1 Peter 1:11

1:10-12 Jesus Christ was the main subject of the prophets' studies. Their inquiry into the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow, would lead to a view of the whole gospel, the sum whereof is, That Christ Jesus was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. God is pleased to answer our necessities rather than our requests. The doctrine of the prophets, and that of the apostles, exactly agree, as coming from the same Spirit of God. The gospel is the ministration of the Spirit; its success depends upon his operation and blessing. Let us then search diligently those Scriptures which contain the doctrines of salvation.

Did signify (ἐδήλου) Imperfect tense: better, was declaring, all along through the prophetic age, in successive prophets. See the same verb in 1 Corinthians 3:13; 2 Peter 1:14 :. When it testified beforehand (προμαρτυρόμενον) Only here in New Testament. Of Christ (εἰς Χριστὸν) Lit., unto Christ. So Rev., in margin. The sufferings destined for Christ, as in 1 Peter 1:10 he speaks of the grace, εἰς ὑμᾶς, unto you; i.e., destined to come unto you. Peter was especially concerned to show that the sufferings of Christ were in fulfilment of prophecy, because it was a subject of dispute with the Jews whether the Christ was to suffer (Acts 3:18; Acts 26:22, Acts 26:23). The glory (τὰς δόξας) Rev., correctly, the glories. The plural is used to indicate the successive steps of his glorification; the glory of his resurrection and ascension, of the last judgment, and of the kingdom of heaven.

1 Peter 1:11 . Εἰς τίνα ἢ ποῖον , to what, or what manner of ) The disjunctive particle expresses the great eagerness of the prophets: (to know) whether those things were about to happen in their time or afterwards: 1 Peter 1:12 . What ( τίνα ) denotes the time absolutely, so to speak, an era marked out by its own numbers: what manner of ( ποῖον ) speaks of the time to be known from various events. Daniel 9:2 .— Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ , the Spirit of Christ ) testifying of Christ; Revelation 19:10 . The Spirit of God , Genesis 1:2 , is called the Spirit of Messias in the work entitled Baal Hatturim .— τὰ — παθήματα , the sufferings ) Hence comes salvation .— τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα ) the sufferings about to happen to Christ .— μετὰ ταῦτα ) after these sufferings.— δόξας , glories ) In the plural. The glory of His resurrection; the glory of His ascension; the glory of the last judgment and of the kingdom of heaven.

Searching what? Whether near or farther off, or what particular part of time. This may relate particularly to Daniel’s weeks, Daniel 9:1-27 . What manner of time; whether peaceable or troublesome, when the people were free or when in bondage; what were the qualities of the time, or signs by which it might be known, Jacob foretells Christ’s coming, when the sceptre was departed from Judah, Genesis 49:10 ; Isaiah, in a time of universal peace, Isaiah 2:4 11:6 . This diligent inquiring after the time of Christ’s coming showed their earnest longing for it. The Spirit of Christ; so styled, as being of the Son, no less than of the Father, both by eternal procession and temporal mission, John 14:16,26 15:26 . This shows, that not only Christ had a being under the Old Testament before his coming in the flesh, (for if Christ were not, there could be no Spirit of Christ), but likewise that Christ is God, because of his inspiring the prophets with the knowledge of future things, which none but God can do. When it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ; what the prophets did foretell concerning Christ, was not their own conjecture, but what the Spirit did dictate to them. And the glory that should follow; Greek, glories, in the plural number, i.e. the manifold glory which was to follow upon his many sufferings, the glory of his resurrection, ascension, sitting at the right hand of God, sending the Spirit, &c.

1 Peter 1:11 . The construction of εἰς τ . κ . π . καιρόν and of προμαρτ . is doubtful. ἐραυνῶντες takes up ἐξεζήτησαν κ . τ . λ . (10); the run of the sentence seems to naturally connect τὰ … δόξας with προμαρτ . and εἰς … καιρόν with ἐδήλου . So Vulgate in quod vel quale tempus significare … spiritus … praenuntians … passiones . But if εἰς … καιρὸν be unfit to be a direct object and προμαρτ ., perhaps, to have one of this kind. τὰ … δόξας must be governed by ἐδήλου . It is possible also to dissociate τίνα from καιρὸν and to render in reference to whom and what time the Spirit signified …; cf. Ephesians 5:22 , ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω εἰς Χριστόν , Acts 2:25 . If τίνα be taken with καιρόν , the two words correspond to the two questions of the disciples, When ?… and what shall be the sign ? ( Mark 13:4 ). Failing to discover at what time , the prophets asked at what kind of time ; their answer received a certain endorsement in the eschatological discourse of Jesus ( Mark 13:5 ff. and parallels).— ἐδήλου , cf. Hebrews 9:8 , τοῦτο δηλοῦντος τοῦ Πνεύματος . The word implies discernment on the part of the student ( Hebrews 12:27 , τὸ δὲ ἔτι ἅπαξ δηλοῖ …).

What time … did point unto of R.V. is unjustifiable; a simple accusative is required, i.e. , either (1.) ποῖον κ . or (2.) τίνα ἢ π . κ . ( εἰς being deleted as dittography of - ες ) or (3.) τὰ … δόξας .— τὸ πνεῦμα [ Χριστοῦ ], the full phrase is a natural one for a Christian to employ—Christ being here the proper name = Jesus Christ and not the title. κύριος in the O.T. was commonly interpreted as referring to Our Lord; and XC. is a frequent v.l. for [144] [145]. Hence Barnabas ( v.q .), οἱ προφῆται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ἔχον τὴν χάριν εἰς αὐτὸν ἐπροφήτευσαν .— προμαρτυρόμενον only occurs here. If μαρτύρομαι (the proper sense) determine the meaning of the compound render “ protesting (calling God to witness) beforehand ”. It usage justify confusion with μαρτυρεῖν , be witness [ of ] render testifying beforehand or ( publicly .)— τὰεἰς Χν παθήματα , the doctrine that the Messiah must suffer and so enter into His glory was stated by the prophets ( e.g. Isaiah 3.) but neglected by the Jews of the first century ( John 12:34 ). Believers were reminded of it by the risen Lord Himself ( Luke 24:26 ; Luke 24:46 ) and put it in the forefront of their demonstratio evangelica ( Acts 3:18 ; Acts 17:3 ; Acts 26:23 ).