1 Peter: Christians on Display

Sources: Willis Barnstone, ed., The Other Bible: Ancient Alternative Scriptures (HarperCollins, 1984); Bart Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 3d ed. (Oxford, 2004); I. Howard Marshall et al., Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters and Revelation (IVP, 2002), chapter 21.

I. Structure and Authorship
Structure: 1 Peter's structure follows an adapted Hellenistic letter:

Introduction (from/to 1:1-2a, greeting 1:2b, thanksgiving/blessing (1:3-9? -12? previewing themes),
body (exhortation, thesis, theological treatment, ethical implication),
closing (5:12 practical matters, 5:13 personal greetings, 5:14a postscript, 5:14b doxology).

Authorship: Is the author Peter, with Silvanus assisting in some way (5:12)?

His audience are former pagans in regions around Asia Minor.
Yet he assumes their facility with the Tanakh, especially Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah (2:4-10).
1 Peter draws on traditions common to Matthew and Luke, Paul, James, Hebrews, and Ephesians—an apostolic mainstream.
The work and teachings of Jesus are central to the letter's ethic (2:20-25 in 2:13-3:12).

II. Some Highlights
All demonstrate a Christian apocalyptic paradigm (e.g., 1:13).
1. Jesus is fundamental and pivotal!

His body brings a cornerstone (2:4-5),
his suffering brings ransom (1:18) and an example (2:21-25, 4:1-2),
his resurrection brings hope and power (1:3, 3:18-21),
his baptism brings rebirth (3:21),
his fellowship brings identity and peace (2:9, 5:14),
his reign from heaven brings cosmic dominion and security (1:4, 3:22, 4:11),
and his return brings lasting vindication and glory (4:5-6, 4:13, 5:4).
Is there a hint of Trinitarian theology in 1:2? Or perhaps the tip of an iceberg? We'll see many more such hints in the NT.

2. God's work in Christ is the foundation of their new standing in a stubbornly evil situation (1:3-25: note Isaiah 40:4-8's good news).
3. Christians experience their own forefathers' imperial culture as Israel-in-exile (1:1, 1:14, 1:18, 2:11-12, 5:13, cf. Jeremiah 29:1-14).

Yet their Christ-given new being amidst the old (1:3-2:9) transforms this relationship (2:18-5:11).

4. The righteously suffering Christian community (like Daniel 1-7's exiles) extends Jesus' atonement to the public and domestic world,

through 'civil obedience,' or (John Howard Yoder) 'revolutionary subordination' (2:13).

Peter sees Christ's exiles accomplishing our mission thus:

The weak submit to the strong (rulers, employers, patriarchs) trustfully and suffer, following "in his steps" (2:21-25).
This wins over the 'strong' by showing them Christ's way (3:1).
The strong honor the weak as joint heirs (3:7-8).
The innocent bear abuse from the wicked with a clear conscience (3:13-22), mindful of their own similar pasts (1:18, 4:1-6).
The wicked are subject to God's harsh judgment (4:17-18).
What is on display (before outsiders, insiders, and God) is the ordinary life leaders are to cultivate, which leads to eternal life at Christ's appearing (5:1-11).

5. Many 'believers' in Peter's audience aren't following orders.

So his argument follows our familiar biblical 'indicative-imperative' pattern: Here's our situation, so here's what we do. (Cf. up to 1:12, then 1:13ff.)
In sum, "this is the true grace of God: stand fast in it" (5:12).
A contemporary 1 Peter-style vision is Stanley Hauerwas' and Will Willimon's Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony.