1 Peter 1:23–2:5, 7–12

Introduction to P125

Papyrus 125, designated as 𝔓125 in the Gregory-Aland system and cataloged as P. Oxyrhynchus 4934, is an early Greek papyrus fragment of the First Epistle of Peter. Dated paleographically to 225–275 C.E., P125 provides one of the earliest textual witnesses to 1 Peter and offers valuable insight into the transmission, scribal practice, and theological shaping of the Petrine text in early Christianity.

This papyrus includes partial text from 1 Peter 1:23–2:5 and 2:7–12, preserving a passage that touches on both the new birth through the Word of God and the confessional identity of Christ as the cornerstone. Its textual readings suggest strong Alexandrian affinities, consistent with the scribal tradition of Oxyrhynchus and comparable to other early papyri like 𝔓72.

The manuscript was published by Dirk Obbink in 2009 and is currently housed in the Papyrology Rooms of the Sackler Library at Oxford University, with the shelf number P. Oxy. 4934.

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Physical Description of P125

P125 is preserved on a single papyrus leaf, in a fragmentary condition, written in a single column per page, with 30 lines per column—a density suggesting deliberate scribal organization. The script is a clear uncial hand, consistent with other third-century manuscripts, with letters written separately and clearly. Despite extensive damage, numerous nomina sacra remain legible, confirming early Christian scribal conventions. These include abbreviations for Θεός (Θ̅Σ̅), Κύριος (Κ̅Σ̅), and Χριστός (Χ̅Ρ̅Σ̅).

The ink is a faded black-brown, and the writing was laid out with care and consistency. The scribe avoided ligatures and employed scriptio continua, writing without spacing between words. Visible interlinear space and fairly uniform letter sizing suggest a practiced scribe trained in Christian text production.

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Recto Analysis: 1 Peter 1:23–25; 2:1–5

The recto side of P125 contains partially preserved text from 1 Peter 1:23–25 and 2:1–5, including references to the new spiritual birth through the enduring Word of God and the exhortation to long for spiritual nourishment like newborn infants.

Partial Transcription:

…ΑΝΑΓΕΝΝΗΘΕΝΤΕΣ ΟΥΚ ΕΚ ΦΘΑΡΤΗΣ…
…ΔΙΑ ΛΟΓΟΥ ΖΩΝΤΟΣ ΘΕΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΝΟΝΤΟΣ…
…ΠΑΣΑ ΣΑΡΞ ΩΣ ΧΟΡΤΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΣΑ ΔΟΞΑ…
…ΚΥΡΙΟΥ ΜΕΝΕΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΙΩΝΑ…
…ΟΥΤΟΣ ΕΣΤΙΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ Ο ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΣΘΕΙΣ…
…ΑΠΟΘΕΜΕΝΟΙ ΟΥΝ ΠΑΣΑΝ ΚΑΚΙΑΝ…
…ΕΠΙΠΟΘΗΣΑΤΕ ΤΟ ΛΟΓΙΚΟΝ ΑΔΟΛΟΝ ΓΑΛΑ…
…ΕΙ ΕΓΕΥΣΑΣΘΕ ΕΠΙΣΤΕΥΣΑΤΕ ΟΤΙ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ Ο ΚΥΡΙΟΣ…

Key Variant: 1 Peter 2:3

The major textual significance of P125 lies in its variant reading of 1 Peter 2:3. The standard text reads:

εἰ ἐγεύσασθε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος
“If you have tasted that the Lord is good”

This is supported by א A B C Ψ 1739 and various early versions. However, P125 and 𝔓72 diverge with a striking confessional expansion:

εἰ ἐγεύσασθε ἐπιστεύσατε ὅτι Χριστός ὁ κύριος
“If you have tasted, [you] believed that Christ is the Lord”

This insertion of ἐπιστεύσατε (“you believed”) and the substitution of χρηστός (“good”) with Χριστός (“Christ”) indicates not scribal confusion, but a doctrinal emendation. The word Χριστός is clearly marked as a nomen sacrum (Χ̅Ρ̅Σ̅), ruling out any accidental confusion with χρηστός.

This reading reshapes the metaphor from experiential goodness to an explicit Christological confession—an early theological development aimed at affirming that faith in Christ’s Lordship is the essence of Christian spiritual experience.

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Verso Analysis: 1 Peter 2:7–12

The verso side of P125 continues into 1 Peter 2:7–12, a passage rich with Old Testament citations and New Covenant identity language. Though fragmentary, many phrases remain legible and reconstructable through comparison with Alexandrian witnesses.

Partial Transcription:

[ΥΜΙΝ ΟΥΝ Η ΤΙΜΗ] ΤΟΙΣ ΠΙΣΤΕΥΟΥΣΙΝ ΑΠΙΣΤΟΥΣΙΝ ΔΕ
[ΛΙΘΟΣ ΟΝ ΑΠΕΔΟΚΙ]ΜΑΣΑΝ ΟΙ ΟΙΚΟΔΟΜΟΥΝΤΕΣ
[ΟΥΤΟΣ ΕΓΕΝΗΘΗ ΕΙΣ] ΚΕΦΑΛΗΝ ΓΩΝΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΙΘΟΣ
[ΠΡΟΣΚΟΜΜΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΕ]ΤΡΑ ΣΚΑΝΔΑΛΟΥ ΟΙ ΠΡΟΣΚΟΠΤΟΥΣΙΝ
[ΤΩ ΛΟΓΩ ΑΠΕΙΘΟΥΝ ΕΙΣ] Ο ΚΑΙ ΕΤΕΘΗΤΗΣ ΥΜΕΙΣ ΔΕ
[ΓΕΝΟΣ ΕΚΛΕΚΤΟΝ ΒΑΣΙ]ΛΕΙΟΝ ΙΕΡΑΤΕΥΜΑ ΕΘΝΟΣ
[ΑΓΙΟΝ ΛΑΟΣ ΕΙΣ ΠΕΡΙΠΟΙΗΣ]ΙΝ ΟΠΩΣ ΤΑΣ ΑΡΕΤΑΣ
[ΕΞΑΓΓΕΙΛΗΤΕ ΤΟΥ ΕΚ ΣΚΟΤΟΥΣ] ΥΜΑΣ ΚΑΛΕΣΑΝΤΟΣ
[ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΘΑΥΜΑΣΙΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΦΩΣ] ΟΙ ΠΟΤΕ ΟΥ ΛΑΟΣ
[ΝΥΝ ΔΕ ΛΑΟΣ ΘΕΟΥ ΟΥΚ ΗΛΕΗΜΕΝ]ΟΙ ΝΥΝ ΔΕ ΕΛΕΗΘΕΝΤΕΣ
[ΑΓΑΠΗΤΟΙ ΠΑΡΑΚΑΛΩ ΩΣ ΠΑΡΟΙΚΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ] ΠΑΡΕΠΙΔΗΜΟΥΣ
[ΑΠΕΧΕΣΘΑΙ ΤΩΝ ΣΑΡΚΙΚΩΝ ΕΠΙΘΥΜΙΩΝ] ΑΙΤΙΝΕΣ
[ΣΤΡΑΤΕΥΟΝΤΑΙ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΨΥΧΗΣ ΤΗΝ ΑΝΑΣ]ΤΡΟΦΗΝ
[ΥΜΩΝ ΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΕΘΝΕΣΙΝ ΕΧΟΝΤΕΣ ΚΑΛΗΝ] ΙΝΑ
[ΕΝ Ω ΚΑΤΑΛΑΛΟΥΣΙΝ ΥΜΑΣ ΩΣ ΚΑΚΟΥΡΓΟΥ]Σ
[ΕΚ ΤΩΝ ΚΑΛΩΝ ΕΡΓΩΝ ΕΠΟΠΤΕΥΟΝΤΕΣ ΔΟΞ]ΑΣΩΣΙ
[ΤΟΝ ΘΕΟΝ ΕΝ ΗΜΕΡΑ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΗΣ]

Theological Summary

This portion of the letter emphasizes the spiritual identity and mission of the Church, drawing heavily from Old Testament covenantal language (e.g., Exodus 19:5–6; Hosea 1:10, 2:23). Peter describes believers as:

• “a chosen race”

• “a royal priesthood”

• “a holy nation”

• “a people for God’s own possession”

The ethical appeal to abstain from fleshly lusts and maintain good conduct among the Gentiles serves an evangelistic purpose: that unbelievers may glorify God through the witness of Christian behavior. This idea finds early manuscript support in P125, confirming both the textual integrity and theological continuity of these verses from the third century onward.

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Textual Character and Alexandrian Affinity

P125’s overall character strongly supports the Alexandrian text-type. Apart from the emended confessional reading in 2:3, it agrees with major Alexandrian witnesses like Codex Vaticanus (B) and Codex Sinaiticus (א). The manuscript lacks Byzantine expansions and displays the brevity, clarity, and restraint that are hallmarks of Alexandrian scribal fidelity.

The presence of the confessional variant in 2:3 is not a random scribal error but reflects intentional theological clarification, showing how early Christians sought to reinforce foundational truths—namely, that Jesus is the Christ and Lord—within the text.

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Conclusion

Papyrus 125 (P. Oxy. 4934), dated to 225–275 C.E., is an important third-century witness to the Greek text of 1 Peter 1:23–2:5, 7–12. Despite its fragmentary condition, it confirms early Christian usage of 1 Peter with high textual fidelity and Alexandrian textual affiliation. Its most significant feature—the confessional emendation in 1 Peter 2:3—demonstrates a theological impulse among early scribes to clarify belief in Christ’s divine identity.

P125 thus contributes both to our confidence in the textual preservation of 1 Peter and to our understanding of how early Christian doctrine was reinforced through the scribal process. It confirms that by the mid-third century, the Church already preserved and confessed with clarity that “Christ is the Lord.”

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