This Is True Grace: The Shaping of Social Behavioural Instructions by Theology in 1 Peter

by Joyce Wai-Lan Sun

Overview

How and in what respects are the Petrine social instructions shaped by the theological vision of the author of 1 Peter?

This publication investigates the coherence between the social behavioural instructions and the theological teachings found in 1 Peter. Engaging with the Balch-Elliott debate, Dr Joyce Sun argues that the core question should not be whether Christians should separate from, or accommodate to, wider society, but whether their behaviour is consistent with their ultimate allegiance to God. Sun convincingly demonstrates that the social distinctiveness of Christian communities was actively encouraged in the Petrine literature as a form of cultural and spiritual opposition to wider societal norms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783681846
Publisher:	Langham Monographs
Publication date:	12/31/2016
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

JOYCE WAI-LAN SUN is an assistant professor and the librarian at China Graduate School of Theology in Hong Kong. She obtained her PhD in New Testament Studies from the University of Edinburgh, UK and is a trained lawyer. She regularly writes on Christian identity and Christian social ethics and has published a number of academic articles.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations
Chapter 1 - Introduction
1.1 Review of Scholarship
1.1.1 Form-Critical Approach
1.1.2 Social-Scientific Approach
1.2 Approach of This Study
1.3 Plan of This Study
1.4 Working Hypothesis
Chapter 2 - Theological Vision of 1 Peter
2.1 The Christ-Messiah in 1 Peter
2.1.1 The Suffering Christ-Messiah
2.1.2 The Exalted Christ-Messiah
Section Summary
2.2 The Christian Elect Exiles of Diaspora in 1 Peter
2.2.1 The Christian Elect
2.2.2 The Christian Exiles
2.2.3 The Christian Elect Exiles of Diaspora
Section Summary
2.3 Christ-Christians Unity in 1 Peter
2.3.1 The Christ-Christian Spiritual House
2.3.2 The Christian Elect Diaspora Determined by Christ
Section Summary
2.4 Chapter Conclusion
Chapter 3 - Social Behavioural Instructions in 1 Peter
3.1 The Governing Principle (2:11-12)
3.2 Christian Engagement in Civil Life (2:13-17)
Section Summary
3.3 Christian Engagement in Household Life (2:18-3:7)
3.3.1 Exhortations to Slaves (2:18-25)
3.3.2 Exhortations to Wives (3:1-6)
3.3.3 Exhortations to Husbands (3:7)
Section Summary
3.4 Christian Engagement in Daily Social Life (3:9-4:6)
3.4.1 Do Not Return Evil for Evil (3:9-12)
3.4.2 Suffer for the Sake of Righteousness (3:13-22)
3.4.3 Do Not Accomplish the Will of the Gentiles (4:1-6)
Section Summary
3.5 Christian Engagement in Suffering for the Name of Christ (4:12-4:19)
Section Summary
3.6 Chapter Conclusion
Chapter 4 - The Jewish Elect Exiles of Diaspora
4.1 Social Engagement of the Jewish Elect Exiles of Diaspora
4.1.1 Jewish Diaspora Engagement in Civil Life
4.1.2 Jewish Engagement in Household Life
4.1.3 Jewish Engagement in Daily Social Life
Section Summary: Jewish Resonances in 1 Peter
4.2 Diaspora Consciousness of the Jewish Exilic People of God
4.2.1 Diaspora's Longing for Return
4.2.2 Diaspora's Belonging to the Native Country
Section Summary: Jewish Resonances in 1 Peter
4.3 Chapter Conclusion
Chapter 5 - Comparison Text I: Revelation
5.1 Social Behavioural Instructions in Revelation
5.1.1 Purpose of the Revelation Social Behavioural
Instructions
5.1.2 Social Behavioural Instructions of Revelation
Section Summary: Features of Petrine Social Behavioural
Instructions
5.2 Shaping of Social Behavioural Instructions by Theology in Revelation
5.2.1 Messiah-Christ in Revelation
Subsection Summary
5.2.2 Christian Messianic Army in Revelation
Section Summary: Features of the Shaping of Social Behavioural Instructions by Theology in 1 Peter
5.3 Chapter Conclusion
Chapter 6 - Comparison Text II: The Epistle to Diognetus
6.1 Christian Social Engagement Portrayed in the Epistle to Diognetus
6.1.1 Christian Engagement in Civil Life
6.1.2 Christian Engagement in Household Life
6.1.3 Christian Engagement in Daily Social Life
Section Summary: Petrine Resonances in the Epistle to Diognetus
6.2 Shaping of Social Behavioural Instructions by Theology in the Epistle to Diognetus
6.2.1 All-loving God/Christ in the Epistle to Diognetus
6.2.2 Christian Resident-Aliens in the Epistle to Diognetus
Section Summary: Features of the Shaping of Social Behavioural Instructions by Theology in 1 Peter
6.3 Chapter Conclusion
Chapter 7 - Conclusion
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Dictionaries, Lexicons and Grammars
Secondary Literature

Editorial Reviews

Joyce Sun's detailed study of 1 Peter rightly focuses on the author's underlying theological convictions in light of the social-political context of the epistle. She contends that the salvation of God provides the impetus for and the shape of the Petrine instructions concerning social behaviour. Sun's stimulating analysis is historically accurate and exegetically sound, and is a significant and indispensable contribution to the interpretation of the paraenetic materials of 1 Peter in particular, and Petrine scholarship in general. Christians will also find here some helpful insights into how these ancient materials might be contextualized to meet contemporary challenges regarding the relationship between the Christian identity and Christian social engagement and ethics.

Jonathan W. Lo
Assistant Professor
Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary

Joyce Sun has convincingly put forward a clear picture of the Petrine theological vision of the "elect exiles of Diaspora" that functions as the driving force of its social behavioural instructions. Not only does Sun's pursuance to the first-century Jewish Diaspora social engagement provide useful contextual information, her comparison of 1 Peter with the social ethics of both the Book of Revelation and the second-century Epistle of Diognetus also represents pioneering efforts to the subject. The Petrine social strategy of "differentiated resistance" and his concern of "ultimate allegiance to God" are important reminders to Christians, whether in the first two centuries or in the twenty-first century, where pagan culture and ideology still permeate different aspects of our secular society.

Josaphat C. Tam
Associate Professor of Biblical Studies
Evangel Seminary, Hong Kong

Dr Sun has made a distinctive contribution to the understanding of the Christian identity during the first century in her study of 1 Peter. Her argument that the epistle urged Christians as the elected people of God and resident-aliens to employ the strategy of "differentiated resistance" in their social engagement is very convincing.

Luke Cheung
Vice-President and Professor in Biblical Studies
China Graduate School of Theology, Hong Kong

This is a valuable study of 1 Peter, which argues that the letter's social behavioural instructions are primarily shaped by the author's theological vision, and that the reasons for distinctive behaviour are therefore primarily religious. Comparing 1 Peter's stance with that evident in Diaspora Jewish literature and in two other early Christian texts - the Book of Revelation and the Epistle to Diognetus - enables Joyce Sun to develop her argument that 1 Peter displays a form of "differentiated resistance." is depiction of the letter's social stance is thus more nuanced than many previous attempts to assess its view of the wider world and also of clear relevance to contemporary Christian communities negotiating comparable situations.

David G. Horrell
Professor of New Testament Studies
Director, Centre for Biblical Studies, Department of Theology and Religion
University of Exeter

This new study of 1 Peter and the question of what kind of response to their cultural situation the text summons of its original readers rightly emphasizes that the primary basis for that summons is theological. Convictions about God and Christ shape the exhortations. Sun also introduces a helpful nuance into the previous scholarship on this text in her category of "differentiated resistance," in which believers were urged to engage their setting with critical judgment, accepting what they could, but resisting at any point that threatened their allegiance to God. Sun also shows that the policy advocated in 1 Peter has continuing relevance for Christians today. I commend this study heartily.

Larry W. Hurtado
Emeritus Professor of New Testament Language, Literature & Theology
School of Divinity, New College, University of Edinburgh

From the Publisher