What are the spiritual sacrifices of 1 Peter 2:5?: some light from Philo of Alexandria
Peter's reference to 'spiritual sacrifices' in 1 Pet. 2:5 is unspecified and scholars have proposed a variety of possible solutions to identify their referent. In this paper, we shed light on this question by considering how the term may have been heard by the readers in their histori...
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Paternoster Press
2015
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| In: |
Evangelical quarterly
Year: 2015, Volume: 87, Issue: 1, Pages: 3-17 |
| IxTheo Classification: | CB Christian life; spirituality HC New Testament |
| Summary: | Peter's reference to 'spiritual sacrifices' in 1 Pet. 2:5 is unspecified and scholars have proposed a variety of possible solutions to identify their referent. In this paper, we shed light on this question by considering how the term may have been heard by the readers in their historical context. Most scholars consider the audience to be majority Gentile and clearly in a diaspora setting (1 Pet. 1:1). Philo, as a Hellenistic Jewish author writing to the diaspora, has much to say about spiritual sacrifices, connecting them with the rational soul of virtue, which is purified from the passions and issues in virtuous conduct. Returning to 1 Peter, we observe the wider context of 1 Pet. 2:5 emphasizes purity of heart and soul, a disciplined mind and a self-controlled avoidance of passion, which also issues in virtuous conduct. This framework would have helped the original readers to identify the spiritual sacrifices. |
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| ISSN: | 0014-3367 |
| Contains: | In: Evangelical quarterly
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