Petrine scholarship has long recognized references to mission in 1 Peter. Scholars are divided, however, as to the nature and function of missional activity in the larger scheme of the letter. Furthermore, not all recognize the significance of 1 Peter 2:9-12 for assessing the community's engagement with outsiders as missional activity. Remarkably, few have attempted to fOlIDulate a comprehensive treatment of this vital topic. There remains, therefore, a need for a fresh appraisal. This dissertation argues that I Peter 2:9-12 functions as an interpretive key for reading the important theme of missional activity in the letter as Christian identity lived out in holy engagement through missional good works and verbal witness. The study begins by appraising the currently undervalued evidence for missional activity in Judaism and the Pauline congregations. Next, it highlights the contribution of gospel language and gospel shorthand to the Petrine author's missional framework. To argue the thesis, the study investigates pre-Christian Jewish interpretations of OT citations and allusions found in the climactic passage 1 Peter 2:9-10 in order to asceltain the thematic relationship between Christian identity and the community's purpose to worship and witness. As a "hinge" between verses 9-10 and the ensuing paraenesis, I Peter 2: 11-12 reveals in programmatic fashion the Christians' holy engagement with outsiders through missional good works. Due to the neglect of the prominent motif of good works, the study next evaluates missional activity in the remaining good works passages in 1 Peter 2: 13-4: 19 through the lens of 1 Peter 2:9-12 in order to shed light on the nature and function of good works and verbal forms of witness. Finally, the results of this fresh analysis of miss iona I activity are brought into conversation with the major themes and theology of the letter, including the author's desire that the readers effect transformation in society.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:681239 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Holm, Douglas |
| Publisher | University of Bristol |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Page generated in 0.002 seconds