2 Peter 1:1

Simon Peter

(Σιμων Πετρος). Aleph A K L P have Σψμεων as in Acts 15:14, while B has Σιμων. The two forms occur indifferently in I Macc. 2:3, 65 for the same man.Servant and apostle

(δουλος κα αποστολος). Like Romans 1:1; Titus 1:1.To them that have obtained

(τοις λαχουσιν). Dative plural articular participle second aorist active of λαγχανω, old verb, to obtain by lot (Luke 1:9), here with the accusative (πιστιν) as in Acts 1:17.Like precious

(ισοτιμον). Late compound adjective (ισος, equal, τιμη, honor, price), here only in N.T. But this adjective (Field) is used in two ways, according to the two ideas in τιμη (value, honor), either like in value or like in honor. This second idea is the usual one with ισοτιμος (inscriptions and papyri, Josephus, Lucian), while πολυτιμος has the notion of price like τιμη in 2 Peter 1:7; 2 Peter 1:19; 2 Peter 2:4; 2 Peter 2:6. The faith which they have obtained is like in honor and privilege with that of Peter or any of the apostles.With us

(ημιν). Associative-instrumental case after ισοτιμον. Equal to τη ημων (the faith of us).In the righteousness

(εν δικαιοσυνη). Definite because of the preposition εν and the following genitive even though anarthrous. The O.T. sense of δικαιοσυνη applied to God (Romans 1:17) and here to Christ.Of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ

(του θεου ημων κα σωτηρος Ιησου Χριστου). So the one article (του) with θεου and σωτηρος requires precisely as with του κυριου ημων κα σωτηρος Ιησου Χριστου (of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ), one person, not two, in 2 Peter 1:11 as in 2 Peter 2:20; 2 Peter 3:2; 2 Peter 3:18. So in 1 Peter 1:3 we have ο θεος κα πατηρ (the God and Father), one person, not two. The grammar is uniform and inevitable (Robertson, Grammar, p. 786), as even Schmiedel (Winer-Schmiedel, Grammatik, p. 158) admits: "Grammar demands that one person be meant." Moulton (Prol., p. 84) cites papyri examples of like usage of θεος for the Roman emperors. See the same idiom in Titus 2:13. The use of θεος by Peter as a predicate with Jesus Christ no more disproves the Petrine authorship of this Epistle than a like use in John 1:1 disproves the Johannine authorship of the Fourth Gospel and the same use in Titus 2:13 disproves the genuineness of Titus. Peter had heard Thomas call Jesus God (John 20:28) and he himself had called him the Son of God (Matthew 16:16).