1 Peter 1:6–9

1:6 This brings you great joy,11 although you may have to suffer12 for a short time in various trials. 1:7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith,13 which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away14—and will bring praise15 and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.16 1:8 You17 have not seen him, but you love him. You18 do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice19 with an indescribable and glorious20 joy, 1:9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

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11	tn Grk “in which you exult.”
12	tc ‡ The oldest and best witnesses lack the verb (א* B, along with 1505 pc), but most mss (𝔓72 א2 A C P Ψ 048 33 1739 𝔐) 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). NA 27 has the verb in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity. tn Grk “Though now, for a little while if necessary, you may have to suffer.”
13	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.” 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.
14	tn Grk “which is passing away but is tested by fire,” describing gold in a lesser-to-greater comparison with faith’s proven character.
15	tn Grk “that the testing of your faith … may be found unto praise,” showing the result of the trials mentioned in v. 6.
16	tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 13).
17	tn Grk “whom not having seen, you love.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
18	tn Grk “in whom not now seeing …” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
19	tn Grk “in whom not now seeing but believing, you exult.” The participles have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.
20	tn Grk “glorified.”

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