What is the theme of 1 Peter?

Answer 1

A:

Bart D. Ehrman (Forged) says that suffering is the key theme of 1 Peter. The word 'suffering' occurs more often in this short letter than in any other book of the entire New Testament, including the Gospels. The author assumes that his readers themselves are undergoing persecution and that they will be experiencing yet more in the future.

1 Peter never says much about official persecution, where Christians are arrested, put on trial for their faith and martyred. Instead, the opposition seems to come from former friends and neighbours who do not understand or appreciate the Christians' new lifestyle, which is removed from the joyful celebrations of pagan religions (4:1-5).

Answer 2

The theme of 1 Peter is the believers' identity and conduct as strangers and exiles in the world, encouraging them to live holy lives and endure persecution with hope and faith in Christ. It also emphasizes the importance of unity, love, and humility among believers.

Answer 3

A:1 Peter reflects metaphors already in use among Christian congregations since the time of Paul. The church as a whole was to be understood, not only as the family of God (l Peter 1:14, 17), a "spiritual house" (temple), or "chosen race" (l Peter 2:5-10), but also new ideas that it was a "holy nation" and was the "household of God" (1 Peter .2:9; 4:17).

In many theological stances, 1 Peter is close to Pauline thought and seems at odds with the Peter described in Paul's epistles. First Peter was written early in the second century and, in spite of the attribution to Peter, some critics would put it in the Pauline rather than the Petrine school.

1 Peter makes an important addition to the Christ myth, with the statement that, after Jesus had been put to death and before he ascended into heaven, he was "made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison [the dead in hades]" (1 Peter 3:18-19).

A:

1 Peter is largely concerned with the Christians attitude toward undeserved suffering, possibly because persecution of Christians was becoming common (this is around the time of the Emperor Nero). The word 'suffering' appears sixteen times - six are references to Christ's suffering. Peter challenges the believer to follow the example of Christ and to suffer patiently.

It also contains advice to Christian husbands, wives, servants and Christian citizens.