The label Xristianos

One of the 3 occurances in the New Testament of this term is in 1 Pet 4:16, and last night I read an interesting article dealing with this passage:David G. Horrell, 'The Label Xristianos: 1 Peter 4:16 and the Formation of Chrtistian Identity,' Journal of Biblical Literature 126/2(2007):361-381. Here he deals with I) The Origin of the term; II) Xhristianos in 1 Peter 4; III)Suffering ws xristianos: 1 Peter and the Letters of PLiny; IV)Xhristianos, Conflict, and the construction of Christian identity.

Horrell argues that, in spite of the plausibility that the origin of the label may be among outsiders, in 1 Peter "it constitutes our earliest window "from the inside" onto this rather important development in the construction of Christian identity" (p.367). I find section II and III of this article very stimulating, and consider his argument that the problems of the early Christians as reflected in 1 Peter might have been of a much more serious nature than just verbal abuse, to be rather convincing. His comparison of 1 Peter with the Letters of Pliny is very iluminating here.
Thus Horrell here provides a solid argument for the role of 1 Peter 4:16 in the process whereby this hostile label became a label of pride among and by the insiders, the Christians themselves.

Update:
When considering the possible violent nature of the 'persecutions' the author of 1 Peter might consider the Christians might suffer, one should also draw into consideration this recent article:Boris A. Paschke, 'The Roman ad bestias Execution as a Possible Historical Background for 1 Peter 5.8,' Journal for the Study of the New Testament 28 (2006):489-500.