Peter's Hope

[NyawehNyoh]

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● 1Pet 3:15 . . Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.

Peter's hope was likely the same as Paul's, which is not so much an exemption from the sum of all fears, rather; resurrection.

"Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial." (Acts 23:6)

There's a couple of resurrections in the works. The first is to an immortal body, and the second is to a non immortal body which will have to undergo yet a second death in the lake of brimstone depicted at Rev 20:11-15. I think it's pretty safe to assume that Peter wasn't looking forward to the second death; viz: he was anticipating an immortal body rather than a non immortal.

Anyway, the Greek word for "hope" in 1Pet 3:15 is elpis (el pece') which means to anticipate (usually with pleasure) and to expect with confidence. Note the elements of anticipation, expectation, and confidence.

In other words: elpis hope is a know-so hope rather than a cross your fingers hope. So, unless someone knows for proof-positive, beyond even the slightest glimmer of sensible doubt, that they are in line for an immortal body, then of course it is impossible for them to comply with Peter's instructions seeing as they would not have the kind of hope about which he wrote.

● Rom 12:12 . . Rejoice in hope.

When people are praying for the best, while in the back of their mind dreading the worst, they have absolutely no cause for rejoicing; no; but they do have plenty of cause to fear the unknown.

Rome of course does not allow its followers to have the kind of hope about which the apostle Peter wrote. It's against the rules.

Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon16: If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema.

Elpis hope is a calling.

● Eph 4:4 . .You were also called to the one hope

So when people are in doubt about their afterlife circumstances; it's a sure-fire indication that they have not yet responded to the call to the one hope.

● 1Pet 1:3 . . Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope

The "living hope" is again the Greek word elpis; which speaks of confident expectation. According to the supreme Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, when people lack the living hope-- i.e. the elpis hope --it can only be because they have not yet been born anew seeing as that's how elpis hope is obtained; and if that was the supreme Pope's belief, then it really ought to be every Catholic's belief too.
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[NyawehNyoh]

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1Pet 1:3 . . Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope

OBJECTION: It appears to me that according to Matt 16:16 and Jer 17:13, God is the living hope rather than resurrection to an immortal body.

RESPONSE: The Hebrew word for "hope" in Jer 17:13 means pretty much the same as the Greek word for hope in 1Pet 3:15. In other words; neither language for hope speaks of wishful thinking and/or someone crossing their fingers and praying for the best while in the back of their mind dreading the worst.

OBJECTION: According to CCC 1843, Catholics have a hope because it says "By hope we desire, and with steadfast trust await from God, eternal life and the graces to merit it."

RESPONSE: CCC 1843 doesn't say by hope we "expect". It says by hope we "desire". The catechism has to say desire or otherwise it would contradict Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon16, which reads: If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema.

Every conscientious Catholic longs for eternal life, but of course none are permitted to be 100% confident that they'll get it except they know so by a special revelation.

In contrast to both the Canon and the Catechism; the supreme pope of the Roman Catholic Church teaches thus:

"You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

. . . He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." (1Pet 1:18-21)

The Greek word for "hope" in that passage is the very same word for hope in 1Pet 3:15. In a nutshell: Catholicism's supreme pope was 100% fully assured that he had absolutely nothing to fear about the afterlife due to the ransom that Christ paid to rescue his soul from the consequences of his futile ways, i.e. any and all conduct that would normally put Peter in jeopardy of humanity's worst nightmare.

Now if Catholicism's supreme pope was confident that Christ's ransom was sufficient to spare him the sum of all fears, then all Catholics everywhere should be 100% fully assured too; but I dare say you may experience difficulty finding one who is. Hell is in the back of every conscientious Catholic's mind right along with the very real possibility of their ending up in that awful place in spite of their being informed that the purpose that Christ went to the cross was to rescue their souls from that very fate.
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[NyawehNyoh]

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● 1Pet 1:3 . . Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope

According to the language and grammar of that passage: Peter, along with the folk to whom he penned his letter, successfully underwent the birth about which Jesus spoke at John 3:3-8. How did they do it?

Well; you can do this for yourself right now, today, wherever you are and without the assistance of clergy-- you and Christ one on one just as he was one on one with Nicodemus, and one on one with the Samaritan woman.

The birth consists of two supernatural components; water and spirit.

According to John 4:10-14, the water component is available simply by speaking up for yourself and requesting it.

According to John 7:37-39, the spirit component is also available simply by speaking up for yourself and requesting it.

In other words; both components are totally free of charge and no strings attached. The only requirement is thirst. (cf. 1Cor 12:13 and Rev 22:17)

So, here's what you do.

Find a private moment and, in a quiet voice, speak to Christ and request the water and the spirit.

FAQ: Jesus is way up in heaven and I'm way down here on the ground. How is he supposed to hear me?

A: Christ is both human and divine (John 1:1-14). Don't worry, he'll hear you alright; nothing escapes his notice.
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