1 Petrus 2:4

A Living Stone, a Chosen People

2:4 So as you come to him, ¹  a living stone rejected by men but ²  chosen and priceless ³  in God’s sight,

1 Petrus 2:23

2:23 When he was maligned, he ⁴  did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened ⁵  no retaliation, ⁶  but committed himself to God ⁷  who judges justly.

1 Petrus 3:12

3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are ⁸  upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil. ⁹ 

1 Petrus 3:14

3:14 But in fact, if you happen to suffer ¹⁰  for doing what is right, ¹¹  you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them ¹²  or be shaken. ¹³ 

1 Petrus 4:6

4:6 Now it was for this very purpose ¹⁴  that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, ¹⁵  so that though ¹⁶  they were judged in the flesh ¹⁷  by human standards ¹⁸  they may live spiritually ¹⁹  by God’s standards. ²⁰ 

[2:4]  ¹ tn Grk “to whom coming…you are built up…” as a continuation of the reference to the Lord in v. 3.

[2:4]  ² tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two phrases more than can be easily expressed in English.

[2:4]  ³ tn Grk “chosen, priceless.”

[2:23]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Grk “he did not threaten, but.”

[2:23]  ⁶ sn An allusion to Isa 53:7.

[2:23]  ⁷ tn Grk “to the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:12]  ⁸ tn The verbs are implied but not expressed in this verse: “the Lord’s eyes [ ] on the righteous and his ears [ ] to their prayer, but his face [ ] against those who do evil.”

[3:12]  ⁹ sn Verses 10-12 are a quotation from Ps 34:12-16.

[3:14]  ¹⁰ sn The Greek construction here implies that such suffering was not the norm, even though it could happen, and in fact may well have happened to some of the readers (cf. 4:4, 12-19).

[3:14]  ¹¹ tn Grk “because of righteousness.”

[3:14]  ¹² tn Grk “do not fear their fear,” referring to those who cause their suffering. The phrase “their fear” may mean “what they fear” (subjective genitive), but in a situation of persecution it more likely means “fear of them” (objective genitive).

[3:14]  ¹³ sn A quotation from Isa 8:12.

[4:6]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “according to men.”

[4:6]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “in spirit,” referring to the heavenly, eternal realm of existence (cf. 3:18).

[4:6]  ²⁰ tn Grk “according to God.”