James 1:1b

"...to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting." And remember that, because of Saul of Tarsus' tremendous persecution, what happened to that Jerusalem congregation? They scattered for fear of their lives, and they took up residence in other parts of that part of the world, the Roman Empire. All right, turn again to I Peter, and the language is almost the same.


I Peter 1:1

"Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia." So Peter was writing to "strangers that had been scattered." Not to the citizens of Rome and Athens, but to the strangers who were scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia and so on and so forth. Those are Jews who had been scared away from Jerusalem because of the awful persecution of Saul. All right, now then, when you come into II Peter the language doesn't change all that much.


II Peter 1:1a

"Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us..." Now, when and where did Peter attain his faith that Jesus was the promised Messiah? Way back there at Galilee when he was at his fishing nets and the Lord walked by and said, 'Follow me.' Well, Peter's faith began with Christ's earthly ministry.

And the same way here - he's writing to those people who had been connected with Christ's earthly ministry (they, as yet, know nothing of Paul's Gospel of Grace. They are still under what we call the Kingdom economy). And you can just follow this on through into I John. I just thought of this on the way up, "How can I review this and make the point that these little epistles are still connected to the Jews of Christ's earthly ministry?" All right, so even I John chapter 1 verse 1,


I John 1:1