Epistles Quiz: 1 & 2 Peter and Jude

1. Who does 1 Peter say is the audience of the letter, and how are they described?

1. 'To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood'
2. 1 Peter addresses church leaders only — elders, deacons, and overseers in the five provinces of Asia Minor
3. 1 Peter is addressed to Gentile converts in Rome alone — Peter was writing to support those facing Nero's first persecutions from his own Roman ministry
4. 1 Peter is addressed to the Jerusalem church — the Jewish believers who remained in Israel after Pentecost

2. What does 1 Peter 1:3-5 say about the 'living hope' that believers have?

1. 'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time'
2. Hope in 1 Peter is for the next generation — Peter writes that the inheritance will be received by the children of the first Christians, not by those who are already experiencing suffering
3. Peter says hope is a feeling that God gives to particularly faithful Christians — those who suffer most are granted the strongest inner sense of confidence
4. Peter's living hope means that Christ could return at any moment — believers should maintain a posture of constant expectation without engaging in earthly planning or vocational life

3. What does 1 Peter 1:6-7 say about the purpose of trials in the believer's life?

1. 'In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed'
2. Peter says trials are designed to give believers greater compassion — suffering Christians become better at ministering to other sufferers, which is the trials' only purpose
3. Peter says trials are God's punishment for sin — suffering is proportional to unfaithfulness and the way to end suffering is to repent more thoroughly
4. Peter says trials serve no redemptive purpose — they are simply the result of living in a fallen world and Christians should pray to be free of them

4. What does 1 Peter 2:9 say about the identity of God's people?

1. 'But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light'
2. 'Come to him, the living Stone — rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him — and you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood'
3. 'For all the people of God are pilgrims and strangers on the earth, seeking a city that is yet to come, and their identity is entirely eschatological — not grounded in present community'
4. 'So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone'

5. What does 1 Peter 2:19-24 say about suffering unjustly and Christ's example?

1. 'For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God... To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps... When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly'
2. Peter says that unjust suffering has no value whatsoever — only suffering that comes from one's own sin can be redemptive because it teaches humility
3. Peter says unjust suffering proves that the persecutors are under divine judgment — Christians who suffer unjustly can take comfort that their oppressors will be punished immediately
4. Peter says unjust suffering should be resisted through legal means — Christians have an obligation to pursue justice in Roman courts for wrongs done to them

6. What does 1 Peter 3:15 say about apologetics and the believer's inner life?

1. 'Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander'
2. 'But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Know the Scriptures thoroughly so that you can defend the gospel through reasoned argument against all philosophical objections'
3. 'Contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. For certain individuals have crept in unnoticed — ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God'
4. 'Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone who asks about the hope you have in Christ'

7. What does 1 Peter 5:5-9 say about humility and spiritual warfare?

1. 'In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders... Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time... Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith'
2. Peter links humility only to relationships between church leaders — younger members should be submissive to elders, but all other expressions of humility are optional
3. Peter says pride is spiritually neutral — the issue is whether one uses power to oppress others, not whether one has an elevated sense of self
4. Peter's humility teaching applies only to household relationships — the 'lion' metaphor concerns only domestic threats to the Christian family

8. What does 2 Peter 1:16-18 say about Peter's authority as a witness?

1. 'For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain'
2. Peter denies making any appeal to personal experience — he says all signs and wonders can be faked and believers must rely on tested traditions alone
3. Peter says his authority derives from the Jerusalem Council — the collective decision of the apostles is the only legitimate basis for teaching the church
4. Peter says his authority rests entirely on Scripture — he makes no appeal to personal experience because the written word alone is the source of apostolic teaching

9. What does 2 Peter 1:19-21 say about the prophetic word and its origin?

1. 'We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it... Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit'
2. Peter says all prophecy is now complete — after the Transfiguration, no further prophetic word is needed or possible because the fullness of revelation has arrived
3. Peter says the prophetic message is less reliable than apostolic eyewitness — he urges believers to prioritise his own letters over the OT prophetic books
4. Peter says the prophetic word is uncertain — Scripture is one source of spiritual wisdom among many and must be weighed against personal revelation

10. What does 2 Peter 3:8-10 say about God's delay and judgment?

1. 'But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief'
2. Peter says God has forgotten his promise — the long delay of the parousia shows that apocalyptic expectations were mistaken and should be reinterpreted in a non-literal way
3. Peter says the delay means Christ will never literally return — the 'coming' is spiritual, referring to the presence of Christ in the church throughout history
4. Peter says the scoffers are right that conditions have not changed since creation — he concedes their empirical point while arguing that spiritual change is what matters

11. What does Jude 3-4 say about why Jude had to change his letter's subject?

1. 'Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. For certain individuals have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a licence for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord'
2. Jude changed his topic because God gave him a new revelation in a vision — he was redirected from a systematic theology to an urgent warning letter
3. Jude had originally planned to write about the Transfiguration — he changed course because a new debate about Moses had broken out in the community
4. Jude had planned to write about the Jerusalem offering but changed his mind when he heard about the Gentile controversy that Paul was also addressing in Galatians

12. What examples from OT history does Jude cite in verses 5-7 as warnings?

1. 'Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling — these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day — as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality'
2. Jude cites only one OT example — the flood of Noah — which he says was the definitive judgment that established the pattern for all subsequent divine discipline
3. Jude draws his examples only from the NT — he argues that the new covenant has replaced all OT precedents and the false teachers should be judged by the pattern of Ananias and Sapphira
4. Jude uses examples of faithful OT figures only — he cites Abraham, Moses, and Elijah as models of godly perseverance

13. What does Jude say about the disputed body of Moses and the archangel Michael?

1. 'But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, The Lord rebuke you!'
2. Jude does not mention Moses's body — the Michael reference in Jude is about a different dispute over the authority of the law and has nothing to do with Moses's burial
3. Jude says Michael destroyed Moses's body — the archangel was sent to ensure the body was not found so that Israel would not worship it as a relic
4. Jude says Moses's body was taken directly to heaven — the angel Michael carried it to God's presence without any dispute or opposition from the devil

14. What does Jude 24-25 say in its famous closing doxology?

1. 'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen'
2. 'Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen'
3. 'To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen'
4. 'To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen'

15. What does 1 Peter 4:12-14 say about suffering as a Christian?

1. 'Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you'
2. Peter says fiery trials are a sign of spiritual failure — the Proverbs pattern of blessing for obedience means suffering indicates hidden sin that must be confessed
3. Peter says suffering is only for weak Christians — those who have enough faith will not experience the fiery ordeal but will be protected from it while others are tested
4. Peter says suffering is only valuable when the cause is completely understood — meaningless suffering has no redemptive purpose and believers should seek to understand why they suffer before they can rejoice in it

16. What does 2 Peter 2 warn about and what does it call the false teachers?

1. 'But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them — bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute... These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them'
2. 2 Peter 2 warns about excessive asceticism — the false teachers were promoting too strict a discipline and Peter corrects them by affirming material creation
3. 2 Peter 2 warns about lukewarm Christians — those who have become spiritually cold and must be revived through church discipline
4. 2 Peter 2 warns only about Gnostic teachers who have come from outside the church — the false teachers are foreign missionaries who have never been part of the Christian community

17. What does 2 Peter 3:14-18 urge believers to do in light of the coming day?

1. 'So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him... Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever! Amen'
2. Peter says believers should not make any effort — the Christian life is about resting in God's promises, not striving, and effort-language contradicts the grace of the new covenant
3. Peter urges believers to withdraw from the world entirely — since everything will be destroyed, investment in earthly life and relationships is spiritually counterproductive
4. Peter urges believers to work urgently toward social reform — since the world will be destroyed and remade, Christians must prepare the way by correcting injustice before the end

18. What does Jude 20-23 tell believers to do in the midst of the false teaching crisis?

1. 'But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear — hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh'
2. Jude says believers should immediately excommunicate all suspected false teachers — decisive separation is the only response, with no attempt at gradual discernment or restoration
3. Jude says believers should write letters to the apostles — all decisions about false teaching must be made centrally by the Jerusalem leadership, not locally by individual congregations
4. Jude tells believers to ignore the false teachers entirely — paying attention to them gives their teaching more influence and the best response is complete silence

19. What does 1 Peter 3:18-20 teach about Christ's death and proclamation to 'imprisoned spirits'?

1. 'For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits — to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the time of Noah while the ark was being built'
2. Peter says the imprisoned spirits are the human dead who died without hearing the gospel — Christ preached to them between Good Friday and Easter so they could make a post-mortem decision for Christ
3. Peter teaches that after the resurrection, Christ descended into a literal underground prison to permanently confine the fallen angels who sinned before the flood
4. Peter teaches that Christ's death extended salvation to all the dead of every generation — the proclamation to imprisoned spirits means every person who ever lived is eventually saved

20. What does 1 Peter 2:11-12 say about how believers should live among non-believers?

1. 'Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us'
2. Peter says believers should aggressively challenge pagan society — protest, confrontation, and public denunciation are the primary tools for living faithfully in a hostile culture
3. Peter says believers should conform entirely to the surrounding culture — cultural accommodation is the key to effective evangelism and the church has no distinct social witness
4. Peter says believers should withdraw entirely from Gentile society — the only safe environment is the closed community of fellow Christians, away from worldly corruption