1 Peter

Karen H. Jobes

Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

©2005 by Karen H. Jobes

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516–6287

www.bakeracademic.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jobes, Karen H.

1 Peter / Karen H. Jobes.

  p.     — (Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament)

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN 0–8010-2674–1 (cloth)

1. Bible. N.T. Peter, 1st—Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series.

  BS2795.53.J63 2005

  227´.9207—dc22 2005004110

To my husband, Buzz,

who has always exemplified Ephesians 5:25

by his support for my work

Contents

Series Preface

Author’s Preface

Abbreviations

Transliteration

Map

Introduction to 1 Peter

I. A Greeting to the Christian Diaspora of Asia Minor (1:1–2)

II. The Opening of the Letter: Reassurance for God’s People (1:3–2:10)

A. Doxology as the Basis for the Christian Life (1:3–12)

B. Be What You Are (1:13–2:3)

C. The Identity of God’s People (2:4–10)

III. As God’s People, Live Godly Lives (2:11–4:11)

A. Commendable Social Behavior as God’s People (2:11–3:7)

B. The Inner Qualities of Righteous Living (3:8–12)

C. Suffering Unjustly for the Name of Christ (3:13–4:11)

IV. Consolation for the Suffering Flock (4:12–5:11)

A. Two Final Thoughts about Suffering for Christ (4:12–19)

B. Final Exhortations to the Community (5:1–11)

V. The Letter Closing: Final Words and Greetings (5:12–14)

Excursus: The Syntax of 1 Peter: How Good Is the Greek?

Works Cited

Index of Subjects

Index of Authors

Index of Greek Words

Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings

Series Preface

The chief concern of the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (BECNT) is to provide, within the framework of informed evangelical thought, commentaries that blend scholarly depth with readability, exegetical detail with sensitivity to the whole, and attention to critical problems with theological awareness. We hope thereby to attract the interest of a fairly wide audience, from the scholar who is looking for a thoughtful and independent examination of the text to the motivated lay Christian who craves a solid but accessible exposition.

Nevertheless, a major purpose is to address the needs of pastors and others involved in the preaching and exposition of the Scriptures as the uniquely inspired Word of God. This consideration affects directly the parameters of the series. For example, serious biblical expositors cannot afford to depend on a superficial treatment that avoids the difficult questions, but neither are they interested in encyclopedic commentaries that seek to cover every conceivable issue that may arise. Our aim, therefore, ...