Peter wrote this epistle to the Jewish Christians in the area of Asia Minor which is present day Turkey. It was written after Paul’s letters approximately 65-67 AD.

Questions arise on the location of where Peter wrote the epistle. He mentions a greeting from the church in Babylon. (1 Peter 5:13), although it’s unknown of what he meant by Babylon. Some think this is literal Babylon, which is Iraq today. Most scholars believe Peter was in Rome at this time and used Babylon as code for Rome. Church tradition says Peter was martyred in Rome. Therefore if indeed Peter wrote the letter from Rome, it was near the end of his life.

The theme of 1 Peter is suffering. The Christians experienced an increase in intense suffering and needed both instruction and encouragement. They needed to understand that suffering is the standard and normal part of the Christian life. As suffering is the way to relate to the sufferings of Jesus Christ, in whom Peter personally witnessed. In addition they needed to know the importance of remaining loyal and submissive to the Lord, as Peter learned the hard way in denying the Lord. Also, they needed to focus on the hope of Jesus and the glory of eternity in heaven. It’s our eternal hope which ultimately places suffering in the correct perspective.

A few have questioned if Peter actually wrote the letter, as some thought he was an uneducated and untrained fisherman. That a fisherman was incapable of writing this profound letter. This claim ignores the fact of the changed life of Peter following the resurrection of Jesus and the day of Pentecost. The time Peter spent with Jesus, the experience of His grace, being loved, forgiven, and restored by Jesus, and the filling of the Holy Spirit all made Peter a changed man of God. This tough fisherman now spoke words such as, “precious”. Peter was a man eternally transformed by his personal relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.