by imputation, impartation, or any other process. What they have is a status of ‘righteous’ which comes from the judge. So having God’s righteousness as an alien righteousness or Christ’s righteousness makes no logical sense in the analogy. 
o Even if we do take a courtroom view… God makes the judgement that we are in the right. We aren’t punished though we may deserve to be punished. We are forgiven, there’s no debt owed, its simply gone. We still aren’t receiving anyone else’ righteousness and perfection is not the foundation. The analogy fails on many levels. 
 It is individualistic. The Biblical framework when read in cultural context is always about the group. ANE and 1st century people didn’t identify so much as individuals as we do in the West. They thought of themselves as part of the larger group.

Major issues with the double imputation paradigm:


 The assumption of perfection as the goal rather than what Genesis says: Imaging God (defined as relationship, vocation, and allegiance). If you are building on the wrong foundation, you’ll always get the wrong answers. 
 Punishment as a prerequisite to forgiveness. The bible states that God forgives and casts sin away. It never states that punishment is pre-requisite for forgiveness. This is payment and not forgiveness. 
o The assumption of the sinner needing to have sin punished rather than sin healed. In the Bible as we have shown sin is seen more as “biological” than as a “statutory crime”. In the OT sin stains or taints or infects like a disease. You don’t punish a disease out of someone. You kill the disease to heal the person. 
 Righteousness is assumed to be a substance that can be passed from one person to another in the reformed outlook. This is absent in the text. 
 Our sins being imputed but at the same time washed awa

x44 ATONEMENT SERIES PART 10: Is the Legal Framework of Atonement Correct? Part 2 Double Imputation

 Righteousness for us is about relationship primarily and behavior (morals) secondarily. To be righteous is to be a covenant member and to live by the covenant behavior. 
 Righteousness for God is about his saving power and covenant faithfulness. It also includes God’s “rightness” his moral perfection and faithfulness. But this is never said to be the defining bar that we must achieve. God’s righteousness and our righteousness are not the same thing. We are never told in scripture that we are given this righteousness but rather that we are made righteous (covenant members with the Spirit that enables us to live the covenant behavior). 
 Justification is not about Christ making a full satisfaction to his Father’s justice on our behalf – it is not about moral standards being met (perfection) – it is, rather, about one’s status of membership in God’s people. Christ remains at the center, the living Lord uniting the nations under his banner, but the imputation of his personal and perfect obedience is not at the center of justification. 
 The Reformed view of legal justification is individualistic. This covenantal or familial view of justification we’ve put forward is more in line with the text which talks about groups and not individuals. The west has tried to make it about individual salvation and the verdict about salvation that is pronounced in Christ… this is just not in the text. 
 Justification is about new life in Christ rather than a judicial verdict of being forgiven or acquitted. Forgiveness of sin is an aspect or characteristic of this new life, but it is not the primary focus of justification. 
 The letters of Romans and Galatians (and Ephesians) are addressing issues of fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians. This is where we see the justification language come up. These are not systematic theology letters telling us how to get saved. Paul’s focus is on “table fellowship” and covenant membership in the church, not the legal or forensic nature of salvation and forgiveness.

 Righteousness for us is about relationship primarily and behavior (morals) secondarily. To be righteous is to be a covenant member and to live by the covenant behavior. 
 Righteousness for God is about his saving power and covenant faithfulness. It also includes God’s “rightness” his moral perfection and faithfulness. But this is never said to be the defining bar that we must achieve. God’s righteousness and our righteousness are not the same thing. We are never told in scripture that we are given this righteousness but rather that we are made righteous (covenant members with the Spirit that enables us to live the covenant behavior). 
 Justification is not about Christ making a full satisfaction to his Father’s justice on our behalf – it is not about moral standards being met (perfection) – it is, rather, about one’s status of membership in God’s people. Christ remains at the center, the living Lord uniting the nations under his banner, but the imputation of his personal and perfec

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