1 Petrus 1:5-7

1:5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1:6 This brings you great joy, ¹  although you may have to suffer ²  for a short time in various trials. 1:7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith, ³  which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away ⁴  – and will bring praise ⁵  and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁶ 

1 Petrus 4:12-14

4:12 Dear friends, do not be astonished ⁷  that a trial by fire is occurring among you, ⁸  as though something strange were happening to you. 4:13 But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed ⁹  you may also rejoice and be glad. ¹⁰  4:14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, ¹¹  who is the Spirit of God, ¹²  rests ¹³  on you.

[1:6]  ¹ tn Grk “in which you exult.”

[1:6]  ² tc ‡ The oldest and best witnesses lack the verb (א* B, along with 1505 pc), but most mss (Ì⁷² א² A C P Ψ 048 33 1739 Ï) have ἐστίν here (estin, “[if] it is [necessary]”). The verb looks to be an explanatory gloss. But if no verb is present, this opens up the time frame in the author’s mind even more, since the conditional particle for both the first class condition and the fourth class condition is εἰ (ei). That may well be what was on the author’s mind, as evidenced by some of his other allusions to suffering in this little letter (3:14, 17). NA²⁷ has the verb in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[1:6]  tn Grk “Though now, for a little while if necessary, you may have to suffer.”

[1:7]  ³ tn Or “genuineness,” the result of testing. On the other hand it may denote the process of testing: “that the proving of your faith…may bring praise.”

[1:7]  sn The author is not asserting that the quality of the readers’ faith is in doubt and will be proven by future trials. He declares their faith to be a present reality in v. 5 and 9, so in context v. 8 affirms that their faith is indeed genuine.

[1:7]  ⁴ tn Grk “which is passing away but is tested by fire,” describing gold in a lesser-to-greater comparison with faith’s proven character.

[1:7]  ⁵ tn Grk “that the testing of your faith…may be found unto praise,” showing the result of the trials mentioned in v. 6.

[1:7]  ⁶ tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 13).

[4:12]  ⁷ tn Or “do not be surprised, taken aback.” The same verb occurs in 4:4.

[4:12]  ⁸ tn Grk “at the burning among you, occurring to you for testing.”

[4:13]  ⁹ tn Grk “in the revelation of his glory.”

[4:13]  ¹⁰ tn The verb “be glad” is used also in 1:6 and 1:8. The verbs of v. 13b are used together in Matt 5:12 and Rev 19:7.

[4:14]  ¹¹ tc Many mss, some of them important and early ([א] A P 33 81 323 945 1241 1739 pm bo), add καὶ δυνάμεως (kai dunamew"; “and of power”) here. The shorter reading is supported by Ì⁷² B K L Ψ 049 pm). Although the evidence is evenly divided, the longer reading looks to be an explanatory or liturgical expansion on the text and for this reason should be considered secondary.

[4:14]  ¹² tn Grk “the Spirit of glory and of God.”

[4:14]  ¹³ sn A quotation taken from Isa 11:2.