1 Peter 1

Notes

Ver. 1, 2. I, Simon Peter, whom Jesus Christ has constituted his inspired messenger, especially to my own countrymen—to you my Jewish fellow-Christians, dispersed by divine providence through the several countries of Lesser Asia, whom God the Father has, through faith in his Son, made partakers of eternal happiness, through the renovation of their hearts and lives by the Holy Ghost, and the application of Jesus' blood to their consciences for the remission of their sins,—wish the most diversified, manifest, abundant, and ever-increasing discoveries of God's free love and favour, and the fullest enjoyment of all prosperity, spiritual and temporal. 3, 4. Eternal and high praises, thanksgivings, and adorations, be to that great Jehovah, who is the God and Portion of our Lord Jesus Christ, as Man and Mediator, and his Father, as he is the second person in the Godhead— that, according to the wonderful riches and multitude of his free and tender mercy, he has, through the virtue of the death and resurrection of Christ, by his Spirit, made possible the principles of faith and hope, and every other saving grace, and thereby rendered us capable of and fitted for, as well as by adoption entitled to, an inexpressibly pure, permanent, rich inheritance of heavenly glory, inconceivably preferable to any in the earthly Canaan; and which, by the immutable purpose and promise of God, and the merits and intercession of Christ, is solely laid up in heaven for you who through faith accept Christ; 5. Who, notwithstanding your weakness, and the innumerable temptations and dangers which surround you, are, by God's almighty power, and through the continued exercise of faith on Christ and his Word, tenderly preserved in your gracious state, nature, and course, till you obtain the full and everlasting deliverance from all evil, and enjoyment of everything good, which shall be manifested in all the riches and delights thereof in the last judgment; 6. In the believing views and hopes of which preservation and eternal glory ye do, and may, and will hereafter, exceedingly rejoice and exult, though, in this present imperfect state of weakness, sin, and sorrow, if it be needful for God's glory and your own good, ye are grievously, though comparatively lightly, afflicted by a variety of trials from sin, Satan, the world, and your own weakness; 7. In order that your faith and other graces, after being proved genuine, and greatly excited, improved, and increased, may, at the appearance of Christ to destroy your nation, and especially to judge the world, be evidently and honourably manifested, approved, and graciously rewarded with honour and glory by him: 8. Whom, though ye never saw in the days of his humiliation on earth, yet, through the manifestations of him to you by his Word and Spirit, ye sincerely love, highly esteem, and delight in; and though he is at present quite beyond the reach of your bodily sight, yet, discerning, realizing, and appropriating him to yourselves, and trusting in him by faith, ye, in the most ravishing manner, rejoice, exult, and glory in his person, offices, relations, and fulness, and in the assured hopes of your eternal and immediate enjoyment of him, 9. Of which ye have already received the pledges, earnests, and beginnings, and which ye shall, in a little time, fully receive as a gracious reward, answerable to all the expectations of your faith —even the complete salvation and eternal happiness of your whole person, soul and body. 10. Into the nature, qualities, and circumstances of which complete and glorious salvation, the ancient prophets— who many ages ago foretold what rich and eminent blessings of light and grace, pardon, purity, peace, hope, and joy, should be manifested to and conferred upon you by the gospel—made the most diligent inquiry; 11. Searching out the particular circumstances and manner of those things which the Holy Ghost, proceeding from and imparted by Christ to them, had solemnly and infallibly declared concerning Jesus' incarnation, humiliation, exaltation, and work, and concerning the effusion of himself, the erection and state of the gospel church, and the holiness, comfort, and happiness of Christ's true members, as believing in his atoning sacrifice: 12. Unto whom it was suggested by the Holy Ghost, that, however much their own souls might be refreshed, and their faith supported by their predictions, yet they were not to be fulfilled in their times, or the blessings conferred on themselves, but on us who live under the New Testament dispensation, and to whom they are declared and offered by apostles and others, who publish the gospel of God's grace in all its light, liberty, grace, and glory; which has been divinely attested and confirmed by the plentiful outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in his gifts and graces, by our exalted Redeemer, according to his promise; and which unfolds things so excellent, profound, and engaging, that even the holy angels earnestly pry into the mysteries contained in it. 13 Having therefore such revelations and encouragements relative to future and eternal blessedness, never wax weary or faint in your minds, but, shaking off the cares and encumbrances of this life, moderating your appetites to and making a temperate use of the things of this world, with holy vigilance carefully maintain a sincere, unshaken, growing, and persevering trust and hope in Christ, to the end of your days, temptations, and conflicts; with joyful confidence and assured expectation of all that blessedness and glory of the heavenly state which is now graciously revealed in the gospel, and shall be freely bestowed upon you at his second coming. 14. Behave therefore answerably to your spiritual, high, and noble birth, privileges, and hopes, as children entirely subject to the authority of your heavenly Father; and never fall in with or conform yourselves to the corrupt inclinations, desires, schemes, principles, practices, language, and fashions of the men of this world, particularly in this degenerate age, as ye did formerly, while you remained under the power of your sinful lusts, ignorant of Christ and the gospel: 15, 16. But as God, who has called you by his grace into the faith and fellowship of his Son, is perfectly holy in his nature and conduct, study, according to his command, always, and in every relation and circumstance, to imitate him in the holiness of your hearts and lives. 17. And if, answerably to your religious profession, ye from the heart sincerely worship him as your Father in Christ, who, without regard to any external consideration, will impartially try and pass sentence on every man's work at the last day, see that ye maintain a holy and humble reverence of him, and fear of offending him, and a holy jealousy over your own hearts, while ye are travelling through this world, as pilgrims and strangers, to your better and eternal inheritance in heaven. 18-21. And ye ought to be the more earnest and courageous in this holy imitation and fear of God, since all you believers certainly know that your redemption, from the corrupt and defiling manners and customs handed down to you by your ancestors, was not purchased by the perishing riches of this present world, which can redeem from slavery and bondage among men, but by the infinitely more valuable obedience and sufferings of the pure and unspotted Son of God in our nature, whom he, from all eternity, being our Father, appointed to be our Mediator and Saviour, and has, in the end of the Jewish dispensation, and last age of the world, manifested in the flesh, and made to obey and suffer for your sins; who, through him, as your only Mediator, trust and hope in God as your reconciled God and Father—since, in testimony of his being fully satisfied with what his Son did and suffered for you, he has raised him from the dead, exalted him to his own right hand, and made him Head over all things to the church, that ye might be encouraged, through him, thus to trust in God, as reconciled in him, for all the blessings of grace and glory. 22. And since, through a believing acceptance of gospel truth, under the powerful influence of the Holy Ghost, ye have been enabled to mortify and subdue those corruptions which formerly defiled your souls, and to become holy in heart and life, and have been brought to a sincere and hearty affection to your fellow-Christians, see that ye daily more and more cultivate this brotherly kindness in all its genuine and substantial effects, with all the intense fervour of a regenerated heart purified by faith; 23. And as persons who are not merely the natural descendants of Abraham, but have new, vital, and incorruptible principles of grace and holiness implanted in you, by means of the incorruptible, quickening, and unchangeable word of the living, life-giving, and unchangeable God. 24, 25. For all fleshly descent, with its fairest fruits, all natural and acquired endowments, all external privileges, ornaments, and honours, are very unsubstantial and transient; but Christ, the essential Word, and the word of the Lord preached to you in the gospel, and the new creature produced by means of it, remain always the same in their nature and effects.

Ver. 2. Elect, not merely to 'the privileges of the gospel' (Bloomfield), but to 'salvation' on earth through 'the power of God,' and 'an inheritance incorruptible . . . reserved in heaven,' ver. 4-9. C.

Ver. 3. 'A living hope'—a hope, as De Wette observes, which has life in itself, gives life, and looks for life as its object. This hope has for its foundation, its surety, its earnest, the resurrection of Christ. P.

Ver. 6. Wherein. In which circumstance of your preservation—as in a fortress—by the electing love and power of almighty God, 'ye greatly rejoice.'—If need be. Rather, 'since thus it is right' that your faith should be tried and purified. C.

Ver. 7. It seems probable from the reference to 'gold' that one great trial of the Christians' 'faith' was the loss of all their riches; and the nature of some of the subsequent exhortations evidently shows that before their conversion they had lived in much luxury and splendour; see ch. 3. 3; 4. 3, 4. But grace can enable the Christian either to use riches without abuse, or, if need be, for conscience' sake, to resign them without repining. C.

Ver. 11. What time. At what period of time.—What manner of time. Whether of prosperity or adversity in the Jewish or Gentile nations.—Note, This 'inquiry' and 'diligent search' must have been directed to the Scriptures, such as Da. 9. 22-27—thus furnishing both an example and an encouragement to every humble, diligent, and prayerful student of 'the more sure word of prophecy.' C.

Ver. 12. Which things, &c. Rather, 'Upon which things the angels delight to look down.' Supposed to contain an allusion to the attitude of the cherubim at the mercy-seat. C.

Ver. 17. The construction of the Greek seems to me to require the following interpretation:—'And if ye call upon as Father (addressing yourselves to him as children—looking to him as your Father) him who judgeth impartially (i.e. Christ, to whom all judgment has been committed), according to each one's work, in fear conduct yourselves during the time of your sojourning. That is, in filial fear—a fear that will restrain from any offence against Christ or his holy law. P.

Ver. 18. Redeemed. Ransomed as captives from slavery.—Vain conversation. The vain traditions of the elders, Mat. 15. 3, &c.; Ga. 1. 14. C.

Ver. 21. By him. Rather, 'through him,' as preached to you by his apostles. C.

Ver. 23. By. The Greek preposition translated 'by' expresses agency, not inherent and original power. The Word of God is the agency in regeneration; God himself—God the Spirit—is the power. P.——Which liveth—being quickened into faith by the Spirit, Ro. 10. 17.—It is matter of question whether the apostle describes 'the word of God,' that is, the gospel, or God himself, as 'living and abiding for ever.' In support of the latter view the translation in the LXX. of Da. 6. 26 is adduced; but the structure of the original, and the quotation that follows, seem to ascribe the attributes of life (He. 4. 12) and permanence to the gospel. C.

Reflections.—No dispersion can separate believers from the love or care of Christ and his faithful ministers. The love of the Father, the redemption of the Son, and the sanctification of the Holy Ghost, delightfully harmonize in helping to faith and holy obedience here, in order to complete salvation hereafter. And according to God's unbounded mercy, and by his infinite love alone, we are blessed with new principles of grace, fitted for and carried through trials unnumbered, to the heavenly inheritance, to his praise and honour. Marvellously he tries, strengthens, and honours the graces of his people by means of their troubles. And, amidst them all, boldly may they triumph in the assured views and hopes of their bright glories and complete salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Wonderful and excellent is the gospel, which exhibits and offers us this great salvation; and with earnest care and ravishing delight prophets and angels pry into the mysteries of it. What a solid foundation have we for our faith in him whom God from eternity appointed our Saviour, whom the ancient prophets foretold, and whom the gospel clearly reveals and makes over to us! In the most astonishing wisdom and grace he gave his life a ransom for us, rose from the dead, and ascended to glory, that we might be emboldened to believe and trust in God as our reconciled Father in him. Affectionately, then, ought we to love this once suffering and now exalted Redeemer. and all his people for his sake, and delightfully to triumph in his exaltation and grace. Earnestly ought we to obey our heavenly Father, and imitate him in holiness. With holy fear and reverence should we look for his impartial judgment. And with great watchfulness, sobriety, and weanedness from worldly things and sinful customs, ought we to travel to our heavenly rest, carefully cherishing the indwelling principle of spiritual life, till it be perfected in life eternal.