tion of the Christian corresponds to the | resurrection of Christ (Chrysostom on |
John) and implies a previous mystical or figurative death to sin—see ii. 24; iii. 17 f.; iv. 1—which is repeated in the |
practice of their unnatural virtue (iv. 1-4). ΄
The simple idea of regeneration underlies St. Paul’s elaborations of the doctrine of the καινὴ «riots. Hort refers to Philo, de incorruptibilitate mundi (ii. 489 M.) where ἀναγέννησις is used for the more usual madvyyeveol(a—rebirth of the world—of the Stoics. ἐλπίδα ζῶσαγν. The omission of the definite article is characteristic of St. Peter. The Hope
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42 πμ ιρο ια 1.
4 ἐλπίδα ζῶσα 1 νοµίαν ἄφθαρτον k,” 5 οὐρανοῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς τοὺς
δι) ἀναστάσεως Ι8 XT ἀμίαντον καὶ ἁμάρα. ἐν δυνάµει OF pou
ἐκ νεκρῶν eis κληρο τον τετηρηµένην ε poupevous διὰ
1ζωσα--- ζῶσαν: the sign™ for v is apt to be absorbed in the preceding line and so disregarded: it is used at the end of the line or sichu, whether or not the word
in which it occurs has come to its end.
2 is the common abbreviation for καί:
it is probably derived from cursive writ-
ing in which letters were joined together and so varied in shape according to their
companions,
is a recognised technical term (Acts xxiii. 6, etc.) of the Pharisees, cor-
responding to "P77. Ceoav stamps
the Christian hope as Divine since life is God’s prerogative (cf. i. 23 and the living bread, water of John) and effective (cf. the corresponding use of dead faith, Jas. ii. 17, 26). Cf. Sap. iii. 4, ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀθανασίας πλήρης. δι &. with ἀναγεννήσας rather than ζῶσαν: three prepositional clauses are thus attached to ᾱ. as to ἐκλεκτοῖς (and ἀπόστολος) in ver. 2. The resurrection of Jesus is the means and guarantee of the spiritual resurrection of the Christian (rz Cor. xv. 14,17) from the death of the sinful and fleshly life.
Ver. 4. εἷς κληρ.... Gpapav- τον, as God's sons in virtue of their re- generation they are God’s heirs (Gal. iv. 7) and have an heavenly inheritance. The accumulated adjectives recall various images employed to describe it—and em- phasise the fact that it is eternal (Heb. ix. 15) and spiritual. It is ἄφθαρτον, in- corruptible (cf. i. 23, iii. 4) because it be- longs to the future life which the risen dead (τ Cor. xv. 52) share with God Him- self (Rom. i. 23; 1 Tim.i.17). It is set _ where “ moth doth not corrupt (διαφθεί- pet, Luke xii. 33: Matt. vi. 19 ff. has adavite),” apart from this corruptible world (cf. Isa. xxiv. 3). It is the incor- ruptible crown (x Cor. ix. 25). The second epithet ἁμίαντον is applied to the great High Priest, Heb. vii. 26 (cf. Heb. xiii. 4; Jas. i. 27) and implies again separation from this sinful world of which it is written ἐμιάνατε τὴν γῆν µου καὶ τὴν κληρονοµίαν µου ἔθεσθε εἰς βδέ- Avypa (Jer. ii. 7). Compare the descrip- tion of virtue in Sap. iv. 2, στεφανηφο- ροῦσα πομπεύει τὸν τῶν ἁμιάντων ἄθλων ἀγῶνα νικήσασα. ἁμάραντον is peculiar to x Peter in N.T., cf. ἁμαράντι- vov (v. 4): it is perhaps derived from Sap. vi. 12, ἁμάραντός ἐστιν ἡ σοφία, and thus presupposes the identification of eternal life with knowledge of God (John
xvii. 3). Compare the application of Isa. xl. 6 f. (cited infra 24) in Jas.i. 11. All three suit or are associated with the wreath presented to the victor in the games—a metaphor which the Lord Him- self used according to the Apocalypse (ii. 10, cf. x /Peter πμ. κ ο). Origen (?) in Cramer’s Catena notes that the words contradict Chiliasm. τετ- ηρηµένην εἰς ὑμᾶς, reserved (1) with a view to you, cf. John xii. 7, ἵνα cis τὴν ἡμέραν .. . τηρήσῃ, 2 Peter ii. 4, εἰς κρίσιν τηρουµένους; for same use of eis in similar context see Rom. viii. 18. (2)... until you came—a sense which would suit the other examples of τηρεῖν