Overview
A letter to the sojourners dispersed through several provinces of Asia Minor. It exhorts those born again to a living hope to live in holiness amid suffering, to glorify God among the nations by good conduct, and to share in the sufferings of the Messiah.
Theme A holy life sustained by a living hope in the midst of suffering
Historical background
The recipients were believers dispersed in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1). They faced social slander and suffering, and the letter describes their identity in the language of Exodus 19, a kingdom of priests. Babylon (1 Peter 5:13) is generally understood as a designation for Rome.