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1 Peter 1:12

by Don Costello  
3/12/2011 / Bible Studies

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

1. "Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things"

a. Amplified Bible: "It was then disclosed to them that the services they were rendering were not meant for themselves and their period of time, but for you."

b. Studying this out has opened up for me another passage that for all my Christian life I have had no real grasp on what it meant. The men who were moved upon by the Holy Ghost to write these things down were told that the things they were writing was not for them. Jesus told His disciples that many prophets and kings greatly desired to see the things that they were seeing [See above 1 Peter 1:10; Matthew 13:17, Luke 10:24], but even his disciples were not seeing all of it for Jesus had not yet died and rose from the dead. As revealed in the second part of this verse, the "things" Peter was referring to was the preaching and implementing of the New Covenant. Hebrews 11 is often called "God's Hall of Faith", a whole chapter of "good report", how those good men and women of God, stood faithful and accomplished great things by faith in obedience to God. At the end of the chapter the writer of Hebrews concludes the chapter with these powerful words.

1). Hebrews 11:39, 40 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

2). The promise that the writer was referring to was the promise of the Messiah, not just his life but his substitutionary death and resurrection.
a). Acts 13:32-39 [ASV]And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers,
that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.
Because he saith also in another psalm, Thou wilt not give Thy Holy One to see corruption.
For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
but he whom God raised up saw no corruption.
Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins:
and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

2. "which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven"

a. At the council of Jerusalem Paul and Barnabas testified of the grace of God in their ministry.

1). Acts 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

b. The whole Book of Acts written by Luke and the letters of Paul, James, Peter, and John all comprise "the things which are now reported unto you [us]"

c. What must not be lost in all this examination is the full meaning of the word "salvation", not just by its definition, but also the content of the Scriptures. Signs and wonders are just as much a part of our salvation as is our forgiveness and justification, and to not include it in the Covenant is to "neglect" our salvation.

1). Hebrews 2:1-4 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

3. "which things the angels desire to look into."

a. desire [1937 * epithymeo] [Thayer: to turn upon a thing, to have a desire for, long for, to desire, to lust after, covet, of those who seek things forbidden.] [Vine: "to fix the desire upon" (epi, "upon," used intensively, thumos, "passion"), whether things good or bad.]

b. look[3879 * parakypto] [Thayer: to stoop to a thing in order to look at it, to look at with head bowed forward, to look into with the body bent, to stoop and look into, metaph. to look carefully into, inspect curiously, of one who would become acquainted with something.]

c. The plan of redemption was planned out by God before man was created and before the earth was created.

1). 1 Peter 1:18-20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

d. In fact the plan of redemption was already planned out before the fall of Lucifer. The earth was created before the fall of Lucifer, which of course means the plan of redemption is older than his fall.

1). Job 38:4-7 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

e. God hid the wisdom that is the plan of redemption from the fallen angels and from the angels who had not fallen in order to protect the success of its fulfillment.

1). 1 Corinthians 2:7, 8 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

a). On a side note about 1 Corinthians 2:7, the hidden wisdom of the plan of redemption was ordained by God for our glory. The main meaning of "our glory" is our spiritual growth. 2 Corinthians 3:18 declares we are to be changed into the same image of Christ, "from glory to glory."

f. Now, because of Christ's victory in establishing the New Covenant, as the church grows and develops spiritually in knowing and understanding and walking out the Covenant, the angels, the principalities and powers by watching the church walk out the Covenant will know the wisdom of God. What an awesome privilege we have in the plan of redemption, we know more than the angels!

My name is Don Costello. Ever since I received Christ in November of 1976 I have had a passion to study and know God's word.My wife Melissa and I have 5 children.

My e-mail address is [email protected]

I have a blog located at:
www.theophilus-loverofgodsword.blogspot.com/

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