David M. Shaw Profile picture
Aug 21, 2019 18 tweets 3 min read Read on X
THREAD: A portion of my PhD thesis in relation to 1 Pet 1:18-19 where Peter writes about Anatolian believers being 'ransomed . . . with the precious blood of Christ , like that of a lamb without blemish or spot...' /1
It has been argued that Peter's reference to the lamb without blemish or spot maybe a conflation of 3 trad's: i.e, the Passover of the Exodus (Ex 12:21–23), the sacrificial cult in general (Lev), and the prophetic tradition connected w/ the Suffering Servant of Isa 53. /2
Alternatively, I suggest that v. 19 continues to retain a predominantly Exodus motif, but rather than referring to the original Passover in Exod 12, it instead alludes to the
second Passover in Num 9:1–5. /3
One may detect that Peter is following a narrative that traces highlights from Exodus through Numbers: (1). The first allusion to Exodus narrative, as already referred to, appears in 1 Pet 1:13, “gird up the loins of your mind” (cf. Exod 12:11). /4
Significant to this reference: the first Passover looked toward future salvation, in much the same way the church looks forward to Christ’s return; (2) The second allusion appears in 1:14, with the warning against returning to one’s former way of life (cf. Lev 18:2–4); /5
(3) The third appearance of the Exodus motif is a direct quotation in 1 Pet 1:16, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (cf. Lev 19:2); (4) The fourth allusion appears in 1:18–19, I believe, referencing the second Passover in Num 9:1–5, for the following reasons... /6
a. Έλυτρώθητε, looks back to the past, “you were ransomed . . . by the precious blood of Christ”. In the same way, Num 9:1–5, celebrates the Passover for the second time, looking back to Israel’s original salvation from Egypt, which began with the first Passover in Ex 12:1–28, /7
... thus remembering God’s faithfulness to rescue them. Similarly, 1 Pet 1:18 encourages Anatolian believers to look back on the blood-stained ransom, that likewise recalls God’s faithfulness to rescue them thru the willing sacrifice of Christ. /8
b. While the language in 1 Pet 1:19 refers to “a lamb without blemish or spot” (cf. Exod 12:5), Num 9:3 indicates that the second Passover would be kept “according to all its statutes and all its rules” including, presumably, “a lamb without blemish or spot”. /9
We may show the parallels in a thematic table with biblical references below: /10
If correct, one may view 1 Pet 1:13–19 as recounting an abridged history of Israel’s most identity-defining moments from the Exodus-wilderness narrative. This brief selection of verses encompasses all the elements for Peter’s recipients to be “transported” into the narrative. /11
These verses also follow a plot that takes the reader on the journey of Israel’s redemption from the first Passover in Exodus, to Mt Sinai in Leviticus, and to the wilderness of Numbers, unfolding in such a way that it aligns with the
experience of the Anatolian believers. /12
Such a narrative provides verisimilitude that readers
or listeners require to be absorbed into and sympathise with the narrative and characters presented. In so doing, Peter seeks to shape the identity, beliefs, values & actions
of newly-converted gentiles... /13
that would manifest in holy living (1:15–16), on
account of Christ’s blood sacrifice which ransomed them (1:18–19) from slavery to sin (1:14), and giving them a hope for the future (1:13). /14
In sum, Peter helps the Anatolian Christians understand their own experience and life with God by offering a narrative built on an Exodus framework as understood in light of the Christ event... /15
Which is to say, this early gentile church shares in both the narrative of Jesus and Israel; and that the redemption of Israel that comes thru Jesus belongs also to them. /END
PS: On the importance of Exodus for understanding 1 Peter, see Allan Chapple, 'The Appropriation of Scripture in 1 Peter', in @matthewrmalcolm (ed) ALL THAT THE PROPHETS HAVE DECLARED, Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2015, pp. 155-171.
PPS: thanks for the RT's and likes on this thread (and my very first 'Thread Unroll'!). Very encouraged. Next Wednesday's text, 1 Pet 1:32–2:10. Thanks again for tuning in to 'Wednesdays in 1 Peter'. 👍

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with David M. Shaw

David M. Shaw Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @shaw_davidm

Jan 18, 2022
We have friends from #Tonga. Here's 5 things they've told us re. the #TongaVolcanoEruption and #tongatsunami:
1. At least one inhabited island is now completely submerged. Survivors unlikely.
2. The main island is dependent on rain water for drinking... /1
It's now tainted by ash; no longer drinkable.
3. So, no water, AND it's the hottest time of the year. The people of Tonga now face the real threat of dehydration & disease. AND the hottest time of year brings w/ it the risk of cyclones. /2
4. All amenities are down (electricity, gas, telephones, etc). They are in the dark.
5. The ash cloud is so thick that Aust/NZ military could not land with aid. They had to turn back. Tonga is cut off for some time. /3
Read 5 tweets
Sep 2, 2020
THREAD: 32 yrs since my family migrated to Australia. It’s quite a story as to how/why it happened. In 1984, my mother died just before my 4th birthday (pneumonia). Suddenly, my father was a widower at 26 y/o with 3 children under the age of 4 (my sister was barely 4 mths old) /1
2 yrs later my father re-married. His new wife (now my mother) was also a widow. Her first husband died of a brain tumour while she pregnant with their first child (now my sister). Both my father and new mother wanted a fresh start. It was time to leave death & darkness behind /2
They needed a fresh start and the UK was a pretty dire place in the 80s. Australian sunshine and a peaceful, outdoor lifestyle appealed greatly. 2 years later they made the move. Death and darkness left behind a new family of 6 made their way to Australia. /3
Read 8 tweets
Sep 4, 2019
Time for Wednesdays in 1 Peter (pt 3), this time considering 1 Pet 2:11-17. Not a central part of my PhD, so perhaps not as refined as I'd like, but here we go... /1
On 2:11-12: v. 11 seems to capture again the idea of holiness back in 1Pet 1:15-16. That is, Christian believers are to pursue holiness and in so doing imitate their heavenly Father as opposed to pursuing the sinful desires that characterised their former way of life. /2
Such a way of life is precisely what renders them aliens and sojourners in the place where they once felt perfectly at home (see @MiroslavVolf's 'Soft Difference'). It's also worth noting here that the point of comparison is not the non-Christian neighbour, /3
Read 25 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(