A Contextual Translationi of The First Letter by St Peter (draft v1.

0) Dr John N Sutherland Skelmorlie, Scotland January, 2013

This entire work is copyright Dr John N Sutherland, 2013. The author gives permission for anyone to use it any form as long as it is attributed correctly and there is no fnancial gain except for the work of the propagation of The Good News of The Lord Jesus Christ.

The author, the recipients, God.ii Petros, An evangelist from Yeshua Mashiax, To chosen expatriates, dispersed in Pontusiii, Galatias, Kappadoxias, Asias and Bithynias, As determined in advance by father god, By spiritual holiness into obedience, Also spattered by the blood of Yeshua Mashiax: Grace to you and peace, multiplied!

What Jesus has done for us Blessed God and father of Adonai Yeshua Mashiax, The One, By whom out of the immensity of his mercy, We have been reborn into a living hope, Through the rising again of Yeshua Mashiax from the dead.

What we now have Into a possession, Imperishable and pure,

Which is being kept for you in heaven. Who by god's power, Are in a fortress of belief for salvation, Ready to be uncovered on the last day.

Our joy and suffering In this you are ecstatic, But if only a little for now, For there must be sorrow in great trials. Through this your genuineness, In faith, More precious than the gold in jewellery, That boils away in fre as it is tested, May you be found in praise, honour and glory, At the uncovering of Yeshua Mashiax.

Peter, the eye-witness He you do not fully understand, Yet you love him. He you do not currently see, Yet you are ecstatic with unspeakable joy, And have been glorifed.

Keep going and be saved You must reach the end set by your faith: Saving your souls. About this salvation: Seek and search out the prophets, Who can prophesy grace into you. Searching into whatever matters and what kind of times, Prove they have The Spirit of Mashiax,

Testifying in advance to the sufferings of HaMashiax, And the glories that follow.

We all know more than the former prophets To whom was it revealed? Not to them, But to us! They brought forth these things, Which were told to you by evangelists, Commissioned by holy spirit, Despatched from heaven, Into which angels are desperate to look.

Think straight! And so, tighten up your thought processes. Sober up and grow up, You can rely on the grace, Given to you when Yeshua Mashiax is uncovered.

Jesus, our godly example Be as obedient children. Don't conform to your previous stupid lusts, But, be like The One who calls you 'holy'. And you become holy as you practice it. For it is written, "Become holy, as I am holy." For, if The One you call upon as father, Who judges impartially, According to each of your actions, Be afraid of your homecoming. There is time: change!

Nothing on Earth can save us Know this: It wasn't with rottable silver or gold, You were purchased, From the vanity of your ancestral traditions, But by valuable blood of a lamb: Flawless and spotless Mashiax. He was known before the creation of the universe, Appearing in the last times, For your sake.

Trust in Jesus They who believe through him in God, Who raised him from the dead, And glorifed him, So that, by faith, You can expect a future in god.

We are already being changed Your souls have been purifed, By your obedience to The Truth, Through spirit, Into genuine warmth for brothers, Through a clean heart: Deeply love each other! Having been regenerated, Not from rotten seeds, But through an incorruptible word, Of a living god, Who also lasts forever.

But our bodies will die For all flesh is as grass, And every human glory is like meadow-grass flowering: The grass flowers and it withers, Then its flower drops.

But Jesus will not die again Yet still the declarations of Adonai, They last for eternity. This is still The Good News, That is declared to you. Purity brings growth So, put off: All badness, And all deceit, And hypocrisy, And jealousy, And all slander. As new-born babies, Be sensible, Seeking pure milk. And so through this you will grow into salvation, And also experience the kindness of Adonai.

Jesus, our rock-solid, living example Then approaching a living stone, Which people rejected, Yet selected by god: Precious.

And as living stones, Being built into a spiritual home, Like holy priests offering spiritual sacrifces, Acceptable to god through Yeshua Mashiax. So stand on the scripture, "Look! - I place in Zion, "A stone, a cornerstone, chosen, precious; "And the one who believes in him, "Will not be disappointed." This then is for you who believe, "A stone which was declared useless by the masons , "This has become the corner capstone", and, "A rock in the road, "And a stumbling block." They who strike against The Word, They are set on disobedience.

You are not accidentally saints But you are: A select family, A royal priesthood, A holy nation, A people for preservation, In order that you will tell the miracle, Of how you were called out, From darkness into his brilliant light. We are these, then, who were not a people, But are now god's people. Those who had received no mercy,

But now receive mercy.

So, live good lives Dearly loved, I urge you, As refugees and foreigners, To abstain from the bodily desires, Which fght against the soul. Your way of life amongst the strangers must be good, So that when they bad-mouth you as evil people, They will see your good works, And glorify god on the day he comes to visit.

Be good citizens Submit to all worldly authority, As you would to Adonai. Whether this is to the sovereign government, Or its appointed offcers. They can mete out: Punishment upon criminals Or praise for good-doers. For this is the will of God, For those who do good, Who silences the ignorant, unspiritual person. Be as one who is free, And not as one who is veiled, By the evils of this world. Instead be as servants of god. Hold in highest respect Holy Church, Fear God, Honour The Queen.

Be good employees Workers serve, With fullest respect, The management, Not only the good and kind, But also the crooks. For this is joy: If in conscience before god, You bear up with hurt and unjust suffering. Then there is great credit, If you stick with it, Even when bad people hurt you. And if you do what is right and bear up: There is joy in being near to god.

Jesus: always our prime example, and leader It was for this you were called, That Mashiax suffered for you, And left you an example: Follow in his footsteps! "He did not do wrong, "Nor was he found to be disobedient in his speech." When insulted, Do not insult back. Suffer, But do not threaten. And so trust in The Good Judge. He took on your wrong-doings, Upon his body, On The Cross. So wrong-doings have no part in our good lives.

Are you not restored by the hurts? For as sheep you wandered, But you have turned around now, Towards the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

On being a Christian wife with a non-Christian husband In the same way, Wives should obey their husbands, So that if any of them are not persuaded by The Word, Then they should be added through their wives' unspoken behaviour. For they watch and are challenged by your pure behaviour.

Be beautifed inside, not out But, don't let your hair be fancifed, Or go decked with gold, Or wearing showy clothes. For the secret of the person's heart is this: incorruptability. Those with a serene and quiet spirit are of high value in God's sight.

Take your example from the Biblical matriarchs For this was how the holy women, Those waiting expectantly on God, Presented themselves: as those who obeyed their husbands. So Sarah obeyed Avraham, Calling him, Master. In this way you become his good children, And need not fear that anything will get you down.

Husbands, take care! And so husbands, Homemakers! Know that wives are weaker beings, Give them honour and joint-ownership of grace, Of life! That your prayers may not fall short.

Be a good marriage in church Finally, be of the same opinion, Sympathetic, Loving the brothers, Tenderly compassionate, And fond. Don't give evil for evil, Or hurtful words for hurtful words. Instead: bless! Knowing that you were called to a blessed relationship.

Watch your tongue The one who wishes to see a lovely life, And to know good days: He stops his tongue from producing evil, And his lips from lying.

Watch your step He must avoid evil, Do good, Seek peace And chase after it.

Jesus IS watching! For the eyes of Adonai are on the good person, And his ears intent on hearing a request. But Adonai looks at the evil-doer, Anyone doing evil to you; So become imitators of goodness. And, if you then suffer for goodness, You are blessed. Don't be afraid of or disturbed by them.

You are Jesus' representative Make your hearts holy to Adonai God. Be always ready to bring forward a defence, To everyone who asks you, Tell about what you expect, With serenity and with care. Have a clear conscience, So that those attack you in words as evil-doers, May they be ashamed, Those who talk you down, By your good Christian behaviour. Let them see that Mashiax suffered for wrong-doings, The blameless one for the guilty ones, That he may lead us to God, Truly dead to the flesh, But alive to The Spirit.

God's salvation plan goes far By this also to the imprisoned spirits, He preached to the stubborn ones.

For God's long-waiting patience, During the days of Noax he constructed a covenant box, Only a few - eight - souls were saved from the water. This, to us, represents cleansing-by-water, Not a cleansing of flesh of dirt. So answering in good conscience, Taking requests to God, Through the rising again of Yeshua Mashiax, Who is at God's right hand side, Having gone into heaven, Submitting to himself angels, and authorities and powers.

Expect to fnd it tough So the bodily sufferings of Mashiax are for us; And you: Arm yourselves with the same thought, For the one who suffers in body, Stops doing wrong.

Live a good life So that no longer by human desires, But in God's will; Resting the body for a lifetime. It is enough for us, In this way spend our lifetimes.

Don't live like pagans It is the will of other people, To descend into flthy lusting, Into wild orgies of wine-drinking, And prohibited idol worship.

And they think it most odd, That you don't run together with them, Through the same wasteful noxious puddles.

God will judge us all Who will give an account, To The One who is ready, To judge the living and the dead? Into this, and for the dead too, Is brought good news, That they will indeed be judged as people of flesh, Who should have lived for God through spirit. The end of all this is coming soon. Don't be mad! Instead be sober! Pray!

Love comes frst First of all, You must love from deep within, Spreading the love that covers many, many wrong-doings; Be good hosts to each other, And don't complain; Each of you has his own measure of grace allocated, Dispense as required the varieties of god's grace.

Do everything for Jesus' glory If anyone speaks out The Words of god, If any man serves in his physical strength given from God, By all this God is glorifed, Through Yeshua Mashiax,

To Him be Glory, And Might, Through endless Eternity, Amen!

You will suffer for Jesus Dear ones, Do not think it strange, That to some of you, A fre of testing, Has come upon you, As if something strange has occurred. For, in the same measure you share, The sufferings of HaMashiax. Rejoice! For you will also, When his glory is unveiled, Rejoice hugely! If you are scolded for The Name of Mashiax, You are blessed, For The Glory of The Spirit of God, Has rested upon you, They give him nothing but hatred, While you give him glory.

Don't face suffering as a bad person But none of you should suffer, For being a murderer, Or being a thief, Or being an evil-doer, Or as a busybody. Yet, let it only be as a Christian! That he is shamed,

That he glorifes God in this.

Salvation is no easy thing Seeing that it is time, For the beginning of judgement, If for God's house frst - for us, How will it end for those who stubbornly reject God's good news? And if it is tough for the just to be saved, Where will the irreligious and the wrong-doer end up? So then, Let those who are suffering, As God has decided, As a faithful creator, Let them decide to set their souls on doing good.

On being a church leader Now, the elders who are among you, He who is a fellow-elder, And witness of HaMashiax's sufferings, And he would be part of the coming glorious disclosure: Protect those who are in God's flock. Don't do this as a burden, But willingly before god. Don't be greedy, But be open-handed. Don't bully your way into offce, But set an example for the flock. So when the Chief Shepherd appears, You will receive the glorious crown.

On being a young Christian In the same way, young people, Obey elders always, And clothe yourselves modestly, "For, God opposes proud people, "But he gives grace to humble people." Place yourself below the mighty hand of God, for he will lift you up in time. Throw all your worries to him, For he is concerned about you. You must be self controlled, You must stay awake. Your Enemy is a devil, Like a lion, Roaring as he walks, Looking for someone to swallow whole. To the one who resists resolutely, Using Faith, Knows the sufferings that is in this world, Of the brotherhood: they must be completed.

Focus on Jesus And so, God of all grace, He called us into his everlasting glory, In Mashiax there is yet a little suffering, He restores, He builds, He establishes, He rules.

Sovereignty is his From eternity to eternity, Amen!

A personal touch from Peter Through Silvanos to you faithful brothers, As I have written by this small piece, I strongly encourage you, Declaring this is the true grace of God In which you stand. I embrace you who are in 'Babylon', Chosen, And Marcus my son. Embrace each other with a loving kiss! Peace to you, And to all those in Mashiax.

i Here are the basic principles of the overall New Testament translation * the language should be as non-interpreted as possible and kept very close to the original Koine Greek structure and words; no words should be omitted; few should be added; the rawness of the original should be retained; * names are written as spoken and heard in the time of Jesus not as fltered through Greek and into English; * spellings of proper names are in simple and accepted forms direct from the source language - usually Hebrew/Aramaic, Latin and Greek - at the time of Christ; 'x' indicates a gutteral 'ch' sound as in Scottish 'lo ch'; in Hebrew the emphasis is upon the last complete syllable, e.g. Bait'sAIda, AvraHAm; dipthongs are indicated as such, all single vowels are single, e.g. Yeshua is pronounced YeshOOa and not YeshYOOa; * capitals are used where the noun or adjective are preceded by 'the' and so is signifcant and probably divine: e.g. God, The Name, The Twelve, The Holy Spirit, The Separated; * lower case is used whenever there is no 'the'; e.g. god, holy spirit; * there is a highly selective slant from Greek to Hebrew idioms where the Hebrew word is more in context with the time: e.g. HaMashiach instead of The Christ, Adonai instead of Lord; * the exception is the appearance of Mashiax capitalised; with a 'the' preceding it becomes HaMashiax;

* also place names are attempted that reflect the usage of Jesus' hearers; e.g. for Syria I have said Amon, Samaria becomes Shomron, Jerusalem becomes Yerushalayim, Israel becomes Yisrael, Egypt becomes Mizraim;
* the one exception to the ' capitals only when preceded by the' rule is when translating lord as Adonai, which is consistently translated (at least in St Luke) as Adonai;

* italics in the text indicate a quote from the Old Testament;

* verse numbers are omitted being of no signifcance in context; chapter numbers are used purely for ease of translation in manageable 'lumps' and will be omitted on the fnal translation which will be prose with headings; any headings will be recognisable to regular Bible readers in the Western tradition;

All blue text is commentary to the section which follows and is not part of the writings of St Peter.
ii

iii Pontus was a region in the north of Asia Minor, bordering the south of the Black Sea, now in Turkey, as are the other places mentioned as destinations for this letter.