1 Peter

​The most notable aspect of 1 Peter may be its frequent references to suffering (1:6, 11; 2:19–23; 3:14, 17–18; 4:1, 13, 15–16, 19; 5:1, 9–10). There is an assumption that members of the church are “aliens” on earth, or people lacking the honor and support they would typically derive from family and civic ties (1:1, 17,1:2–5). The letter calls for endurance, reflects upon the meaning and value of suffering, and prescribes practical steps the readers might take to make life more bearable (e.g., they should look to the church as a support community and not behave in ways that antagonize the opposition unnecessarily). Another prominent theme in 1 Peter is the depiction of Christians as the new Israel; terminology and categories traditionally employed for Jews are applied to Gentile Christians (1:1, 8–12; 2:9)—and the term “Gentile” is used as an epithet for pagans or unbelievers (2:12; 4:3). Thus, 1 Peter interprets conversion to God and to Jesus as “a new birth” (1:3, 23) involving a radical change of identity and status.