Abstract
New Testament authors write with a certain historical narrative of God’s dealings with Israel in mind, through which they understand and engage with their audiences. Often this narrative is an unexpressed substructure behind a piece of writing. This is the case in 1 Peter. The narrative substructure of 1 Peter is alluded to in 1 Pet 1:10-12 and in 1:19-20. This narrative, it is argued here, is one of discontinuity. Rather than seeing the Christian communities as a continuation of God’s dealings with Israel, Peter sees the communities as exclusively occupying a climax in his narrative which contrasts with the status of Israel in the past. This narrative has significant implications for an understanding of the interpretation of scripture in 1 Peter.
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