- Sep 10, 2021
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1. Does 1 Peter 1:7 refer to the glory of Christ or the glory of the saints?
The following Bible study - which may be representative of many - has this to say about the verse: "In the midst of trials and pains, our faith is shown to bring God praise and glory.... The testing of your faith should result in praise, honor and glory to Jesus Christ, who is our Living Hope."
This is certainly true. Our entire lives should give praise and honor to Christ. Only the verse itself does not actually say "to Christ." A more exacting translation of the verse reads like this: "that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
It simply exhorted believers to live in such a way that the genuineness of their faith would be found unto glory and praise at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is terminology often used in reference to how Christ will find us at His return. For instance, in Peter's second letter he states:
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him in peace. (2 Peter 3:13-14)
And in Philippians Chapter 3, we have Paul saying this:
I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ (Philippians 3:8-9)
So which one is it? Was Peter saying that the genuineness of our faith will result in glory, honor and praise "to Christ," or was he saying it would result in glory, honor and praise to us?
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2. By extension, were the sufferings referred to in 1 Peter 1:11 the sufferings of Christ or the sufferings of the saints?
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
Again, the same study - which here does indeed represent the majority interpretation - states: "Peter seems to draw us back Isaiah 53, which directly addresses the sufferings of Christ."
But there is again a problem. Certainly Christ suffered for our sins, which is at the core of proper Christian doctrine. But is it what Peter was specifially referring to in the verse? Again, the wording used is not actually "the sufferings of Christ." The phrase is not even in the genitive case. The wording in the Greek is actually τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα, which means, "the sufferings until Christ." But what would that mean? It may well be shorthand for "the sufferings until the coming of Christ," or by extension, "the sufferings the saints will endure until the coming of Christ." The same construction is used in the Old Testament when talking about the coming of the Messiah, where Daniel prophesied, "And you shall know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for the answer, and for the building of Jerusalem until Christ the Prince (τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἕως Χριστοῦ ἡγουμένου), there shall be sixty-nine weeks." (Daniel 9:25, LXX)
I have more on why "the sufferings until Christ" should be the correct translation in the following study, but for those interested, which are the correct interpretations and why?
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
The following Bible study - which may be representative of many - has this to say about the verse: "In the midst of trials and pains, our faith is shown to bring God praise and glory.... The testing of your faith should result in praise, honor and glory to Jesus Christ, who is our Living Hope."
This is certainly true. Our entire lives should give praise and honor to Christ. Only the verse itself does not actually say "to Christ." A more exacting translation of the verse reads like this: "that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
It simply exhorted believers to live in such a way that the genuineness of their faith would be found unto glory and praise at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is terminology often used in reference to how Christ will find us at His return. For instance, in Peter's second letter he states:
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him in peace. (2 Peter 3:13-14)
And in Philippians Chapter 3, we have Paul saying this:
I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ (Philippians 3:8-9)
So which one is it? Was Peter saying that the genuineness of our faith will result in glory, honor and praise "to Christ," or was he saying it would result in glory, honor and praise to us?
_____________________________
2. By extension, were the sufferings referred to in 1 Peter 1:11 the sufferings of Christ or the sufferings of the saints?
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
Again, the same study - which here does indeed represent the majority interpretation - states: "Peter seems to draw us back Isaiah 53, which directly addresses the sufferings of Christ."
But there is again a problem. Certainly Christ suffered for our sins, which is at the core of proper Christian doctrine. But is it what Peter was specifially referring to in the verse? Again, the wording used is not actually "the sufferings of Christ." The phrase is not even in the genitive case. The wording in the Greek is actually τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα, which means, "the sufferings until Christ." But what would that mean? It may well be shorthand for "the sufferings until the coming of Christ," or by extension, "the sufferings the saints will endure until the coming of Christ." The same construction is used in the Old Testament when talking about the coming of the Messiah, where Daniel prophesied, "And you shall know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for the answer, and for the building of Jerusalem until Christ the Prince (τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἕως Χριστοῦ ἡγουμένου), there shall be sixty-nine weeks." (Daniel 9:25, LXX)
I have more on why "the sufferings until Christ" should be the correct translation in the following study, but for those interested, which are the correct interpretations and why?
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
The Devil's Continued Opposition Until The Second Coming Of Christ
From now until the return of Christ, Satan will seek to destroy as many lives as he can. The greater purpose where the church is concerned will be to make believers afraid of death, hoping they will renounce their faith in Christ, lose their salvation, and bring shame upon the Lord Jesus Christ in the process. But the teaching of the early church was to not consider it a strange thing when one endured fiery trials. Rather, the mindset was to understand that such trials were refining their faith to...
From now until the return of Christ, Satan will seek to destroy as many lives as he can. The greater purpose where the church is concerned will be to make believers afraid of death, hoping they will renounce their faith in Christ, lose their salvation, and bring shame upon the Lord Jesus Christ in the process. But the teaching of the early church was to not consider it a strange thing when one endured fiery trials. Rather, the mindset was to understand that such trials were refining their faith to...
