Peter makes reference to "suffering" in one form or another approximately 11 times in the letter we call 1 Peter. It's important to note that by "suffering" Peter is talking about trials and persecutions which come about because of the fact that we're Christians, people who may live IN the world but no longer OF the world. He makes the clear distinction that suffering which comes about because of sin and other behavioral-related choices is simply the consequences of sin, a completely different category from suffering for Christ or for the sake of simply being a Christian. Peter is answering the question, "Why does God allow suffering to occur?"
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Which would you rather be in a time of crisis: drunk or sober? In fact, what might make your list of things which are better when handled drunk rather than sober? That list would be comparatively short and probably contain things which you want to escape from, things you'd rather not face directly. If there's anything that has made your list, are any of them spiritual? Is it better to be "drunk" or "sober" when worshiping God? When facing Satan's attempts "to devour"? Then what is the purpose of those who presently advocate things like being "slain in the Spirit" or "drunk in the Spirit"?
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If you believe we're living in the Last Days, if you believe you're witnessing the fulfillment of End Times prophecy, if you're sure beyond all doubt that His return is imminent, what should you do? How should one live their life?
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By definition a "commandment" is actually an obligation of a contract — a "covenant" with God which spells out what you have to do to successfully keep your end of the agreement. There then seem to be a lot of additional rules in the Bible which serve as examples defining how to keep those commandments. When Jesus says in the New Testament, "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another", (John 13:34) He is providing the basic contractual obligation we must adhere to in order to maintain the New Covenant, not just giving us advice. And there are a lot of additional verses like these in Peter which describe how to go about fulfilling that obligation. As you may have noticed, everything listed here pertains to the quality of our personal relationships with others.
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"For you have been called for this purpose…" Hey! A biblical mission statement! Without having to purchase any of the books with "purpose" in their title, I can read directly from the Bible to determine my purpose. Oh…wait…the purpose is to "do what is right and suffer…[and]…patiently endure it…"? What gives? What kind of purpose is THAT?!?!
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There are two earthly behaviors which are repeatedly paralleled throughout Scripture as having a deeper spiritual meaning. The first is marriage. A right relationship with God is often allegorized as a faithful bride who loves and clings to no other, a wrong relationship often depicted as adultery. The second behavior is drunkenness. We're repeatedly admonished throughout Scripture to remain "sober" and there are many references between a wrong spiritual relationship and becoming spiritually intoxicated. So this is what truly puzzles me when I see church services encouraging participants to become "drunk in the Spirit". I even passed by a local church one time who posted signs encouraging people to stop by to "Party with us this Sunday!"
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We could probably write entire seminary textbooks from this short opening of Peter's letter. In a single sentence, he has touched on "God the Father", "the Spirit", and "Jesus Christ" and their roles in shaping our spiritual life, but starting with one of the most difficult concepts for me, "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father".
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