Crave
1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
--1 Peter 2:1-3
How many of us really desire to become good people? Not because we think we need to be good to get into heaven or because we want to be people pleasers--not because others want us to be good but because we really desire to be good. Generally speaking, the five vices listed here all stem from an insecurity in identity. In particular, deceit and hypocrisy are carried out as an attempt to cover up who one really is or what what really does. Envy stems from an unhappiness with one's self or place in life. Slander is a way of bringing others down to one's own self-abased level.
There is an interesting grammatical translation issue which I believe drastically affects our understanding of this verse. Some translate the word for "rid" in a manner that reflects its participial Greek construction. In this view it serves to modify the main verb "crave" in verse two. This is how the KJV, ASV, and NASV translate it. This communicates the idea that these vices hinder us from drinking the pure spiritual milk we need. This line of thinking would reflect well Hebrews 12:3 "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles [in order that] we may run the race set out for us." But participles are often used and should be translated as main verbs, which is how the NIV, NRSV, and ESV translates the verb for "rid" in this verse. With this translation, verse 1 and 2 may be two independent thoughts, but more likely verse 2 becomes the means by which we are able to rid ourselves of these vices. I'm inclined to go with this latter interpretation. Growing up in our salvation is the process (viewing it negatively) of ridding ourselves of these vices which can only come through the drinking of pure spiritual milk.
Perhaps the most intriguing word in this verse is the word "crave." It is an imperative verb form. We are being commanded (perhaps to strong a word) to crave God's word (cf 1:23). Generally we think of our actions as being the result of one of two motivations-- either we do it because we want to, or because we have to--either because we desire to do it or because we've been told to do it. But here we are being told to want something. Bonnie Rait says "I can't make you love me." We can't be commanded to like something. But that seems to be what we are being told here. This leaves us with the mystery of desire. Where does it come from?
--1 Peter 2:1-3
How many of us really desire to become good people? Not because we think we need to be good to get into heaven or because we want to be people pleasers--not because others want us to be good but because we really desire to be good. Generally speaking, the five vices listed here all stem from an insecurity in identity. In particular, deceit and hypocrisy are carried out as an attempt to cover up who one really is or what what really does. Envy stems from an unhappiness with one's self or place in life. Slander is a way of bringing others down to one's own self-abased level.
There is an interesting grammatical translation issue which I believe drastically affects our understanding of this verse. Some translate the word for "rid" in a manner that reflects its participial Greek construction. In this view it serves to modify the main verb "crave" in verse two. This is how the KJV, ASV, and NASV translate it. This communicates the idea that these vices hinder us from drinking the pure spiritual milk we need. This line of thinking would reflect well Hebrews 12:3 "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles [in order that] we may run the race set out for us." But participles are often used and should be translated as main verbs, which is how the NIV, NRSV, and ESV translates the verb for "rid" in this verse. With this translation, verse 1 and 2 may be two independent thoughts, but more likely verse 2 becomes the means by which we are able to rid ourselves of these vices. I'm inclined to go with this latter interpretation. Growing up in our salvation is the process (viewing it negatively) of ridding ourselves of these vices which can only come through the drinking of pure spiritual milk.
Perhaps the most intriguing word in this verse is the word "crave." It is an imperative verb form. We are being commanded (perhaps to strong a word) to crave God's word (cf 1:23). Generally we think of our actions as being the result of one of two motivations-- either we do it because we want to, or because we have to--either because we desire to do it or because we've been told to do it. But here we are being told to want something. Bonnie Rait says "I can't make you love me." We can't be commanded to like something. But that seems to be what we are being told here. This leaves us with the mystery of desire. Where does it come from?
posted by Kevin Hanly at
8:48 AM
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