Table of Contents

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

About the Author

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.