At the very beginning of his first letter the aged servant of God ascribed to his Lord a tribute of praise and thanksgiving. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," he exclaimed, "which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

I sit første brev bringer Guds aldrende tjener sin Herre en hyldest i pris og taksigelse. "Lovet være Gud, vor Herres Jesu Kristi Fader," skrev han, "som i sin store barmhjertighed har genfødt os til et levende håb ved Jesu Kristi opstandelse fra de døde, til en uforkrænkelig og uvisnelig arv, gemt i Himlene til jer, som i Guds kraft bliver bevaret ved tro til en frelse, der er beredt til at åbenbares i den sidste tid."