1 Peter 5:6

5:6 And God will exalt you in due time, ¹  if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand ² 

1 Peter 2:2

2:2 And ³  yearn ⁴  like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, ⁵  so that by it you may grow up to ⁶  salvation, ⁷ 

1 Peter 4:6

4:6 Now it was for this very purpose ⁸  that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, ⁹  so that though ¹⁰  they were judged in the flesh ¹¹  by human standards ¹²  they may live spiritually ¹³  by God’s standards. ¹⁴ 

1 Peter 2:21

2:21 For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps.

1 Peter 3:1

Wives and Husbands

3:1 In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, ¹⁵  even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, ¹⁶ 

1 Peter 3:9

3:9 Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless ¹⁷  others ¹⁸  because you were called to inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3:16

3:16 Yet do it with courtesy and respect, ¹⁹  keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you. ²⁰ 

1 Peter 3:18

3:18 ²¹ Because Christ also suffered ²²  once for sins,

the just for the unjust, ²³ 

to bring you to God,

by being put to death in the flesh

but ²⁴  by being made alive in the spirit. ²⁵ 

1 Peter 4:13

4:13 But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed ²⁶  you may also rejoice and be glad. ²⁷ 

1 Peter 1:7

1:7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith, ²⁸  which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away ²⁹  – and will bring praise ³⁰  and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ³¹ 

1 Peter 2:12

2:12 and maintain good conduct ³²  among the non-Christians, ³³  so that though ³⁴  they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears. ³⁵ 

1 Peter 2:24

2:24 He ³⁶  himself bore our sins ³⁷  in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning ³⁸  and live for righteousness. By his ³⁹  wounds ⁴⁰  you were healed. ⁴¹ 

1 Peter 4:11

4:11 Whoever speaks, let it be with ⁴²  God’s words. ⁴³  Whoever serves, do so with the strength ⁴⁴  that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong ⁴⁵  the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

[5:6]  ¹ tn Grk “in time,” but connoting “the proper time, when the time is right” as in Matt 24:45; Luke 12:42.

[5:6]  ² 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).

[2:2]  ³ tn Here “And” has been supplied in the translation to show clearly the connection between vv. 1 and 2.

[2:2]  ⁴ tn Grk “getting rid of…yearn for.”

[2:2]  ⁵ tn The word for spiritual in Greek is λογικός (logikos), which is a play on words with the reference in 1:23-25 to the living and enduring word (λόγος, logos) of God, through which they were born anew. This is a subtle indication that the nourishment for their growth must be the word of God.

[2:2]  ⁶ tn Or “in, in regard to.” But the focus of “salvation” here, as in 1:5, 9, is the future deliverance of these who have been born anew and protected by God’s power.

[2:2]  ⁷ tc The Byzantine text lacks εἰς σωτηρίαν (ei" swthrian, “to salvation”), while the words are found in the earliest and best witnesses (Ì⁷² א A B C K P Ψ 33 81 630 1241 1505 1739 al latt sy co). Not only is the longer reading superior externally, but since the notion of growing up [in]to salvation would have seemed theologically objectionable, it is easy to see why some scribes would omit it.

[4:6]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Grk “according to men.”

[4:6]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “in spirit,” referring to the heavenly, eternal realm of existence (cf. 3:18).

[4:6]  ¹¹ tn Grk “according to God.”

[3:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “that…they may be won over,” showing the purpose of “being subject” (vs. 1b). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[3:1]  ⁸ tn Grk “by the wives’ behavior.”

[3:9]  ⁹ tn Grk “not returning…but blessing,” continuing the sense of command from the preceding.

[3:9]  ¹⁰ tn The direct object “others” is omitted but implied in Greek, and must be supplied to suit English style.

[3:16]  ¹¹ tn Grk “but with courtesy and respect,” continuing the command of v. 15. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[3:16]  ¹² tn Grk “when you are spoken against.”

[3:18]  ¹³ sn This passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.

[3:18]  ¹⁴ tc The variants here are legion (B. M. Metzger produces eight variants in a nice layout of the evidence [TCGNT 622]). Most of these variants involve pronouns, prepositions, or word order changes, but the major problem involves whether Christ “suffered” (ἔπαθεν, epaqen) or “died” (ἀπέθανεν, apeqanen). The witnesses that read ἀπέθανεν are Ì⁷² א A C^vid Ψ 0285 33 614 630 945 1241 1505 1739; the witnesses that read ἔπαθεν are B L P 81 Ï. Although the external evidence slightly favors ἀπέθανεν, such may be a secondary reading. Intrinsically, ἔπαθεν both fits the context better, especially the verbal link between v. 17 and v. 18 (note in particular the introductory causal ὅτι [{oti, “because”] and the emphatic καί [kai, “also”]), and fits the author’s style (1 Peter never uses ἀποθνῄσκω [apoqnhskw], but uses πάσχω [pascw] 11 other times, more than any other NT book). However, scribes would most likely realize this, and might conform the verb in v. 18 to the author’s typical usage. It may be argued, however, that scribes tended to alter the text in light of more common NT idioms, and did not have as much sensitivity to the literary features in the immediate context. In this instance, it may not be insignificant that the NT collocates ἀποθνῄσκω with ἁμαρτία (Jamartia, “sin”) seven other times, though only once (1 Cor 15:3) with a meaning similar to what would be demanded here, but collocates πάσχω with ἁμαρτία in only one other place, 1 Pet 4:1, where the meaning also detours from what is seen here. All in all, a decision is difficult, but ἔπαθεν is to be preferred slightly.

[3:18]  ¹⁵ sn The reference to the just suffering for the unjust is an allusion to Isa 53:11-12.

[3:18]  ¹⁶ tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two phrases more than can be easily expressed in English.

[3:18]  ¹⁷ sn Put to death in the flesh…made alive in the spirit. The contrast of flesh and spirit is not between two parts of Christ’s person (material versus immaterial) but between two broader modes of existence: the realm of unregenerate earthly life versus eternal heavenly life. The reference may not be to the Holy Spirit directly, but indirectly, since the Spirit permeates and characterizes the spiritual mode of existence. However, ExSyn 343 (n. 76) states “It is often objected that the Holy Spirit cannot be in view because the two datives of v 18 (σαρκί, πνεύματι [sarki, pneumati]) would then have a different syntactical force (sphere, means). But if 1 Pet 3:18 is a hymnic or liturgical fragment, this can be no objection because of ‘poetic license’: poetry is replete with examples of grammatical and lexical license, not the least of which is the use of the same morpho-syntactic categories, in parallel lines, with entirely different senses (note, e.g., the dat. expressions in 1 Tim 3:16).”

[4:13]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “in the revelation of his glory.”

[4:13]  ¹⁶ tn The verb “be glad” is used also in 1:6 and 1:8. The verbs of v. 13b are used together in Matt 5:12 and Rev 19:7.

[1:7]  ¹⁷ tn Or “genuineness,” the result of testing. On the other hand it may denote the process of testing: “that the proving of your faith…may bring praise.”

[1:7]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “which is passing away but is tested by fire,” describing gold in a lesser-to-greater comparison with faith’s proven character.

[1:7]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “that the testing of your faith…may be found unto praise,” showing the result of the trials mentioned in v. 6.

[1:7]  ²⁰ tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 13).

[2:12]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “keeping your conduct good.”

[2:12]  ²⁰ tn Grk “the Gentiles,” used here of those who are not God’s people.

[2:12]  ²¹ tn Grk “in order that in what they malign you.”

[2:12]  ²² tn Or “when he visits.” Grk “in the day of visitation,” denoting a time when God intervenes directly in human affairs, either for blessing (Luke 1:68, 78; 7:16; 19:44) or for judgment (Isa 10:3; Jer 6:15). This phrase may be a quotation from Isa 10:3, in which case judgment is in view here. But blessing seems to be the point, since part of the motive for good behavior is winning the non-Christian over to the faith (as in 3:1; also apparently in 3:15; cf. Matt 5:16).

[2:24]  ²¹ tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:24]  ²² sn A quotation from Isa 53:4, 12.

[2:24]  ²³ tn The verb ἀπογίνομαι (apoginomai) occurs only here in the NT. It can have a literal meaning (“to die”; L&N 74.27) and a figurative meaning (“to cease”; L&N 68.40). Because it is opposite the verb ζάω (zaw, “to live”), many argue that the meaning of the verb here must be “die” (so BDAG 108 s.v.), but even so literal death would not be in view. “In place of ἀποθνῃσκιεν, the common verb for ‘die,’ ἀπογινεθαι serves Peter as a euphemism, with the meaning ‘to be away’ or ‘to depart’” (J. R. Michaels, 1 Peter [WBC 49], 148). It is a metaphorical way to refer to the decisive separation from sin Jesus accomplished for believers through his death; the result is that believers “may cease from sinning.”

[2:24]  ²⁴ tn Grk “whose.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:24]  ²⁵ tn Grk the singular: “wound”; “injury.”

[2:24]  ²⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 53:5.

[4:11]  ²³ tn Grk “if anyone speaks – as God’s words.”

[4:11]  ²⁴ tn Or “oracles.”

[4:11]  ²⁵ tn Grk “if anyone serves – with strength…”

[4:11]  ²⁶ tn Grk “is/are.”