1 Peter 1:11
in 1 Peter 1trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them.
KJV
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
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This verse in 1 Peter 1
Commentary
17 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Searching what - That is, examining their own predictions with care, to ascertain what they meant. They studied them as we do the predictions which others have made; and though the prophets were the medium through which the truth was made known, yet their own predictions became a subject of careful investigation to themselves. The expression used here in the original, rendered “what,” (εἰς τίνα eis tina,) literally, “unto what,” may mean, so far as the Greek is concerned, either “what time,” or “what people,” or “what person;” that is, with reference to what person the prophecies were really uttered.
This site's exposition
Concerning this salvation, the prophets
on 1 Peter 1:10-12
The prophets searched for the time to which the Spirit was pointing when He foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. They were serving later readers, and even angels long to look into these things.
This site's exposition
the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow
The prophets searched their own words to learn the time they were pointing to. The Spirit of Christ spoke of His sufferings and then of glories, plural, as John Wesley reads them: the resurrection, the ascension and the kingdom. Suffering then glory runs through the letter.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance about the sufferings that would come upon Christ and the glories that would follow. "inquiring what person or time the Spirit." To that, namely the consummation of …
Let none think it was with some other, because no other exists, except that of Christ subsequently; which at that time, of course, could not be given by His disciples, inasmuch as the glory of the Lord had not yet been fully attained, nor the efficacy of the font established through the passion and the resurrection; because neither can our death see dissolution except by the Lord's passion, nor our life be restored without His resurrection.
A commentator
Clement of AlexandriaFrom the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus · Written before 215.
proposed
Here is it stated that the prophets spoke with wisdom and that the Spirit of God was in them because they belonged and were subject to Christ. For the Lord works through archangels and their associate angels, who are called the spirit of Christ.
The Medieval Church2 voices
The apostle insists that the one who spoke by the prophets was the Holy Spirit of Christ. Nor was Christ a mere man, as the heretics say, but he was the incarnate Son of God, consubstantial with the Father. "Christ the power of God and …
Inquiring into what or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating, etc. The evangelist indicated these glories when he said: "For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified" (John VII). There are, however, …
9 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
If both the apostles and the prophets acted by the Holy Spirit, the ones proclaiming prophecies and the others the Gospel, then it is evident that there is no difference between them. Therefore, the apostle says, you ought to give us the same attention as …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
And what manner of time - By what marks to be distinguished. The glories that were to follow - His sufferings; namely, the glory of his resurrection, ascension, exaltation, and the effusion of his Spirit; the glory of the last judgment, and of his eternal kingdom; and also the glories of his grace in the hearts and lives of Christians.
His humiliation and death, and the glorious consequences of it: The sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow. This enquiry would lead them into a view of the whole gospel, the sum whereof is this, that Christ Jesus was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification. The time, and the manner of the times, wherein the Messiah was to appear.
He exhorts them to sobriety and holiness, which he presses from the consideration of the blood of Jesus, the invaluable price of man's redemption (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Searching what, or what manner of time,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"Christ," the anointed Mediator, whose sufferings are the price of our "salvation" (1Pe 1:9, 10), and who is the channel of "the grace that should come unto you." the glory--Greek, "glories," namely, of His resurrection, of His ascension, of His judgment and coming kingdom, the necessary consequence of the sufferings. that should follow--Greek, "after these (sufferings)," 1Pe 3:18-22;
THESE two texts will be, to me, as a bow and a sword—the first for shooting the arrows of the Truth of God and the second for close quarters in dealing with individual consciences. You will see the reason for the pair of texts as we proceed. May the Holy Spirit make use of both according to His own mind. Last Sabbath I preached upon the God of salvation [#1523—The Royal Prerogative]—this morning our principal objective is to speak of that salvation, itself.
THESE two texts will be, to me, as a bow and a sword—the first for shooting the arrows of the Truth of God and the second for close quarters in dealing with individual consciences. You will see the reason for the pair of texts as we proceed. May the Holy Spirit make use of both according to His own mind. Last Sabbath I preached upon the God of salvation [#1523—The Royal Prerogative]—this morning our principal objective is to speak of that salvation, itself. I then tried to show that God is always the same and that the God of the Old Testament, unto whom belongs the issues, or escapes from death, is still the God of our salvation. My first text runs upon the same line, for it teaches us that the Prophets of old, who spoke by the power of the Holy Spirit, testified concerning the same salvation which has been reported to us by the Apostles as actually accomplished. There has been no new salvation! There has been a change in the messengers, but they have all spoken of one thing and, though their tidings have been more clearly understood in these latter days, the substance of the good news is still the same. The Old Testament and the New are one, inspired by the same Spirit and filled with the same Subject, namely, the one promised Messiah. The Prophets foretold what the Apostles reported. The Seers looked forward and the Evangelists look backward— but their eyes meet at one place—they see eye to eye and both behold the Cross. I shall aim, this morning, at commending the salvation of God to those of you who possess it, that you may be the more grateful for your choice inheritance. But I will still more labor to commend it to those who possess it not, that having some idea of the greatness of its value, they may be stirred up to seek it for themselves.
The glory that should follow - Not only the glory of his resurrection, ascension, exaltation, and the effusion of his Spirit; but that grand manifestation of God’s infinite love to the world in causing the Gospel of his Son to be everywhere preached, and the glorious moral changes which should take place in the world under that preaching, and the final glorification of all them who had here received the report, and continued faithful unto death. And we may add to this the ineffable glorification of the human nature of Jesus Christ, which, throughout eternity, will be the glorious Head of his glorified body, the Church.
The words behind it
22 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐραυνῶντες | eraunontes | inquiring | G2045 → | |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τίνα | tina | what | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| ποῖον | poion | what manner of | G4169 → | |
| καιρὸν | kairon | time | G2540 → | 84 times |
| ἐδήλου | edelou | was signifying | G1213 → | |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πνεῦμα | pneuma | Spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| Χριστοῦ | christou | of Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| προμαρτυρόμενον | promarturomenon | testifying beforehand | G4303 → | |
| τὰ | ta | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| εἰς | eis | unto | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Χριστὸν | christon | Christ's | G5547 → | 523 times |
| παθήματα | pathemata | sufferings | G3804 → | 16 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μετὰ | meta | after | G3326 → | |
| ταῦτα | tauta | these | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| δόξας· | doxas | glories; | G1391 → | 165 times |
ἐραυνῶντεςinquiring
eraunontesG2045 →
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τίναwhat
tinaG5101 →563 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
ποῖονwhat manner of
poionG4169 →
καιρὸνtime
kaironG2540 →84 times
ἐδήλουwas signifying
edelouG1213 →
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
αὐτοῖςthem
autoisG846 →5565 times
πνεῦμαSpirit
pneumaG4151 →378 times
Χριστοῦof Christ
christouG5547 →523 times
προμαρτυρόμενονtestifying beforehand
promarturomenonG4303 →
τὰ<the>
taG3588 →19766 times
εἰςunto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ΧριστὸνChrist's
christonG5547 →523 times
παθήματαsufferings
pathemataG3804 →16 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
μετὰafter
metaG3326 →
ταῦταthese
tautaG3778 →1381 times
δόξας·glories;
doxasG1391 →165 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 8:9You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong…
it leads to
- Galatians 4:6
And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
- 2 Timothy 1:14
Guard the treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
- 1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
- John 14:17
the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.
- Galatians 4:6
Through
2 Peter 1:21For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 3:15–17
From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
- 2 Samuel 23:2
The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.
- Luke 1:70
as He spoke through His holy prophets, those of ages past,
- 2 Timothy 3:15–17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies31
On this verse
On this chapter
- Ammon
- Born of the Spirit
- Clean and Unclean
- Eternal Security, and the Five Warnings of Hebrews
- Fire
- Holiness and Purity
Show the next 6 titles
- Be Holy, Because I Am Holy
- A Living Hope
- Hope in the Cell
- The Words Tom and Tamim
- Money, Law and Power
- Not My People becomes My People
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Show the next 6 titles
About 1 Peter

This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1524: “Your Personal Salvation” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Clement of Alexandria, From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 Peter; Tertullian, On Baptism and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Peter.
