1 Peter

Peter writes this letter to Christians scattered across the Roman Empire who were being called "haters of mankind" and facing social ostracism. It is a manual on how to hold your ground when the world turns against you. Peter does not tell them to fight back or run away; he calls them "exiles" and tells them to live such good lives that their accusers are ashamed.

He reminds them that suffering is not a sign of God's absence, but a chance to purify their faith, just as gold is refined by fire. He points to Jesus' suffering as the ultimate example. While 1 Peter deals with threats from the outside (persecution), his second letter deals with a more dangerous threat from the inside (false teachers) in 2 Peter.