1 Peter: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase

by Jayson Georges

Readers often misinterpret Scripture for a simple reason—our culture is very different from the ancient cultures of the Bible. For example, Westerners are often “blind” to the social dynamics of honor and shame. The Honor-Shame Paraphrase helps you understand the Bible according to its original cultural context. We highlight social nuances to unlock the meaning of Scripture in insightful and accessible ways. This series is ideal for personal devotions, teaching preparation, ministry preparation, Bible studies, and life groups. The themes of honor and shame saturate the letter of 1 Peter, perhaps more than any other book in the Bible. Learn how the apostle Peter equips and inspires Christians to live honorably in the face of social shame. This paraphrase is completed with a socio-historical introduction, theological summary, outline, and further resources. Learn more about the Honor-Shame Paraphrase series at “Here is an imaginative approach to First Peter . . . Georges captures well the cultural overtones and undertones of this ancient pastoral letter and its language of honor and shame. Lively paraphrase and imaginative dialogue between First Peter and two putative letters of a pastoral colleague in Cappadocia tease out the honor-shame nuances of this Petrine gem.” —Dr. John H. Elliott, Professor Emeritus, University of San Francisco, author of 1 Peter, Anchor Bible Commentary “Georges' paraphrase helps us read 1 Peter from a fresh perspective. The Bible does not change, but our perspective on the biblical message can change. Georges understand this. His clear and simple prose sheds light on the pervasive influence of honor and shame within Peter’s letter. As a result, readers will gain a new appreciation for the relevance of 1 Peter for our daily lives.” —Dr. Jackson Wu, professor to Chinese pastors, author of Saving God’s Face.

Genres: Cultural, Theology

28 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2017

About the author

Jayson Georges (MDiv, Talbot) has served crossculturally for over fifteen years in Central Asia, a refugee community in the United States, and now in the Middle East. He is the coauthor of Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures and the author of The 3D Gospel and The Honor-Shame Paraphrase series. Georges has taught about honor-shame and patronage around the world and is the founding editor of honorshame.com.

Reviews

[David S Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get a sense of 1 Peter in context

Georges does good work of creatively immersing his reader into the likely world of the early church using an informed paraphrase of 1 Peter. What’s a real bonus is that he frames the paraphrase with two imagined letters from Peter’s original audience that function cleverly as a form of commentary on the letter.

If you’re planning to study or preach from 1 Peter, I’d recommend looking at this little book.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will read this again several times, as it will take me a few readings to really internalize the mindset. I recognize that, as a Westerner, I approach my reading of scripture from the western mindset. While I am generally leary of relying heavily on published paraphrases, I appreciate that this is aimed at helping me correct the deficits in my western thinking. I will read other books in this series as well, but am specifically interested in reading them in parallel with a scholarly translation. I think it would be a good exercise in determining the extent which my cultural context causes me to interpret from a guilt/innocence perspective in passages that call for the honor/shame perspective.

If you are unfamiliar with Georges work, do not skip the series introduction. Or, do yourself one better and first read his short book, The Gospel in 3D, which I reviewed here. It illuminates a lot.

[Carl Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this. It sets up imagining the letter that Peter might be replying to with 1 Peter, and a second made up letter of what the reader learned from it. It's also a good paraphrase (not a translation) to help better understand the culture in which this letter was written. I don't know if I'd spend the full price on it for kindle or for the physical copy, but it is probably worth the sale price.

[David Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Preaching on Shame? Start with 1 Peter. This paraphrase of 1 Peter is outstanding, which is introduced and followed by a proposed (fictional) letter that prompts and responds to the apostle’s letter. The elements of honor and shame are realistically and accurately interwoven throughout. In addressing shame issues in our culture, 1 Peter is a great place to start. This is part of a series of social-cultural expositions, not translations, of books of the Bible.