Foundations of the Christan Way of Life According to 1 Peter 1, 13-25: An Exegetico-Theological Study

In the last quarter of the twentieth century, a number of studies have appeared on 1 Peter under different perspectives. Attention however has been centred on the letter as a whole, and studies dealing with particular parts of the letter are still wanting. The present study is a contribution in that respect. The pericope studied here, 1, 13-25, is set in the perspective of the basic literary questions of the letter, such as the authorship and date, the unity and literary genre, and structure. Peter, a letter written to encourage and strengthen in the faith groups of Christians in Asia Minor undergoing suffering, is paraenetic in character; and this feature is obvious in the segment studied. The Anatolian Christians, who are advised to conduct themselves in holiness by reverential fear of God and love of their brothers, are reminded of the dignity of their Christian vocation, for they have been redeemed through the precious blood of Christ, and begotten anew through the living and abiding Word of God. The study focuses on these teachings upon which the author bases his directives for the Christian way of life. Thus it brings to the fore the distinctive Theology, the ontological Christology of logos and its functional dimension. In conclusion, by way of theological reflection, an actualization of the soteriology of the pericope in the author’s native South Asian context is also attempted.