Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

1 Peter 2:5

οἶκος πνευματικὸς, a spiritual house as opposed to a “house made with hands” like the Jewish temple, in which God could never really dwell, cf. Acts 7:48. For the same idea that the Christian society is God’s true temple, cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:22.

εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον. εἰς is inserted in the R.V. marg. and by W. H., “A spiritual temple for a holy act of priesthood.” The ordinary text omitting εἰς takes ἱεράτευμα as a nominative in apposition to οἶκος apparently in the sense of a body of priests, which is the meaning of the word in 1 Peter 2:9 where it is quoted from the LXX. of Exodus 19:6 and represents the Hebrew word “priests.” Here if εἰς is read with the best MSS. the sense is rather “an act of priesthood” which is explained by the words which follow.

ἀνενέγκαι. ἀναφέρειν used of the priest who actually offers up the sacrifice, whereas προσφέρειν could be used also of the worshipper. Thus ἀναφέρειν is used of Abraham offering up Isaac in James 2:21, of the high-priests in Hebrews 7:27, and of Christians in Hebrews 13:15.

πνευματικὰς θυσίας, spiritual as opposed to material sacrifices, cf. πνεύματι λατρεύοντες, Philippians 3:3; λογικὴ λατρεία, Romans 12:1, of Christians presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice. Just as Christ sacrificed His life for the service of others so His members must give themselves in daily self-oblation for the service of the Christian community.

εὐπροσδέκτους, it is only with such spiritual sacrifices that “God is well pleased.”

διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. All our sacrifices can only be offered to God or be acceptable to Him, when presented through the agency of our ascended High-priest, cf. Hebrews 13:15, διʼ αὐτοῦ�. So in every Eucharist Christ is the true priest, and the earthly priest is only the divinely authorized spokesman of the priestly body of worshippers. Similarly our prayers are offered “through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

1 Peter 2:5

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