A reading from 1 Peter

Οἱ οἰκέται, ὑποτασσόμενοι ἐν παντὶ φόβῳ τοῖς δεσπόταις, οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς καὶ ἐπιεικέσιν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς σκολιοῖς

The NIV uses the word ‘slaves’ for οἰκέται but the AV uses the word ‘servants’, which I think is better since οἰκέται is based on οἰκέω. It is true that (according to Liddell & Scott) οἰκέται are house-slaves and menials, but there is also the sense of familia (Latin) or one’s household rather than οἱ δοῦλοι. But whichever view is taken it seems to me to be stretching the point to translate this as ‘brothers and sisters’.The lectionary also missed out the phrase above ‘be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to those who are good and gentle but also to those who are harsh’. I think that this can be taken as an injunction to employees, not servants only, but the lectionary reading completely missed this point.

Later on, Peter has the sentence ‘ὃς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἀνήνεγκεν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ξύλον’. ‘Who bore away our sins in his body upon the tree’.
The first part is actually a quotation from Isaiah 53 v 4 and v 12 from the Septuagint:

οὗτος τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρει

Isaiah 53 v 4

καὶ αὐτὸς ἁμαρτίας πολλῶν ἀνήνεγκεν

Isaiah 53 v 12

Nestle-Aland also refer to John 1:29 and Hebrews 9:28.

It is curious that Peter uses the word ξύλον here instead of ’σταῦρον’. I cannot find any critical note that gives a different reading for ξύλον. Is this a reference to the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil? Whether it is or not, to translate it as ‘cross’ which is what the lectionary did, seems, again to be stretching a point.

The lectionary also had the reading ‘so that, free from our sins, we might live for righteousness;’ whereas the NIV (more accurately in my view) has ‘so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;’. The word translated in the lectionary as ‘free’ is ἀπογίνομαι (ἀπογίγνομαιin Attic). According to Liddell and Scott, ἀπογίνομαι means ‘to be away from a thing, to have no part in a thing’; especially to die from. In Attic Greek it takes the genitive but Peter has here used the dative. All in all I prefer the NIV version giving a contrast between dying to sin and living for righteousness.

I do not know what what was in the mind of those who made the lectionary version, but I did find it quite offputting; next time I shall learn it and not rely on the lectionary!

One text, two versions?

The reading from the lectionary is as follows (this is how it is laid out):

Brothers and Sisters:
It is a credit to you if, being aware of God,
you endure pain while suffering unjustly.
If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that?
But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it,
you have God’s approval.

For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example,
so that you should follow in his steps.

‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth’

When he was abused, he did not return abuse;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,
so that, free from our sins, we might live for righteousness;
by his wounds you have been healed.

For you were going astray like sheep,
but now you have returned
to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Here is the version from the NIV:

Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called , because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.