The Epistle is distinguished from all other docu- ments of the NT in that it appears to assign to Christ a redeeming activitj" in the interval between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. ' Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit, in which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison ' (3'^- 1^) ; cf. 4^ ' the gospel was preached to the dead also.' The idea of our Lord's descent into Sheol and temporary abode there underlies the interpretation put by St. Peter upon Ps 16^" in Ac 2^1 and is possibly reflected in Eph 4^ (cf. Lk 23^^). But the exposition which is given to it in the Epistle is probably due to the influence of speculation, traces
of which are found in apocalyptic writings, concern- ing the ultimate fate of fallen spirits in the under world. The Book of Enoch in particular, acquaint- ance witli which is traceable elsewhere in thisEpistle (cf. P- with E}i. 1-), deals with this subject in several passages (60=- -^ 64 69-^, ed. Charles) and hints at an opportunity of repentance allowed to sinners of the antediluvian period between the first judgment of the Deluge and the final one. En. 69-^, referring apparently, after a long interpolation, to the fallen angels of ch. 64, says, ' There was great joy among them, and they blessed and glorified because the name of the Son of Man was revealed unto them.' The reference to Noah in both contexts makes it highly probable that the Enoch literature is the source of the special idea behind the passages in 1 Peter. Clirist was understood to have preached ' to the Spirits in prison ' in fulfilment of the ex- pectation that the name of the Son of Man would be revealed to them.
Concerning the historic Christ the Epistle de- clares, quoting Is 53^, that ' he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth ' (2--) ; it refers to Him as ' a lamb without spot and blameless ' (P^), as ' rejected of men ' but ' chosen of God ' (2^), as the ' righteous' who died ' for the unrighteous' (3^^). Special emphasis is laid upon His patient endurance of suffering as an example to be followed by all Christians (2^ 4^- ^'^) ; and of these sutterings the writer claims to be a ' witness,' possibly meaning an eye-witness (5^ /j-dprvs rCov rod XpLarov Tradrjfj.a.Twi'). In fact, the Epistle testifies to the thorough work- ing out of that analogy between the suffering servant in Isaiah and the crucified Messiah, the pregnant use of which has been noted in St. Peter's speeches in Acts.
' The Christolo^cal figure which belongs to the Petrine speeches of Acts and the First Epistle of Peter dMinctively, being traceable elsewhere only in a few primitive liturgical passages, ... is the Isaian figure of the suffering Servant of Yahweh ' (B. W. Bacon, Jesus the Son 0/ God, 1911, p. 100).
Those who find in this Epistle the doctrine of the pre-existent Christ rely on two passages — P^ and P**. In the first of these the prophets are said to have searched ' what time, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them (t6 iv avrois TTi/ev/jLa Xpiarov) did signify ' ; and it is inferred that the writer ascribes their inspiration to the Spirit of the (pre-existent) Christ. But both in this clause and in the following one 'Christ' probably stands for ' Messiah ' ; and the meaning is, ' what time . . . the Messiah-spirit in them did signify when it tes- tified beforehand the sutierings leading up to (o?' destined for) jNIessiah.' This is the view of Hort {First Ep. of Peter, 1898, p. 58), who adduces as par- allels Is 6P, Ps 105'^ 2 S 231 LXX, and remarks :
' It must be remembered that the sharp distinction which we are accustomed to make between the prophet on the one side and the Messiah of whom he speaks on the other does not exist in the OT itself. The prophet, the people to whom he belongs and to whom he speaks, and the dimly seen Head and King of the people, all pass insensibly one into the other in the language of prophecy : they all are partakers of the Di\ ine anointing, and the ilessiaiiship which is conferred by it.'
In the second passage (1"") Christ is described as ' foreknoANTi before the foundation of the world, but manifested at the end of the times ' {irpoeyuwa- /jLevov ixev irpo /cara^SoX^s k6<jij.ov), from which it is argued that both the implication of the word 'manifested' and its correlation with ' foreknown' strongly favour the idea of personal pre-exist ence. But this argument probably lays an unjustifiable stress on the etymology of wpoeyvwa/j.ei'ov, and over- looks the significance suggested by its usage. The meaning ' to have prescience of ' does not well suit either this passage orRo S-" {ovs Trpoiyvco Koiirpowpicev) or Ro IP {oi'K aTTuicraTO 6 debs tov Xabv avrov bv wpoeyv^j)). So Hort points out {ad loc.), and adds : 'a com- parison of these passages suggests that in them
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CHRIST, CHRISTOLOGY
CHRIST, CHRISTOLOGY
TTpoyiyvdKXKw means virtually pre-recoOTiition, desig- nation to a function or position ' (cf. Jer P, Is 49^). The idea of the designation of the Messiah in the counsel of God before all worlds is expressed more or less distinctly in other language in Eph P* ^*', Col 1^, and does not necessarily imply pre-existence for the Messiah. The same idea is illustrated in this Epistle in 1^, according to which the recipients of the letter are ' saints according to the foreknow- ledge of God ' {Kara irp6yvu)aiv deov). It is probable therefore that the Epistle does not contain any re- ference to the pre-existent Christ.