A narrative which is a recital of the qualities or virtues (Greek, aretai) of a worker of miracles, such as Jesus and pagan philosophers like Apollonius of Tyana (d. 98 CE), whose biography was written by Philostratus in the 3rd cent. This would be the kind of discourse which the readers of 1 Pet. 2: 9 are summoned to proclaim. The Greek aretas (accusative) is used (‘glorious deeds’, REB).