Skip to main content

Tag: First Letter of Peter

Spiritual milk

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in 1 Peter, What’s new?.

What is spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2)?

First Peter 2:2 reads, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” In the previous verse, Peter had urged his readers to rid themselves of sinful behaviors and the desires of the natural man. As they laid aside “all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind” (verse 1), they were to strive for spiritual milk like babies.

Every nursing mother knows the intensity of babies looking for milk, crying until they are satisfied. Experts have shown that a mother’s milk benefits her baby in many ways, including aiding brain development, promoting healthy weight, and bolstering antibodies: Healthline (www.healthline.com/health/breastfeeding/11-benefits-of-breastfeeding#benefits-for-you). Peter employs this analogy to convey that, as Christians, our overall spiritual growth and well-being hinge on receiving “pure spiritual milk.” But what exactly is this spiritual milk?

Elsewhere, Scripture uses milk as a metaphor for the basic essentials of the gospel and Christian living. In Hebrews 5:12–14, the writer speaks of milk and solid food to encourage readers to move beyond “the elementary truths of God’s word” (verse 12). Paul likewise references milk in 1 Corinthians 3:1–3 in a rebuke to his immature readers. However, Peter uses the term spiritual milk positively, encouraging his readers to feed continually on it.

The “pure spiritual milk” constitutes God’s complete, special revelation, encapsulated in what we now know as the Bible. Some translations, such as the KJV, render the phrase as the “sincere milk of the word.” The Word can also symbolize Christ (John 1:1–5), implying that our craving should extend to deeper knowledge of Christ and closer fellowship with Him. In essence, growth comes as we feed on the written Word and fellowship with the living Word.

The directive in 1 Peter 2:2 is active and imperative, signifying that it is our responsibility to yearn for pure spiritual milk. We are to read, meditate upon, and study God’s written Word both individually and in the company of fellow believers. We should also engage in communion with the living Word and cultivate a deeper understanding of His person and work. Through these activities, we progress toward becoming more like Jesus in character and conduct. We will “grow up in [our] salvation” (1 Peter 2:2b).

Bible-based sermons are also helpful, as are Christian books and Christ-centered songs. Sound teachers facilitate a deeper understanding of God’s Word and rekindle a zeal for more. Well-written Christian books can provide insight into the knowledge of Christ, while songs enhance fellowship and remind us of the beauty found in Christ.

Peter’s instructions serve as a reminder that what we crave and consume profoundly impacts our spiritual growth. The world’s “milk” is impure and only gratifies our sinful desires. False teachings are, at best, spiritual junk and, at worst, poison. We must hunger for pure, unadulterated spiritual nourishment.

After you have suffered a little while

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in 1 Peter, What’s new?.

What encouragement is there “after you have suffered a little while” (1 Peter 5:10)?

In Peter’s closing remarks to the churches in the Asia Minor, he affirms, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10, ESV). This powerful sentence offers encouragement through the themes of restoration, confirmation, strengthening, and establishment. Let’s delve into God’s message of hope here.

To begin with, Peter acknowledges that Christians are not exempt from suffering, particularly the persecution that arises from identifying with Christ. While our trials may vary in nature, every Christian will experience some degree of suffering. It could manifest as insults, disparaging remarks, struggles with sin, disappointments in a broken world, tragic losses, poverty, imprisonment, or even death. Early Christians endured intense persecution, and many struggled with discouragement. Peter’s encouragement went beyond superficial motivation to ease their pain; it offered a hope that transcended their temporary discomfort.

Modern Christians often hold one of two extreme views of suffering, both of which Peter contradicts. The first extreme treats suffering as either an illusion or a sign of weak faith. This perspective suggests that Christians should not suffer, and even mentioning negative aspects of life, like sickness, is almost sinful. The books of Job and Ecclesiastes refute this view, and, in the New Testament, Jesus affirms that His followers will face trials and persecution (Matthew 5:10–12; Luke 9:23; John 16:33). Even Hebrews 11, the renowned chapter on faith, acknowledges suffering (verses 35–38). The other extreme involves adopting a defeatist attitude toward life due to its brokenness. Both extremes should be avoided in light of God’s promises.

God’s first encouragement to Christians, through Peter, is restoration. The Greek word for “restore” conveys the idea of making something whole again. Sin and suffering have left us broken, and we will not be fully restored this side of eternity. However, at the right time, God will restore all things, including us (see Revelation 2:15). In the Christian perspective, the afterlife is not just a consolation for the troubles of the present life; it is a renewal into God’s intended state. As C. S Lewis opined, “They say of some temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it,’ not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory” (The Great Divorce, Macmillan, p. 64).

Additionally, God promises to confirm, strengthen, and establish us. He fully acknowledges that we are His, that He gifts us with strength, and that He will establish us, that is, He will keep us rooted. Through it all, “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Hence, we need not deny the reality of suffering—even for righteous individuals—nor do we fall into despair. It can be dismaying to witness the prevalence of evil in the world, and we may wonder why God appears silent. However, the God who suffered in the Person of Jesus has shown us that He is active both in good and bad times. We can always rely on His grace when the burden feels too much to bear.