1 Peter 1:1-3
1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Pet 2:9
9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Many adversaries of the Truth try to tell us that 1 Peter is written to only ethnic jews, and so would have us to believe that where Peter calls them the Elect and a Holy Nation, that this is only to the ethnic jews. There is two reasons for this. #1 Because of the designation of an Holy Nation found in Exodus 19:6
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
And because Peter calls them strangers scattered in vs 1
They believe it only pertains to jewish believers who were scattered from the persecution here Acts 8:1
1And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Scripture here plainly informs us that it was the Church scattered. Yes it may have been comprised early on with believing ethnic jews, but nevertheless it was still the Church. What Church ? This One Matt 16:18
18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
It was Christ's Church, His Body !
This Church Acts 20:28
28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
It is the Church that was purchased with His own Blood ! Now, is this Church restricted to only ethnic jews ? If not, then neither is the Church in Acts 8:1
So the question is asked again, was 1 Peter written only to ethnic jews ? No it was not, it was written to believers in Christ, His Church, where there is neither jew or gentile, but both are One in Christ Eph 2:14
14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
This letter was written to believers, Christ Sheep, scattered throughout the Roman Province, Pontus, Galatia [as in Galatians where we know gentile believers existed] Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. This was a very ethnic diverse province, influenced by Grecio Roman Culture. That some of the recipients were probably gentiles is true because of 1 Pet 1:14
14As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
The term former ignorance is a gentile perception Acts 17:30
30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Acts 14:15-16
15And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
16Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
We are also aware that ethnic jews ,who before conversion, though very zealous in the jews religion, also were in Ignorance Rom 10:1-3
1Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
So 1 Pet 1:14 can actually apply to either or, jews or gentiles, but the point is now, that they are Believers in Christ, together they make up an Holy Nation 1 Pet 2:9..