ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

1 Peter 2.21-22

Book: 1 Peter · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

19. For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. 20. For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

21. For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22. who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

  1. who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24. who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:19-24, ASV)
WEB

19. For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God. 20. For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if, when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God.

21. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, 22. who did not sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

  1. Who, when he was cursed, didn’t curse back. When he suffered, didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously; 24. who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:19-24, WEB)
KJV

19. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. thankworthy: or, thank 20. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. acceptable: or, thank

21. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: for us: some read, for you 22. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

  1. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: himself: or, his cause 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. on: or, to (1 Peter 2:19-24, KJV)
YLT

19. for this [is] gracious, if because of conscience toward God any one doth endure sorrows, suffering unrighteously; 20. for what renown [is it], if sinning and being buffeted, ye do endure [it]? but if, doing good and suffering [for it], ye do endure, this [is] gracious with God,

21. for to this ye were called, because Christ also did suffer for you, leaving to you an example, that ye may follow his steps, 22. who did not commit sin, nor was guile found in his mouth,

  1. who being reviled, was not reviling again, suffering, was not threatening, and was committing himself to Him who is judging righteously, 24. who our sins himself did bear in his body, upon the tree, that to the sins having died, to the righteousness we may live; by whose stripes ye were healed, (1 Peter 2:19-24, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: Peter the apostle, writing with the help of Silvanus (1 Pet 5:12).
  • Audience: Christians described as "those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1 Pet 1:1), five Roman provinces in northern and central Asia Minor. The audience is largely Gentile (1 Pet 1:18, a futile way of life inherited from their forefathers; 4:3-4).
  • Location: Written from "Babylon" (1 Pet 5:13), which the great majority of interpreters read as a cipher for Rome, as in Revelation 17:5.
  • Time period: c. AD 62-64 on the traditional authorship, before or at the very beginning of the Neronian persecution. The hostility the letter addresses is social and local, slander, exclusion, and abuse, rather than empire-wide legal prosecution.

Theological reading

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth."

"An example." Hypogrammos, a word that occurs only here in the New Testament. It is the schoolroom term for the line of letters written at the top of a wax tablet for a child to trace underneath. The metaphor is not inspiration but imitation, stroke by stroke, and the immediate context is unjust suffering by household slaves (verses 18-20).

"Follow in His steps." Epakolouthēsēte tois ichnesin autou, tread on His footprints. Two imitation metaphors stacked in one verse, both concrete.

Verse 22 is Isaiah. "Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth" is Isaiah 53:9 almost verbatim in the Septuagint. Peter opens a four-verse Isaianic sequence here that runs to verse 25; see 1 Peter 2.22-25.

The sinlessness claim. Peter, who had lived alongside Jesus for three years and who is on record denying Him (Mark 14:66-72), asserts that no sin was ever found in Him. Comparable claims are made by other close observers: 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 John 3:5, and John 8:46 has Jesus asking who convicts Him of sin. The convergence is a standard element in arguments for the moral uniqueness of Christ. See Christs Deity.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

People:

Lexicon:

Passages:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.