Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
1 PETER II.
We are to be Obedient to Mayvttrata.
Eihortnlion to Abstaiii from Fleshly Lusls, iieathpti and even Jewish Ignorance, error, sin, and misery, and so out of the dominion of the prince ul darlcness. iiiarvellons—Peter still has in mind Psalm 118. 23. lig;ht —It is called "His," i. e., God's. Only the (spiritual) lig Jit tion:" as opposed to their "ignorance " (v. 15) of the true character of Cliristians and Christianity, byjudging on mere hearsay. The same Greek verh occurs in a sim'ilar sense in ch. 3. 2. " Other men narrowly look at (so the Greek lmplies)theactionsof therighteous." [Bengel.] TertulLIAN contrasts the early Christians and the heathen: These delighted in the bloody gladiatorial spectacles of the amphitheatre, whereas a Christian was excommunicated if he went to it at all. No Christian was found in prison for crime, but only for the faith. The heathen excluded slaves from someof their religious services, whereas Christians had some of their presbyters of the class of slaves. Slavery silantly and gradually disappeared by the power of the Christian law of love, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." When the pagans deserted their nearest relatives in a plague. Christians ministered to the sick and dying. When the Gentiles left their dead nnburied after a battle, and cast their wounded into the streets, the disciples hastened to relieve the suffering, glorify—forming a high estimate of the God whom Christians worship, from the exemplary conduct of Christians themselves. We must do good, not with a view to our own glory, but to the glory of God. the day of visitation— of God's grace; when God shall visit them in mercy. 13. every ordinance of man — "every human institution'' [Alford], lit., " every human creation." For though of divine appointment, yet in the mode of nomination and in tlie exercise of their authority, earthly governors are but human institutions, being of »ien, and in relation to men. The apostle speaks as one raised above all human things. But lest they should think themselves so ennobled by faith as to be raised above subordination to human authorities, he tells them to submit themselves for the sake of Christ, who desires you to be subject, and who once was subject to earthly rulers Himself, though having all things subject to Him, and whose honour is at stake in you as His earthly representatives. Cf. Romans 13. 5, " Be subject for conscience' salte." king—the Roman emperor was "supreme" in the Roman provinces to which this Epistle was addressed. The. Jewish zealots refused obedience. The distinction between "the king as supreme," and "governors sent by him," implies that " if tlie king command one thing, and the subordinate magistrate another, we ought rather to obey the superior." [Augttstine in Grotius.] Scripture prescribes nothing upon the form of government, but simply subjects Christians to that everywhere subsisting, without entering into the question of the right of the rulers (thus the Roman emperors had by force seized supreme authority, and Rome liad, by unjustifiable means, made herself mistress of Asia), because the de facto governors have not been made by chance, but by the providence of God. 14. govcniors—subordinate to the emperor, "sent," or delegated b.y Cresar to preside over the provinces, for the punishment—No tyranny ever has benn so unprincipled as that some appearance of equity was not maintained in it; however corrupt a government be, God never suffers It to be so much so as not to be better than anarchy. [Calvin.] Altliough bad kings often oppress the good, yet that is scarcely ever done by public authority (and it is of what is done by public authority that Peter speaks), save under the mask of right. Tyranny harasses many, but anarchy overwhelms tlie whole state. [Hornbius.] The only justifiable exception
Is created by God, not darkness. In Isaiah 45. 7, it is physical darkness and evil, not moral, that God is said to create the punishment of sin, not sin Itself. P(^ter, with characteristic boldness, brands as darkness what all the world calls light; reason, without the Holy Spirit, in spite of its vaunted power. Is spiritual darkness. " It cannot apprehend what faith is: there it is stark blind ; it gropes as one that is without eyesight, stumbling from one thing to another, and knows not what it does." [Lttther.] 10. Adapted from Hosea 1. 9, 10; 2. 23. Peter plainly confirms Paul, who quotes the passage as implying tlie call of the Gentiles to become spiritually that which Israel had been literally, "the people of God." Primarily, the prophecy refers to literal Israel, hereafter to be fully that which in their best days they were only partially, God's people, not obtained mercy lit., "who were men not compassionated." Implying that it was God's pare mercy, not their merits, which made the blessed change in their state; a thought which ought to kindle their lively gratitude, to be shown with their life, as well as their lips. 11. As heretofore he exhorted them to walk worthily of their calling, in contradistinction to their own former walk, so now he exhorts them to glorify God before unlielievers. Dearly beloved—he gains their attention to his exliortation by assuring them of his love, strangers and pil- ^Ims—(Ch. 1. 17). Sojourners, lit., settlers having a house in U cit.v without being citizens in respect to the rights of citizenship; a picture of the Christian's position on earth; andpiU/rims, staying for a time in a foreign land. Flacius thus analyzes the exhortation: 1. Purify your souls
(a) as Hrnnrrer.i on earth who must not allow yourselves to be kept back by earthly lusts, and (b) because these lusts war against the soul's salvation. 2. Walk piously among unbelievers (a) so that they may cease to calumniate Christians, and (b) may themselves be converted to Christ, fleshly Insts—Enumerated in Galatians 5. 19, Ac. Not only the gross appetites which we have in common with the brutes, but all the thoughts of the unrenewed mind, which Greek, "the which," i. e., inasmuch as being such as "war," &c. Not only do they impede, but they assail. [Bengei,.] the soul—t. r., against the regenerated Boul ; such as were those now addressed. The regenerated goal is besieged by sinful lusts. Like Samson in the lap of Delilah, the believer, the moment that he gives way to fleshly lusts, has the locks of his strength shorn, and ceases to maintain that spiritual separation from tlie world and the flesh of whicli the Nazarite vow was the type. 12. conversation—"behaviour ;"" conduct." There are two things in which "strangers and pilgrims" ought to bear themselves well : (1.) The conversation or conduct, as subjects (i;. 13), servants (v. 18), wives (ch.3. 1), husbands
(ch.3. 7), all persons under all circumstances {v. 8); (2.)
confession of the faith (ch. 3. 15, 16). Each of the two is derived from the will of God. Our conversation should correspond to our .Saviour's condition; this is In heaven, so onght that lo be. honest—honourable, becoming, proper
(ch. 3. Ifi). Contrast "vain conversation," ch. 1. 18. A good walk does not make ns 'pious, but we must first be pious and l)elleve before we attempt to lead a good course. Faith flrst receives from God, then love gives to our nelgtibonr. [Luther.] whereas they speak against you now (v. 15), that they may, nevertheless, at some time or other here-
Is In cases where obedience to the earthly king plainly Involves disobedience to the express command of (he King of kings, praise of them that do well—every government recognizes theexcellence of truly Christian Eubjects. Thus Pliny, in his letter to the Emperor Trajan, acknowledges " I have found in them nothing else .save a perverse and extravagant superstition." This recognition in the long run mitigates persecution (ch. 3. 13). 13. Ground of his directing them to submit themselves (v. 13). put lo silence—/i7., "to muzzle," "lostop the mouth." Ignornncc-.
after glorlfj' God. The Greek may be rendered, " Wherein they speak against J'ou, &c., that {herein) they may, bj' your good works, which on a closer inspection they shall behold, glorify God." The very works " which on more careful consideration, must move the heathen to praise God, are at first the object of hatred and raillery." (Stkioeh.) evil-dorrs—Because as Christians they could not conform' to heathenish customs, they were accused of dlsobeillpnce spiritual; not having " the knowledge of God," and tliercto all legal authority; In order to rebut this cliarge, ttie.y are told to xiibmlt to every ordinance of man (not sinful in fore Ignorant of the children of God, and misconstruing their acts; Influenced by mere appearances, and ever ready to open their mouths, rather than their eyes and
ItHelf). by—owing to. they shall behold— TtVcpA:, " they •ball be ej/e-witnesses of:" " shall behold on close inipec-
Servants are to Obey their IFasters, 1 PETEE II. Patiently Snjt .rig for Wdl-ik<!ng.
ears. Their ignorance should move the believer's pity, not being innocent, as Christ also innocentlj' suf Tored (not for Himself, but for its). The oldest JI.SS. for "us . . . us," read, "you . . . for you." Christ's suf Tei ings, whilst Ihey are for an example, were also primarily sutferings "for us," & consideration which imposes an everlasting obligation on us to please Him. leaving— JjeAi'nrf .• so the Greek: on His departure to the Father, to His glory, an example Greek, "a copy," lit., a writing copy set by masters for their pupils. Christ's precepts and sermons were the transcript of His life. Peter graphically sets before servants those features especially suited to their case, follow—ctose tipon: so the Greek, his steps—/oo/sc^),'!, viz., of His jjah'ence combined with <(i?ioc<>Hce. ti'i. Illustrating his anger. Tliey jiulge of tilings whicli they are in'^pable of Judging through unbelief (of. v. 12). Maintain such a walk that they shall have no charge against you, except touching yonr faith ; and so their minds shall be favourably disposed towards Christianity. 16. as free—as " the Lord's I'reemeu," connected with v. 1.5, Doing well as being free. "Well-doing" (r. 15) is the natural fruit of being freemen of Christ, made free bj' " the truth " from the bondage of sin. Duty is enforced on us to guard against licentiousness, but the ivay in which it is to be fulfilled, is l>y love and the holy instincts of Christian liberty. A\'e ti.re ^\\en principles, not details, not using Greek, "not as having your liberty for a veil (cloak) of badness, but as the servants of God," and therefore bound to submitto every ordinance of man (v. 13) which is of God's appointment. 17. Honour all vacn—according to tchatever honour is due in each
Clirist's well-doing (v. 20) though suffering, did Greek aorist. "Never in a single instance did." [Alfoud.] Quoted from Isaiah 53. 9, end, LXX. neither—nor yet: not even. [Alford.] Sinlessness as to the mouth is a mark of pe7-/ec^/on. is a common fault of servants. "If anj' boast of his innocency, Christ surely did not sutler as an evil-doer" [Calvin], yet He took it patiently case. Equals have a respect due to them. Christ has dignified our humanity by assuming it; therefore we should not dishonour, but be considerate to and honour our common humanity, even in the very humblest. The first "honour" is in the Greek aorist imperative, implying, "In every case render promptly every man's due." [Ai.- FORD.] The second is in the present, implying. Habitually and continually honour the king. Thus the first is the general precept; the tliree following are its three great divisions. Love—pi'esent: Habitually love with the spe-
(i'. 20). On Christ's sinlessness, cf. 2 Corinthians 5. 21 ; Hebrews 7. 26. 33. Servants are apt to "answer again" (Titus 2. 9). Threats of Divine judgment against oppressors are often used by those who have no other arras, as for instance slaves. Christ, who as Lord could have threatened with trulh, neverdid so. committed 7i imsc?/ or His cause, as man in His suffering. Cf. the type, Jeremiah 11. 20. In this Peter seems to have before his mind Isaiah 53. 8. Cf. Romans 12. 19, on our corresponding duty. Leave your case in His hands, not desiring to make Him executioner of your revenge, but ratlier praying for cne» mies. God'srighteousjudgment gives tranquillity and consolation to the oppressed. 'Zi. his own self—there being no7ie other but Himself who could have done it. His volu7itary undertaking of the work of redemption is implied. The Greek puts in antithetical juxtaposition, our, and His OWN SELF, to mark the idea of His substitution for us. His " well-doing" in His sufferings is set forth here as an example to servants and to us all (v. 20). bare—to sacrifice cial and congenial affection that you ought to feel to brethren, besides the general love to all men. Pear God. . . the king—The king is to he honoured ; but God alone, in the higiiest sense, /eared. IS. ServantsGreefc, " household servants:" not here the Greek for "slaves." Probably includ)ng/;-ef(ft)iP)i still remaining in their master's house. Jl/as?e>\s were not commonly Christians : he therefore mentions only the duties of the servants. These were then often persecuted by their unbelieving masters. Peter's special object seems to be to teach them submission, whatever the character of the masters might be. Paul not having this as his prominent design, includes masters in his monitions, be subject.— Greek, being subject : the participle cxpress(is a particular instance of the general exhortation to good conduct, v. 11, 12, of which the first particular precept is given v. 13, "Submit your.selves to every ordinance of nian for the Lord's sake." The general exhortation is taken upagain inr. Ifi; and so the participle carried and offeyd tip: a sacrificial term. Isaiah 53. 11, 12, " He bare the sin of many :" where the idea of bearing on Himself Is the prominent one; here the offering in sacrifice is combined with that idea. So the same Greek means, cli. 2. 5. our sins—In offering or presenting in sacrijice (as the Greek for " bare " implies) His body, Christ offered in
It the guilt of our sins upon the cross, as upon the altar of God, that it might be expiated in Him, and so taken away from us. Cf. Isaiah .53. 10, "Thou shall make His soul an offering for sin." Peter thus means by " bare " what the Syriac takes two words to express, to bear and to offer: (1.) He hath boinie our sins laid upon Him [viz., their guilt, curse, and punishment]; (2.) Ho hath so borne them that He offered them along with Himself on the altar. He re-
V. 18, "being subject," is joined to the hortatory imperatives going before, ui2., " abstain," "submit yourselves." "honour all men." wltli Greek, "IN." all—all possible: under all circumstances, such as are presently detailed, fear—the awe of one subject: God, however, is the ultimate object of the " fear :" /ca?- "for the Lord's sake" (v. 13), not merely slavish fear of masters, good kind, gentle— indulgent towards errors: considerate: yielding, not exacting all which Justice might demand, frownrd—p('rver>e : harsh. Those bound to obey must not make the disposition and beliaviour of the superior the measure of the fulfilment of their obligations. 10. Reason for subjection even to froward masters, thankworthy—(Luke G. 3.5.) A course out of the common, and especially 7)r«(«eiyor//i)/ In the eyes of God: not as Home Interprets, earning merit, and so a work of supererogation fers to the animals upon which sins were first laid, and which were then offered thus laden. [Vitringa.] Sla or gnllt among the Semitic nations Is considered as a burden lying heavily upon the sinner. [Oeseniu.s.] on tlie tree—the cross, the proper place for One on whom the cu?-.?<? was laid: this curse stuck to Him until it was leg.ally (through His death as the guilt-bearer) destroyed 111 His body; thus the hand-writing of the bond against us
(of. V. 20). for conscience toward GoA— lit., " consclou.sness of God :" from a conscientious regard to God, more than to men. endnre— (?»'ee/c, palientl}/ bear np under: "as a superimposed burden." [Ai.Foiin.] grief— Greek, "griefs." no. wliat Greek, "whiit kind of." glory what peculiar merit. bnl Teted-the punishment of slaves, and suddenly Inlllcted [Benoel.] tlils Ig—Some oldest MSS. read, "for." Then the translation Is, "liut If when ... ye take it patiently (Itis aglory),/o»' this is," d-c. acceptable- (/rer A;, " thankworthy," as In d. 19. HI. Christ's example a proof that patient endurance under undeserved sufl'erings Is acceptable with God. hereunto— to the pa-
Is cancelled by His deat h, tlint we being dend to sina the effect of His death to "sin" In the aggregate, and to all particular "sins," viz., that we should be as entirely delivered from them, as a slave that Is dead Is delivered from service to his master. This is our splrltl'ul standing through faith by virtue of Christ's death: our actual mortification of particular sins Is In proportion to the degree of our effectually being matle conformable to His death. "That we should die to the sins whoso collected guilt Christ carried away In His death, and so i.ivK to Tint riohteousness (cf. Isaiah 53. 11, 'My righteous servant shall justify many'), the gracious relation to God which He has brought In." (Stkioer.] by wliose »trli»e« [Greek, stripe] ye were healed—A paradox, yet true. " Ye servants (cf. ' buffeted,' ' the tree,' v. '20, '21) often bear the rtent endurance of unmerited sulferlng (cli. 3. 9). ('hrlst Is example to servants, even as He was once In " the form
Cf a servant." called—with a heavenly calling, though Hlaves. for iig—His dying for tt.t Is the highest exemplification of " doing well " {v. 20). Ye must patiently sulfet, 606 strife; but It Is not more than your Lord Himself bore, learn from Him patience In wrongful sut Terlngs." M,