1, 2 Peter and Jude Through the Centuries

Rebecca Skaggs is Professor of New Testament and Greek at Patten University, Oakland, California. Previously, she was Fellow at the Kierkegaard Library, St. Olaf College and is author of several books and numerous journal articles on the New Testament and the early Christian Church.

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