Which citations of Israel’s scriptures in 1 Peter have the greatest impact?
There is alarming, eschatological (referring to the ‘end times’) imagery in 1 Peter. How might these have been received by early Christians, especially if written by Simon Peter? What do you think the author’s intention was?
What can we learn from 2 Peter’s attempt to deal with the problem of the “delayed Parousia,” the failure of prophecy about the end time, to be fulfilled? Why would this have been an important focus of the author?
Applying the Text:
Do the images used by 1 Peter for the life of the Christian community speak to the contemporary world?
How should we define “holiness” in 1 Peter? Is holiness an aspiration that still speaks to contemporary Christians?
Jude focuses on addressing and criticizing their opponents. How should we use this approach in modern applications, or should we treat this text as referring to a specific time and place?