New Testament Commentaries: 1 Peter

"The significance of the First Letter of Peter for the formation of Christianity stands in sharp contrast to its brevity. John H. Elliott, a leading authority on this letter, brings its significance to life in this magnificent addition to the renowned Anchor Bible Commentaries. Elliott sets the letter into context, covering its literary, historical, theological, and linguistic elements. In detailed, accessible discussions, he draws on the latest research to illuminate the social and cultural influences on the Church in its initial years. Treating such important Petrine concerns as living honorably in a hostile society, finding meaning in suffering, and resisting social assimilation as the elect and holy family of God, the translation, notes, and commentary in this volume will help readers appreciate the powerful and enduring message of this fascinating letter." - Yale University Press

"In this newest addition to the acclaimed BECNT series, respected New Testament scholar Karen H. Jobes provides a fresh commentary on 1 Peter. 1 Peter admirably achieves the dual aims of the BECNT series--it is academically sophisticated as well as pastorally sensitive and accessible. This volume features Jobes's own translation of the Greek text and detailed interaction with the meaning of the text, emphasizing the need to read 1 Peter in light of its cultural background. Jobes's commentary will help pastors, students, and teachers better understand the Christian's role as a "foreigner" in contemporary society." - Baker Academic

"This is part of a series of modern commentaries based on new English translations made by their respective editors. While adhering strictly to sound scholarship and doctrine, they intend, above all, to bring out the theological and religious message of the New Testament to the contemporary Church." - Bloomsbury

"Daniel Keating has produced a clearly written commentary on 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude. It is striking how he integrates his exegetical insights with Catholic tradition and teaching, explains difficult terms and concepts in sidebars and a glossary, and maintains an exegetical flow alongside a practical focus as he carefully applies the three letters to the contemporary reader. This will certainly be a useful work for the layperson wishing to explore and understand these books as well as for the busy pastor who needs quick access, and it will be even more useful if they desire integration with the Catholic Catechism, the Church Fathers, and other relevant insights from Catholic tradition. The level of integration is striking and very much to be commended. Would that more commentators were equally integrated with their own pastoral and theological traditions." - Peter H. Davids

“Already known for his important work on the notion of being ‘strangers’ (Fremde) in 1 Peter, Reinhold Feldmeier has now written an important and informative commentary on the letter. Published in German in 2005, this work builds on Feldmeier’s earlier research in showing how the positive interpretation of the sense of being strangers in the world undergirds the theology and ethics of this letter. Unlike much recent English scholarship, Feldmeier is inclined to see the suffering experienced by the letter’s recipients as including not only informal hostility and abuse but also official reaction on the part of Roman authorities. The commentary is characterized throughout by a strong engagement with relevant primary sources, though the interaction with secondary literature is much more patchy, especially with literature in English.” – David Horrell

“Two quotations from Achtemeier's preface reveal the kind of commentary this is. First and more important, "Because the commentary represents an encounter with the text of 1 Peter as it appears in the New Testament, I have sought to avoid the expedient of blaming ill-understood or partially relevant portions drawn from earlier traditions to explain the obscure portions of the letter." Second, "It has not been my intent to prove wrong all who preceded me with commentaries on 1 Peter, nor have I sought as a matter of principle to occupy the safe middle ground between extreme scholarly opinions. I have avoided neither the conventional nor, on occasion, the more radical suggestions when in my estimate they best explain the available evidence" (p. xvi). The result is a classic commentary in the great tradition…” – J. Ramsey Michaels

"First and Second Peter, James, and Jude have existed on the edges of the canon throughout the centuries. In this volume in the Interpretation series, Pheme Perkins casts light on these often neglected writings. She ably demonstrates that these "catholic epistles" have, in fact, much to offer to today's readers." - WJK Press

“Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians, Volume 2 is the third of three volumes extending Ben Witherington's innovative socio-rhetorical analysis of New Testament books to the latter-Pauline and non-Pauline corpora. By dividing the volumes according to the socioreligious contexts for which they were written, Witherington sheds fresh light on the documents, their provenance, character and importance. Throughout, Witherington shows his thorough knowledge of recent literature on these texts and focuses his attention on the unique insights brought about through socio-rhetorical analysis that either reinforces or corrects those gleaned from other approaches.” – IVP Academic

"This volume offers a concise and accessible introduction to 1 Peter, especially aimed at undergraduate-level students. It provides information on the likely historical and social setting of this letter, on its literary form and theological content, and on issues involved in its interpretation. In particular, this volume suggests that 1 Peter is an important text not least for the ways in which it both reflects and constructs early Christian identity, in its relationships with Judaism and the Roman Empire. Although 1 Peter remains neglected compared with the canonical gospels and the major Pauline letters, Horrell argues that the letter deserves much more attention for the pivotal contribution it makes to the development of early Christianity and for the ways in which it reveals this development in progress." - T&T Clark

“The letters of First and Second Peter and Jude are often neglected but they have much wisdom to offer. With this volume, Lewis Donelson integrates historical-critical concerns with theological issues, illustrating how many of the matters facing early Christian communities, and how they chose to deal with them, remain relevant to contemporary readers.” - WJK Press

"Crisis in the church is not a new phenomenon. In fact, the church has always been 'and probably always will be 'involved in some kind of crisis. Even in the apostolic period, which is regarded by many as the church's golden age, there were serious crises coming both from the outside, as in 1 Peter, and from the inside, as in Jude and 2 Peter. The three short New Testament letters treated in 1 Peter, Jude and 2 Peter illustrate the problems early Christians faced as well as the rhetorical techniques and theological concepts with which they combated those problems. In the first part of this volume, Donald Senior views 1 Peter as written from Rome in Peter's name to several churches in northern Asia Minor 'present-day Turkey 'in the latter part of the first century CE. The new Christians addressed in 1 Peter found themselves aliens and exiles in the wider Greco-Roman society and suffered a kind of social ostracism. But they are given a marvelous theological Vision of who they have become through their baptism and pastoral encouragement to stand firm. They are shown how to take a missionary stance toward the outside world by giving the witness of a holy and blameless life to offset the slander and ignorance of the non-Christian majority and possibly even to lead them to glorify God on the day of judgment." - Publisher

“This book introduces the Epistles and discusses the different interpretive approaches which have been used to gain a clearer understanding of them. An introductory chapter defines the Epistles and describes the history of their canonization, following chapters are devoted to each of the texts with each chapter including: 1) historicalcultural background; 2) the socialscientific context; 3) socialrhetorical purposes; 4) narrative discourse; 5) postcolonial and 6) feminist insights; and finally 7) theological perspectives. At the end of each chapter there are suggestions for further reading and a list of reflection questions. Several chapters include a section or two considering a particular interpretive issue especially relevant to the particular text. After taking up each text, Lockett considers again whether the Epistles are a unified whole or to be heard as individual voices. Here the book interacts with some of the ideas of Rob Wall and David Nienhuis regarding the various thematic/theological connections running through the texts. A final chapter takes up the relationship between the Pauline Epistles and the Catholic Epistles within the New Testament.” – T&T Clark

"In 1 Peter, explains Wayne Grudem, readers are encouraged to grow in their trust in God and their obedience to him throughout their lives, but especially when they suffer. "Here is a brief and very clear summary both of the consolations and instructions needful for the encouragement and direction of a Christian in his journey to Heaven, elevating his thoughts and desires to that happiness, and strengthening him against all opposition in the way, both that of corruption within, and temptations and afflictions from without," says Archbishop Robert Leighton in the introduction.The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries have long been a trusted resource for Bible study. Written by some of the world's most distinguished evangelical scholars, these twenty volumes offer clear, reliable, and relevant explanations of every book in the New Testament.These Tyndale volumes are designed to help readers understand what the Bible actually says and what it means. The introduction to each volume gives a concise but thorough description of the authorship, date, and historical background of the biblical book under consideration. The commentary itself examines the text section by section, drawing out its main themes. It also comments on individual verses and deals with problems of interpretation. The aim throughout is to get at the true meaning of the Bible and to make its message plain to readers today.The original, unrevised text of this volume has been completely retypeset and printed in a larger, more attractive format with the new cover design for the series." - InterVarsity Press

"The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship. Overview of Commentary Organization Introduction--covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology." - Zondervan

"Brimming with lavish, full-color photos and graphics, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary walks you verse by verse through all the books of the New Testament. It's like slipping on a set of glasses that lets you read the Bible through the eyes of a first-century reader! Discoveries await you that will snap the world of the New Testament into gripping immediacy. Things that seem mystifying, puzzling, or obscure will take on tremendous meaning when you view them in their ancient context. You'll deepen your understanding of the teachings of Jesus. You'll discover the close, sometimes startling interplay between God's kingdom and the practical affairs of the church. Best of all, you'll gain a deepened awareness of the Bible's relevance for your life. Written in a clear, engaging style, this beautiful set provides a new and accessible approach that more technical expository and exegetical commentaries don't offer." - Zondervan