Understanding the Bible
Commentary Series

General Editors

W. Ward Gasque

Robert L. Hubbard Jr.

Robert K. Johnston

1 & 2 Peter,
Jude

Norman Hillyer

BakerBooks

a division of Baker Publishing Group
Grand Rapids, Michigan

© 1992 by Norman Hillyer

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

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

www.bakerbooks.com

Previously published jointly in 1995, in the United States by Hendrickson Publishers, and in the United Kingdom by the Paternoster Press.

Baker Books edition published 2011

ISBN 978-0-8010-4058-2

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.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the original edition as follows:

Hillyer, Norman

1 and 2 Peter, Jude / Norman Hillyer

(New International biblical commentary; 16)

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN 978-0-943575-87-7 (pbk.)

1. Bible. N.T. Peter—Commentaries. 2. Bible. N.T. Jude—Commentaries. I. Bible. N.T. Peter. English. New International. 1992. II. Bible. N.T. Jude. English. New International. 1992. III. Title. IV. Title: First and Second Peter, Jude. V. Series.

BS2795.3.H555 1992

227′.92077—dc20 92–24097

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

This is for Jean.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Abbreviations

Introduction

1 Peter

§1 Greetings to Readers (1 Pet. 1:1–2)

§2 Praise for Such a Salvation! (1 Pet. 1:3–9)

§3 Salvation Was Prophesied (1 Pet. 1:10–12)

§4 The Believers’ Response in Conduct (1 Pet. 1:13–16)

§5 Remember the Cost of Your Salvation (1 Pet. 1:17–21)

§6 The New Imperative of Love (1 Pet. 1:22–25)

§7 New Life Must Grow (1 Pet. 2:1–3)

§8 The Stone—Living and Deadly (1 Pet. 2:4–8)

§9 The New People of God (1 Pet. 2:9–10)

§10 Living the New Life among Others (1 Pet. 2:11–12)

§11 Respect for Authority (1 Pet. 2:13–17)

§12 Called to Suffer Well (1 Pet. 2:18–25)

§13 To Wives (1 Pet. 3:1–6)

§14 To Husbands (1 Pet. 3:7)

§15 To All of You (1 Pet. 3:8–12)

§16 Do Good, Even If You Suffer for It (1 Pet. 3:13–17)

§17 Christ’s Saving Work (1 Pet. 3:18–22)

§18 Live Wholly for God (1 Pet. 4:1–6)

§19 Love Heartily for God (1 Pet. 4:7–11)

§20 Suffer Cheerfully for God (1 Pet. 4:12–19)

§21 A Special Charge to Elders (1 Pet. 5:1–5a)

§22 The Great Virtue of Humility (1 Pet. 5:5b–7)

§23 Orders for Active Service (1 Pet. 5:8–11)

§24 And Now, Farewell! (1 Pet. 5:12–14)

2 Peter

§1 Greeting (2 Pet. 1:1–2)

§2 God’s Spiritual Provision (2 Pet. 1:3–4)

§3 The Need to Grow (2 Pet. 1:5–9)

§4 Each Believer’s Objective (2 Pet. 1:10–11)

§5 The Need to Remember (2 Pet. 1:12–15)

§6 Apostolic Evidence (2 ...