1 Peter 2:8

2:8 and a stumbling-stone ¹  and a rock to trip over. ²  They stumble ³  because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. ⁴ 

1 Peter 1:3

New Birth to Joy and Holiness

1:3 Blessed be ⁵  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:6

1:6 This brings you great joy, ⁶  although you may have to suffer ⁷  for a short time in various trials.

1 Peter 1:20

1:20 He was foreknown ⁸  before the foundation of the world but ⁹  was manifested in these last times ¹⁰  for your sake.

1 Peter 5:6

5:6 And God will exalt you in due time, ¹¹  if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand ¹² 

1 Peter 2:23

2:23 When he was maligned, he ¹³  did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened ¹⁴  no retaliation, ¹⁵  but committed himself to God ¹⁶  who judges justly.

1 Peter 4:6

4:6 Now it was for this very purpose ¹⁷  that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, ¹⁸  so that though ¹⁹  they were judged in the flesh ²⁰  by human standards ²¹  they may live spiritually ²²  by God’s standards. ²³ 

[2:8]  ¹ tn Grk “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” The latter phrase uses the term σκάνδαλον (skandalon), denoting an obstacle to faith, something that arouses anger and rejection.

[2:8]  ² sn A quotation from Isa 8:14.

[2:8]  ³ tn Grk “who stumble,” referring to “those who do not believe” in vs. 7. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:8]  ⁴ tn Grk “to which they were also destined.”

[1:3]  ⁵ tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. Two factors of the author’s style come into play. At this point the author is describing the reality of believers’ salvation and will soon explain believers’ necessary response; this is in emulation of Pauline style which generally follows the same logical order (although the author here discusses the reality in a much more compressed fashion). On the other hand, when imitating the Pauline greeting, which is normally verbless, the author inserts the optative (see v. 2 above). When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the fact that the author in the immediate context has used the optative when imitating a Pauline stylized statement would argue for the optative here. The translation uses the term “blessed” in the sense “worthy of praise” as this is in keeping with the traditional translation of berakah psalms. Cf. also 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3.

[1:6]  ⁹ tn Grk “in which you exult.”

[1:6]  ¹⁰ tc ‡ The oldest and best witnesses lack the verb (א* B, along with 1505 pc), but most mss (Ì⁷² א² A C P Ψ 048 33 1739 Ï) have ἐστίν here (estin, “[if] it is [necessary]”). The verb looks to be an explanatory gloss. But if no verb is present, this opens up the time frame in the author’s mind even more, since the conditional particle for both the first class condition and the fourth class condition is εἰ (ei). That may well be what was on the author’s mind, as evidenced by some of his other allusions to suffering in this little letter (3:14, 17). NA²⁷ has the verb in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[1:20]  ¹³ tn Grk “who was foreknown,” describing Christ in v. 19. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:20]  ¹⁴ tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

[1:20]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “at the last of the times.”

[5:6]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “in time,” but connoting “the proper time, when the time is right” as in Matt 24:45; Luke 12:42.

[5:6]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that in due time he may exalt you.” The sentence was rearranged so that the English reader could more clearly see the connection between “casting” (v. 7) and “humble” (v. 6).

[2:23]  ²¹ tn Grk “who being maligned,” continuing the reference to Christ. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:23]  ²² tn Grk “he did not threaten, but.”

[2:23]  ²³ sn An allusion to Isa 53:7.

[2:23]  ²⁴ tn Grk “to the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:6]  ²⁵ tn Grk “since for this purpose the gospel was preached even to the dead,” referring to the purpose described in the clause to follow in v. 6b.

[4:6]  ²⁶ sn In context the phrase those who are dead refers to those now dead who had accepted the gospel while they were still living and had suffered persecution for their faith. Though they “suffered judgment” in this earthly life (i.e., they died, in the midst of physical abuse from the ungodly), they will enjoy life from God in the spiritual, heavenly realm because of the gospel (v. 6b). It clearly does not assume a second chance for conversion offered to unbelievers who had died; why would Peter urge people to suffer in this life for the sake of the gospel if he believed that mercy would be extended to all the dead in the hereafter (cf. 2:7-8; 4:1-5, 12-19)?

[4:6]  ²⁷ tn Grk “so that they may be judged…but may live.” Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

[4:6]  ²⁸ tn Or “in their earthly lives,” since “flesh” here denotes the physical, earthly life. The phrase “in the flesh” is retained to preserve the links with 3:18 and 4:1 which use the same wording.

[4:6]  ²⁹ tn Grk “according to men.”

[4:6]  ³⁰ tn Grk “in spirit,” referring to the heavenly, eternal realm of existence (cf. 3:18).

[4:6]  ³¹ tn Grk “according to God.”