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Document Details : Title: Reciprocity and Suffering in 1 Peter 2,19-20 Subtitle: Reading χάρις in Its Ancient Social Context Author(s): WILLIAMS, T.B. Journal: Biblica Volume: 97 Issue: 3 Date: 2016 Pages: 421-439 DOI: 10.2143/BIB.97.3.3183494 Abstract : Scholars have long debated whether χάρις in 1 Pet 2,19-20 should be understood as the unmerited favor which is divinely bestowed upon those who please God, or whether it represents a human action that secures a favorable response from God. What interpreters have continued to overlook, however, are the ancient social dynamics which underlie this passage. By interpreting χάρις within the framework of reciprocity and gift-exchange in the Greco-Roman world, this study brings fresh perspective to a problem which has long divided scholarship, and also suggests a new direction for understanding the letter's theology of suffering. |
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