The Narrative of πίστις: A Narratological Approach to πίστις in 1 Peter

One important aspect of moral formation in 1 Peter is Peter’s goal to encourage believers to continue in their trust in God amidst suffering, and narratives play a key role in achieving this goal. This article argues that a narrative of trust (πίστις) made up of three events—the choice of trust, trust through suffering, and the outcome of trust—underlies 1 Peter. First, this article outlines the author’s narratological method. Second, the article exegetes the relevant passages where the πίστις word group is prevalent. Third, the article reconstructs Peter’s narrative of trust based around these three events, drawing implications for how this narrative encourages continued trust in God. Through his letter, Peter’s audience begins to see themselves within this narrative, looking both backward toward their redemption through Christ’s death and resurrection and forward toward Christ’s revelation. They see both the foundation and the outcome of their trust in Christ and are motivated to stay the course amidst suffering, firm in their relational trust in God and fully committed to him, knowing that just as God has been faithful to fulfill his promises in Christ, so he will be faithful to fulfill all his promises to them in the end.