The First Letter of Peter: A Commentary on the Greek Text

Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Contents......Page 8
Abbreviations......Page 12
Part I. Introduction......Page 24
§1 The "Fiery Ordeal" (1 Peter 4:12) The Situation of Suffering......Page 25
§2 The "Foreigners" (1 Peter 1:1; 2:11) The Theological Interpretation of the Situation......Page 36
§3 "In Order to Encourage and to Testify" (1 Peter 5:12) The Arrangement of the Letter......Page 40
§4 "Rebirth" and "People of God" The Crossing of the Vertical and Horizontal Dimensions of Soteriology......Page 46
§5 "For It Is Written" (1 Peter 1:16) 1 Peter and Tradition......Page 48
Unity......Page 51
Form......Page 53
Author......Page 55
Date of Composition......Page 62
Place of Composition......Page 63
Addressees......Page 65
§7 The Influence of First Peter......Page 66
Part II. Exegesis......Page 70
I. Prescript: The Addressees as Foreigners and People of God 1:1-2......Page 71
A. Rebirth 1:3-2:3......Page 83
(i) Praise over God's Salvific Action 1:3-5......Page 84
(ii) Rejoicing and Trial 1:6-7......Page 102
(iii) Faith without Sight 1:8-9......Page 108
(iv) The Prophets 1:10-12......Page 115
(v) Summary 1 Peter 1:3-12......Page 118
2. Rebirth and the New Way of Life 1:13-2:3......Page 119
(i) "Obligating Hope" 1:13......Page 122
(ii) Obedience as a Counterpart to God's Holiness 1:14-16......Page 124
(iii) God, the Father and Savior 1:17-21......Page 130
(iv) Love as the Proof of New Life 1:22-25......Page 143
(v) New Birth and New Beginning 2:1-3......Page 147
B. The Regenerate as God's People 2:4-10......Page 154
1. The Building Up into a Spiritual House 2:4-8......Page 156
2. The Foreigners as God's People 2:9-10......Page 162
3. Summary 1:3-2:10......Page 166
III. Freedom and Obedience: Foreigners in the Society 2:11-5:11......Page 167
1. Living as Foreigners 2:11-12......Page 168
2. New Way of Life within the Society 2:13-4:6......Page 173
(i) Subordination under Authority as Witness 2:13-3:12......Page 174
(a) Subordination under the Government 2:13-17......Page 180
(b) Subordination and the dignity of the Slaves 2:18-25......Page 188
(c) The Exhortation to Wives and Husbands 3:1-7......Page 200
(d) Closing Exhortation to All 3:8-12......Page 207
(e) Summary 1 Peter 2:11-3:12......Page 210
(ii) Hostility of the Environment as Challenge 3:13-4:6......Page 214
(a) The Blessing of Those Who Suffer 3:13-17......Page 215
(b) The Christological Reason 3:18-22......Page 220
(c) Being Different as Scandal 4:1-6......Page 233
3. Exhortation to Love One Another 4:7-11......Page 239
1. Suffering as Fellowship with Christ 4:12-19......Page 244
2. Leadership and Service within the Community 5:1-5......Page 253
(i) The Closing Exhortation 5:6-9......Page 266
(ii) Encouragement and Closing Doxology 5:10-11......Page 274
IV. Letter Closing 5:12-14......Page 275
Bibliography......Page 282
Scripture Index......Page 318