1 Peter 2:2

As newborn babes (w artigennhta breph). Brepo, old word, originally unborn child ( Luke 1:41-44 ), then infant ( Luke 2:12 ), here figuratively, like nhpioi. Artigennhta is a late and rare compound (Lucian, imperial inscription) from arti and gennaw, with evident allusion to anagegennhmenoi in Luke 1:23 , probably meaning that they were recent converts, possibly slight proof that the Epistle written before Romans by Paul (Kuhl). Long for (epipoqhsate). First aorist (constative) active imperative of epipoqew, old verb for intense yearning ( Philippians 2:26 ). The spiritual milk which is without guile (to logikon adolon gala). Gala is old word for milk as in 1 Corinthians 9:7 and as metaphor in 1 Corinthians 3:2 . Adolo is an old compound (here alone in N.T.) adjective (alpha privative and dolo deceit), unadulterated milk which, alas, is so hard to get. Logikon is an old adjective in -iko, from logo (reason, speech), in N.T. only here and Romans 12:1 , used here with allusion to logou ( 1 Peter 1:23 ) and rhma ( 1 Peter 1:25 ), "the sincere milk of the word" ("the milk belonging to the word," either the milk which is the word or the milk contained in the word, that is Christ). So Bigg holds. But in Romans 12:1 Paul uses logikon in the sense of "rational" or "spiritual," and that idea is possible here as Hort holds. In the Pelagia legend (Usener) we have the phrase twn logikwn probatwn tou Cristou (the spiritual or rational sheep of Christ). That ye may grow thereby (ina en autwi auxhqhte). Purpose clause with ina and the first aorist passive subjunctive of auxanw, old and common verb to grow. See this same metaphor in Colossians 2:19 ; Ephesians 4:15 . Peter uses the word of God as the food for growth, especially for babes in Christ, not emphasizing the distinction from solid food (brwma) made in 1 Corinthians 3:2 ; Hebrews 5:13 . Salvation (swthrian) here is final salvation.