The Encyclopedia of World Religions

342 S Peter, epistles of

are suffering, presumably some form of persecu tion, perhaps from their neighbors ( see 4.1–6), or perhaps from the government. In this situation 1 Peter exhorts Christians to live properly. It gives general advice, such as to refrain from insincerity and slander, and it identi fies the sufferings of Christians with the sufferings of Jesus. 1 Peter also gives more specific advice. It tells Christians to obey the government. It tells slaves to put up with being beaten, even if they are being beaten for no reason. And it tells wives to obey their husbands and seek spiritual rather than physical beauty. The advice to husbands is much shorter and assumes that they are in a position of power. Many scholars suggest that 1 Peter urged per secuted Christians to be model citizens and not to arouse suspicion. This may have been much-needed advice at the time. For example, slave revolts were not uncommon in the Roman empire, and Jesus had been executed on the charge of insurrection, that is, rebelling against the government. 2 PETER It may be doubtful whether Peter the Apostle wrote 1 Peter, but it is almost certain that he did not write 2 Peter. The book refers to a collection of Paul’s letters that Christians were misinterpreting; a col lection of Paul’s letters was probably not available in Peter’s lifetime. It also seems to assume that its readers know the first three GOSPELS , which were not written until after Peter died. In addition, part of 2 Peter (2.1–8) parallels the book of Jude (4–16). Finally, the specific issues that 2 Peter discusses are very different from those in 1 Peter. Much of 2 Peter is invective against people who teach false things and entice Christians to behave in ways that the author considers immoral. The statements are very general, and readers can use them against many people with whom they disagree. The only specific issue that 2 Peter men tions is one that seems to have been a problem for many of the earliest Christians. Although the apostles proclaimed that Jesus was going to return soon for the last judgment, that had not happened. 2 Peter urges Christians to remember that G OD

Philip, and the Apocalypse of Peter. According to tradition, the biblical gospel of Mark was based on Peter’s teaching. In the later history of the church Peter has been most important in connection with the papacy. In Matthew 16.16–19, Jesus gives Peter his name and makes him the foundation on which the church will be built. The Roman Catholic Church rests the Pope’s claim to primacy upon this saying. It claims that Peter passed down to the future bishops of Rome the position that he received from Jesus. The church remembers Peter on several different days. The most important is June 29, the festival of the apostles Peter and Paul. Peter, epistles of Two short books in the N EW T ESTAMENT said to have been written by P ETER , an APOSTLE of J ESUS . In the early centuries of Christian ity several writings circulated under the name of Peter. They include the Gospel according to Peter, the Acts of Peter, the Revelation to Peter, and sev eral epistles or letters. Only two of the letters were later accepted into the B IBLE . By the end of the sec ond century C . E ., some, but not all, Christians con sidered 1 Peter to be an authoritative book. (There was no New Testament yet.) None of the sources for such topics include 2 Peter. By the early 300s, all churches had accepted 1 Peter, but they dis agreed about 2 Peter. By the end of the 300s, how ever, the disputes about whether to accept 2 Peter had ended. 1 PETER 1 Peter claims to be written by Peter from Rome to churches in Asia Minor, now Turkey. But in the ancient world it was common, and not considered dishonest, to write books under someone else’s name. Many scholars think that 1 Peter concerns a situation that came too late for Peter to have addressed it. If this is the case, the letter is another writer’s attempt to explain what Peter would have said. 1 Peter seems to address Gentiles who have converted to C HRISTIANITY . They are being treated as outsiders; 1 Peter refers to them as exiles and aliens. It also refers to a “fiery ordeal” that they