eis. (3) . . « for you, εἰς = = dative (so Syriac), the writer or translator being influenced by eis above and below. The inheritance is still, as it has always been, kept back, but the Christians are sure to succeed to it. So Enoch refers to the secrets of the righteous which shall be revealed (xxxviii. 3); the lot of the right- eous which the Son of Man preserves (xlviii. 7); and says Blessed are ye ye righteous and elect for glorious will be your lot . . . it will be said to the holy that they should seek in heaven the secrets of righteousness the heritage of faith (lviii. 5).
Ver. 5. The Christians addressed are —to complete the metaphor from other passages in the Epistle—a spiritual house (ii. v.), which is besieged by the devil (v. 8) but guarded and garrisoned by God’s Power. So long as they have faith (v. g) they are safe: ‘‘ our faith lays hold upon this power and this power strengthens faith and so we are preserved” (Leigh- ton). Without responsive faith God’s power is powerless to heal or to guard (cf. Mark vi. 5 f. and accounts of Jesus’ mir- acles generally, Jas.i.6f.). The langu- age seems to echo Rom. i. 16, Svvapis θεοῦ cis σωτηρίαν παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι,͵ combined with Gal. iii. 23 (cf. Phil. iv. 7) where also the distinctive @povpetv oc- curs in similar context. The Power
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4---6.
, πίστε ws els σωτηρίαν ἑτοί
ἐσχάτω" ἐν ὦ
µην ἀποκαλυφθῆναι ἀγαλλιᾶσθε ὀλίγον ἄρ
43
ἐν καιρῶ τι ct δέον 1 λυπηθέντες2 6
1 Codex Alexandrinus with others adds ἐστι after δέον.
λυπηθέντες is probably right, εἰ δέον being parenthetical: the variants λυπη- θέντας (first hand of Codex Sinaiticus and many cursives) and λυπηθῆναι (one cursive and the Vulgate) are due to the connexion of δέον with its context, the parenthetical character of the phrase being disregarded.
(sna) of God is put for ¥ehovah
in the Targum of Isa. xxxiii. 21; and the corresponding use of ἡ δύναμις is found in Mark xiv. 62 (see Dalman, 200 f.; and add ἡ µεγαλωσύνη, a more exact render- ing, of Heb. i. 3, viii. 1). In Philo God’s powers are personified self-manifestations. eis σωτηρίαν, κ.τ.λ., is probably the third clause qualification of φρουρ. (cf. 2, 3). Below, the salvation of souls is described as the goal of faith (ο) ina passage where the ἑτοίμην, κ.τ.λ., qualify σωτηρίαν rather than κληρονομίαν which is explained by owt... . ἐσχάτῳ. Sal- vation is to St. Peter that saivation which is to be revealed in the future (c/. i. 9, ii. 2; so Rom. xiii. 11, viv ἐγγύτερον +++ ἡ σωτηρία). Partial anticipations he neglects; for them as for Christ the glory follows the present suffering. The idea of the revelation of salvation comes from Ps. xcviii. 2 (cf. Isa. lvi. 1) which has influenced St. Paul also (Rom. i. 16 f.). ἑτοίμην seems to be simply
the equivalent of “PY prepared, which St. Paul renders with more attention to current usage than etymology by µέλ- λουσαν (Rom. viii. 13; Gal. iii. 23; so I Peter v. 1). This weaker sense begins with Deut. xxxii. 35 (LXX, πάρεστιν ἔτοιμα. as Peter here) and prevails in new Hebrew (Tarphon said. . . the re- compense of the reward of the righteous
is for the time to come. sab DY Aboth, ii. το). But the proper signific- ance of the word is recognised and utilised in the Parables of Jesus, Matt. xxiv. 4, 8. καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ, still anarthrous as being technical term—indefinite as the time is unknown as well as in accordance with authors’ custom (cf. δύναµις, πισ- τέως, σωτηριαν above) ; cf. John ii. 18. Vv. 6-9. Exult then. These various temptations to which you are exposed cause present grief. But they are part of God’s plan for you. Even material per- ishable gold is tried in the fire. So is your faith tested that it may be purged of its dross and the good meta! be discovered when Jesus Christ is revealed. You love Him whom you never saw; though you see Him not you believe on Him. Enxult