Lecture 30: 1 Peter (Part 2)

General Letters

Part 3

III. I Peter – Perseverance Despite Persecution

A. Similarities that 1 Peter has with Hebrews and James

1. 1 Peter and Hebrews

a. Same date and circumstances: early to mid 60's near the onset of Nero's persecution (see esp. optative in 1 Peter 3:14)

b. Different audience ("Western Turkey") and provenance ("Rome")

2. 1 Peter and James

a. Similar introductions (James 1:1, 1 Peter 1:1)

b. James implies Jews, 1 Peter doesn't (see especially 1 Peter 4:3-4; cf. 2:10)

c. Both primarily exhortational

B. 1 Peter Outline (Simplest Version)

1. The Problem of Suffering (1:1-12) [N.B. purifying value]

2. First Response: Holiness (1:13-2:10) [N.B. language of "Israel" applied to "church"

3. Second Response: Right Living in Society (2:11-3:22) [N.B. apologetic value of submission (2:12, 15, 3:1, 16)

4. Suffering and Eschatology (4:1-19) [N.B. summary in v. 19]

5. Conclusions (5:1-14) [N.B. addition to domestic code in 5:1-4]

C. The "Domestic Code" (Haustafel) in the Epistles

1. Colossians/Ephesians

a. Husbands/Wives

b. Parents/Children

c. Masters/Slaves

2. 1 Peter

a. Government/Citizens

b. Husbands/Wives

c. Masters/Slaves

d. Elders/Rest of the Church

D. 1 Peter Outline

1. Greeting and Thanksgiving (1:1-12)

2. Call to Christian Holiness (1:13-2:10)

[First Christological Confession]

3. Principles of Submission (2:11-3:7)

a. Citizens and government

b. Slaves and masters

[Second Christological Confession]

c. Wives and husbands

4. Suffering for Being a Christian

[Third Christological Confession]

[Christ announcing victory over demonic realm during ascension?]

[Creating significant purification for us now (4:1) and full salvation after death (4:6)]

5. Exhortations (5:1-12)

6. Closing (5:12-14)

E. 1 Peter 3:18-22 Unpacked

1. Vv. 18-19 – "by the Spirit, through whom," vs. "in the spirit, through which"

2. V. 19 – "preached" as "proclaimed message," not "offered salvation" (k_russ vs. euangeliz¬_))

3. V. 19 – "spirits in prison" as demons

4. V. 20 – disobedience = role in Genesis 6 (cf. 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6)

5. V. 21 – "baptism saves" as "pledge" or "response"

6. V. 22 – when all this happened – during ascension

F. Responses to Persecution and Injustice in James and 1 Peter

1. James 5:7-11

a. Prayer

b. Trust in God's eschatological vengeance

c. Denunciatory, prophetic rhetoric

d. No actual justification for violence

2. 1 Peter 2:11-4:19

a. Do good to those mistreating you (2:11-17, 3:8-16)

b. Bear unjust suffering as Christ did (2:18-25, 3:17-4:11)

c. Do not submit to authorities' anti-Christian mandates (3:1-7)

d. Trust in God's eschatological vengeance (4:1-19)

e. No actual justification for violence