First Peter - Lorin

middle. This pattern of grouping a series of short generalized
admonitions in paraenetic material was very common in the
ancient world, so there is nothing unusual about the way Peter
brings the material together. The focus on behavior is mostly
regarding relationships with others both inside the community
of believers and also with outsiders not a part of the Christian
community.
Additionally, the emphases in 3:8-12 find close affinity with
Paul’s admonitions in Rom. 12:9-21: 2
Group/Individual Emphasis
2:11-3:12
* 2:11-12 (group)
* 2:13-17 (group)
* 2:18-25 (individual: slaves)
* 3:1-6 (individual: wives)
* 3:7 (individual: husbands)
* 3:8-12 (group)
9 Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. 10
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy in your work,
but serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be
prayerful. 13 When God’s children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests
home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night. 14 If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don’t
curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share
their sorrow. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary
people. And don’t think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that
everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. 19
Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, “I will take vengeance; I will repay those
who deserve it,” says the Lord. 20 Instead, do what the Scriptures say: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If
they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.” 21 Don’t
let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good. 3
While no one can seriously claim that Peter depended on Romans for his ideas, both passages do reflect
generally similar thinking about Christian responsibilities. 4 Perhaps a common pool of general teaching used
by Christian leaders that followed the apostolic gospel may lie behind this material, but that is not certain. With
Romans written a bit earlier by Paul from Corinth to the church in Rome, and Peter being in Rome after the
receiving of this letter from Paul by the church there, it should not be surprising to find similarities of ideas by
these two apostles. Add to that the common link of Silas and his close friendship with both of these men.
Peter has some important ideas here that modern churches would do well to ponder and implement in
their fellowships.
I. Context and Background 5
a. Historical
External History. In the copying of this passage over the first eight centuries of Christian history, not
many variations of wording surface in the several thousand Greek texts of this passage that we have access
to today. The UBS 4th revised edition of the Greek New Testament lists only one variation that the editors
considered important enough to impact the translation of the text. The Nestle-Aland 27th revised edition Greek
2The places of close affinity with First Peter 3:8-12 are in bold italic red print.
3GNT: 9 Ἡ ἀγάπη ἀνυπόκριτος. ἀποστυγοῦντες τὸ πονηρόν, κολλώμενοι τῷ ἀγαθῷ· 10 τῇ φιλαδελφίᾳ εἰς ἀλλήλους φιλόστοργοι,
τῇ τιμῇ ἀλλήλους προηγούμενοι, 11 τῇ σπουδῇ μὴ ὀκνηροί, τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες, τῷ κυρίῳ δουλεύοντες, 12 τῇ ἐλπίδι χαίροντες,
τῇ θλίψει ὑπομένοντες, τῇ προσευχῇ προσκαρτεροῦντες, 13 ταῖς χρείαις τῶν ἁγίων κοινωνοῦντες, τὴν φιλοξενίαν διώκοντες.
14 εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς διώκοντας, εὐλογεῖτε καὶ μὴ καταρᾶσθε. 15 χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων, κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων. 16 τὸ αὐτὸ εἰς
ἀλλήλους φρονοῦντες, μὴ τὰ ὑψηλὰ φρονοῦντες ἀλλὰ τοῖς ταπεινοῖς συναπαγόμενοι. μὴ γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς. 17 μηδενὶ
κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδιδόντες· προνοούμενοι καλὰ ἐνώπιον πάντων ἀνθρώπων· 18 εἰ δυνατόν, τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν μετὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων
εἰρηνεύοντες· 19 μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντες, ἀγαπητοί, ἀλλὰ δότε τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ, γέγραπται γάρ· Ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω,
λέγει κύριος. 20 ἀλλὰ ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτόν· ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις
ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. 21 μὴ νικῶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ, ἀλλὰ νίκα ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ κακόν.
4The Romans text that is bold/italic in red represents points where Peter and Paul intersect one another with similar ideas. In
addition to the thought expression, both texts employ some similarly creative uses of Greek grammar that are not common elsewhere
in the New Testament.
5Serious study of the Bible requires careful analysis of the background and setting of the scripture passage. Failure to do this
leads to interpretive garbage and possibly to heresy. Detailed study of the background doesn’t always answer all the questions, but it
certainly gets us further along toward correct understanding of both the historical and contemporary meanings of a text. This serious
examination of both the historical and literary background of every passage will be presented in summary form with each of the
studies.
Bible Study: Page 164