of God’s will for them has been given a fresh dimension by the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah. 17 The writer at once advances a further motive (this is the force of And) for exalted standards of behaviour: the consideration of God’s role as judge. As he puts it, since (ei: lit. ‘if’) you invoke as Father One who judges impartially in the light of what each has done, conduct yourselves with fear for the rest of your temporary stay. The precise movement of his thought is not absolutely certain.