4: 13 JAME S 40 0

A warning for the rich and the self-confident

P r27 : 1
M1 6:34 He re is the answer for thos e of you who talk like this: 'To day o r to mo rrow, 13
Lk 12:19-20
we are off to this o r that tow n; we are going to spen d a year there, tradin g, and
make so me mone y', -You never know what will happen tomorrow: yo u are no 14
Jb 14:2 +
A c 18:21
more th an a mist tha t is here for a little while and then disapp ear s.• T he most 15
R m 1:10
1 J ,, 2:16 +
yo u shou ld ever say is: 'If it is th e Lord's will, we shall still be alive to do this or
that'. -But how prou d and sure of yours elves yo u are now ! Pride of th is kind is 16
always wicked . •Everyone wh o knows wha t is the right thing to do and doesn't 17
do it commits a sin.
Lk 6:24

S Now an answer for t he rich . Sta rt cry ing, weep for the miseries that are
co ming to you. • Yo ur wealth is all ro tt ing, your clothes are all eaten up by
I

SI29:10- 12
Mt6: 19- 21
Pr /6 :27
Pr / 1:4 ,28
moths. -A ll your gold and your silver are corroding away , and the same co rrosio n
will be your own sentence, and eat into yo ur body. It was a burning firc that yo u
1 PETER
Lv 19 :13
D t 24: 14- 15
sto red up as your trea sure for the last days ." • La bourers mowed yo ur fields, and 4
you cheated them-listen to the wages that you kept back, calling o ut; realise THE FI RS T LETTER OF PETER
Ex 22:22
t hat the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lo rd of host s. •O n ea rth 5

Ws 2:10-2 0
you have had a life of co mfort and luxury ; in the time of sla ughter" yo u went
on eat ing to yo ur heart's co ntent. ·I t was you who condemned the innocent a nd
Address. Greetings
killed them ; they offered yo u no resistan ce.
Peter, apo stle of Jesus Christ, sends greetings to all those living among
1 Co 15:23 +
A final exhortation 1 foreigners" in the D isper sion of Pon tus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and
Bithynia, who have been cho sen, • by the pro vident purpose of God the Father,
In 7:35
2 Co 5:6
Jml:l +
I P 2:19 +
D r JJ:14
Now be patient, bro thers, until the Lord 's coming. T hink of a farme r: how Rm8:29
pat iently he wa its for the precio us fru it of the ground until it has had the a utumn to be mad e holy by the Spirit , obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his Ep 1:4
M 124:33 p 2 Th 2:13
R m 2:6 + rains' a nd the spring ra ins! -Y ou ( 0 0 have to be pa tient ; do not lose hea rt, blood ." Grace and peace be with you mo re and more . Ex 24:8
Mt26:28+
2 Co 6:2 +
Rv 1:3 because the Lo rd' s co ming will be soon . • Do not make co mplaints against o ne 9
anot her, brot hers, so as not to be brought to judgement yo urselves; the J udge is Introduction. The salvation of Chr istians
a lready to be seen wa iting at the gates. • For your example, bro thers, in sub- 10 Blessed be Go d th e Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his grea t mercy 1:23
M ' 5:1 1-12p
mitting with patie nce, take the prophets who spo ke in the nam e of the Lo rd ; has given us a new birth as his so ns, by ra ising Jesus Christ from the dead, so th at {1~ :i:29 : 3:9
1:2-3,12
remember it is those who had end ura nce tha t we say a re the blessed o nes. Yo u II 4 we have a sur e hope -a nd th e pro mise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt M t 6: 19-2Op
Jb42: 10-17
Ps 103:8
have hea rd of the patience of J ob , and und ers tood the Lord' s purpose, realising or soiled and never fad e away, because it is being kept for you in the heave ns. ~~ IJt2;
SI5:1O;
tha t the Lord is kind and compassionate, T hro ugh your fait h, God's power will guard you until the salva tion which ha s E;/"Ar
23:9 Above all, my bro thers, do no t swear by heaven or by the earth, or use any 12 6 been prepare d is revealed at the end of time. C • This is a cause of great joy for you, }~~no
M t 5:34-37
oaths at all. If you mean 'yes' , you must say 'yes' ; if you mean 'no', say ' no' . even th ough you may fo. a shor t time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of k~~Nl1
Otherwise you mak e yourselves liable to judgement. trials ; -so th at , when Jesus Christ is revealed , yo ur faith will have been tested and
If any one of you is in trouble, he shou ld pray ; if anyone is feeling happy , he 13 proved like gold-only it is mo re precious than gold, which is corruptible even r~~tf3
Tr 1:5 +
sho uld sing a psalm. -I f one of you is ill, he should send for the elde rs 14 though it bears test ing by fire- and then you will have praise an d glory and Rm2:7
M k 6: 13
of the chur ch, an d they mu st ano int him with oil in the name of the Lor d" a nd 8 honour. •Yo u did not see him, yet you love him ; and still without seeing him , 1 In 4 :20
Ac 3: 16 +
O n 18:16
pr ay over him. •T he prayer of faith will save the sick man an d the Lo rd will ra ise 15 you ar e alread y filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, becau se
Ps 32 him up agai n ; a nd if he has co mmitted any sins, he will be for given .• So co nfess 16 9 you believe; -a nd you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward , th at
Pr 28:13 +
S14 :26 your sins to o ne another, and pray for one another, and this will cu re you; ' the is, the salvation of yo ur soul s. H eb 10 :39
I In 1:8-10
Ex 32:1/ + heartfelt! prayer of a good man works very powerfully. •Elija h was a hu man 17
1 K 17:1: T he hope of the prophets
18: 1.42 being like ourselves-he pra yed har d for it not to ra in, and no rain fell for
Lk 4:25
Rv 11:6 three-and-a-ha lf year s ; -then he prayed agai n and the sky gave rain an d the ear th . 10 It was this salvation tha t the prophets were looking and searching so hard for; A c 11:27+
18 H eb 11:39 0..
gave cro ps. II their prophecies were ab out th e grace which was to come to you .• The Spirit of 2P 1:20 ~.
M 118:15 Is 52:13-
Oa6:1 My brot hers, if one of you strays away fro m th e tru th, and ano ther brings 19 Chr ist which was in them" foret old th e sufferings of Christ and th e glories tha t 53:12
L k 18:31+
him back to it.vhe may be sure " that anyo ne who can bring back a sinner from 20 would co me after them, an d they tried to find out at what time and in Acl:7+ ;
Pr 10: 12 2:23 +
I P 4 :8 the wro ng way that he has tak en will be saving a soul from deat h an d covering 12 what circumstances all this was to be expecte d . -I t was revealed to them that the

v up a great number 0/ sins.

5 a . Esc hatologtca tty the mi sfortunes of the rich
will be ap pare nt o nly a t t he J ud gem en t. S :7 ~9. We
Lo rd , and for th e purpose of help ing the sick and
fo rgivi ng th e ir sins. a re th e ori gin of the C h urch' s
news th ey brought of all the things which have now been announced to you, by
those who preached to you the Good News thro ugh the Ho ly Spi rit sent from
heaven , was for you and not for themselves. Even the angels long to catch a
Mtl3:I6-17p
Rm 16:25+
Ep3:10 +
72
~ ..,

ho wev er are already living in the last days, cr. 2 Co 6:

2+ ,
b . Not a re fere nce to J udgeme nt d ay. b ut to t he
ex treme vio lenc e to whic h, o nce, th e in no cen t ha d
bee n sub jecte d , v. 6, while th e ric h we re living a t ea se .
v, S.
c. 'rains ', var. ' fr u its' ,
d , a m , 'of th e Lord ' , T he tra diti on tha t th ese
pr a yers and th is anoin ting with o il in th e name of th e
'sacr am ent o f the sick ' (or Ho ly U nct ion) , was endo rsed
b y the Co u nci l o f T re nt.
e . T h is m ut ual co n fessio n and prayer fo r each
o t her. instead o f bei ng only recommenda tio ns to the
s ick, v, 15, a re here ur ged on a ll Chr istia ns. No rbtna
s peci al ho .....eve r m ay be ded uced abo u t sacra men tal
co nfess ion ,
1. Va r. (Vu lg. ) 'assid uo us' ,
g . Va l', · ~ YO U ca n be s ure' .
glimpse of these things.
1 a . T hey are in an alien en vironment tha t does not hea venly p rom ised la nd . H eb 3:14 :11.
..,:>
m a ke the prac tice o f relig ion eas y. T his is also tr ue o f b. Tr in ita r ia n for m u la , cr. 2 Co 13:13+ .
C hr istia ns in general. T he C hr ist ian 's ci ty is hea ven , c. Lit. 'a t the last t ime' , cr. 1:20.
Ph 3:20 ; Co l 3: 14 ; He b 13:14 ; he is an exile on ea rt h , d . By say ing the pr o ph et s are ins p ired b y the p re-
2 Co 5;6 : 1 P l :17: he is aforeig ner here, Ps39: 12 ; ex isting Christ, cf. 1 Co 10:4,9. the a uthor mak es clear
119:19 ; H e b 11:13 ; 1 P 1:1 ; 2: 11, o n a n exo d us to the the unity or the O .T, a nd the N .T.
· >e>:
w
 1:13 1 PETER 4°2 4°3 1 PETER 3: 12
A call to sanctity and wat chfulness 15 to punish criminals and praise good citizenship. -G od wants you to be good
Lk 12:35-40 F ree your minds, then, of encumbrances; co ntro l the m, a nd put your trust 13 16 citizens, so as to silence what fools are say ing in thei r ignorance. -You are slaves
I T h 5:6 Ga 5:13
in nothing but the grace that will be given you wh en Jes us Christ is revealed. of no one except God, so behave like free men, and never use your freedom as an
R m6:19 D o not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make 14 17 excuse for wickedness . - Have respect for everyone and love for our community ; ?"di/21
Mt5:48 a habit o f obed ience: -be holy in all yo u do , since it is the Ho ly One who has 15
fear God and ho nour the emperor. M t 22:2 I p
Ac 9: 13+
1 1n 3:3 called you, -and scripture says: Be holy, for I am holy . 16
Lv 17:1 + ;
19:2
Towards maste rs
D r 10:17 + If yo u are acknowledg ing as your Father one who has no favourites an d judges 17
Heb 11:6 + everyone according to what he has done, you must be scr upul ou sly careful as long 18 Slaves must be respectful and obedient to their masters, not only when the y Ep 6:5-8+
2 Co 5:6 as you are living away from your home. - Remember, the ransom tha t was paid 18 19 are kind and gen tle but also when the y are unfai r. - You see, there is some mer it " j;;,~~ i:l t
Is 52:3
1 Co 6:20 ; to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors ha nded down was not paid in putting up with the pains of unearned punishment if it is done for the sake of
7:23
in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, -but in the precious blo od of a 19 20 God· but there is nothing meritorious in taking a beating patiently if you have
in 1:29 + la m b wit hout spot or stai n, na mely C hr ist ;' -who, tho ugh kn own since before 20 done something wrong to dese rve it. The merit, in the sight of God, is in bearing
In 17:24
Ga 4 :4 the world was made, has been revealed only in our time, the end o f the ages, for it patiently when you are punished after doing your duty.
R m l : 16+ your sake. -T hr ough him you now have fa ith in God, who raised him from the 21 21 This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered- for you ~i-~~::~~
R ml :4+ dead and gave him glory for that very reas o r:-so th a t you wo uld have faith a nd 22 and left an example for you to follow the way he took. •He had no t do ne anyth ing 1n 8:46
Rm8:11+
hope in God. 23 wrong, and there had been no perjury in his mouth. -He was insulted and did not Zt;f~9
re taliat e with insults; when he was tortured he made no threats but he put his
Love 24 trust in the righteous judge . - He was bearing our fa ults in his ow n body on the Ifs"JBr
R m 1:5 + Yo u have been obed ient to the tr ut h a nd purified yo ur so uls until you ca n 22 cross', so that we might d ie to our faults and live fo r ho liness ; through his wounds fc:~~4iw
In 17: 17 love like brothers, in sincerity ; let your love fo r each o the r be real and from the 25 you have been healed. • You had gone astray /ik e sheep' but now you have come Is 53:5.6
R m 12:9
) ,, 3:11 + heart/e-c-yo ur new birth was not from any mortal seed but from th e everlasting 23 back to the shep herd and gua rdian- of you r souls. Ez k 34:1 +
1m 1:18
I i n 3:9: 5:1 word of the living and etern al God. 9 - All flesh is grass and its glory like the wild 24
I P 1:3 In marria ge
Is 40:6-8 flower's. The grass withers, the flower f alls, «but the word of the Lord remains fo r
ever. W ha t is this word ? It is the Good News that has been brou ght to yo u.
25
I 3 In the sa me way, wives should be obedient to their hus bands . T hen, if there
are some hu sbands who ha ve not yet obeye d the word, they may find them-
Ep 5:22-24
Co l 3:18
1:25
I Co 7:12-16
Integr ity 2 selves won over, without a word spo ken, by the way their wives behave, -when
M119:14 th ey see how faithful and con scientio us they a re. -D o not dr ess up for sho w: Is 3: 16f+
Be sure, then, you a re never spite ful, or deceitfu l, or hypocritic al, or env ious 3
1m 1:21
1 C o 3:2
Heb 5: 12 2 and cr itical of each o ther . - Yo u are new born, and, like babi es, you shou ld
be hungry for no thing but milk- the spiritua l honesty which will help yo u to
1
4 doing u p your hai r, wearing gold bracelets a nd fine clothes ; -a ll this should be
inside, in a person's heart,« imperishable: the ornament of a sweet and gentl e
I T m 2:9-15

Ps 34:8 grow up to salvation-c--now th at you have tasted the goodness of the Lord. 5 disp osition- th is is what is precious in the sight of God. -That was how the holy
women o f the past dressed the mselves att ract ively-they hop ed in G od and were
The new pries thood 6 tender a nd obed ient to their hu sbands; -Iike Sar a h, wh o was obed ient to Ab raham, G n 18:12
LXX
M121 :42p He is the living stone, rejecte d by men but chosen by G od and precio us to him ; 4 and called him her lord. Yo u ar e now her children, as long as you live good lives
Ac 4:11 G a 4:28
E p 2:20-22 set you rselves close to him •so that you too , the holy priesth ood that o ffers the 5 and do not give way to fear or wor ry.
Ex 19:6 +
Ep 5:25-33
Rm 1:9 + spiritual sacri fices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living In the sa me way , husband s mus t always treat their wives with considera tion Co l 3:19
Is 28: 16
R m 9:3 3:
stones making a spiritual house. -As scripture says: S ee how I lay in Zion a precious 6 in thei r life to gether, respecting a woman as one who, though she may be the
10:11 cornerstone that I have chosen an d the man who rests his trust on it will not be disap- weak er partner, is equa lly a n heir" to the life o f grace. T his will stop anythi ng
pointed. -That means that for you who ar e believers, it is precious; but for 7 from coming in the way of yo ur prayers.
Ps. 118:22 u nbelievers, the stone rejectea by the builders has proved to be the keystone, ' a 8
Is 8:14f stone to stumble over, a rock to bring men down. They stumble over it because th ey To wards the brothers
Rm 12:14-18
do n ot believe in th e word ; it was the fa te in store for them .» Fi nally: yo u sh ould all agree among yourse lves a nd be symp athetic ; love the M I5:39.44
Is 43:21}-21
Ex 19:5-6 +
But yo u are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set 9 9 brot hers, ha ve com pass io n and be self-effacing." • N ever pay bac k on e wrong
Rm3:24+ apart to sing the praises of G od wh o called yo u out of the da rk ness into his with ano ther, or an a ngry word with another one; instead, pay back with a
Ep 1: 14+ Lk 6:28
A c 26 :18 wonderful light. -O nce you were not a people at all and now you a re the People 10 b lessing. T hat is what you are called to do , so that you inherit a blessing yourself.
Co l 1:12-\3 Ps 34:12- 16
Ho 1:6-9 ; of God; o nce you were outside the mercy a nd now you have been given mercy . 10 Remem ber: Anyone who wants to have a happy lif e and to enjoy prosperity must
2:3.25
II banish malice f rom his tongue, deceitful conversation f rom his lips; «he must never
Th e obligations of Christians: towa rds pagans 12 yield to evil but must practise good; he must seek peace and pursue it. «Because the
Ps 39:12 I ur ge you, my dea r people, while you are visitors and pilgrims, to keep your- II '1Z
'"1 -'
Ga 5:24 e . Or ' by the p recious b lood of th e C h r ist. th is b. Ad d . ' in the sig h t of God' .
selves free from the selfish passion s tha t a ttack the soul. -Always beha ve 12
spotless lamb' . c . Var. 'd ied ' , cf. 3: 18.
i m 4:1 h ono urably a mong pagans so that they can see your good wo rks for themselves f. Va r. ' fr om a pure heart', d , Va r. ' yo u were li ke stra y s hee p'.
Is 10:3 g. O r ' the livi n g a nd et ernal Wo rd of God' . e. The 'episcopos' , i.e. th e insp ecto r or overseer,
a nd, whe n the day of rec ko ning com es, give tha nks to God for the thi ngs which 2 a, Lit . ' to this ind eed they were a ppo inted'. By cr. T t 1:5 + .
M 15 :16 now make them den ounce yo u as cr iminals. rejecti n g the G oo d News th e Je ws ha ve lost th eir p rerog- 3 a. Lit . 's h o uld be the h idd en ma n (se lf) of the ::>
arivcs whi ch hav e been tra ns ferred to C hr istians, hea rt' . -s
Rsn \3 :1-7 3:9 . T he a .T . Quo tations in vv. 6-10 reflect th e ne ed b, '(she) is equally a n heir' , var. 'you are eq ua lly
Tt 3: 1
Towards civil auth ority of the ea r lies t C h ris tia ns to find sc r ip tural explanati o ns heirs' . ' the life of grace', lit . 'the grac e of life' ; va r.
For the sa ke of the Lord, acce pt the a uthority of eve ry socia l insti tu tion : the \3 for the unbe lief of Israel. 'her own for m of the grace of life', cf. 4: 10.
c, ' be self-effacing' (lit . ' have a humble disposi tion ') ;
emperor, as the supreme authority, -and the govern ors as commissioned by him 14 Vulg . ' be modest a nd humble' .
·>
w
~ 0::
 3: 13 P E T ER 4°4 1 PETER 5: 10
4°5
face ofthe Lord frown s on evil men, but the eyes ofthe Lord are turned towards the 15 Spirit of glo ry, r the Spirit of Go d restin g on you. •N one of you sho uld ever deserve
virtuous, his ears to their cry . 16 to sufTer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an inform er; - b ut if anyo ne
In persecution of you should sufTer for being a C hristian, th en he is not to be asham ed of it ; he ;\01 1:26-1-
17 sho uld thank G od that he has been called o ne. -T he time has come fo r the judge-
No one can hu rt you if you are determin ed to do o nly what is right; -if you Ii ment to begin a t the hous ehold of God; and if what we kno w now is on ly the tk~i?j l
M ' 5: 10
Is 8: 12· 13 do have to suffer for bein g good , you will count it a blessing. There is no need to beginning, what will it be when it comes down to those who refuse to believe G od's
L XX
M IIO:26-31 be afraid or to worry about them .s -Simply reverence' the Lord! Christ in your 15
18 Good News? «If it is hard fo r a good mall to be sa ved, what will happen to the wick ed PcL1) / 1
Pr 3:25
hearts, and always have your answer ready for peo ple who ask you the reason for 19 and 10 sinners ? -So even tho se wh om G od allows to suffer must tr ust th emselves
the hope that you all have . -But give it with courtesy and respec t and with a clear 16
to the constancy of the creator and go on doi ng good .
conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ
may be pro ved wron g in the acc usati ons th at they bring .• And if it is the will of 17 Instructions: to the elders
G('Id that you shou ld suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing
wro ng.
1 5 No w I have something to tell your elders:" I am an elder myself, and a witness "
to the sufferings of Chri st, and with you I have a share in the glory that is
A c 11:30+
20: 28 +
Co l 3:4
to be revealed.' • Be the shepherds of the flock of G od that is entru sted to you:
The resurrection and 'the descent into hell' 1 T m 3:8
Rm 5:6 ;
wa tch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because Go d wants it ;" not for Ttl:7
6: 10 Why, Christ himself, innocent tho ugh he was, had died once for sins,v died for 18 so rdid mo ney, but because you are eager to do it. •Never be a dictator over an y
2:2/ -24
Is 53: 11 the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was gro up tha t is put in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can I C o 4: 16 +
Ao 3: 14 /- 1"2:7-8
R m 1:3-4 1- raised to life, -a nd, in the spirit, he went to preach to the spirits in prison." 19 follow.' •When the chief shepherd appe ar s, you will be given the crown of E=k 34: / -'-
Heb 9: 26-28 1 Co 9:25 -~-
2 P 3:9 Now it was long ago, when Noah was still buildi ng that ark which saved only a 20
unfad ing glory.
Gn 7:7
2 1' 2:5 small group of eight people ' by water', and whe n God was still wa iting pat iently,
Co/ 2: / 2- 13
that these spirits refused to believe. -That water is a type of the baptism' which 21 To the faithful
Rm 6:4 + saves you now, and which is not the washing off of phys ical dirt! but a pledge" To the rest of you I say: do what the elders tell you," and all wrap yourselves I I n 2 :12- 14
made to God from a good consc ience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in hum ility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will IPrn J:34 13:14
Ac 2:33 1-
Ep 1 : ~0- 2 1 who has entered heaven and is at God 's right hand,' now that he has made the 22 always fa vour the humble. • Bow dow n, then, before the power of G od now, and he Jb LXX 22:29
Co I2 : 15+
a ngels and Dom inations and Powers his subjects. 7
Ph 2:R-9
will raise yo u up o n the appointed da y ;" «unload all yo ur worries 01/10 him , since Jm4:6-10
2:2 1 rs
T hink of what Chr ist suffered in this life, and then arm yourselv es with the 55: 22
Rm 6:2.7
Rm 7: 14f
4 same resolution that he had: anyon e who in this life has bodily suffering has
1 8 he is looking afte r yo u.• Be calm IJIII vigilant, because your enemy the devil" is M t 6:25f
prowling round like a roaring lion, lookin g for someone to eat. -Sia nd up to him, Ps 21:13
Ep 6:11
1 In 2: 16417 broken with sin, • becaus e for the rest of his life on earth he is not ruled by human stro ng in faith and in the knowledge that your bro thers all over the wo rld arc
passions but only by the will of God. •You spe nt quite long enough in the past 10
m 8: 18
suffer ing the same thi ngs. •You will have to sufTeronly for a little while: the G od 2R Co
Ep 4 : 17- 18 4: 17
T 13 :3 living the sor t of life that pagans live, behavi ng indecently, giving way to your
Rm / : 29 1 l. Ad d . (V u lg.) 'sub m itt ing to d ea t h so tha t we
passions, dri nking all the time, having wild parties and drunken orgies ana d . O m. 'o r It> worry about them ' .
e. Li e 's a nctify ' , m igh t in her it eternal life' .
deg rading yourse lves by follow ing false gods . -So people cannot understand why t, "The lo rd "; var . ' G od ' . ' ho pe', ad d. 'a nd fai t h' . 4 a, Lit. 'rush w it h the m to th c sa me " uns afe u p-
you no longer hu rry off with them to jo in this flood which is rushing down to ' I :'C allusio n is to local per secu tion s. po ur in g" (I.e. " floo d of no -sa lva tio n" o r " l1o od of
A c 10:42 u. ' sins' , Yu lg, 'ou r sins'. O m . 'to G od ' . debauchery" )'; th is da nge rous 11 0 0 <..1 des lroys the goo d.
2 Tm4:1 ruin,« and then they begin to spread libels about you . •They will have to answer h. Pro ba bly a lludes to th e descent o f C h r ist 10 u nli ke Noah's Flo od th at d es troyed th e wicked . cf. 3:20 .
for it in fron t of the jud ge who is ready to ju dge th e living and the dead. -And Hades, cf. M t I6: 18 +. be twe en his d eat h a nd b. F or the proclamation of th e Good News to the
3:19 + res urrec tio n, M t 12:40 : Ac 2:24.3 1: Rm 10:7 : E p 4:9 : d ead cf. 3: 19 -I- . Some exege tes in ter pret th is as mea n ing
becaus e he is their judge too, the dead had to be told the Good Ne ws as well, b so Heb 13:20, He went the re 'in s p ir it'. cf Lk 23:46, Ihe 's ni r itu allv dead' , e.s. th ose who arc persecu tin g
th at though, in th eir life o n ear th, they had been thr ough the ju dgement that o r (bet ter) ' accord in g to the sp ir it ' , Ho m 1:4 i , his th e C hr ist ians to wh om the le tt e r is bei n g w rit te n.
Rm 1:9 + 'Ilc sh' bei ng dea d o n th e cross, Hill X:3f. T he 's p iri ts c, As in im p ro mp tu s p ir itua l p rophecies a nd in
2 Co 5:5 + comes to all humanity, th ey might co me to G od' s life in the spirit. in p r iso n' to who m he ' p reac he d ' (or ' p rocla imed ') etossota ti a, cr. I Co 14:2- 19 : Ac 11:27 1 with Ac 2:4 I .
sa lva tio n a rc iden tified by so m e wr iters a s the cha ined d . Th is co u ld pos sib ly ref er to lit ur gica l scr vi..:e.
The revelati on of Christ is close demons me n tioned in t he Bo ok o f Enoc h (so me texts
a rc cor rec ted so as to m a ke Eno ch , and not C hr ist ,
1:5·7 ; 4: 17
2 Co 6:2 + Everything will soon come to an end, so, to pray better, keep a calm and sober 7 preach to them ). Th ese spirits ha ve t hus bee n put c , Add. 'and pow er ' . Add. a t en d of ve rse ' tthc
Pr 1O: ! 2 u nd er t he a uth ority of C hr is t as Kvr ios v, 22, cf. Ep I : Sp ir it) blasphe med by them but hon ou red br }-O U '.
Jm 5:20 mind . -A bove all, never let your love for each ot her grow insincere, since love 8 21f ; P h 2:8- 10, a nd this subjec tion to him is to be 5 a, These elders ar c to be ide nt ified wit h t he
covers over many a sin. • Welcome each other into your houses without grumbling . 9 confirmed later o n, I Co 15:24f. O the r wri ters su gges t 'presby ters' of Tt 1:5 + , cf. no te o n 5:5 wh e re 'cid er s '
Rm 12:6-8 the se wer e the sp ir its of pe o ple drowned in the F lood means 'o lder pe op le' .
1 Co 12:4- 11 Eac h one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards respo nsible 10 as a pu nis hmen t bu t who arc now su m mo ned by God 's h. T his ca n mean eit he r that a s an ap ostle , 1:1 ,
for all these different graces of God, put you rselves at the service of others. •If 11 ' p at ience' to eternal life , cf, 4 :6. M t 27:52f is a s im ila r he witne ssed th e Passion o f Jesu s, o r tha t t hr ou gh
e p isode o f liberati on by C hr ist be tween his dea th a nd h is o wn su ffer tnxs he is. a wit ne ss to C h rist.
you are a speaker, speak in wor ds which seem to come fro m God;" if you are a resur rec tion, o n ly here it is th e saints, the ho ly o nes c. At th e nar ousia . cr. 1:-5, 13: 4 :7. 17 : 5: 10 .
: C o 10:3 1 helper," help as th ough every action was don e at God's orders; so that in who we re wai ti ng for him, th at are liber at ed . d. O m. ' wa tch ove r it ' and ' be cause Go d wants i( .
R m9:5 cf Heb 11:39f ; 12:23 , and ar e given the freedo m o f c . Li t. 'Nor as lor di ng it o ve r t hose al loc a ted
everything G od may receive the glory, th ro ugh Jesus Christ, since to him alone the hol y (t he heavenly) cit y. The de scent of C hr ist to (i.e . to yo u) Out b ecomin g ex amp les of Ihe Il oc k ":
'7Z
'1''"'
Rm 16:27 + belo ng all glory and power for ever and ever. Amen . H ade s is on e of th e articles in th e 'A pos tles' Cr eed'. var. ' Be exa m p les to th e flock ' . Add . (\'ll l~ . ) 'wit h
i. Lit. ' by wa ter, to wh ich th e an titype is t he a ll yo ur hea rt '.
ba pti sm' I.c. th at whic h wa s pre figu re d by th e ' type' r. Lit. ' Likewise yo un ger peop le submi t yo u rse lves
Recapitulation (d . I Co IU:6 -l-). Her e th e ' ty pe ' o f bap tism is Noa h' s to o ld er peo p le': th e ' yo u n ger peo pl e' here a rc uot
Flood. ad o lesc en ts as o p posed to 'o lder nco nle', d . T I :!:6.
My dear peo ple, you must not think it unaccounta ble that you should be tested
3: 14 12 I, As so few were saved fro m drownin g, th e F loo d b u t th e bod y of th e fa ithfu l ,IS o p pose d t o the :::>
1:7 by fire. There is nothing ext raordinary in what has happened to you. -If you can 13 is tak en to sy m bo lise the O.T. purificat or y ri tes th at
were . a lmos t withou t exception , limi ted to a n ex ternal
' presbyters ' o r eld ers. 5: I , .
g . Ad d. (V u lg.) 'of h is co min a', cf . 1: 12.
'"'
MJ ~V:j~~ have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, beca use you will enjoy a much 'bod ily' puri ty, whe reas the ba ptism by whic h a pers on h , T he word diahalos (l i t. ' o ne who passes to
coll i greater gladness when his glory is revealed. -It is a blessing for you whep they. 14 is rebo rn ca n ha ve no lim its t o it s efficacy .
k . The ' pled ge' (alternative translat ion' the re quest')
ano ther inf ormation against a thir d party ') m ay be
trans lated 'a ccuser ' : it is app lied to th e devil in its lega l
Jm l:i.3 insult you for bearing the name of Christ, because it means that you have the m ade by a co n ver t at his baptism, . sense c.Jl' 'trresecutor".
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I Th ~ :I~ :
~ . .: ~ of all grace who ca lled you to eter nal glory in Christ will see that all is well again :
~ : 1I he will co nfirm, strengthen and support yo u.' • His! power lasts for ever and ever . II
Amen .

Last words. Greeting s

"I A ...· I ~ :.:..: .
I write these few words to you thro ugh Silvanus, who is a broth er I know I can I:
tru st, to enco urage you never to let go this true grace of God to wh ich I bear
witness .
R\" \ - :5
Your sister in Babylon, who is with you a mong the chosen," sends you I )
.:.I n 1 '
A..: 1': :1': ,
':Cl' 1.l: 12 ,
greetings : so does my so n, Ma rk.
G reet o ne another with a kiss of love.' I~
2 PETER
Peace to you a ll who are in Christ. m
THE SECOND LETTER OF PETER
Greetings
1 1 Fro m Simeon Peter, servant ana apostle of Jesus Christ ; to all who treasure
the same faith as ourselves, given through the righteousness of our God and
Ac 15:14 +

IIJude 2
2 saviour Jesus Chri st. " -May you have more and more grace and peace as you
come to know our Lord b more and more. 1:8
Ph ) :10
Co l 2:6
A call to Christian living, and its reward
By his divine power, he has given us all the th ings that we need for life and for Ep 3:16-19
tr ue devotion, bring ing us to know God himsel f, who has called us by his own
4 glory and goodness.' -In makin g these gifts, he has given us" the guarantee of In 1:14 +
so mething very grea t and wonde rfu l to come: th rou gh them' yo u will be ab le to ~~sl~ib~.12
share the divine na ture and to escape corruption in a world that is sunk in vice.! ~~23~188+
But to attain th is,« yo u will have to do your utmost yourselves, adding goodness 1J;f9 15f :
6 to the faith that you have , understanding to your goodness , -self-co ntr ol to your Ga 5:22+
understanding, patience to yo ur self-co ntro l, true devotion to your patience,
7 kin dness towards your fellow men to you r devotion, and, to this kindness, love.
8 If you have a generous supply of these, they will not leave you ineffectual or
unprod uctive: they will bring you to a rea l knowledge of our Lord Jesus Ch rist. 1:2
But wit ho ut them" a man is blind or else short-sighted; he has forgotten how
10 his pas t sins were washed away. •Brot hers, you have been called and ch osen : work
all the harder to j ustify it. i If you do all these thin gs there is no da nger that you will T J:N+
I I ever fall away. -In this way you will be gra nted ad mitta nce into the eterna l
kingdo m/ of our Lo rd and savio ur Jesus Christ.

The a postolic witness

5 l. 'ca lled YOU " var . (V u IR.) 'ca lled us' . ' in C hris t"
add . (v u ta.) 'Je sus' , Om, (V u lg,) 'str ength en' ,
I: Add . 'xlo ry a nd ' .
k , Lit , 'the co-c hose n ( fe minine) in Babyl on
IIJude 5
12 T hat is why I am continuall y reca lling the same trut hs to you, even th ough you
1 I n 2:2 1
13 already know them and firmly hold them. ·1 am sur e it is my duty, as long as Ws 9:15
Is 38: 12
14 I am in this ten t, to keep stirring you up with reminde rs, -since I kno w the time 2 Co 5:1
I n 21:18-19
for tak ing off this tent is comi ng soon , as ou r Lo rd Jesus Christ foretold to me.
15 And I shall ta ke great care that after my o wn de pa rture you will still have a
means to recall these things to mem ory .
'12
"I '
1 a , O r ' of o ur G od a nd of rhe sav io ur Je sus Ch ris t' , e. l.e. as a result of th e glo ry and goo d nes s of
h, Lit. ' thr o ugh knowing our Lo rd ' ; var. ' thro u gh C h ris t. var. ( Y ulg.) ' th ro ugh it' ,
knowing G od a nd Jesus (or Jes us C h rist) ou r Lo rd ' . f. Var . (Vu lg,) ' th e cor ru p tion of th e vice tha t is
A ll thr ou gh th is lett er it is C hris t w ho is pr op o sed as in t he wor ld ' ,
the obj ec t uf a C hristia n's k now led ge, 1:3,8 : 2:20 ; 3: 18, g , Lit. 'Fo r th is ver y reason ' ; var. (Vulg) ' Bu t yOU' ,
c , ' ~I o ry' here refers to th e miracl es done by Jes us h. Th is is the sa me so rt o f warning ag ains t ~
as a sign of his d ivinity , cr. I n 1: 14 + , bu t in particula r Gnos ticism that is given in the Jo hannine lett er s. -s
it refers to th e t rans figu ra tio n, 2 P 1: 16- 18. 'goodness ' cf. 1 I n 1:8 + . G nos tic s cla imed to k now God wit hout
greet s Y'OU' ; var . ( Vulg.) 'T he co-c ho sen chu rch' . T he co uld re fer to his po wers bo th na tu ra l a nd mir acur ou s. keep ing his co mmand me nts.
reference is to the c hurc h at Rom e. d, ' us' , va r. ' yo u' . W ha t has been p ro mised is i. Add . (V ul g.) ' by Rood deeds',
I. Var . (V u lg.j 'h o ly k iss ', cf. Rm 16: 16 : I Co 16:20, so methin g th at co ncerns t he ' D aY' of t he Lord', j . T h is, like 1:4 ; 3:4,9-10 , looks for war d to the
m. Add . (Vu lg.) 'Jesus. A men .' of. 3:4,9-10,12 - 13. parous/a ,
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