Analysis Of 1 Peter Epistle

Both tradition and the internal evidence of 1 Peter agree upon the authorship of this epistle. 1 Peter 1:1 claims Simon Peter the apostle as the author of this letter. One of the original twelve disciples, this Peter is the only one mentioned in the New Testament. In 1 Peter 5:1, the author claims to be a “witness of the sufferings of Christ”. Along with this internal evidence, various early Christian sources also agreed that Peter was the author. The epistle also has a strong influence from the earthly teachings of Jesus. The first book of Peter is permeated with the echoes of the teachings of Jesus. However, many modern scholars doubt Petrine authorship for various reasons. First and foremost, they claim that the polished Greek style is unusual for a Jewish fisherman. However, the traditional response points to the common practice of using amanuensis to dictate a letter. Indeed, Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:12, “By Silanus…I have written briefly to you.” Others suggest that the persecution implied in the epistle is uncharacteristic of the apostle’s life. Craig Blomberg suggest that the persecution mentioned in 1 Peter is likely referring to “unofficial, local harassment of believers.” The internal evidence along with the early use of the letter, the affirmation of Christian tradition, and the letters early acceptance into the biblical canon leads one to affirm Petrine authorship. Setting In 1 Peter 5:13, Peter writes, “she who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings.” Scholars suggest three supposed meanings of the location of this “Babylon”. Babylon could be a Roman outpost in northern Egypt, but it seems unlikely that Peter would be writing from this location. Babylon could be literally be ancient Babylon in Mesopotamia, but this, again, seems an unlikely location. Finally, the reference to Babylon could be a code word for Rome. Indeed, this seems to be the most likely interpretation. Date If, as accepted by most conservative scholars, this epistle was written by the apostle Peter, then the most likely date for it is the early- or mid-60s. That would place the writing during just before or …show more content…
In a world that would only increase in Christian persecution, Peter encourages these individuals to live holy lifestyles and “engage in the disciplines of eschatological hope, reverent fear of God, love for each other, and worship of Christ” It is this continued marginalization of the church that gives her a voice to articulate her faith to a pagan culture. Throughout this epistle, Peter ties the church’s persecution with the sufferings of Christ. Regardless of the extent or lengthen of a believer’s persecution, they must, like Christ, commit their lives to their Creator, knowing that their persecution has a divine purpose. Another central theme of 1 Peter is the centrality of Christ in the believer’s life. The believer is born again through the resurrection of Christ and “by Christ’s sacrificial death she has been redeemed from her vain and futile life, and by his resurrection she has been regenerated to a living hope and an imperishable inheritance.” Christ is the cornerstone of the church and the example to the church in how to submit to authority and endure suffering. Ultimately, the church looks to Christ as their life and example. Because this book is steeped in eschatological references, many commentators have called it the “Epistle of Hope” and others see this eschatological hope as a central