Peter wrote this epistle near the end of his life before he was martyred in Rome. Written for a group of churches in Northwest Turkey. The church was growing at an amazing rate but alarming for the Roman authorities. Regarded as a competition, as the church grew bigger, the greater the persecution. This competition was about "WHO is KING?" Caesar or Jesus?   Peter is best known of all the Apostles by far. Peter & his brother Andrew were fishermen, living by the shores of Galilee. The first Apostles appointed by Jesus. Peter became the lead Apostle in Jerusalem & went to other parts of the world. Petrus Cephas. This epistle warns of persecutions & sufferings in various forms. Generally, persecution makes the church stronger, not weaker. It refines the church from all the weight of false teachers & believers. Persecution tests the genuineness of your faith.  How should we face persecution? We can discover more as we listen & study this Letter of Peter.