First and Second Peter

Terrance D. Callan (Author), Duane F. Watson (Author), Mikeal C. Parsons, Charles Talbert Part of Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament Series Release Date: 8/1/12

Overview

In this addition to the well-received Paideia series, New Testament scholars Duane Watson and Terrance Callan examine cultural context and theological meaning in First and Second Peter. Paideia commentaries explore how New Testament texts form Christian readers by

• attending to the ancient narrative and rhetorical strategies the text employs
• showing how the text shapes theological convictions and moral habits
• commenting on the final, canonical form of each New Testament book
• focusing on the cultural, literary, and theological settings of the text
• making judicious use of maps, photos, and sidebars in a reader-friendly format

This commentary, like each in the projected eighteen-volume series, proceeds by sense units rather than word-by-word or verse-by-verse. Students, pastors, and other readers will appreciate the historical, literary, and theological insight Watson and Callan offer in interpreting First and Second Peter.

Foreword
Preface to First Peter
Preface to Second Peter
Introduction to First Peter
1 Peter 1:1-2:10--Part 1: God's Provision for Salvation, and Christians' Status before God
1 Peter 1:1-2--The Letter Prescript: Establishing Authority, Identity, and Goodwill
1 Peter 1:3-12--Thanksgiving for God's Gift of Salvation
1 Peter 1:13-21--The Call and Motivation to Holiness
1 Peter 1:22-25--Born Anew by the Word of God for Mutual Love
1 Peter 2:1-3--Growing into Salvation
1 Peter 2:4-10--Christ as the Living Stone, and Christians as the Spiritual House and God's People
1 Peter 2:11-4:11--Part 2: Living Honorably among the Gentiles
1 Peter 2:11-12--Introduction to the Main Theme
1 Peter 2:13-3:7--The Household Code
1 Peter 3:8-12--Practicing Mutual Love and Peace with All
1 Peter 3:13-22--Doing Good Rather than Evil amid Suffering, after Christ's Example
1 Peter 4:1-6--Living in the Spirit and Doing the Will of God
1 Peter 4:7-11--The Need for Mutual Responsibility in Light of the End
1 Peter 4:12-5:14--Part 3: Exhortations on Faithful Suffering among Gentiles, and Conclusion
1 Peter 4:12-19--Suffering Faithfully among the Gentiles
1 Peter 5:1-11--Concluding Exhortations
1 Peter 5:12-14--Epistolary Postscript
Introduction to Second Peter
2 Peter 1:1-15--The Letter Opening
2 Peter 1:16-3:13--The Letter Body
2 Peter 1:16-2:10a--Two Arguments against Opponents
2 Peter 2:10b-22--Critique of Opponents
2 Peter 3:1-13--Occasion of the Letter Restated, and Argument against Opponents Resumed
2 Peter 3:14-18--The Letter Closing
Indexes

Endorsements

"Duane Watson and Terrance Callan, each of whom has written significantly on Second Peter, team up here to provide a fresh and coherent exposition of both letters--a most welcome contribution to Petrine studies and a valuable tool for reassessing the difficult question of the relationship between the two canonical letters bearing Peter's name."

J. Ramsey Michaels, professor of religious studies emeritus, Missouri State University

"Duane Watson and Terrance Callan have written a solid, rhetorically informed commentary that fulfills the aspirations of the Paideia series--namely, a work that will be readable, informative, and serviceable for students of the New Testament. Their depth of scholarship on these works, gained from years of study and teaching, is now made accessible in one place. I look forward to recommending this work to my own students."

Peter H. Davids, visiting professor in Christianity, Houston Baptist University

"Watson and Callan's commentary on 1 and 2 Peter provides a helpful combination of attention to the biblical text, ancient sources and context, and theological issues. This clearly written work will be appreciated by both pastors and students who want to learn more about these biblical texts, the contexts in which they arose, and their theological implications for the church today."

Ruth Anne Reese, professor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary

"In an age of overly large volumes that easily swamp students with detail, Watson and Callan's tome on the Petrine Epistles offers the best of contemporary scholarship with concise precision. A masterful and complete commentary full of sound and sober interpretive judgment combined with blocks of contextual and theological insights, this accessible text will also aid the busy pastor concerned for faithful biblical exposition."

Gene L. Green, professor of New Testament, Wheaton College

Authors

Terrance D. Callan

Terrance Callan (PhD, Yale University) is the dean of special studies at the Athenaeum of Ohio in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has published several books, including The Origins of Christian Faith.

Duane F. Watson