After the greeting, the letter begins with a solemn blessing in the style of Jewish blessings (see 2 Cor 1:3). Blessing God is equivalent to giving thanks to Him. The author, or a disciple of Peter, offers this blessing for the salvation that the communities received through being reborn into new life. The hymn functions as a profession of faith, recited in a prayerful setting, emphasizing the main themes of the baptismal catechesis in which his listeners have already been initiated (see Tit 3:5). The hymn contains the central theme of the letter: the passion of Christ and His glorification, which continues in the suffering of Christians and in their future and ultimate liberation. However, it would be wrong to interpret everything that follows as purely spiritual, since “the future heaven” must already become a present reality through believers’ daily effort.