374 Ora Delmer Foster, 



others assert that it is, e. g. Bevon, Bigg, Gloag, Holtzmann, Lechler, 

 Pfleiderer, Stevens, etc. The Christology of I Peter occupies a 

 position mid-way between Pan] and the Johannine Literature. 

 It also suggests Paul on the one side and the Synoptic Gospels on 

 the other. (For other examples see McGiffert's Apostolic Age p. 486 ; 

 note also the later discussion of John.) 



The book reveals no traces of enemies within the Church, as 

 Ephesians, Colossians and the Pastoral Epistles, but the enemies 

 are without. Heresies were no doubt in existence at this time, but 

 they were for the time overlooked, in the more pressing need of 

 saving the Church from being stamped out entirely by Imperial 

 action. The silence as to heresies seems to be as easily accounted 

 for on the assumption that the Epistle was written during this time 

 of external hostility as if it were written before the heresies alluded 

 to in the Pauline Epistles had arisen. 



These preliminary conclusions drawn from the external conditions 

 are very important for an understanding of the Epistle, but they 

 will be kept separate from the discussion of the Literary Relations. 



In returning to the problem of Literary Relations, it may be said 

 it is a long and difficult one to solve, but that the effort is fully 

 recompensed by the definite results that attend its solution. Know- 

 ing as we do, with no little degree of certainty, the date and place 

 of authorship of the greater part of the literature related to the First 

 Epistle of Peter, the determination of the order of dependence would, 

 if accurately done, also determine the approximate date and place 

 of this Epistle. It is hoped therefore that the following study may 

 show, with some degree of accuracy, what literature I Peter pre- 

 supposes as well as what presupposes it. 



The aim has not been to give every possible point of contact be- 

 tween I Peter and all the literature considered, but an effort has been 

 made to record what seemed to the author to be the more important 

 ones. Many more resemblances might have been recorded, but the 

 time and space required to cohate them would not be justified by 

 the results obtained. By arranging in parallel columns, in the 

 original language, the more probable points of contact, it is thought 

 that a basis is afforded for some valuable conclusions, both as regards 

 date and place of authorship. 



By the very nature of the subject little new material can be ad- 

 vanced. A great percent of the parallels tabulated have already 

 been pointed out by others, yet there are many additional ones 

 discussed, which were discovered independently. 



