Word and Mission in 1 Peter
Abstract
Peter’s readers were exiles facing accusations and slander. As a response to these negative declarations, Peter exhorted them toward positive, life-giving verbal proclamation. He reminded his readers of past proclamation by Jesus, the prophets, and those who preached the Gospel to them. The verbal proclamation by Peter’s readers was to include the declaration of “the praises” (2:9) of God, blessing and keeping the “tongue from evil” (3:9, 10), giving a coherent defense of the Christian faith (3:15), as well as “speaking the very words of God” (4:11). Word and Mission then, are connected in positive verbal proclamation. The chapter concludes with a brief case study concerning dialogue with the Muslim world.