1 Peter 1:1-2. SALUTATION
1 I, Peter, am writing this letter as the commissioned Apostle of
Jesus Christ and you, my readers in various Roman provinces of Asia
Minor are God’s chosen people, the new Israel of God, although (like
the Jews of the Dispersion) you seem to be strangers in a foreign
lan... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΈΤΡΟΣ. His old name Simon is only used in narrative passages
before his call as an Apostle, but our Lord afterwards addressed him
as Simon, Simon Bar Jona, or Simon son of John, and St James in his
speech at the Apostolic Conference, Acts 15:14, speaks of him as
Συμεών. In St John’s Gospel he is ca... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse probably refers both to St Peter’s own position as an
apostle of Jesus Christ and to that of his readers as the “chosen”
people of God. Just as in Romans 1:1; Romans 1:6-7, St Paul couples
himself and his readers together, he himself being “called to be an
apostle” (κλητὸς�) and they “cal... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕΥ̓ΛΟΓΗΤΌΣ, _worthy to receive blessing_ is nearly always
restricted to God in the LXX. while εὐλογημένος, _one who
receives blessing_, is used of men. The same form of benediction
occurs in Ephesians 1:3 and 2 Corinthians 1:3.
Ὁ ΘΕῸΣ ΚΑῚ ΠΑΤῊΡ ΤΟΥ͂ ΚΥΡΊΟΥ Κ.Τ.Λ. The
words are used in the same sens... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Peter 1:3-13. THE HIGH PRIVILEGES AND DESTINY OF THE CHRISTIAN
_Benediction_
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for by
raising Him from the dead He has begotten us, His other children, to a
new life of hope which is directed towards an inheritance which, 4
unlike Canaan,... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΣ ΚΛΗΡΟΝΟΜΊΑΝ. The goal to which our hope points
forward is the spiritual Canaan, “the lot of our inheritance.”
Unlike the earthly Canaan it can never be ravaged by hostile marauders
(ἄφθαρτον) or polluted by heathen profanation
(ἀμίαντον) nor scorched and withered (ἀμάραντον).
κληρονομία in the... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΔΥΝΆΜΕΙ ΘΕΟΥ͂ may describe the _fortress in_ which
or the _garrison by_ which the Christian is guarded.
ΔΙᾺ ΠΊΣΤΕΩΣ. Faith in God’s promised deliverance is the
condition by which man must avail himself of the divine protection.
ΕἸΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΊΑΝ. It is simpler to connect the words with
those which im... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ὯΙ�. Dr Hort, recognizing the difficulty of connecting
these words with καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ in the sense of “season
of extremity,” would make ᾦ masculine—“In whom,” _i.e._
Christ. This would match the following phrase: εἰς ὂν
πιστεύοντες�. But if καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ means the
Messianic age in which the readers... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΔΟΚΊΜΙΟΝ. It is commonly stated that τὸ
δοκίμιον must be a substantive and is equivalent to
δοκιμεῖον = _a means of testing_. It certainly has that
meaning in Proverbs 27:21, δοκίμιον� = fire is the test for
silver and gold, from which passage St Peter probably borrows the word
πύρωσις in 1 Peter... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓Κ ἸΔΌΝΤΕΣ states a historical fact that they had not
seen Christ in the flesh as St Peter himself had done (cf. John
20:29).
ΜῊ ὉΡΩ͂ΝΤΕΣ describes their present condition, _though_
(_for the present_) _you cannot see Him_. No stress can be laid on the
distinction between οὐ and μὴ, though some w... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΟΜΙΖΌΜΕΝΟΙ. The middle voice denotes either receiving back
a possession, Matthew 25:27, or receiving a promised gift, Hebrews
10:36; Hebrews 11:39, and probably Hebrews 11:19, that Abraham
received his long promised son figuratively out of death because his
own body and that of Sarah were “as good... [ Continue Reading ]
Plumptre (_Camb._ Bible, 1 _Pet._, p. 98) and others would explain the
passage which follows as referring to New Testament prophets or
preachers of the first days of the Church, who constantly uttered
inspired warnings of a coming time of persecution for Christians which
would be followed by glory.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΣ ΤΊΝΑ Ἢ ΠΟΙ͂ΟΝ ΚΑΙΡῸΝ, searching (to
discover) what or what manner of season _was pointed to_ (εἰς). If
God withheld from them the precise time when His promises were to be
fulfilled, they desired at least to know whether it was to be in the
immediate or only in the distant future.
ΠΝΕΥ͂ΜΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἿΣ�. In answer to their searching enquiry the prophets, says St
Peter, though “it was not for them to know the times and seasons
which the Father set within His own authority,” were nevertheless
permitted to realize that the messages which they were delivering as
God’s _ministers_ (διηκόνουν) were... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙῸ sums up all the preceding verses = on the strength of such a
position of privilege and dignity.
ἈΝΑΖΩΣΆΜΕΝΟΙ. Girding up the loins is a symbol of prompt
readiness for active service as opposed to slackness and indolent
heedlessness. So our Lord told His disciples that they must have their
loins... [ Continue Reading ]
INTRODUCTORY EXHORTATION FOUNDED UPON THE BENEDICTION
1 Peter 1:13 to 1 Peter 2:10
13–25. 13 The new life of hope, faith and privilege to which you
have been begotten involves corresponding responsibilities on your
part. You must gird up the loins of your mind in readiness for active
service, have... [ Continue Reading ]
ὩΣ ΤΈΚΝΑ ὙΠΑΚΟΗ͂Σ. The _form_ of the expression is a
Hebraism (cf. sons of Belial), but (as in the parallel passage,
Ephesians 2:2, τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς�) the phrase is used
by St Peter to mean more than merely “obedient children.”
“Children of obedience” are those who belong to obedience as a
child to it... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΤᾺ ΤῸΝ ΚΑΛΈΣΑΝΤΑ ὙΜΑ͂Σ ἍΓΙΟΝ (cf.
Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 4:1; Ephesians 5:1, etc.). _After the model
of Him that called you, Who is holy_. Here we have the true model
(εἰκών) to which men’s lives are to be conformed
(σύμμορφοι, cf. Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10). The original
purpose of God in cr... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ΠΑΤΈΡΑ ἘΠΙΚΑΛΕΙ͂ΣΘΕ. _If ye invoke as
Father_. ἐπικαλεῖσθαι in the middle does not mean merely
to call a person by a certain name or title, but to _invoke_ or
_appeal to for aid_. It is the word used by St Paul, Acts 25:11, “I
appeal unto Caesar,” and of St Stephen appealing and saying, “Lord
Jes... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΔΌΤΕΣ. The thought of what their deliverance has cost
increases the responsibility of Christians to “walk worthily.”
ἘΛΥΤΡΏΘΗΤΕ, _ye were ransomed_. The word is used of
deliverance from slavery or from exile, _e.g._ of the deliverance of
Israel from Egypt (Exodus 6:6; Exodus 15:13, etc.). So St St... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΜΝΟΥ͂. Cf. John 1:29. The reference is most probably to the
passover lamb, which, though not actually the ransom paid for
deliverance from Egypt, was closely connected with that deliverance
and did redeem the firstborn of Israel from the destroying angel. So
the regulation about the paschal lamb, “... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡΟΕΓΝΩΣΜΈΝΟΥ = _designated beforehand_ as God’s
appointed agent. This was true not only of the Messiah as the
long-expected King, but also of the suffering Messiah, the Lamb. This
is the usual interpretation of Revelation 13:8, “whose name hath not
been written in the book of life of the Lamb that... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙʼ ὙΜΑ͂Σ, _for the sake of you Gentiles_, cf. Ephesians 3:5;
Romans 16:26. The revelation of Christ was made for your sake, because
it is through Christ that you are enabled to be _faithful as resting
upon God_ (πιστοὺς εἰς θεόν). πιστός in the LXX.
never means “believing” or trustful, but is used... [ Continue Reading ]
St Peter continues his exhortation, which has been interrupted by a
reminder to his readers of their high privilege (1 Peter 1:18-21).
ἩΓΝΙΚΌΤΕΣ. The adjective ἁγνός in the O.T. means (_a_)
_ceremonially pure_, free from defilement; (_b_) _morally pure_, which
is its only meaning in the N.T. The ver... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΑΓΕΓΕΝΝΗΜΈΝΟΙ; cf. 1 Peter 1:3, the only other place
where the word occurs. The verses which follow state the obligation
and the source of Christian love. They have been brought into a new
state of existence, they are born into a new divine sonship, and it is
their common sonship which constitutes... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙΌΤΙ is used again to introduce a quotation in 1 Peter 1:16 and
1 Peter 2:6.
The quotation is taken from Isaiah 40:6-8, and agrees with the LXX. in
omitting the words “because the breath of the Lord bloweth upon
it.” But it differs from the LXX. (1) by inserting ὡς, (2) by
substituting αὐτῆς for ἀν... [ Continue Reading ]