Acknowledgments ix
Abbreviations xii
Introduction 1
Historical Overview and Genre 2
Reception Historical Sources for 1, 2 Peter, and Jude 6
Significant Ancient Interpreters 7
Nineteenth¿ and Twentieth¿Century Perspectives 10
Aims and Methods of this Commentary 14
Literary Relationships: Which Came First - Jude or 2 Peter? 18
Chapter 1 The Transformed Life in the Context of Suffering, Grace, Hope, and Love (1:1-2:10) 22
Author, Audience, and Abundant Grace (1:1-2) 22
The Meaning and Purpose of Suffering (1:3-10) 26
Consequences of the Transformed Life: Suffering Related to the Suffering of Christ (1:11-12) 36
Consequences of the Transformed Life: Hope, Holiness, and Love (1:13-23) 40
The Transformed Life: Three Metaphors (1:24 - 2:10) 47
The Grass Metaphor (1:24, 25) 47
The Milk Metaphor (2:1-3) 49
The Living Stones Metaphor (2:4-10) 51
Doctrinal Interpretations: The Priesthood of all Believers 54
Doctrinal Interpretations: Eternal Security 55
Chapter 2 Three Practical Situations (1 Peter 2:11-3:17) 57
Transition (2:11-12) 57
The Governing Authorities (2:13-17) 59
Slavery (2:18-25) 66
Submission and Suffering for Doing Good 68
Christ as Guardian of Our Souls, v.25 74
Marriage (3:1-7) 76
Ornamentation (3:3-6) 83
To "Husbands" (3:7) 86
The "Weaker Vessel" (3:7) 88
Transition: Summary and Concepts to Come (3:8-17) 88
Summary: Live in Harmony and Mutual Love (3:8-12) 89
Suffering for Doing Good (3:13-17) 89
Chapter 3 Christ's Visit to the Spirits in Prison, 3:18-22 91
Christ's Resurrection, the Ground of the Transformed Life 91
The Preaching or Announcement in Hades 96
The Audience for Christ's Preaching 97
Religious Traditions 105
Opposition 108
Summary of the Effects of 1 Peter 3:18-22 So Far 109
Other Interpretations 110
Effects in Literature 110
Effects in Music 112
Effects in Drama 112
Effects in Art 114
Relation to the Harrowing of Hell Tradition 128
Summary/Observations 130
Chapter 4 The Transformed Life: The Believer as Sufferer (1 Peter 4:1-19) 132
Suffering is in God's Control (4:7-11) 138
Love Covers a Multitude of Sins (v.8) 139
Love Shown in Joyful Service and Hospitality (4:9-11) 141
Suffering for Being a Christian (4:12-19) 142
The Spirit of Glory ... Rests upon You (v.14) 144
Judgment Begins with the House of God (4:17) 145
Scarcely Saved (vv.18-19) 146
Chapter 5 Final Exhortations and Greetings (1 Peter 5:1-14) 149
Message to Three Groups (5:1-10): "Elders" (vv.1-4); the
"Younger" (vv.5-6); and "All" (vv.6-10) 149
The Message to "All" (vv.2, 6-10) 155
God Gives Grace to the Humble (vv.6-11) 157
The Final Promise to All (vv.10-11) 160
Final Greetings: Who, Where, and How (vv.12-14) 161
Who is Silvanus and What is His Role in the Writing of the Epistle? 161
Who is "Mark?" 162
Where/What is Babylon? 162
Chapter 6 Jude: A Dynamic Response to Heresy 166
Greeting and Purpose 166
Purpose (v.3) 170
The Body of the Epistle: Charges/Punishment Predicted (vv.4-16) 173
The Fallen Angels: Second Example of Punishment (v.6) 175
Sodom and Gomorrah: Third Example (v.7) 178
Second Set of Triple Charges (vv.8-11): Pollution, Rejection of Authority, Slander of Heavenly Beings 180
The Illustration: The Dispute Between Michael and Satan (v.9) 182
Three Examples of Punishment: Cain, Balaam, and Korah (v.11) 184
Metaphors of Charges Against the Teachers (vv.12-16) 186
Prediction of Punishment: Enoch's Prophecy (vv.14-16) 188
Exhortations to the Faithful (17-23) 191
Closing Doxology (vv.24-25) 194
Effects in Literature, Culture, and Art: Michael and Satan's Dispute (v.9) 196
Chapter 7 Excursus: Jude's Role in the Reception History of Enoch 200
Enoch in the Early Church 201
Summary 205
Effects in Literature, Culture, and Art: The Fallen Angels, Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4 206
Chapter 8 Greetings and the Bases for Certainty (2 Peter 1) 213
Greetings: Authorship, Authenticity, and Authority (1:1-2) 213
The Basis for Certainty and Peter's Response: Participation in the Divine Nature (1:4-11) 216
Can Salvation Be Lost? (vv.10-11) 222
More Grounds for Certainty: Eyewitness Testimony (1:12-15) 223
Even More Grounds for Certainty: The Nature of Prophecy and the Inspiration of Scripture (1:16-21) 225
Chapter 9 The False Teachers and Peter's Response (2 Peter 2:1-22) 232
Chapter 10 Where is the Promise of His Coming? (2 Peter 3:1-18) 244
Reaffirmation and Reminders (3:1-3) 244
Where is the Promise and Peter's Response: Judgment andRescue (3:4-10) 248
Final Exhortations (3:11-18) 252
Chapter 11 Excursus: Delay of the Parousia (2 Peter 3) 255
Modern and Current Scholarship (eighteenth to twenty-first centuries) 261
Concluding Remarks 265
Appendix 1: Who Wrote These Epistles? The Reception of 1, 2 Peter and Jude 268
Appendix 2: Ancient Writers, their Writings, and their Sources 273
Appendix 3: Reception Historical Timeline 279
Appendix 4: Overview of the Reception History of Enoch 284
Glossary 288
Bibliography 296
Index of Biblical References 312
Index 316
