1 Peter 2
Living Bible
2 So get rid of your feelings of hatred. Don’t just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy and talking about others behind their backs. 2-3 Now that you realize how kind the Lord has been to you, put away all evil, deception, envy, and fraud. Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for his milk.[a]
4 Come to Christ, who is the living Foundation of Rock upon which God builds; though men have spurned him, he is very precious to God who has chosen him above all others.
5 And now you have become living building-stones for God’s use in building his house. What’s more, you are his holy priests; so come to him—you who are acceptable to him because of Jesus Christ[b]—and offer to God those things that please him. 6 As the Scriptures express it, “See, I am sending Christ to be the carefully chosen, precious Cornerstone of my church, and I will never disappoint those who trust in him.”
7 Yes, he is very precious to you who believe; and to those who reject him, well—“The same Stone that was rejected by the builders has become the Cornerstone, the most honored and important part of the building.” 8 And the Scriptures also say, “He is the Stone that some will stumble over, and the Rock that will make them fall.” They will stumble because they will not listen to God’s Word nor obey it, and so this punishment must follow—that they will fall.
9 But you are not like that, for you have been chosen by God himself—you are priests of the King, you are holy and pure, you are God’s very own—all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were less than nothing; now you are God’s own. Once you knew very little of God’s kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it.
11 Dear brothers, you are only visitors here. Since your real home is in heaven, I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against your very souls.
12 Be careful how you behave among your unsaved neighbors; for then, even if they are suspicious of you and talk against you, they will end up praising God for your good works when Christ returns.
13 For the Lord’s sake, obey every law of your government: those of the king as head of the state, 14 and those of the king’s officers, for he has sent them to punish all who do wrong, and to honor those who do right.
15 It is God’s will that your good lives should silence those who foolishly condemn the Gospel without knowing what it can do for them, having never experienced its power. 16 You are free from the law, but that doesn’t mean you are free to do wrong. Live as those who are free to do only God’s will at all times.
17 Show respect for everyone. Love Christians everywhere. Fear God and honor the government.
18 Servants, you must respect your masters and do whatever they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are tough and cruel. 19 Praise the Lord if you are punished for doing right! 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong; but if you do right and suffer for it, and are patient beneath the blows, God is well pleased.
21 This suffering is all part of the work God has given you. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps: 22 He never sinned, never told a lie, 23 never answered back when insulted; when he suffered he did not threaten to get even; he left his case in the hands of God who always judges fairly. 24 He personally carried the load of our sins in his own body when he died on the cross so that we can be finished with sin and live a good life from now on. For his wounds have healed ours! 25 Like sheep you wandered away from God, but now you have returned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls who keeps you safe from all attacks.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:2 An alternative paraphrase of these verses could read: “If you have tasted the Lord’s goodness and kindness, cry for more, as a baby cries for milk. Eat God’s Word—read it, think about it—and grow strong in the Lord and be saved.”
- 1 Peter 2:5 you who are acceptable to him because of Jesus Christ, implied.
1 Peter 2
New English Translation
2 So get rid of[a] all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 And[b] yearn[c] like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk,[d] so that by it you may grow up to[e] salvation,[f] 3 if you have experienced[g] the Lord’s kindness.[h]
A Living Stone, a Chosen People
4 So as you come to him,[i] a living stone rejected by men but[j] chosen and precious[k] in God’s sight, 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer[l] spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it says[m] in scripture, “Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone,[n] and whoever believes[o] in him[p] will never[q] be put to shame.”[r] 7 So you who believe see[s] his value,[t] but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the[u] cornerstone,[v] 8 and a stumbling-stone[w] and a rock to trip over.[x] They stumble[y] because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.[z] 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues[aa] of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 You[ab] once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy,[ac] but now you have received mercy.
11 Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul, 12 and maintain good conduct[ad] among the non-Christians,[ae] so that though[af] they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.[ag]
Submission to Authorities
13 Be subject to every human institution[ah] for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme 14 or to governors as those he commissions[ai] to punish wrongdoers and praise[aj] those who do good. 15 For God wants you[ak] to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Live[al] as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves.[am] 17 Honor all people, love the family of believers,[an] fear God, honor the king.
18 Slaves,[ao] be subject[ap] to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse. 19 For this finds God’s favor,[aq] if because of conscience toward God[ar] someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God.[as] 21 For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. 22 He[at] committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth.[au] 23 When he was maligned, he[av] did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened[aw] no retaliation,[ax] but committed himself to God[ay] who judges justly. 24 He[az] himself bore our sins[ba] in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning[bb] and live for righteousness. By his[bc] wounds[bd] you were healed.[be] 25 For you were going astray like sheep[bf] but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:1 tn Or “put away.”
- 1 Peter 2:2 tn Here “And” has been supplied in the translation to show clearly the connection between vv. 1 and 2.
- 1 Peter 2:2 tn Grk “getting rid of…yearn for.”
- 1 Peter 2:2 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.
- 1 Peter 2:2 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.
- 1 Peter 2:2 tc The Byzantine text lacks εἰς σωτηρίαν (eis sōtērian, “to salvation”), while the words are found in the earliest and best witnesses, along with others (P72 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 may have seemed theologically objectionable, it is easy to see why some scribes would omit it.
- 1 Peter 2:3 tn Grk “have tasted that the Lord is kind.”
- 1 Peter 2:3 sn A quotation from Ps 34:8.
- 1 Peter 2:4 tn Grk “to whom coming…you are built up…” as a continuation of the reference to the Lord in v. 3.
- 1 Peter 2:4 tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two phrases more than can be easily expressed in English.
- 1 Peter 2:4 tn Grk “chosen, precious.”
- 1 Peter 2:5 tn Grk “unto a holy priesthood to offer.”
- 1 Peter 2:6 tn Grk “it contains,” “it stands.”
- 1 Peter 2:6 tn Grk “chosen, precious.”
- 1 Peter 2:6 tn Grk “the one who believes.”
- 1 Peter 2:6 tn Grk either “in him” or “in it,” but the OT and NT uses personify the stone as the King, the Messiah whom God will establish in Jerusalem.
- 1 Peter 2:6 tn The negative (οὐ μή, ou mē) is emphatic: “will certainly not.”
- 1 Peter 2:6 sn A quotation from Isa 28:16.
- 1 Peter 2:7 tn Grk “to you who believe is the value,” referring to their perception of the stone in contrast to those who reject (vv. 7b-8). But the expression may also be translated as “to you who believe is this honor,” referring to the lack of shame cited in v. 6b.
- 1 Peter 2:7 tn Grk “the value” or “the honor,” but the former is preferred since it comes from the same root as “priceless” in vv. 4, 6, and it is in contrast to the negative estimate of the stone by those who reject (vv. 7b-8).
- 1 Peter 2:7 tn Grk “the head of the corner.”
- 1 Peter 2:7 sn A quotation from Ps 118:22 (cf. Matt 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11).
- 1 Peter 2:8 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.
- 1 Peter 2:8 sn A quotation from Isa 8:14.
- 1 Peter 2:8 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.
- 1 Peter 2:8 tn Grk “to which they were also destined.”
- 1 Peter 2:9 sn This verse contains various allusions and quotations from Exod 19:5-6; 23:22 (LXX); Isa 43:20-21; and Mal 3:17.
- 1 Peter 2:10 tn Grk “who,” continuing the description of the readers from vs. 9. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 1 Peter 2:10 sn The quotations in v. 10 are from Hos 1:6, 9; 2:23.
- 1 Peter 2:12 tn Grk “keeping your conduct good.”
- 1 Peter 2:12 tn Grk “the Gentiles,” used here of those who are not God’s people.
- 1 Peter 2:12 tn Grk “in order that in what they malign you.”
- 1 Peter 2:12 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).
- 1 Peter 2:13 tn Or “every human being”; Grk “every human creation,” denoting either everything created for mankind (NRSV mg: “every institution ordained for human beings”) or every creature who is human. The meaning of the verb “be subject” and the following context supports the rendering adopted in the text.
- 1 Peter 2:14 tn Grk “those sent by him.”
- 1 Peter 2:14 tn Grk “for the punishment…and the praise.”
- 1 Peter 2:15 tn Grk “because thus it is God’s will.”
- 1 Peter 2:16 tn There is no main verb in this verse, but it continues the sense of command from v. 13, “be subject…, as free people…not using…but as slaves of God.”
- 1 Peter 2:16 tn Traditionally, “servants” or “bondservants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. Also, many slaves in the Roman world became slaves through Rome’s subjugation of conquered nations, kidnapping, or by being born into slave households. sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
- 1 Peter 2:17 tn Grk “love the brotherhood.” The Greek term “brotherhood” is used in a broad sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God. BDAG 19 s.v. ἀδελφότης 1 suggests “a fellowship,” but in the present context “love the fellowship of believers” could be taken to mean “love to participate in fellowship with believers,” whereas the present verse suggests the Christian community as a whole, in familial terms, is in view. This same word occurs in 5:9; there it has been translated “brothers and sisters.”
- 1 Peter 2:18 tn The Greek term here is οἰκέτης (oiketēs), often used of a servant in a household (who would have been a slave).
- 1 Peter 2:18 tn Grk “being subject,” but continuing the sense of command from vs. 13.
- 1 Peter 2:19 tn Grk “For this [is] favor/grace,” used as a metonymy of that which pleases him, which he looks on with favor (cf. BDAG 1079 s.v. χάρις 2). Cf. 1 Pet 2:20.
- 1 Peter 2:19 tc The expression “consciousness/conscience of God” (συνείδησιν θεοῦ; suneidēsin theou) is unusual, occurring only here in the NT. Because θεοῦ was liable to misinterpretation, several witnesses altered the text, either replacing it with ἀγαθήν (agathēn; C Ψ 323 442 614 630 945 1175 1241 1243 1505 1611 1739 1852 2492 sy) or expanding the expression by adding ἀγαθήν before θεοῦ (P72 [A* 33 2344] 81). Replacing θεοῦ with ἀγαθήν conforms to other NT phrases, notably in this same letter (Acts 23:1; 1 Tim 1:5, 19; 1 Pet 3:16, 21), suggesting that such a reading is motivated. The reading θεοῦ, however, has superior support (א Ac B P 049 5 436 1735 M lat co), and best explains the rise of the others.tn Grk “conscious(ness) of God,” an awareness of God and allegiance to him.
- 1 Peter 2:20 tn Grk “For this [is] favor/grace with God,” used as a metonymy as in vs. 19 of that which pleases him, which he looks on with favor (cf. BDAG 1079 s.v. χάρις 2).
- 1 Peter 2:22 tn Grk “who,” referring to Christ and applying the quotations from Isa 53 to him. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 1 Peter 2:22 sn A quotation from Isa 53:9.
- 1 Peter 2:23 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.
- 1 Peter 2:23 tn Grk “he did not threaten, but.”
- 1 Peter 2:23 sn An allusion to Isa 53:7.
- 1 Peter 2:23 tn Grk “to the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Peter 2:24 tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 1 Peter 2:24 sn A quotation from Isa 53:4, 12.
- 1 Peter 2:24 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 (zaō, “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.”
- 1 Peter 2:24 tn Grk “whose.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 1 Peter 2:24 tn Grk the singular: “wound”; “injury.”
- 1 Peter 2:24 sn A quotation from Isa 53:5.
- 1 Peter 2:25 sn A quotation from Isa 53:6.
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