GREEK EXEGESIS II

Vera Wilhelmsen

 April 7^th 2005

This paper was written following the exegetical process outlined in Gordon D. Fee’s book New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors.[1] The book is very helpful for beginning students of exegesis, with a step-by-step method and an extensive bibliography for each step. The steps were followed as closely as possible for the present purpose.

The first step is to survey the general historical context of 1. Peter by  reading  the whole book several times, noting information that is given in the text.[2] Then secondary sources on the epistle are checked in order to see what others have said about who the author was, who it was written to, where the recipients lived, and what their circumstances were[3] The author’s relationship to the readers and his purpose in writing the letter are also investigated, as well as the main themes and the outline of the text.[4]

In step two the limits of the passage is confirmed.[5] This is done by comparing the paragraph breaks in different translations and in  the Greek texts (Nestle-Aland 27 and UBS 4).[6]

The third step is to become thoroughly acquainted with the paragraph of choice.[7] This is done by making a provincial translation and reading the paragraph through in several different translations.[8] A list of possible exegetical difficulties is also made.[9]

The analysis of sentence structure and syntactical relationships is next.[10] This can the done my making a text flow chart and a sentence diagramme.[11] By now the content and context of the paragraph is familiar and some areas that need closer examination are identified, and a closer analysis of the passage can begin.[12]

In step five the text is established, weighing the textual variants and making a choice among them.[13] Some basic knowledge of textual criticism is necessary in order to do this.[14]

The analysis of the grammar is next.[15] Grammatical information is displayed in a separate sheet for this purpose, and some basic grammars and grammatical helps are referenced for additional analysis.[16] Words and clauses that require grammatical decisions are identified.[17] Some of these are chosen to be treated in the paper.[18]

Step seven is to analyze significant words in the text.[19] The purpose of this is twofold: to explain what is not obvious, and determine the meaning of key words in the context of the text.[20] The words are identified by looking for loaded theological words, key words for the meaning of the passage, repeated words and idioms.[21] The range of meanings for a significant word in its present context  is done by looking at the word’s history, and its use in contemporary texts, including the New Testament[22] and the author’s use of the word elsewhere.[23] Finally the context is analyzed in order to determine which of the possible meanings are most likely in the present passage.[24]

            Next is the research of the historical-cultural background of the text.[25] Various sources that give access to the ‘world’ of the NT are researched, as well as specialized sociological-cultural studies.[26] Intertextuality with the Old Testament (OT) is looked into, knowing that the OT creates the most important and immediate background for the NT. [27] Guidelines for application for the specific passage must be kept in mind, in order to make clear the cultural milieu and significant  people, places, customs and events related to the text.[28] All of this background data is then evaluated to see what significance it has for the understanding of the text.[29]

The present text is part of an epistle, and therefore the next step is to determine the formal character of the text, such as differences in character, epistolary aspects and rhetorical features.[30]

Because the epistles are in nature related to a specific occasion, the specific historical context needs to be examined.[31] This can be done by reading for details, study the recipients and their situation and looking for key words in the section.[32] As this point a summary of the problem or situation of the readers of the letter is to be made. This description will be useful for the final presentation of the exegesis, as well as the outcome of the following step.[33]

The literary context also needs to be determined.[34] This is a key exegetical question: what is the author saying in the chosen passage, or what is the point of the paragraph?[35]  The argument of the whole section needs to be traced, in order to find out why the author says what he does.[36] A look at logic, content, and  argument is important in order to do this step well.[37] This is a crucial step in the exegesis, and usually makes the difference between a good and a bad exegesis, according to Fee.[38]

The next step, step 12, is to place the message of the passage within the broader biblical and theological contexts.[39] One can look at the dogmatic function of the passage, its place within the theological corpus, to what doctrine it is related and so forth.[40] This will establish the text within the theological landscape, and be telling of it’s significance for our understanding of Scripture.[41]

            One of the last steps is to read widely from second sources on the passage.[42] In order to make the exegesis as unbiased as original as possible, this is not recommended to do until now. [43] After having read what others have said about the passage, it needs to be compared with the conclusions that have been reached so far, and where there are differences, they need to be discussed and evaluated.[44]  If the conclusion is that something that is assumed earlier is wrong, the exegesis must be adjusted.[45] Any new discoveries must be applied throughout the paper.[46] This step also included knowing when to quote and when to use annotation.[47]

After finishing all the research a finished translation may be provided, following immediately after the text.[48]

Footnotes can be used to explain things that are not obvious to the reader, such as choice of wording and other possible translations.[49]

The final step, number 15, is to write the paper.[50] A recommended outline is given in Fee, and it will be largely be  followed in this paper.[51] Some allowances are taken where the wording of the assignment calls for a different approach.

Therefore, girding up the loins of your mind, being sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you in the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, not letting yourselves be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance, but like the one who called you is holy, be also you holy in all your conduct, because it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’

I chose the passage 1. Peter 1:13-16 for this paper because it is a separable unit, small yet full of meaning. The metaphor of girding up the loins of the mind was the first thing that caught my attention, when I did a word study on it. The small passage is packed full of content, which is carefully explored in the present exegesis. I will argue that the message Peter[52]  was seeking to communicate in this particular passage is the reader’s responsibilities to lead a holy life, based on their identity as the people of God.[53] Important themes in the passage are holiness, hope, grace and obedience, which all result in a holy life on the part of the believers.

In verses 1-12 Peter establishes them as God’s chosen people, who has received the wonderful gospel, a living hope, and an inheritance waiting for them in heaven. He points out that the prophets and even angels longed to see what they have seen, and that they are blessed and privileged indeed.[54]

The passage 13-16 gives the base for Peter’s continuing exhortation to live lives of reverence and in genuine love, by citing the OT and basing everything in the very nature of God.[55] Their identity as the people of God is further strengthen in 2:9: ‘You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.’[56] On the basis of this identity he encourages the believers to live holy lives, even when facing trials and suffering. In this way they can glorify God and maybe even win some people for the gospel.[57]

Dio is called an inferential conjunction, and often translated ‘therefore’.[58] It gives a ‘deduction, conclusion or summary’ to the preceding discussion.[59] As such it builds on the previous section, but marks a break in thought, moving from one passage to another.[60] Peter shifts his attention from the gospel the readers has received and the hope it has given them, to the ethical responsibilities they have as a result of this. [61] Hope is referred to in 1:3, 1:13 and 1:21, being the central theme of the opening section of Peter.[62] Another theme that is recurrent is that of obedience; in 1:2 it is linked to the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, whereas in 1:14 is is used as a designation for the Christian readers (‘like obedient children’).[63]

According to Campbell, the verses 13-16 is the propositio of the first argumentatio  of the letter.[64] The propositio is an introduction that summarizes the argument of the author.[65]

There are two exhortations in the proposition: ‘hope upon grace’ and ‘become holy’.[66] The future indicative, which bears an imperatival force, can also be included.[67] The participle (mh;) suschmatizovmenoi may also carry an imperatival sense, as it modifies an imperative.[68] The dio; indicates that a new section is starting.[69] There is also a change in mood (from indicative to imperative) which signifies a structural break, shifting from declaration to exhortation.[70]

Verse 17 can be broken off this section, as it starts with the conjunction kai. This conjunction is usually connective, and is used to link together two units of the equal status.[71]

According to Levinsohn it does not represent a development in the argument, but adds to the previous discussion. [72] The material that is following, is associated with the preceding material, following in the same line of thought. Nevertheless, verses 13-16 is a separate paragraph is UBS, and in many versions of the NT.[73]                                                      

13  Dio;[74] ajnazwsavmenoi ta;V ojsfuvaV th:V dianoivaV uJmw:n nhvfonteV teleivwV ejlpivsate ejpi; th;n feromevnhn uJmi:n cavrin ejn ajpokaluvyei  jIhsou: Cristou:.

The participles in this verse (ajnazwsavmenoi and nhvfonteV) are by some seen as independent imperatival participles.[75] But in Greek grammar, adverbial participles modify the main verb, and there is no reason why this would not be the case here also.[76] Since they are connected to a finite verb in the imperative, the participles can be said to have an imperatival force, but this hinges on the main verb, and not the participles themselves.[77] Hence the participles ajnazwsavmenoi (‘girding up the loins’)[78] and nhvfonteV  (‘being sober, mentally alert’)[79] can be seen as imperatives, but subordinated to the main verb ejlpivsate (‘set your hope’). They can also be viewed as describing the way the readers were to do this, or the background for them doing it, that is the circumstance in which they are to set their hope upon God. [80] In an modern English translation the participles might be rendered as imperatives for a smoother translation, but this takes away some of the focus on the main verb in the Greek text.

It is uncertain whether teleivwV goes with nhvfonteV or ejlpivsate. It does not have great exegetical significance, but the meaning changes slightly: if it goes with nhvfonteV it can be rendered ‘being fully sober’, whereas if it goes with ejlpivsate the meaning is ‘set your hope fully upon the grace...’. Most of the well known commentators, such as Selwyn, Elliott, Kelly, Goppelt and Hiebert hold that the adverb is to be taken with the main verb, ejlpivsate.[81] Others, such as Michaels and McKnight, argue that since Peter seems to prefer to put adverbs ending in –wV after rather than before the verbs which they modify, it goes with nhvfonteV.[82] A third option, which is a very good alternative, is that Peter is using the ambiguity of the Greek language to let the adverb modify both the participle and the imperative.[83] Such a clever use of Greek would not be unexpected from a gifted writer like the author of 1. Peter, and is part of the appeal and beauty of the Greek language. In translations and diagrammes, however, a choice must be made, and in this case the majority got the final say in the matter. A good argument for this choice is that ejlpivsate is the main verb, and the only imperative in the sentence, and ‘it is here that any hesitation of faltering would be most detrimental’.[84]

The main verb ejlpivsate echoes the  e;lpi;V in verse 3.[85] In the preceding section (1:3-12) Peter focused on the eschatological hope the gospel gives, and now he turns to the practical and ethical responsibilities they have as a result of being saved.[86] e;lpi;V appears again in verse 21, the last one in this exhortation, tying it all together, ‘so that your faith and hope might be in God’.[87]

The preposition epi; has a wide range of meaning, but the basic sense is ‘upon’, and as opposed to ujpevr, not simply above, but resting upon something.[88] When it occurs with the accusative, like here, it is often directional, referring to movement upon or onto something.[89] It is extended into temporal and figurative senses, as in the current verse.[90] It is used twelve times with the verb pisteuvw in the NT, and five times with evlpizw.[91] In English the word ’upon’ catches the meaning better than simply ‘on’ or ‘in’, as it keeps the sense of movement or direction.

Because of the reference to ‘hope’ and the future aspect of ‘the revelation of Christ’ in verse 7, Michaels argues that the present participle feromevnhn has a future force.[92]  Selwyn points out that the future ‘is so cumbrous that a periphrasis would have been almost necessary.’[93] Therefore it is reasonable to assume that  ajpokaluvyei  jIhsou: Cristou: refers to the future, eschatological revelation of Jesus Christ in the second coming.[94] The grace one is to hope for is future in its completion, but has present consequences, which will be clear later in the epistle.[95]

14  wJV tevkna uJpakoh:V mh; suschmatizovmenoi tai:V provteron ejn th:/ ajgnoiva/ uJmw:n ejpiqumivaiV 

According to Porter w;V is a conjunction which can be used to connect clauses comparatively,  temporally, purposely and  resultatively.[96] In this example is it used comparatively, comparing the believers to obedient children, or ‘children of obedience’. tevkna uJpakoh:V literally reads ‘children of obedience’, and it is a genitive of description, according to Rogers.[97] It is a Semitic idiom that refers to an essential characteristic of a person, so Peter is not as much comparing them to obedient children, but saying that they are children of obedience; obedience is their nature as believers.[98] The act of responding to the gospel and repent is considered an act of obedience in the NT, and is being referred to in 1:2.[99] It is the fundamental characteristic and starting point for a Christian he here refers to. In translation, the best English rendering might be ‘As obedient children’, or ‘Since you are obedient children’, changing the simile to a metaphor. By using the image of children Peter introduces one of the most important themes in the letter: the household of God.[100] The simile is expanded in verse 17, referring to God as father.[101]

            The compound participle suschmatizovmenoi is stylistically important, adding decoration and majesty to the text.[102] The word means ‘to form according to a pattern or mold’[103], and the participle suggests an ongoing process of ‘being conformed or shaped to the former desires in your ignorance’ The compound participle suschmatizovmenoi is stylistically important, adding decoration and majesty to the text.[104] The word means ‘to form according to a pattern or mold’[105], and the participle suggests an ongoing process of ‘being conformed or shaped to the former desires in your ignorance’. It is a deponent verb, and  the middle suggest that the subject is involved in the outcome of the action; ‘do not fashion yourselves...’.[106] It can also be a permissive middle: ‘do not allow yourselves to be fashioned...’[107] Elliott prefers the latter option[108], whereas Hiebert and Gobbelt advocates ‘do not fashion/conform yourselves’. The difference in meaning is miniscule, but the idea of permissiveness covers a subconscious conforming, maybe over time, and is therefore more far reaching than the direct middle. Christians are not supposed to conform either to the world around them, or the world they once were a part of, before they was saved. A distinction of the people of God is that they are holy, ‘set apart for God’, and instead of being conformed by society, they are supposed to influence it, by living good and holy lives.[109] The reference to ‘former ignorance’ has been used to argue that the addressees of the letter were Gentiles, as Peter might not have referred to them as ignorant (ajgnoiva/) had they been Jews.[110]

15  ajlla; kata; to;n kalevsanta uJma:V a{gion kai; aujtoi; a{gioi ejn pavsh/ ajnastrofh:/ genhvqhte, 

The preceding clause is of course being negated, and the mh;/kata; constellation forms a contrast: ‘don’t do that, but do this’. Building on the simile of the household, Peter points out that the children are to be responsible to the Father, and to be holy, like him.[111] The adjunction that is formed by putting the verb that holds the two clauses together at the end of the sentence is a stylistic feature that gives the text persuasive power.[112]

            The phrase kata; to;n kalevsanta uJma:V a{gion can read either ‘in accordance with the one who called you is holy...’ or ‘in accordance with the Holy One who called you...’.[113] The preposition kata; here marks the norm of similarity or homogeneity, or of the person to whose will or manner something occurs .[114] The designation ‘the Holy One’ is unique in NT, but is frequently used in the OT.[115] There is a slight difference in emphasis between the two interpretations, but the basic meaning is the same: God is Holy, and he is the standard to with their holiness will be measured.[116] The most natural reading is ‘in accordance with the one who calls you is holy’, slightly changed to fit modern English . Kalevsanta is a substantival participle[117], functioning as an object to the preposition kata[118];. The article is called a substantiver in these cases, turning the participle into a noun.[119]

The main verb genhvqhte is second person plural aorist passive imperative, meaning something to the extent of ‘let holiness be your main characteristic’.[120] The aorist tense signifies an action that takes place once and for all, not something they must start to do, or do over again many times.[121]

            The theme of election is closely related to the household theme, according to Campbell.[122] It goes together with the notions of being a chosen race (2:9), and enjoy honour from God, just as Jesus does (2:4, 6, 7).[123] God’s activity of electing is highlighted, as he is the holy one, who calls them.[124]

16 diovti gevgraptai o{ti a{gioi e[sesqe, o{ti ejgw; a{giovV eijmi.

Diovti is here a causal conjunction, expressing the basis or ground of the preceding action.[125] Peter gives the reason for his argument, pointing to Scripture.[126] The quote is marked by the use of  o{ti, which is best left untranslated in English.[127] It is called a recitative o{ti, simply introducing direct discourse or a passage from Scripture.[128]      

            Gevgraptai is   an intensive or resultative perfect, emphasising ‘the results or present state produced by past action’.[129] It should usually be translated as a present in English, because the perfect in English doe snot express the same as the Greek perfect.[130] Wallace comments that ‘gevgraptai is used both ethically and eschatologically, and it introduces both commands that are still binding and fulfilled prophesies.[131]                               

The future indicative sometimes functions as a command, especially when translated from the Old Testament[132] (such as e[sesqe ).[133] It was also used in classical Greek, but not frequently.[134] In the NT especially Matthew uses this construction in this sense.[135] It has a strong force, and is not milder than an imperative.[136] It is sometimes called an imperatival future.[137] It denotes a ‘universal, timeless, and/or solemn’ command, as it is often used in quotes from the OT law.[138] It is emphatic in force, and functions almost as a prediction.[139]

            When the personal pronoun is used in nominative, it is usually for emphasis.[140] In this case, the emphasis is on the subject, giving it prominence in the sentence.[141]

Peter’s use of the OT in this section is instructional for his overall use of OT in the epistle;  he quotes from the LXX, but always gives the text a Christian or Christological content.[142] He sometimes introduces  it explicitly, but most often he weaves it into the text.

In the same passage there is a vague analogy between the Gentile readers and the Jewish people; references to girding up and being ready for action reminds the Jewish reader of Passover[143], whereas obedience is connected to the sprinkling of blood in 1:2; a reference to the Mosaic covenant.[144] Campbell points out that the holiness code from Leviticus is crucial for his argument; obedient children must be holy.[145] As such the OT text and awareness plays an important part in Peter’s argument, throughout the epistle. He thinks of the believers as Jewish, even if they used to be Gentiles, because of what they now have part in as the people of God.[146]

In verse 13 the participle ajnazwsavmenoi occurs. It comes from ajnazwvnnumi: ‘to gird up’.[147] This is the only place in the NT where this word occurs. It can also be rendered as ‘to bind up, to gather up’. It is a vivid metaphor well known to the original readers, as they were used to gather their loose robes with a girdle or belt when in a hurry or at the start of a journey,  in order to prevent them from stumbling or being hindered in their movement.[148] It comes from the stem  zwvnnumi, which means ‘to gird’. It occurs with different prepositions in combination with it, such as diazwvnnumi and perizwvnnumi. In the NT these words are used four times in total, and they refer to girding a robe or a towel around the body.[149] In the Septuagint the form ajnazwvnnumi is only used twice; in Judges 18:16 and Proverbs 31:17.[150] It refers to the soldiers who are ‘girded with their weapons’ and the wife who ‘girds her loins with strength’. diazwvnnumi occurs one time in LXX, zwvnnumi is used 20 times perizwvnnumi is the most frequent with 48 occurrences. They usually refer to physical girding, but occasionally, like in Proverbs, it is used as a metaphor. Some modern translations translates the phrase ‘girding your loins as ‘being ready for action’, which is a good rendition of the meaning of the term.[151]

The noun cavriV occurs ten times in some form in 1. Peter, and 155 times in the New Testament. It is obviously one of the central words and themes in the NT and the Gospel. It is also widely used in the Septuagint and in Classical Greek literature, but this investigation is confined to its use in the NT generally and 1. Peter specifically. I have not found any evidence for that the word has changed meaning or taken on a new meaning in the NT compared to the LXX or Classical Greek. It is of course more closely related to God in Jewish and Christian writing, whereas the term for used for general favour, graciousness and generosity in secular literature.[152] According to Campbell it belongs to the honour-shame domain, and as such is particularly significant in 1. Peter.[153]

The first occurrence of the word in 1. Peter is in 1:2, where it is part of a standard greeting, very common in the epistles of the NT. ‘Grace and peace be yours’ indicates a wish for the receivers of the letter to receive favour, and maybe also extend grace towards each other.[154] The notion of goodwill and a beneficent disposition to someone is entailed in the word.[155]

In 1. Peter 1:10 Peter refers to ‘the prophets’ and claims that they ‘spoke of the grace (cavritoV ) that was to come to you’. Here the cavriV seems to refer to the coming and suffering of Christ, that is the Gospel (v. 12). The prophets of the OT had not yet seen or received this grace, but it had come to the people Peter writes to. In a sense Christ and salvation (the message of the Gospel) is viewed as a ‘free and gracious gift’ from God to mankind, as an act of graciousness towards us.[156]

In verse 13, again, Peter refers to ‘the grace to be given to you when Christ is revealed.’ Here the future aspect is emphasized: the salvation that still is in the future for Christians, to be realized when Christ returns. Together with verse 10 it is clear that the ‘grace’ Peter is referring to is both present for his readers, and to be realized fully in the future. Such a tension between now and not yet is a common theme in the NT.

In 2:19-20 the word cavriV is used in a sense that is translated ‘commendable’ in the NIV. The KJV has the word ‘thankworthy’ and ‘acceptable’, respectively. The RSV uses the term ‘approval’, whereas NASB has ‘favor’ (‘this (finds) favor’). The Greek construction  tou:to cavriV is apparently, hard to translate into English, but the notion of something being favourable and pleasing (to God) seems to be the common idea: ‘if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God’ (v. 20).

In chapter 3:7  Peter addresses the husbands, after first having encouraged the wives to be submissive and to what is right. The women, Peter says, are ‘heirs with you of the gracious gift of life’ (‘sugklhronovmoiV cavritoV zwh:V’). Also here cavritoV