Why does it matter that 1 Peter consistently uses the Greek Old Testament — the Septuagint — and how does that shape the message of the letter?

In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Daniel Mikkelsen speaks with New Testament scholar Ed Glenny about how the author of 1 Peter reads and uses Scripture. Ed Glenny shows why Peter’s use of the Greek Scriptures is not incidental, but central to understanding the theology and argument of the letter.

Much of 1 Peter is shaped by careful engagement with the Old Testament in Greek. We explore why most of Peter’s quotations come from the Septuagint, how Scripture is woven around key theological themes, and why the centre of the letter is found in 1 Peter 2:4–10. Along the way, we look at examples where Greek details matter — including wordplay that cannot be heard in translation and Peter’s usage of Isaiah 40 — showing how Scripture shapes identity, ethics, and hope.

This conversation highlights why paying attention to how Peter reads Scripture helps us read 1 Peter more clearly and faithfully, and why the Septuagint still matters for understanding the New Testament today.

Don't Miss the Next episode:

In the next episode, Daniel Mikkelsen explores the material of resurrection body in 1 Corinthians 15.35–58 and how Paul’s argument unfold in one of the most important chapters in the New Testament.

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00:00 — Coming Up…
01:02 — Welcoming Ed Glenny Back: Scholar of 1 Peter and the Septuagint
05:04 — Does Reading Greek Actually Change How You Read Scripture?
08:21 — Can You Fully Trust the Bible Without Knowing Greek or Hebrew?
10:49 — What English Translations Can’t Show You in 1 Peter
16:13 — A Greek Wordplay You Can’t Hear in Translation
20:50 — ‘Raised from Among the Dead’: Why the Greek Is Plural
25:03 — Did Christ Proclaim Victory to the Spirits in Prison?
32:04 — Flesh and Spirit in 1 Peter: Two Realms or One Body?
35:14 — Why the New Testament Often Quotes the Septuagint
43:00 — Quotation or Allusion? How Scripture Is Used in the New Testament
50:30 — The Scriptural Pattern That Shapes 1 Peter’s Theology
58:49 — The New Covenant: Fulfilment and Participation
01:03:28 — Why Peter Reworks Isaiah 40
01:16:28 — What Peter Ultimately Wants Believers to Do

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

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Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.