2
To grow you must eat
1 Ἀποθέμενοι οὖν πᾶσαν κακίαν—καὶ πάντα δόλον καὶ ὑποκρίσεις καὶ φθόνους, καὶ πάσας καταλαλιάς— 2 ὡς ἀρτιγέννητα βρέφη τὸ λογικὸν ἄδολον γάλα ἐπιποθήσατε, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῷ αὐξηθῆτε εἰς σωτηρίαν,* εις σωτηριαν f35 (𝕻72)ℵA,B,C [65%] OC,NU ¦ — [35%] RP,HF,TR,CP (OC is in small print.) 3 εἴπερ† ειπερ f35 C [99%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ει (𝕻72)ℵA,B [1%] NU ἐγεύσασθε ὅτι χρηστὸς‡ χρηστος f35 ℵA,B,C [48%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ χριστος 𝕻72 [52%] (The change from ‘gracious’ to ‘Christ’ is so obvious as to be almost involuntary; if ‘Christ’ were original it is scarcely credible that anyone would change it to ‘gracious’.) ὁ Κύριος. 4 Πρὸς ὃν προσερχόμενοι, λίθον ζῶντα—ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἀποδεδοκιμασμένον παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ ἐκλεκτόν, ἔντιμον— 5 καὶ αὐτοί, ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες, οἰκοδομεῖσθε§ οικοδομεισθε f35 𝕻72A,B [75%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ εποικοδομεισθε ℵC [25%] οἶκος πνευματικός, ἱεράτευμα* ιερατευμα f35 [90%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ εις 1 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [10%] NU ἅγιον, ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους τῷ† τω f35 𝕻72 [96.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP[NU]ECM ¦ — ℵA,B,C [3.5%] Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
The Chief Cornerstone
6 Διότι‡ διοτι f35 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [98%] RP,HF,OC,CP,NU ¦ διο και [1%] TR ¦ διο [1%] περιέχει ἡ § ἡ f35 C [35%] ¦ εν τη [59%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ εν 𝕻72ℵA,B [6%] NU (η γραφη is the subject of the verb, περιεχει, active voice; the change to the familiar ‘in the’ would be almost unthinking.) Γραφῇ· «Ἰδού, τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον ἀκρογωνιαῖον, ἐκλεκτόν, ἔντιμον, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ.» 7 Ὑμῖν οὖν ἡ τιμὴ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν, ἀπειθοῦσιν* απειθουσιν f35 A [92%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ απιστευσιν 𝕻72ℵB,C [8%] NU δέ, «λίθον† λιθον f35 ℵ [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ λιθος 𝕻72A,B,C [5%] NU ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας,» 8 καὶ «λίθος προσκόμματος καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου»· οἳ προσκόπτουσιν τῷ λόγῳ ἀπειθοῦντες, εἰς ὅ, καί, ἐτέθησαν.‡ [What is the antecedent of ὅ, the finite verb or the participle? Being higher in rank the finite form presumably takes precedence.]
A royal priesthood
9 Ὑμεῖς δὲ γένος ἐκλεκτόν, βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ἔθνος ἅγιον, λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν, ὅπως τὰς ἀρετὰς ἐξαγγείλητε§ εξαγγειλητε rell ¦ εξαγγελλητε [14%] τοῦ ἐκ σκότους ὑμᾶς καλέσαντος εἰς τὸ θαυμαστὸν αὐτοῦ φῶς· 10 οἵ ποτε οὐ λαὸς νῦν δὲ λαὸς Θεοῦ, οἱ οὐκ ἠλεημένοι νῦν δὲ ἐλεηθέντες.
Your practice should be consistent with your standing
11 Ἀγαπητοί, παρακαλῶ (ὡς παροίκους καὶ παρεπιδήμους) ἀπέχεσθαι* απεχεσθαι f35 ℵB [75%] RP,HF,TR,CP,NU ¦ απεχεσθε 𝕻72A,C [25%] OC (Direct, or indirect, speech?) τῶν σαρκικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, αἵτινες στρατεύονται κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς, 12 τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν ἔχοντες καλὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν,† εχοντες καλην εν τοις εθνεσιν f35 [86%] RP,HF,OC,CP ¦ ~ 34512 (ℵ)A,C [9%] TR,NU ¦ ~ 34521 𝕻72 [1.4%] ¦ ~ 21345 [1%] ¦ ~ 3452 B ¦ three further variants ἵνα, ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν‡ καταλαλουσιν f35 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [52%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ καταλαλωσιν [48%] ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν, ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων ἐποπτεύσαντες§ εποπτευσαντες f35 A [83%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ υποπτευσαντες [5%] ¦ εποπτευοντες 𝕻72ℵB,C [12%] NU (The critics have already observed the good deeds—they know their criticism is false.) δοξάσωσιν τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς.
Respect civil authority
13 Ὑποτάγητε οὖν* ουν f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [5%] NU πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ κτίσει διὰ τὸν Κύριον, εἴτε βασιλεῖ ὡς ὑπερέχοντι, 14 εἴτε ἡγεμόσιν ὡς δι᾿ αὐτοῦ πεμπομένοις, εἰς ἐκδίκησιν μὲν† μεν f35 C [52%] OC,TR,CP ¦ — 𝕻72ℵA,B [48%] RP,HF,NU (OC is in small print.) κακοποιῶν ἔπαινον δὲ ἀγαθοποιῶν. 15 Ὅτι οὕτως ἐστὶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀγαθοποιοῦντας φιμοῦν τὴν τῶν ἀφρόνων ἀνθρώπων ἀγνωσίαν· 16 ὡς ἐλεύθεροι (καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐπικάλυμμα ἔχοντες τῆς κακίας τὴν ἐλευθερίαν), ἀλλ᾿ ὡς δοῦλοι Θεοῦ.‡ δουλοι Θεου f35 A [90%] RP,HF,OC,TR(CP) ¦ ~ 21 (𝕻72)ℵB,C [10%] NU 17 Πάντας τιμήσατε· τὴν ἀδελφότητα ἀγαπήσατε·§ αγαπησατε f35 [71%] RP,HF ¦ αγαπατε 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [24%] OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ — [5%] τὸν Θεὸν φοβεῖσθε· τὸν βασιλέα τιμᾶτε.
A word to servants
18 Οἱ οἰκέται, ὑποτασσόμενοι ἐν παντὶ φόβῳ τοῖς δεσπόταις, οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς καὶ ἐπιεικέσιν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς σκολιοῖς. 19 Τοῦτο γὰρ χάρις,* χαρις f35 𝕻72ℵA,B [81.6%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ 1 παρα τω Θεω C [9%] ¦ 1 παρα Θεω [8%] ¦ 1 Θεω [0.8%] ¦ 1 θεου [0.6%] εἰ διὰ συνείδησιν Θεοῦ† Θεου f35 ℵB [84%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ αγαθην C [14%] ¦ αγαθη 1 𝕻72 [0.4%] ¦ 1 αγαθην A [0.6%] ¦ — [1%] ὑποφέρει τις λύπας, πάσχων ἀδίκως. 20 Ποῖον γὰρ κλέος εἰ ἁμαρτάνοντες καὶ κολαφιζόμενοι ὑπομενεῖτε;‡ υπομενειτε rell ¦ υπομενετε 𝕻72 [14%] Ἀλλ᾿ εἰ ἀγαθοποιοῦντες καὶ πάσχοντες ὑπομενεῖτε, τοῦτο χάρις παρὰ τῷ§ τω f35 A [47%] ¦ — 𝕻72,81vℵB,C [53%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU Θεῷ.
Christ gave the example
21 Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ* και f35 𝕻72 [23%] CP ¦ — 𝕻81ℵA,B,C [77%] RP,HF,OC,TR,NU (f35 [Kr] is independent of Kx and has the earliest attestation; the και is emphatic.) ἐκλήθητε, ὅτι καὶ Χριστὸς ἔπαθεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν,† ημων f35 (85.3%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ υμων (𝕻72,81v)(ℵA)B,Cv (14.7%) NU ὑμῖν‡ υμιν f35 (𝕻72,81vℵA,B,Cv) (85%) RP,HF,OC,CP,NU ¦ ημιν (15%) TR (For the four word sequence, επαθεν υπερ ημων υμιν, there are at least sixteen variations. Taking these last two sets together, NU has both pronouns in the 2nd person, while TR has both in the 1st person.) ὑπολιμπάνων ὑπογραμμὸν ἵνα ἐπακολουθήσητε τοῖς ἴχνεσιν αὐτοῦ· 22 ὃς ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ· 23 ὃς λοιδορούμενος οὐκ ἀντελοιδόρει, πάσχων οὐκ ἠπείλει παρεδίδου δὲ τῷ κρίνοντι δικαίως· 24 ὃς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἀνήνεγκεν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον, ἵνα ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἀπογενόμενοι τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ ζήσωμεν· οὗ τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ§ αυτου f35 ℵ [71%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — 𝕻72,81vA,B,C [29%] NU [Note that μωλωπι is singular (‘wound’), not plural (‘stripes’).] ἰάθητε. 25 Ἦτε γὰρ ὡς πρόβατα πλανώμενα,* πλανωμενα f35 𝕻72C [96.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ πλανωμενοι ℵA,B [3.5%] NU ἀλλ᾿† αλλ f35 𝕻72ℵA,C [99.8%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,ECM ¦ αλλα B [alone] NU ἐπεστράφητε‡ επεστραφητε f35 𝕻72A,B [75%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ επιστραφητε ℵ [20%] ¦ επεστρεψατε C [2.5%] ¦ επιστρεψατε [2.5%] (Indicative or imperative? With this verb the aorist passive is commonly used with active sense.) νῦν ἐπὶ τὸν Ποιμένα καὶ Ἐπίσκοπον τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν.§ ημων f35 [50%] CP ¦ υμων 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [50%] RP,HF,OC,TR,NU (Both make good sense; to be, or not to be, inclusive.)

*2:2 εις σωτηριαν f35 (𝕻72)ℵA,B,C [65%] OC,NU ¦ — [35%] RP,HF,TR,CP (OC is in small print.)

†2:3 ειπερ f35 C [99%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ει (𝕻72)ℵA,B [1%] NU

‡2:3 χρηστος f35 ℵA,B,C [48%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ χριστος 𝕻72 [52%] (The change from ‘gracious’ to ‘Christ’ is so obvious as to be almost involuntary; if ‘Christ’ were original it is scarcely credible that anyone would change it to ‘gracious’.)

§2:5 οικοδομεισθε f35 𝕻72A,B [75%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ εποικοδομεισθε ℵC [25%]

*2:5 ιερατευμα f35 [90%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ εις 1 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [10%] NU

†2:5 τω f35 𝕻72 [96.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP[NU]ECM ¦ — ℵA,B,C [3.5%]

‡2:6 διοτι f35 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [98%] RP,HF,OC,CP,NU ¦ διο και [1%] TR ¦ διο [1%]

§2:6 ἡ f35 C [35%] ¦ εν τη [59%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ εν 𝕻72ℵA,B [6%] NU (η γραφη is the subject of the verb, περιεχει, active voice; the change to the familiar ‘in the’ would be almost unthinking.)

*2:7 απειθουσιν f35 A [92%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ απιστευσιν 𝕻72ℵB,C [8%] NU

†2:7 λιθον f35 ℵ [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ λιθος 𝕻72A,B,C [5%] NU

‡2:8 [What is the antecedent of ὅ, the finite verb or the participle? Being higher in rank the finite form presumably takes precedence.]

§2:9 εξαγγειλητε rell ¦ εξαγγελλητε [14%]

*2:11 απεχεσθαι f35 ℵB [75%] RP,HF,TR,CP,NU ¦ απεχεσθε 𝕻72A,C [25%] OC (Direct, or indirect, speech?)

†2:12 εχοντες καλην εν τοις εθνεσιν f35 [86%] RP,HF,OC,CP ¦ ~ 34512 (ℵ)A,C [9%] TR,NU ¦ ~ 34521 𝕻72 [1.4%] ¦ ~ 21345 [1%] ¦ ~ 3452 B ¦ three further variants

‡2:12 καταλαλουσιν f35 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [52%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ καταλαλωσιν [48%]

§2:12 εποπτευσαντες f35 A [83%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ υποπτευσαντες [5%] ¦ εποπτευοντες 𝕻72ℵB,C [12%] NU (The critics have already observed the good deeds—they know their criticism is false.)

*2:13 ουν f35 [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [5%] NU

†2:14 μεν f35 C [52%] OC,TR,CP ¦ — 𝕻72ℵA,B [48%] RP,HF,NU (OC is in small print.)

‡2:16 δουλοι Θεου f35 A [90%] RP,HF,OC,TR(CP) ¦ ~ 21 (𝕻72)ℵB,C [10%] NU

§2:17 αγαπησατε f35 [71%] RP,HF ¦ αγαπατε 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [24%] OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ — [5%]

*2:19 χαρις f35 𝕻72ℵA,B [81.6%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ 1 παρα τω Θεω C [9%] ¦ 1 παρα Θεω [8%] ¦ 1 Θεω [0.8%] ¦ 1 θεου [0.6%]

†2:19 Θεου f35 ℵB [84%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ αγαθην C [14%] ¦ αγαθη 1 𝕻72 [0.4%] ¦ 1 αγαθην A [0.6%] ¦ — [1%]

‡2:20 υπομενειτε rell ¦ υπομενετε 𝕻72 [14%]

§2:20 τω f35 A [47%] ¦ — 𝕻72,81vℵB,C [53%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU

*2:21 και f35 𝕻72 [23%] CP ¦ — 𝕻81ℵA,B,C [77%] RP,HF,OC,TR,NU (f35 [Kr] is independent of Kx and has the earliest attestation; the και is emphatic.)

†2:21 ημων f35 (85.3%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ υμων (𝕻72,81v)(ℵA)B,Cv (14.7%) NU

‡2:21 υμιν f35 (𝕻72,81vℵA,B,Cv) (85%) RP,HF,OC,CP,NU ¦ ημιν (15%) TR (For the four word sequence, επαθεν υπερ ημων υμιν, there are at least sixteen variations. Taking these last two sets together, NU has both pronouns in the 2nd person, while TR has both in the 1st person.)

§2:24 αυτου f35 ℵ [71%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — 𝕻72,81vA,B,C [29%] NU [Note that μωλωπι is singular (‘wound’), not plural (‘stripes’).]

*2:25 πλανωμενα f35 𝕻72C [96.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ πλανωμενοι ℵA,B [3.5%] NU

†2:25 αλλ f35 𝕻72ℵA,C [99.8%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,ECM ¦ αλλα B [alone] NU

‡2:25 επεστραφητε f35 𝕻72A,B [75%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP,NU ¦ επιστραφητε ℵ [20%] ¦ επεστρεψατε C [2.5%] ¦ επιστρεψατε [2.5%] (Indicative or imperative? With this verb the aorist passive is commonly used with active sense.)

§2:25 ημων f35 [50%] CP ¦ υμων 𝕻72ℵA,B,C [50%] RP,HF,OC,TR,NU (Both make good sense; to be, or not to be, inclusive.)

© 2020 Wilbur N. Pickering