Indikatief en paraklese in 1 Petrus

Abstract

An important step in the process of interpreting a New Testament epistle is to ascertain the communicative contents which the epistle had for the first readers. Only then is it justified and valid to determine the implication of that contents for the present situation. The importance of historical facts (among which cultural situation) for the determination of the first communication situation of a New Testament book has long been generally acknowledged. The importance of grammatical facts (both diachronic and synchronic) has also enjoyed acknowledgement for some time. In addition to the usage of historical and grammatical data, the necessity to take careful cognizance of the literary conventions contemporary to the time of the specific New Testament book, has recently started gaining acknowledgement. The aim of this article is to exploit some of the recent research results in epistolography. The value of these results will be used, firstly for the interpretation of 1 Peter, and secondly and more specifically, for the determination of the relationship between indicative and paraclesis in this letter In this article it is also attempted to give an overview of recent developments in Petrine studies.