Peter's Hope

We can and should hope, friend, and never lose hope. But what many Protestants would call "assurance" of their salvation through faith alone or maybe "final perseverance", is not something taught by the Church.

Even Scripture hints at this, Saint Paul writing that he had not yet obtained, and that he must continue to fight, lest he be found wanting.

Philippians 3:10-14

1 Corinthians 9:27

WebersHome said:

Peter's hope was likely the same as Paul's, which is not so much an exemption from the sum of all fears, rather; resurrection.

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Possibly we should be more specific. We have the hope of resurrection in the righteousness of Jesus. And I would say both Paul and Peter give us scripture about how we need to become, so we are prepared for the resurrection of the righteous.

Peter says, "be clothed with humility," for one example > in 1 Peter 5:5.

And Paul also talks about how we all need to become humble, for example Philippians 2:5-11.

And both talk about how we need to become, so we are relating as God's family . . . the way the righteous resurrected will be relating as God's children >

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:8-9)

If we have this hope, then, we do not only rejoice, but we prepare.

WebersHome said:

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● 1Pet 3:15 . . Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.

Peter's hope was likely the same as Paul's, which is not so much an exemption from the sum of all fears, rather; resurrection.

"Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial." (Acts 23:6)

There's a couple of resurrections in the works. The first is to an immortal body, and the second is to a non immortal body which will have to undergo yet a second death in the lake of brimstone depicted at Rev 20:11-15. I think it's pretty safe to assume that Peter wasn't looking forward to the second death; viz: he was anticipating an immortal body rather than a non immortal.

Anyway, the Greek word for "hope" in 1Pet 3:15 is elpis (el pece') which means to anticipate (usually with pleasure) and to expect with confidence. Note the elements of anticipation, expectation, and confidence.

In other words: elpis hope is a know-so hope rather than a cross your fingers hope. So, unless someone knows for proof-positive, beyond even the slightest glimmer of sensible doubt, that they are in line for an immortal body, then of course it is impossible for them to comply with Peter's instructions seeing as they would not have the kind of hope about which he wrote.

● Rom 12:12 . . Rejoice in hope.

When people are praying for the best, while in the back of their mind dreading the worst, they have absolutely no cause for rejoicing; no; but they do have plenty of cause to fear the unknown.

Rome of course does not allow its followers to have the kind of hope about which the apostle Peter wrote. It's against the rules.

Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon16: If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema.

Elpis hope is a calling.

● Eph 4:4 . .You were also called to the one hope

So when people are in doubt about their afterlife circumstances; it's a sure-fire indication that they have not yet responded to the call to the one hope.

● 1Pet 1:3 . . Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope

The "living hope" is again the Greek word elpis; which speaks of confident expectation. According to the supreme Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, when people lack the living hope-- i.e. the elpis hope --it can only be because they have not yet been born anew seeing as that's how elpis hope is obtained; and if that was the supreme Pope's belief, then it really ought to be every Catholic's belief too.
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You seem to have a mission here to speak badly about the Catholic Church. This hatred is the antithesis of hope, which drinks from the wellspring of love. This sort of apologetic is directly contradictory with Peter's epistle that you quoted which states:

1 Pet 3:15,16
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

If you feel it is love, gentleness, and respect, denigrating someone else's faith, you should take a look at the number of ex-Catholics that are pulled away from the Catholic Church to wonder aimlessly in an unchurched state. Is that the goal of your form of hope? If not, then why not try to build up someone's faith here with love and respect, instead of bending every argument to be an apologetic against the Catholic Church?

WebersHome said:

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I was baptized an infant into the Roman Catholic Church in 1944; and in time went on to complete First Holy Communion and Confirmation. I attended an all-boys parochial high school for only a year because of difficulties with finances and transportation.

All my siblings are baptized Catholics. My youngest brother was an altar boy. My eldest brother was ordained a priest and went on to become a Friar.

My aunt and uncle were baptized Catholics, my mom was a baptized Catholic, my wife is a baptized Catholic, and all my in-laws are, and were, baptized Catholics-- one is even now a qualified catechism teacher.

When the apostle Paul converted to Christianity, he disowned neither his people nor his religious background-- nor have I ever in any way disowned my people nor my religious background. I can honestly say, as the apostle Paul did, that I am a Catholic, the son of a Catholic; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial. (Acts 23:6)
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Do you feel you would be open to discussing the quotes from the CCC that you posted? I have ran into many of these discussions where I feel like one of two children lobbing rocks over an insurmountable wall hoping to hit something on the other side and not really interested in meeting and openly discussing the topic.