A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and of Jude

by J.N.D. Kelly

This is part of a series of modern commentaries based on new English translations made by their respective editors.

While adhering strictly to sound scholarship and doctrine, they intend, above all, to bring out the theological and religious message of the New Testament to the contemporary Church.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biblical Studies, Reference, New Testament

398 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 1981

About the author

John Norman Davidson Kelly FBA (1909–1997) was a prominent academic within the theological faculty of Oxford University and Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford between 1951 and 1979 during which the Hall transformed into an independent constituent college of the University and later a co-educational establishment.

Early life
John Kelly was born in Bridge of Allan, Perthshire on 13 April 1909 and was the fourth of five children to his Scottish schoolmaster father and English mother. John was home-schooled by his father and graduated initially at the University of Glasgow after which he went up to Queen’s College, Oxford having secured a scholarship. At Queen’s he read classical moderations, Greats, and theology and graduated with first-class honours. Despite an upbringing as a Presbyterian he was confirmed into the Church of England and entered the ministry, attending St Stephen's House, Oxford before being made deacon in Northamptonshire.

Academic achievements
John Kelly was prominent in the theology faculty throughout his association with St Edmund Hall. He was speaker’s lecturer in biblical studies from 1945 to 1948 and subsequently held a university lectureship in patristic studies until 1976. He published widely, writing on the development of the early Christian Creeds and doctrines, his Early Christian Creeds and Early Christian Doctrines becoming standard secondary works and seminary textbooks; commentaries on the pastoral epistles; biographical studies, including studies of St Jerome and St John of Chrysostom; and The Oxford Dictionary of Popes . He was working on a companion volume to the Oxford Dictionary about archbishops when he died.

In the ecclesiastical world, he became a canon of Chichester Cathedral in 1948, a position he held until 1993. He presided over the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Roman Catholic Relations from 1963 until 1968 and accompanied the archbishop, Michael Ramsey on his historic visit to Rome in 1966. He was a founder member of the Academic Council of the Institute for Advanced Theological Studies in Jerusalem.

He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1951 and fellowship of the British Academy in 1965. He died a bachelor on 31 March 1997 and his cremated remains are interred in the antechapel of St Edmund Hall.

Reviews

[John Pawlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

J.N.D. Kelly remains one of my favorite authors. His extensively knowledge of Early Church, it’s theology, and it’s creeds, makes him incredibly interesting to read. He is more critical in his theology than many conservative scholars, but his liberal theology comes at somewhat of a golden age in critical theology, the late 60’s and early 70’s, when some of the scholarly coherence remained intact. you will never find him unwilling to call something a heresy, or to lay his convictions on the table and come at something logically.

This was a fantastic commentary on 1 Peter, I want to go back and read his thoughts on 2 Peter and Jude, but have been challenged and encouraged by his work so far!

I read this commentary because I thoroughly enjoyed his “Early Christian Doctrine” and wanted to read more of him, and was not disappointed. Thomas Schreiner, a balanced but conservative scholar from Southern Seminary, interacted with Kelly and other authors in his commentary in very interesting ways. I would recommend this commentary on 1 Peter as a critical/liberal counterpart, and would read it alongside another commentary, as I would recommend any commentary. Schreiner paired well with Kelly, as they both have brilliant minds and showed their own insights on one of the greatest NT letters!

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A carefully argued commentary from a moderate perspective. Kelly's knowledge of ancient literature and the church fathers make this commentary especially good to consult.

[Frederico]

El libro de las cosas

[Sean-david · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic, quoted by many contemporaries, well worth the read if you can find it.