1 Peter 2:2

2:2 And ¹  yearn ²  like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, ³  so that by it you may grow up to ⁴  salvation, ⁵ 

1 Peter 2:19

2:19 For this finds God’s favor, ⁶  if because of conscience toward God ⁷  someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly.

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 3:11

3:11 And he must turn away from evil and do good;

he must seek peace and pursue it.

1 Peter 4:4

4:4 So ⁸  they are astonished ⁹  when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you. ¹⁰ 

1 Peter 5:1

Leading and Living in God’s Flock

5:1 So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you:

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

² tn Grk “getting rid of…yearn for.”

³ 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.

⁴ 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.

⁵ 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.

⁶ 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.

⁷ tc The expression “consciousness/conscience of God” (συνείδησιν θεοῦ; suneidhsin qeou) is unusual, occurring only here in the NT. Because θεοῦ was liable to misinterpretation, several witnesses altered the text, either replacing it with ἀγαθήν (agaqhn; C Ψ 323 614 630 945 1241 1505 1739 al sy) or expanding the expression by adding ἀγαθήν before θεοῦ (Ì⁷² [A* 33] 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 A^c B P 049 Ï lat co), and best explains the rise of the other readings.

tn Grk “conscious(ness) of God,” an awareness of God and allegiance to him.

⁸ tn Grk “in/by which,” referring to the change of behavior described in v. 3. The unbelievers are astonished by the readers’ moral transformation. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁹ tn Or “are surprised, are taken aback.” The same verb occurs in 4:12.

¹⁰ tn Grk “blaspheming,” giving the result of their astonishment. Here the target of their “blasphemy/vilification” is not God but the Christian.