Thursday, August 26, 2010

Audience of 1 Peter

Dr. Couch, to whom is the book of 1 Peter written? Some say it is written to the Gentiles though the first verse says "to the alien scattered."

ANSWER:  The book is clearly written to the Jewish "diaspora," that is the Greek of the word "scattered." The word "alien" means "the strangers." This is how the Jews were described who were driven out of Israel. In the case of verse 1, it is speaking about the Jewish believers who were part of the diaspora. The word diaspora is two words: dia=through, thoroughly, and spora=seed. "To scatter the seed" is the way it described the scattered Jews.

   2:12 also proves that Peter is writing to the scattered believing Jews. The verse reads: "Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles," proving that Peter's audience is not Gentile but Jewish. The answer to your question is really simple. I don't know how anyone came up with the idea that the audience was Gentiles!

   Thanks for asking.
   Dr. Mal Couch (8/10)