Text: Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look (1 Peter 1:10-12).

Context: A.D. 62-63. Peter, an intimate friend of Jesus, though clearly a fallen man, but also a repentant man and disciple of the Lord Jesus, wrote from Rome, Italy (called “Bablylon” by Peter), wrote to “elect exiles”/Christians with one overarching message: the truth-telling prophet, the truth-living Christian will suffer, but it will all be worth it in the end. Therefore, press on in the truth.

Questions for Consideration:

• What is the office of the prophetic truth-teller?
• Are there not costs involved in telling the truth?
• What are some examples of the prophetic truth-teller in the Old Testament?
• What happened to them?
• Did they quit?
• Why does God raise up prophetic truth-tellers?
• Why is there a need for prophetic truth-tellers?
• Whom does Peter hold up as the model and apotheosis of prophetic truth-telling?
• What happened to the Christ?
• Should Christ’s prophetic truth-tellers expect anything unlike what Christ experienced?
• Whom does Peter say the prophetic truth-tellers served? Was it themselves?
• Do you see the authentic prophetic truth-tellers cave to the world’s system and the world’s way of doing business?

Encouragement: Always, always, always keep the main thing the main thing. Why? Because it’s so very easy to get sucked into comfort. It’s a hook buried inside the worm. It is trick bait for the undiscerning. The fish bites the worm and gets hooked. Then it’s too late. He is caught and landed and slaughtered for the appetite of the angler. The Christian, dear ones, is to recognize the prophetic truth-tellers when God sends them. Why? Because the prophetic truth-teller is God’s man. He is not serving self but you, God’s sheep. He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying.