‏ 1 Peter 1:1

 Peter ( Πετρος ). Greek form for the Aramaic (Chaldaic)  Χηφας, the nickname given Simon by Jesus when he first saw him (Joh 1:42) and reaffirmed in the Greek form on his great confession (Mt 16:18), with an allusion to  πετρα, another form for a rock, ledge, or cliff. In 2Pe 1:1 we have both  Σιμων and  Πετρος. Paul in his Epistles always terms himself Paul, not Saul. So Peter uses this name, not Cephas or Simon, because he is writing to Christians scattered over Asia Minor. The nominative absolute occurs here as in Jas 1:1, but without  χαιρειν as there, the usual form of greeting in letters (Ac 23:26) so common in the papyri.

 An apostle of Jesus Christ ( αποστολος Ιησου Χριστου ). This is his official title, but in 2Pe 1:1  δουλος is added, which occurs alone in Jas 1:1. In II and III John we have only  ο πρεσβυτερος (the elder), as Peter terms himself  συνπρεσβυτερος in 1Pe 5:1. Paul's usage varies greatly: only the names in I and II Thessalonians, the title  αποστολος added and defended in Galatians and Romans as also in I and II Corinthians and Colossians and Ephesians and II Timothy with "by the will of God" added, and in I Timothy with the addition of "according to the command of God." In Philippians Paul has only " δουλος (slave)  Χριστου Ιησου," like James and Jude. In Romans and Titus Paul has both  δουλος and  αποστολος, like II Peter, while in Philemon he uses only  δεσμιος (prisoner)  Ιησου Χριστου.

 To the elect ( εκλεκτοις ). Without article (with the article in Mt 24:22, 24, 31) and dative case, "to elect persons" (viewed as a group). Bigg takes  εκλεκτοις (old, but rare verbal adjective from  εκλεγω, to pick out, to select) as an adjective describing the next word, "to elect sojourners." That is possible and is like  γενος εκλεκτον in 2:9. See the distinction between  κλητο (called) and  εκλεκτο (chosen) in Mt 22:14.

 Who are sojourners ( παρεπιδημοις ). Late double compound adjective ( παρα, επιδημουντες, Ac 2:10, to sojourn by the side of natives), strangers sojourning for a while in a particular place. So in Polybius, papyri, in LXX only twice (Ge 23:4; 38 or 39 12), in N.T. only here, 2:11; Heb 11:13. The picture in the metaphor here is that heaven is our native country and we are only temporary sojourners here on earth.

 Of the Dispersion ( διασπορας ). See Joh 7:35 for literal sense of the word for scattered (from  διασπειρω, to scatter abroad, Ac 8:1) Jews outside of Palestine, and Jas 1:1 for the sense here to Jewish Christians, including Gentile Christians (only N T. examples). Note absence of the article, though a definite conception (of the Dispersion). The Christian is a pilgrim on his way to the homeland. These five Roman provinces include what we call Asia Minor north and west of the Taurus mountain range (Hort). Hort suggests that the order here suggests that Silvanus (bearer of the Epistle) was to land in Pontus from the Euxine Sea, proceed through Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, to Bithynia, where he would re-embark for Rome. This, he holds, explains the separation of Pontus and Bithynia, though the same province. Only Galatia and Asia are mentioned elsewhere in the N.T. as having Christian converts, but the N.T. by no means gives a full account of the spread of the Gospel, as can be judged from Col 1:6, 23.

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