Peter: Apostle & Poet!

I recently read 1 and 2 Peter, and I really, really enjoyed it. Peter has always been my favorite disciple. I love his boldness in the Gospels, and his humanity.

I’ve read passages from Peter’s epistles before, but as I read his message in its entirety this time, it struck me how beautifully poetic his writing was. Granted, I was reading in English, but still, I was not expecting such depth of thought and use of language from this hotheaded fisherman. Christ really did a work in Peter!

The themes and metaphors in these epistles were just begging to be picked apart. (Confession: I studied English lit in college.)

The theme of being foreigners on this earth and the juxtaposition of “perishable” versus “imperishable” really kept me engaged, and searching for more instances of each throughout.

I found myself wanting to somehow summarize the first 2 chapters so I could retain all the richness, so I wrote a poem. More like the poem wrote itself! I just paraphrased Peter’s already poetic language and added punctuation. There are some very famous lines in these 2 chapters, so I used commas, periods and dashes to break up some of them. Sometimes when we are so familiar with passages, it’s easy to just gloss over them.  My hope was that the added punctuation would force you to pause and really think about what Peter is saying.

Here it is, I hope you enjoy!:

A people, belonging.

 

Strangers in the world, scattered –

Take heart,

For we have an inheritance,

That can never perish,

Never spoil,

Never fade.

 

Trials, though difficult,

Come to prove genuine

Our faith

And result in praise,

Glory and honor

On that day,

When Christ is revealed.

 

Thanks to all this trouble

You are filled with inexplicable joy!

For it is helping you accomplish

The goal of your faith –

The salvation of your souls!

 

Live like strangers here,

In reverent fear –

For you were not redeemed

With perishable things,

Like silver or gold,

But with something

Far more precious-

The blood of Christ,

The Lamb,

Who was without spot

Or blemish.

 

We have been born again,

Of imperishable seed –

A people, chosen

Royal priests,

A holy nation,

A people, belonging –

To God.

 

Remember, we are

Aliens and strangers

In this world,

Far from our homeland –

So submit to all authority on earth,

For our Heavenly Father’s sake.

Love the brotherhood,

Fear God and

Honor the king.

 

If you suffer for doing good,

And endure it,

You are close to the heart of God,

Since Christ left us this example

When he bore our sins

In his body,

On the tree.

 

-Karina Philip

May 31, 2018

(edited July 4, 2018)

 

This is the first time I try to summarize something through poetry, but it really worked for me! It speaks to my heart, it appeals to my senses and stays with me. What tools do you use to retain God’s Word? Do you take notes? Make lists? Journal about what you’re reading? Please share!