| 1 PETER |
| Explanatory Footnotes |
| 2:4 A Play on Words In verses 4-9, Peter constructs a detailed metaphor out of a very common object: a stone. He refers to Christ as a stone rejected by builders, the kind of useless rock someone trips over. Yet this stone, Jesus, becomes the cornerstone of a new building composed of Christians ("living stones"). This metaphor has much in common with Paul's references to the "body of Christ," but Peter (nicknamed the "rock") uses architectural rather than biological terms. 3:19 The Spirits in Prison At least 18 major theories have been proposed to explain Peter's meaning in verses 18-22. Primarily, scholars differ over what the phrase "spirits in prison" refers to. Were "the spirits" people in some intermediate state of death, or the fallen angels alluded to in Genesis 6:1-4? No one knows for sure. Peter uses the obscure reference to make a point about the ultimate good that came from the suffering Jesus endured. 4:13 Participating in Christ's Sufferings This one verse, above all others, shows how much Peter had changed. He received Jesus' strongest rebuke (Mark 8:33) for objecting to the suggestion that Jesus would suffer. But now he presents suffering for Christ as a privilege, a way to participate in Christ's glory. |