424 T.B. WIllIAMs not on what God has done or will do in providing for the people of God during their time of trial. According to the Petrine author, ca,rij involves the patient endurance of undeserved suffering. 2. Ca,rij as Praiseworthy Human Action Due to the problems which surround a strictly theological interpre- tation of ca,rij, many have advocated a more profane or secular mean- ing. When compared with other uses of the term in the Hellenistic world, ca,rij is understood as a human action which secures a favorable response from God. The idea which the present passage is thought to communicate, therefore, is that the endurance of unjust suffering is pleasing in God’s sight. Hence, the word is translated in various ways, such as “commendable”, “acceptable”, or even “credit”. This view is becoming increasingly popular, and, for this reason, we will spend somewhat more time assessing its merit 6. The trend toward reading ca,rij in accordance with the language and thought of the Greco-Roman world (rather than the theology of later Christianity) has served to move the discussion in the right direc- tion. However, the conclusions that have been reached are still some- what wide of the mark. At the heart of the problem lie two interpretive mistakes which have caused scholars to misconstrue the meaning of ca,rij in the present verses. The first relates to the definition assigned to the term kle,oj (v. 20). In many translations and commentaries, kle,oj is viewed in an accounting sense, where it is thought to be something which procures reward from God, and thus is rendered “credit” (cf. NRSV; NIV; ESV; NASB). Once the sense of kle,oj is established, it is then used to determine the meaning of ca,rij in v. 20. since the two terms are parallel in a contrastive sentence, ca,rij is thought to be an action which is rewarded or credited by God. The problem with this line of argumentation is that the presumed definition of kle,oj is incorrect. This particular term, which can describe a rumor or a report of some kind, ordinarily refers to the fame or 6 some of the recent proponents include: J.R. MICHAels, 1 Peter (WBC 49; Waco, Tx 1988) 139; P.H. DAVIDs, The First Epistle of Peter (NICNT; Grand Rapids 1990) 107-108; P.J. ACHTeMeIeR, 1 Peter. A Commentary on First Peter (Hermeneia; Minneapolis 1996) 196; J.H. ellIOTT, 1 Peter. A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (AB 37B; New york 2000) 518; D.P. seNIOR, 1 Peter (sP 15; Collegeville, MN 2003) 75, 78; P. PRIGeNT, Suivre le Christ. Com- mentaire de la première épître de Pierre (lyon 2006) 77; J. sCHlOsseR, La pre- mière épître de Pierre (CBNT 21; Paris 2011) 168; et al.