Beloved, don't be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you, to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you.

 Peter is thinking of the two great activities of the Christian Church, preaching and practical service. The word he uses for sayings is logia ( G3048) . That is a word with a kind of divine background. The heathen used it for the oracles which came to them from their gods; the Christians used it for the words of scripture and the words of Christ. So Peter is saying, "If a man has the duty of preaching, let him preach not as one offering his own opinions or propagating his own prejudices, but as one with a message from God." It was said of one great preacher: "First he listened to God, and then he spoke to men." It was said of another that ever and again he paused, "as if listening for a voice." There lies the secret of preaching power. 