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Introduction | #1 Godly Attributes, Knowledge | #2 The Mystery Revealed | #3 The Gospel of God | #4 Love Your Neighbor | #5 Turn the Other Cheek | #6 Appointment of Apostles | #7 God Our Savior | #8 The Day of Salvation | #9 Witnesses to the Resurrection | #10 Patience in Suffering | #11 John the Baptist | #12 Jesus' Last Supper | #13 Judas the Betrayer | #14 Government Corruption | #15 Tradition of Jesus in the Flesh | #16 Arrival of the Kingdom | #17 Christ's Arrival at End Times | #18 The Foundation of Faith | #19 Healer of the Sick | #20 Holy Places and Relics | Conclusions | Contact Me | Doug Shaver's Critique--my response
Response to Earl Doherty's Top 20 Silences
#5 Turn the Other Cheek

5. - 1 Peter 3:9
"Do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." [NIV]


1. Silences in passage/challenge to a historical Jesus:

Jesus taught to "turn the other cheek".


2. Relevancy within context:

In 1 Peter, there are at least 15 quotations of old testament books, and only twice is it even indicated that they are from another source. In those 2 occasions the author simply writes "it is written", without any further identification. Shouldn't a reference to these sources also seem natural in such a context both to strengthen the authority of the action being urged by the writer, and to honor the OT author as a source? So, for this specific case of 1 Peter, it isn't out of context to not mention a teaching from Jesus. With regard to the silence of the exact phrase "turn the other cheek", we don't know that the author of 1 Peter found it as captivating a phrase as we do. The intent of the teaching is still closely matched.


3. Related information in other early writings:

This has been addressed in previous questions.


4. Conclusion

Since the author of 1 Peter was not fond of attributing teachings to their sources, I see little reason for us to expect him to do so for the passage in question. I addressed the general issue in previous questions.

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