s "pilgrims and
strangers on the earth," is very improbable, especially in immediate
connection with the word "dispersion," which must be understood
literally. We must rather understand the apostle as recognizing in the
Christian churches scattered throughout the world the true "Israel of
God," having for its framework the believing portion of the covenant
people, into which the Gentile Christians had been introduced through
faith, and thus made the children of Abraham. Compare Rom. 4:12-17; Gal.
3:7-9; and especially Rom. 11:17-24. Hence it comes to pass that while
Peter addresses them as the ancient people of God, he yet includes
Gentile Christians in his exhortations, as is manifest from various
passages, especially from chap. 4:3.

9. According to chap. 5:13 the _place_ from which this epistle was
written was Babylon. No valid reason exists why we should not understand
here the literal Babylon. The old opinion that the apostle used the word
enigmatically to signify Rome is nothing more than a conjecture in
itself improbable. It has been urged not without reason that Peter names
the provinces of Asia Minor in the order which would be natural to one
writing from Babylon; naming Pontus first, which lay nearest to Babylon,
and Asia and Bithynia, which were the most remote, last. The question of
the _date_ of this epistle is connected with that of its _occasion_.
This seems to have been a "fiery trial" of persecution that had already
begun to come upon the Christians of the provinces named in the
introductory address. Chaps. 1:6, 7; 2:12, 19, 20; 3:14, 16, 17; 4:1,
12-19; 5:9, 10. The exact date and character of this persecution cannot
be determined. The majority of commentators assign it to the latter
years of Nero's reign, which ended A.D. 68. The second epistle of Peter
was written not long before the apostle's death, and after the epistles
of Paul had become generally known in Asia Minor. As we cannot
reasonably separate the two epistles by a great space of time (see
below, No. 11), we infer that the first was written after Paul's first
imprisonment in Rome, say somewhere between A.D. 63 and 67.

10. The general tone of the first epistle is in harmony with its
occasion. The apostle seeks to animate and strengthen his brethren in
view of the "fiery trial" of persecution that had already begun to come
upon them. To this end he sets before them in glowing language the
greatness and glory of the heavenly inheritance in