There are some places where modern versions interpret a passage which could be taken in either of two senses. One example is 1 Pet. 1:2, which the AV renders, "unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." Matthew Poole's annotations note that this could have reference to either (1.) the obedience of Christ to God, or (2.) the obedience of believers to Christ. The NKJV translates Gk. "eis" (unto) as "for" and slightly skews the original, whereas NASB, NIV, and ESV all interpret the original in favour of the second meaning, that of the believer's obedience to Christ: NASB, "to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood;" NIV, "for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood;" ESV, "for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood." This interpretative bias hides the fact that the Greek could be taken one of two ways, and at least from this interpreter's point of view they rule out what is the natural understanding of the passage, since it is clear that the aposltle is referring to the objective work of the Trinity in the salvation of the elect, and hence the obedience of Christ is more than likely the apostle's meaning.

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Yours sincerely,


"Illum oportet crescere me autem minui."