Comentario bíblico con aplicación NVI 1 Pedro: Del texto bíblico a una aplicación contemporánea (Comentarios bíblicos con aplicación NVI)

The NIV Application Commentary, New Testament #15

by Scot McKnight

La mayoría de los comentarios bíblicos nos llevan en un viaje de una sola vía de nuestro mundo al mundo bíblico. Pero nos dejan ahí, asumiendo que de alguna manera nosotros podremos hacer el viaje de regreso por nuestros propios medios. En otras palabras, se enfocan en el significado original del pasaje pero no discuten las aplicaciones contemporáneas. La información que ofrecen es valiosa, ¡pero el trabajo está a medias! La serie de Comentarios NVI nos ayuda con las dos partes del trabajo interpretativo. Esta nueva y única serie, muestra a los lectores como traer el mensaje antiguo a un contexto moderno. Explica no solo lo que da a entender la Biblia sino también como nos puede hablar poderosamente hoy día.

Genres: Reference, New Testament, Theology, Christian, Biblical Studies

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 1996

About the author

Scot McKnight is a recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. McKnight, author or editor of forty books, is the Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, IL. Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly speaks at local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the USA and abroad. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986).

Reviews

[Jeff Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only, read the last 2/3 of the book; I do not own it but had it on hold from the library for a sermon series I was preaching and it did not arrive until after the first few weeks.

p. 118 [1 Peter 2:1-10]
Peter's and our worlds dramatically differ...that means we must be careful of importing a world (which does not exist for modern Westerners) rather than importing theological direction for the church. The entire sweep of the Bible teaches that Christians in non-Christian environments are not to be worried so much about changing their environments as they are to remain faithful in whatever kind of environment they find themselves. In fact, the New Testament is unified on this point: Christian teaching concerns Christian theology and behavior, not social institutions and how they might be changed. Accordingly, the tasks of the church are transnational and universal, not culturally restricted. Thus, the mission of the church as defined by Peter here helps to form, and together with the rest of the New Testament does form, the foundation of the church's mission everywhere and in all ages.

p. 134 [1 Peter 2:11-12]
The most obvious cultural symbol that Peter provides his readers is a new term of identity: they are "aliens and strangers." This identity-forming expression provides a way of understanding both their social location and the spiritual basis for that location. Society may see them as excluded, but Peter appropriates these terms of censure for a new category of the spiritually gifted. What was then a term of criticism becomes a badge of merit. Because they are the church (a symbol) and although they are socially excluded (a symbol), they can live holy lives (a symbol) in the midst of tribulation as they look forward to the day of judgment (a symbol).

p. 157 [1 Peter 2:13-17]
Peter preaches submission in order to prevent the government from turning against the church as well as to encourage others to follow Christ through the church. And as long as church members live within the order of society and do not live recklessly outside of that society's standards, and as long as the government does not turn against them for this kind of action, then social acts of civil disobedience will be perceived as "citizen-like behavior." In this sense, actions of this sort will not harm the cause of the gospel.

p. 159-[1 Peter 2:13-17]
Christians ought to be known for their respect and even-handed work in governmental and political actions. Sadly, this is not how they are always known today. Many Christians who are candid about their faith and political action are also known for being obstreperous [?] in their political action. Too often the Christian right is disrespectful of the left. I have heard far too many nasty, even unchristian, remarks about political parties in power that differ with the Christian right wing. And I suppose that the same kind of remarks are made about politicians of the other variety by those on the opposite side. We must remember that Peter's remarks were in the context of showing respect for all people, regardless of their partisan politics (2:17).

Our motivation for political activity needs to be set in the context of our mission as a church. Too often political activity by Christians seems to have so little Christian motivation that it betrays what we are all about. Our first task is to glorify God by bringing the good news of the gospel to bear on our world. If our political activity is not drenched in that motivation and is instead only slightly stained (work as hard as possible to appear nonreligious and acceptable) by the message of the kingdom, then we are denying the purpose of our existence. Peter motivated the churches to good actions in their world so that they would declare forth the good news of God and demonstrate his goodness and glory, in the hope that others would want to become Christians. He did not exhort them to do good for some altruistic motive. Far too often Christians are involved, or at least get involved, to protect their own investments or to accumulate more power for themselves. These are not worthy motives for those of us who claim to follow Jesus Christ and the pattern of the apostles.

p. 160-161 [Gerald R. McDermott, professor of religion at Roanoke College, summary of Jonathan Edwards' theology of public life for the Christian.
1. Christians have a responsibility to society beyond the walls of the church. Christians must break through the tendency to isolationism that has at times characterized the church.
2. Christians should not hesitate to join forces with non-Christians in the public square to work toward common moral goals.
3. Christians should support their governments but be ready to criticize them when the occasion demands.
4. Christians should remember that politics is comparatively unimportant in the long run
5. Christians should beware of national pride. In the history of the church there has never been a truly Christian nation. Until that does occur (and we have reason to doubt that it ever will), we are obliged to put our pride on the back burner and put our trust in the kingdom of God, which transcends national borders.
6. Christians should care for the poor...Christians ought to help, and ought to want to help, those who are in need, whatever those needs are. Furthermore, they ought to extend this desire into a plan for the government to help.

p. 192 [On Peter's concept of submission in 1 Peter 3:1-7]
[Quoting another churchman] "I believe in a wife submitting to her husband, but I don't believe the husband ever has the right to demand it. In fact, I know that when I am worthy of submission, my wife submits; and when I am unworthy of it, she does not. My responsibility as a husband is to be worthy." That is the point! When a husband focuses on submission and the wife worries about it, the image of marriage is distorted. But when each focuses on the mutual responsibility to love and serve one another, the image of marriage is clear and beautiful.

p. 208-[On church as community-1 Peter 3:8-12]
[Churches should...]perceptively discern to see if they truly function as a community where people are led to the holy love of God (the Father of the family), where that same love dominates the relationships and programs within that church (the nerve of the family), and where that love is known in the larger society as the characteristic of that church (the mark of the family).

p. 232-[On 1 Peter 4:1-6] We see here the Christocentric nature of early Christian theology, which I contrast with the moralistic nature of much of modern Christian theology. It is not uncommon to hear today that Gandhi was Christian in much of what he did, especially in his pacifistic and gentle wisdom, but if we say this, we lose the Christocentric anchor of our faith. To be sure, Gandhi was a wonderful, pious man, but behavior is only Christian when it is consciously obedient to Jesus Christ There are clear parallels, particularly at the moral level, among various religions in the world; but if Jesus Christ is eliminated from the picture, a moral practice is not Christian. Peter anchors his moral practice (suffering unjustly) in the example of Jesus, thus giving it a different basis and motivation. Christians are to suffer, not because suffering makes them better people (which it can do), nor because it makes them conscious of a higher world (which it can also do), but because Jesus himself suffered--and they are his followers.

[Ben Fike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm using this commentary to prepare a series of sermons and bible classes on 1 Peter. I have found McKnight to be a very valuable companion to read alongside my own study and wrestling with the text. This is not a technical commentary. It does do a good job of bridging the contexts of the world of the text illuminated by biblical scholarship and the contexts of American Christians in our world today. Even if that "world of today" happens to be 20 years ago when this commentary was published - it still feels remarkably current to me. I'd recommend for students of 1 Peter, especially those preaching or teaching.

[Charlene Hios · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically, a decent commentary. Most of the material is what one will read in commentaries going back to Matthew Henry. The new insights here are application to the current culture. Yet, it will soon be outdated in that area given how quickly our world is changing

[GreatHeart Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A faith-filled and deeply enriching commentary

Scot does a fantastic job in outlining and exploring the original context, then bridging it to modern times, and offering real application. I highly recommend this specific commentary and this series as a whole.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great commentary. Love the approach of this series. McKnight is always a great NT guide for context and modern application.

[Mainor Mora Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un hermoso comentario

Me ha impresionado el abordaje del autor. No pretende ser el más profundo de los teólogos, pero sí resulta ser un autor con un enfoque pastoral muy preciso.

[Benjamin Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scot McKnight is a great exegete. He uses a great combination of soul care and technical insight in this commentary. The NIVAC series as a whole is outstanding.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful commentary on 1 Peter.

[Jon Anderson]

McKnight is always helpful even when I disagree with him

[J.E. Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this series for what it offers a preacher, and I found the insights here on "bridging contexts" to often be quite valuable. Unlike Darrell Bock on Luke (in the same series), I didn't find McKnight's thoughts on "original meaning" to be as compelling, and like Bock I sometimes felt McKnight's "contemporary significance" reflections missed the mark. Another difficulty I had was that my outline of 1 Peter didn't match McKnight's, so often I was jumping around or poking into half a chapter. All of this combined to make this round from the series less helpful than others have been, but I still got value out of it. This was probably the first go-to commentary of my second-tier references.

[Doug Dunbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've used this series in the past (Luke by D. Bock and Isaiah by J. Oswalt) and find them very helpful in sermon prep. Just starting into this message series for Fall 2014, but finding this one not as "go to" as the others I've used. I'll update as I go.

[Glenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing: overemphasis on application without a through and the complete exegesis of the text.

[Jay Merrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly inspiring.