Christians as foreigners according to the First letter of Peter

The article deals with five Greek terms used in the First letter of Peter connected to the idea of being a stranger: paroikos, parepidemos, paroikia, diaspora and Babylon. Three of these terms (parepidemos, paroikia and diaspora) are taken over from the Jewish roots of Christianity, but these roots are decisive for the meaning of all of them. The addressees are characterized as paroikoi kai parepidemoi (strangers and sojourners), their status as paroikia (strangehood) and diaspora. The letter uses these terms to explain the situation of its addressees, the feeling of discrimination. Moreover, this situation should not discourage the addresses, but, on the contrary, it should encourage them to good conduct among the gentiles. The author of the letter considers himself in a similar position - he calls the city from which he writes Babylon.

Keywords: Bible; First letter of Peter; Foreigners