Texts in Conversation
1 Peter uses language found in the Wisdom of Solomon and other Jewish texts, such as gold tested in fire, to depict suffering as a sign of faithfulness. It follows Jewish wisdom traditions in interpreting persecution as a meaningful test.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Wisdom of Solomon 3:4
Deuterocanon
2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died. Their departure was considered a disaster, 3 and their travel away from us ruin, but they are in peace. 4 For even if in the sight of men they are punished, their hope is full of immortality. 5 Having borne a little chastening, they will receive great good; because God tested them, and found them worthy of himself. 6 He tested them like gold in the furnace, and he accepted them as a whole burnt offering. 7 In the time of their visitation they will shine. They will run back and forth like sparks among stubble. 8 They will judge nations and have dominion over peoples. The Lord will reign over them forever.
Date: 50 BCE – 50 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
1 Peter 1:5
New Testament
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials. 7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away—and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
Date: 80–90 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The possibility is there that these trials may test the integrity of their faith. It can seem as if he is telling the first audience that their suffering and trauma are brief and necessary and therefore it becomes more bearable. This can be a problematic statement to make, but in the light of the short expectancy of Christ’s second coming it is understandable. They are not experiencing suffering and trauma because their faith is inadequate. Rather it is evidence that their faith is genuine, otherwise they would not have chosen to be associated with a faith that would cause them trauma (Jobes, 2005: 79, 94). The authenticity of their faith, even if it is tested by fire (traumatic wounds that do not seem to want to heal), it is still more precious than gold. Yet again it points to future praise and glory in the second coming of Christ. This joy in suffering also reflects a Jewish background, specifically the Wisdom of Solomon 3:4; 2 Baruch 52:6-7 and Sirach 2:1-6 (Achtemeier, 1996: 99; Jobes, 2005: 95) ..."
Annemarie Susan de Kock-Malan, Suffering, Submission, Silence? Rereading 1 Peter through a Lens of Trauma (Stellenbosch University, 2019), 133–134.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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