If you are just now joining me, I should tell you that we have been looking at the following verses for a few days now. Today, I want to look at the final qualifier. I say final, but it kind of looks like two: for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1 Peter 1:1-2
Why don’t you just get on with it?
In the article on Day 18.0: Called we began the discussion. We started by going through scripture to better understand the term elect and Peter’s first qualifier, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. On Day 19.0: Sanctification we tried to gain a better understanding of the next qualifier, in the sanctification of the Spirit. Please see those studies first, if you are curious, or if you are not quite clear on Peter’s meaning of the terms.
An uneducated guess
I don’t want to linger long on this notion, but between the phrases for sprinkling with his blood and of the Dispersion, you get the sense that Peter is writing to Christians who were formerly of the Jewish religion. We know, or believe, that Peter was writing this letter from Rome. Certainly the churches he was writing to were churches planted, or grown from the planting, of missionaries like Paul.
They may have started with Jewish congregations – that was certainly Paul’s initial starting point in whichever city he came to. If the city had a synagogue, Paul would go there first. But, (and I may be wrong here) that was not always the case. The example of Athens comes to mind. Regardless, the term Dispersion puts one in mind of Jews, now become Christians, who have left (fled?) Israel and are worshiping with brothers and sisters in the churches and communities of churches in the areas to which Peter writes.
That is a theory. Would love to have anyone who reads this take me to task on it, and give me the real deal, as they say, or used to say. I said at the outset that for this epistle I was not going to tarry over the history of it, and focus on application to our lives. But, I think the latter part of the last qualifier does have a lot of bearing on our lives whether or not we are or were participants in the Jewish faith.
Obedience to Christ
I could be wrong but, for me, the initial phrase, for obedience to Jesus Christ, needs little or no explanation. But, just in case, let me place below a few scriptures for any struggling to understand what that entails. For reference, there are plenty of excellent verses cited in Day 19.0’s article on sanctification which one would do well to read through if they struggle to grasp what it means to obey our Lord.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
Ephesians 5:1-3
Christ’s example of obedience
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:1-8
The word
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:1-6; 12-17
Aren’t there any other verses on obedience?
There is of course the entirety of the New Testament. I could quote it all, and it would, in the main, all be great insight into obedience to Jesus Christ. But, these are a great start.
Imagining life without the old NT
Imagine yourself a new Christian living in Colossi in the first century, A.D. You have no New Testament. It hasn’t yet been compiled. You attend worship at some brother’s or sister’s house, and one of the elders reads Paul’s letter written to the few small churches in your city. You know that last week a letter was read which was originally addressed to churches in another city then shared with Colossi, but you were sick that day, and haven’t gotten to hear it yet. Your little church has a rather well-written Deacon who has been painstakingly copying it down, so you will hear it someday. For now, though, you only have have the letter written to your church. We call it Colossians.
What is enough for Obedience?
Would that one letter be enough to instruct you, day-to-day, in living a life devoted to Christ? I would contend that you are. You hear the gospel preached. You have the Holy Spirit. Now, you have a letter from an Apostle. There is certainly enough here to lead you down the path of obedience to Christ. Could you benefit from expanding your understanding of the Apostles’ theology, from hearing their exhortations and admonitions? Of course. Could you benefit by hearing the gospel of John read to you verse by verse? Yes. But, you would not be more or less adopted into the family of Christian faith by having heard one or not having heard the other.
All that to say, rather than surveying the entire Bible for verses which direct us in obedience to Christ, let’s start with what is herein given, and do our best at application in faith of these few verses. I hope it need not be said, but I will say it here. Please, pursue the scriptures on your own. Read your Bible on your own. But, all the same, thank you for reading this humble missive!
What does it all mean?
So, what in the world does Peter mean by the phrase sprinkling with his blood? I am glad you asked! There is so much I want to comment on, and I will if I have time. But, per my usual tack, let’s let scripture say most, and then we’ll see if I have any time to sprinkle in some thoughts.
Remember this was likely an audience of Christian converts from Judaism. Let’s go then to Hebrews.
Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
Hebrews 9:1-5
The Holy Places
Even the writer of Hebrews was short on time! I wonder if he got up every day at 4:00 a.m. to try to cram in a ton of scripture before he had to get to work making tents, or whatever his vocation was? (Yes, that was a suggestive hint written with a sort of implied wink. We all have our theories on who wrote Hebrews. Sometimes I like to show my hand, but just a glimpse. I won’t let you peruse the cards!)
Are you keeping up? The Jews had a tabernacle (or “tent” above). It was divided between the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place, a.k.a., the “Holy of Holies.” There was a heavy sheet, or carpet which hung between the two sections. Beyond the veil, inside the Most Holy place was an alter and the ark of the covenant.
The High Priest
6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.
Hebrews 9:6-7
Most priests never entered the Most Holy Place. That was reserved for the High Priest, and he only entered it once a year. He did so with blood. What did he do with the blood? We have to skip ahead for an example of this. The writer of Hebrews sort of gives the game away a bit earlier, then bounces back and forth between the old covenant under the Law of Moses, and the new covenant in Christ.
The sprinkling of blood
19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9:19-22
So the priests would sprinkle the blood on the sacred things within the Most Holy Place. Why? Under the old covenant almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. So, what then? Where does Christ and his blood come into the conversation?
Blood of our High Priest
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Hebrews 9:11-14
Christ, then, is our new High Priest. He entered into the real Holy of Holies, of which the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle was only an earthly copy. His own blood purifies us from our sins. Does Christ then need to return annually into the Most Holy Place to yearly atone for our sins?
Blood shed once for all
24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 9:24-26
No sir. What Christ did, he did once. On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) And it was. The veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was torn in two. He did it for all, and for all time. His blood was shed and, if we are sprinkled by it, our sin is “put away.” The blood of Christ purifies us like the sacred things in the tabernacle. We become holy – that is set apart – vessels of worship. We are admitted into the place of worship.
Perfected for all time
The writer of Hebrews elaborates on power of his sacrifice and Christ’s victory over sin.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 10:11-14
Creation and the Creator
So, when Peter addresses his salutation to the Christians who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for the obedience to Christ and the sprinkling of his blood, this is what he is referencing. He is referring to Christ’s sacrifice which nullified the daily and yearly sacrifices of the priests which were the necessary atonement for sin. The cleansing power of those sacrifices were temporal and symbolic, having no lasting effect on the guilt of the faithful. We have a greater high priest, the High Priest over all Creation.
Blood of the Creator
For, Christ was not part of the creation, but the creator of it all. The blood of anything in creation, corrupted by the fall, could not ever atone for the sin of mankind or justify him before God. But, Christ came as a perfect sacrifice, not of creation, but its Creator, holy and perfect. The veil was torn. He entered once for all. By the sprinkling of his blood he purified from sin all who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:33-36
