ALiving Hope, aCall to Holy Living (1 Peter 1)
A Living Hope, a Call to Holy Living
(1 Peter 1)
Vs. 1 Πέτρος—This prescript after the pattern of Paul’s who set the pattern of Christian epistolography.
ἐκλεκτοῖς—comp. 1 Pet 5:13, i.e. members of the Church. Israel was ἐκλεκτόν γένος—Is 43:20—ποτίσαι τὸ γένος μου τὸ ἐκλεκτόν. See Ps 104:6—σπέρμα Ἀβραὰμ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ, υἱοὶ ᾿ Ιακὼβ ἐκλεκτοί αὐτοῦ. Hence the ἐκλεκτοί. Is 65:8, 15, 23. These terms transferred from the Israel after the flesh to the Israel after the Spirit. The ἐκλεκτοὶ therefore are the members of the Christian Church. One can draw an analogy with the term ἅγιοι for instance in Phil 1:1. There is a difference of usage in the Gospels when compared to the Epistles. In the Gospels we have ἐκλεκτοί and κλητοί but in the Epistles (e.g. in Paul) ἐκλεκτοί = κλητοί (see Col 3:12 and my commentary p. 286).
διασπορᾶς—belonging to the Dispersion, consisting of the Dispersion. The Dispersion is here concrete, the body dispersed. A similar transference is in ἐκλεκτοῖς. διασπορᾶ as the Jewish Dispersion—Judith 5:18; 2 Macc 1:27; Ps 146:2; Comp. John 7:35, those collected in the Holy City, their proper home. Transferred to the Christian Church. The dispersion scattered about the heathen world, not yet gathered into the Holy City, where is their New Jerusalem, their πολίτευμα. But the use in James 1:1 is different. There it is used of Jewish Christians and meant literally.
παρεπιδήμοις (cf. [Plat] Axioch p.365—see Steph. Thes. s.v)—See 1 Pet 2:11. The connection between παρεπιδήμοις to πάροικος occurs in Gen 23:4; Ps 37:17 in the LXX. Comp. Heb 11:13.
Πόντου etc. These are Political subdivisions, the Roman provinces. Not as in the Acts and St. Paul where only Asia is a political name. The whole of Asia Minor except the provinces of Cilicia and Pamphylia, the two similar seaboard provinces. The reason Asia is an exception is not obvious. Perhaps they were superintended by the same disciple of St. Paul, and any interference would be intrusive.
What about inferences as to the position of the writer? Rome = Babylon. Inferences from the order of the names are quite fallacious. There is no continuous order. It suits literal Babylon as little as Rome. There is also no notice of the evangelizing of these districts. Probably they were chiefly evangelized through the instrumentality of St. Paul’s delegates during his sojourn in Ephesus. The spread of Christianity in some of these districts, Pontus and Bithynia, was about forty years later. Probably the Christian Church flourished more here than anywhere else in the world.
Comp. Pliny Letter x.96-97—
It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which I am in doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I therefore do not know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to what extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should be any distinction on account of age or no difference between the very young and the more mature; whether pardon is to be granted for repentance, or, if a man has once been a Christian, it does him no good to have ceased to be one; whether the name itself, even without offenses, or only the offenses associated with the name are to be punished.
Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome.
Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the proceedings going on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was published containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ—none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do—these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.
They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food—but ordinary and innocent food. Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict by which, in accordance with your instructions, I had forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.
I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it. It is certainly quite clear that the temples, which had been almost deserted, have begun to be frequented, that the established religious rites, long neglected, are being resumed, and that from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for which until now very few purchasers could be found. Hence it is easy to imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for repentance is afforded.
Vs. 2—κατὰ πρόγνωσιν Θεοῦ Πατρός, ἐν ἁγιασμῷ Πνεύματος, εἰς ὑπακοὴν καὶ ῥαντισμὸν αἵματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· Connected with ἐκλεκτοῖς. Notice the three persons of the Trinity here—κατὰ—the source, origin; ἐν the continuance; εἰς—the goal, end.
ἐν ἁγιασμῷ Πνεύματος—Not ‘in sanctification of your spirit.’ The Spirit is the effective power, the parallelism of the other clauses requires this. And so also perhaps in 2 Thess 2:13, where the same phrase occurs and where roughly εἵλατο ὑμᾶς = κατὰ πρόγνωσιν here. And ἐν ἁγιασμῷ Πνεύματος καὶ πίστει ἀληθείας (the objective power plus the subjective reception) = ἐν ἁγιασμῷ Πνεύματος here. Also εἰς σωτηρίαν = εἰς ὑπακοὴν here.
ὑπακοήν—obedience, i.e. submission and acceptance through faith—Rom 1:5; 16:25. This is the condition and preliminary of ῥαντισμὸν αἵματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. The people’s part is the contract or covenant. Ex 24:7—‘be obedient’ (comp. LXX ἀκουσόμεθα).
ῥαντισμὸν αἵματος—All other sprinklings do not answer to the conditions. See Exodus 24:8—ἰδοὺ τὸ αἷμα τῆς διαθήκης, ἧς διέθετο Κύριος πρὸς ὑμᾶς περὶ πάντων τῶν λόγων τούτων. See Heb 9:19 which is the best comment on this present passage.
The old covenant, and the new. τὸ αἷμα τῆς διαθήκης. The institution of the Eucharist. Comp. Mt 26:28 with Mark 14:24—Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης τὸ ἐκχυννόμενον ὑπὲρ πολλῶν. The idea here is twofold: 1) the covenant, and admission to it. A promise on God’s part and the obligation on the people’s part; 2) the purification—see Heb 9:19.
χάρις (the source) and εἰρήνη (the end) of all blessings. Note the coincidence with Pauline language.
Vs. 3—Εὐλογητὸς—As in 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3. Rightly translated here and in Eph 1:3 wrongly in 2 Cor 1:3. On ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ see my notes on Ephesians 1:3.
ἀναγεννήσας ἡμᾶς—Potentially at the moment of his resurrection, actually, when the power of that resurrection was available for us, i.e. when we accepted the faith and were baptized into Him.
εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν—The transition from death to life is the main idea of the sentence.
δι’ ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν—as the assurance of our immorality and the consummation of God’s grace.
ἀναστάσεως not to be connected with ζῶσαν. ζῶσαν is absolute as in 1 Pet 1:23; 2:4, 5. ἄφθαρτον general, imperishable.
Vs. 4—ἀμίαντον καὶ ἀμάραντον—special. The former means without defilement, the latter means without fading. ἀμάραντον is a hapax in the N.T. Wisdom 6:12.
εἰς κληρονομίαν not like the κληρονομία of the Israel after the flesh.
Τετηρημένην—See Bengel.
Vs. 5—φρουρουμένους, not to prevent this doing harm, but to prevent their receiving harm. Comp. Gal 3:23. The form of the sentence in Galatians is followed here, though the meaning is different. ἐφρουρούμεθα συνκλειόμενοι εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι. This points to the true construction here in vs. 5. εἰς σωτηρίαν is not co-ordinated with εἰς ἐλπίδα of 1 Pet 1:3, but depends on φρουρουμένους (‘being guarded . . . unto salvation’). Preserved, not withstanding the time of persecution. Comp. Romans 8:18—οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς.
Vs. 6—ἐν ᾧ refers to the whole preceding sentence as in 1 Pet 4:4. For ἀγαλλιᾶσθε compare Rom 5:3—οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται. The alternative is to take ἐν ᾧ to refer to ἐν καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ and this in two ways: 1) at which i.e. at the prospect of which you rejoice. But this is no gain. The object. 2) in which, ‘when’—the time, but this requires a future sense to ἀγαλλιᾶσθε which in such a connection as this seems impossible (in spite of Hather and Alford).
ὀλίγον ἄρτι no objection to the construction of ἐν ᾧ that has been adopted here. The continuity of their rejoicing in their glorious destiny is not interrupted by the momentary pains of their suffering.
πειρασμοῖς (see Tischendorf), i.e. afflictions, persecutions, by which their steadfastness is tried. Taken from James 1:2, 3—ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις, γινώσκοντες ὅτι τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως κατεργάζεται ὑπομονήν.
Vs. 7—τὸ δοκίμιον, test or testing?: 1) testing in James 1:3; 2) instrument of testing e.g. crucible in the LXX. See Proverbs 27:21; Ps 12:7 (furnace of testing); 3) the thing tested an approved example, compare δοκίμα in 2 Cor 13:3. So here. See Prov 27:21—δοκίμιον ἀργύρῳ καὶ χρυσῷ . . . See also Steph. Thes. s.v. for its use in classical contexts. See Gesenius in Wahl, Classical s.v.
χρυσίς not χρυσές nor χρυσίτιδος.
εἰς ἔπαινον. See Rom 2:9, 29, especially Col 3:4—φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ, not ‘to the praise of God,’ God being the object, but rather they themselves are the object of praise, etc.
Vs. 8—ἰδόντες not εἰδότες as in B.M.T. and T.R. Perhaps a reminiscence of our Lord’s word—John 20:29.
ἄρτι—Now! You do not have to wait for this joy, this glory.
εἰς ὃν ἄρτι μὴ ὁρῶντες πιστεύοντες, ‘on whom, believing, though you see him not,’ εἰς ὃν to be connected with πιστεύοντες.
ἀνεκλαλήτῳ compare 2 Cor 9:15—ἀνεκδιηγήτῳ, indescribable.
δεδοξασμένῃ—in earnest of the future glorification.
Vs. 9—κομιζόμενοι already obtaining, for σωτηρία is a present thing, as well as a future one, an actual moral and spiritual change for ‘those being saved.’ σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν the salvation of your souls. Meant generally, though referring to their own souls. More especially the inclusion of the Gentiles amongst the saved.
τὸ τέλος—the end, object, aim, see Rom 6:21, 22.
Vs. 10 ἐξεζήτησαν καὶ ἐξηραύνησαν—Two strong verbs, the latter stronger than the former, denoting the persistency of the search.
Here a representation of the position of the prophets and the discipline of this inspection. Neither were they: 1) speaking wholly to their own time (the rationalist view), nor 2) looking wholly into the future (the irrationalist view). But rather the thought struggling for expression, with the future vaguely discerned. This exactly answers to the Messianic prophecies as we find them. They were speaking of the future through their present.
προφῆται. See St. Peter’s speech in the Acts—Acts 2:21, 23-36; 3:18-26; 4:11, 24.
οἱ περὶ τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς χάριτος προφητεύσαντες—the grace which was intended for you. χάρις—the characteristic description of the Gospel. The law was a contract, the Gospel is a boon. See Col 1:6 (my commentary p. 202).
Vs. 11 εἰς τίνα—the date, ἢ ποῖον the characteristics.
εἰς ὑμᾶς—you Gentiles, 1 Pet 1:4, 12, 14, 15, 17 etc. This extension is part of the character of the χάρις. The law was confined to a chosen race, the χάρις is offered free to all.
ἐδήλου τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ προμαρτυρόμενον τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν—see Ignatius, Philadel. 5:2—‘Yes, and we love the prophets also, because they too pointed to the Gospel in their preaching and set their hope on Him and awaited Him; in whom also having faith they were saved in the unity of Jesus Christ, being worthy of all love and admiration as holy men, approved of Jesus Christ and numbered together in the Gospel of our common hope.’ See Barnab. 5.6—‘Understand. The prophets, receiving grace from Him, prophesied concerning Him.’
Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ—Comp. Acts 16:7; Rom 8:9. It is the Spirit that comes from Christ and speaks of Christ. The former however is the main idea of the expression, the latter being inferential. Χριστοῦ is the subject not the object of the phrase.
τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα—The sufferings that should befall Christ, which were destined for the Christ, which corresponds with τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς χάριτος. There is no reference here to our sufferings for or with Christ.
τὰς μετὰ ταῦτα δόξας—compare Luke 24:25, 26.
Vs. 12—ἀπεκαλύφθη is not the cause of the εξἐραυνῶντες but contemporaneous with it. Thus much was revealed to them. The rest they felt and searched after.
ὑμῖν—That comparing them with the fulfillment must be assumed—See Ignatius, Magnes. s.v.
διηκόνουν αὐτά—these truths? The initiative of the commentators? (Alford), ‘those things which.’ This is impossible, we have here αὐτά not εκεῖνα so it must refer to the preceding words. Similar mistake in Phil 4:3.
νῦν is the present dispensation, hence an aorist. εὐαγγελισαμένων ὑμᾶς—an accusative either of the thing preceded, or of the person to whom preceded, e.g. Acts 8:12, 25, 35, 40. Hence τινι τι—Acts 8:35, τινα τι—Acts 13:32.
ἀποσταλέντι—referring especially to the day of Pentecost. Notice not ἀπέσταλμενω.
Παρακύπζειν—the literal meaning see Luke 24:12; John 20:5, 11; the metaphorical meaning James 1:25.
ἄγγελοι—Outside the scheme of redemption, but a subject of contemplation for them cf. Eph 3:10.
Vs. 13—Διὸ ‘therefore’ having these hopes, having these blessings in store.
ἀναζωσάμενοι—as in Polycarp, Phil. 2 cf. Eph 6:14 expediti, cf. Luke 12:35.
ἀναζ—the initial act.
ἀνα—plus the aorist.
Περιεζ—the resultant state
Περί—plus the perfect.
τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν—a strong metaphor, Hebraic, e.g. the color of your lips.
νήφοντες—comp. 1 Pet 4:7; 5:8. Wakeful and sober, for he will summon you away unexpectedly in the night. Luke 12:37—γρηγοροῦντας. The world is stuck in a drowsy revel. Cf. 1 Thess 5:6.
τελείως with νήφοντες cf. 1 Cor 15:34—ἐκνήψατε δικαίως.
τὴν φερομένην—The present describes the certainty, if not the imminence of the event. So ἔρχεται.
ἐν ἀποκαλύψει—When Jesus shall reveal himself, interpreted by 1 Pet 1:7, cf. 2 Thess 1:7. Illustrated by Luke 12:37. Thus in the Apocalypse of St. John, a presentation of the last things.
Vs. 14—τέκνα ὑπακοῆς comp. 2 Pet 2:14. comp. Eph 5:6—τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας, comp. Eph 2:3—τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς. Eph 5:6—ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας.
Συσχηματιζόμενοι See Rom 12:2.
On σχημα—fleeting, changing fashion. See Lightfoot, Philippians, p. 125sq.
ἐν τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ—‘in the ignorance of the heathen.’ Comp. Acts 17:30; Eph 4:18.
Vs. 15—κατά ‘after the pattern of’
Vs. 16—γέγραπται. Lev 11:44; 19:2; 20:7, 26. They are rescued from the spiritual Egypt and brought into relationship with Yahweh, like Israel of old. Comp. Clement of Rome 30.1—‘Seeing then that we are the special portion of a Holy God, let us do all things that pertain unto holiness, forsaking evil speakings, abominable and impure embraces, drunkennesses and tumults and hateful lusts, abominable adultery, hateful pride’ (comp. 1 Pet 2:1).
Vs. 17—Πατέρα ἐπικαλεῖσθε—corresponding to τέκνα ὑπακοῆς. This should not be translated ‘if you invoke as Father’ (e.g. in the Lord’s Prayer), but rather ‘if you bear the name of, as your Father,’ or ‘if you surnamed yourself after, as your Father.’ Comp. Eph 3:14-15—πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται (where the T.R. interferes with the sense). See 1 Clement 58.1—‘Let us therefore be obedient unto His most holy and glorious Name, thereby escaping the threatenings which were spoken of old.’ See James 2:7—τὸ καλὸν ὄνομα τὸ ἐπικληθὲν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς. ‘If you bear the name of God as your patronymic.’
For Πατήρ in connection with the new birth—see 1 Pet 1:3, 23. If your Father is also your Judge, it follows that a reverential awe must rule your conduct.
١٠٧παροικίας—See my note on Clement of Rome I (p. 31sq.).
Vs. 18—And this feeling will be deepened and extended by a sense of the enormous price which has been paid for you. The same notion implied in a similar way in 1 Cor 6:20; 7:23—τιμῆς ἠγοράσθητε.
ἀργυρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ
ἐλυτρώθητε—the ransom, atonement.
A double idea: 1) the teleological—a work done for us, the guilt offering is made; 2) the moral and spiritual—the work done in us, an internal change. There is a tendency in modern theology to separate the two and to lay all the stress on the former. Not so the Apostle. e.g here the moral change is emphasized. We are ransomed from a life of wickedness. The ransom has no value for us, or advantage, unless the one goes with the other. So e.g. Gal 6:14.
ματαίας—Careless, reckless, purposelessness, the sport [?] of circumstances.
Πατροπαραδότου—parents to Gentiles.
Vs. 19—ὡς ἀμνοῦ ἀμώμου καὶ ἀσπίλου Χριστοῦ. The Paschal lamb—Ex 12:5 connected with the prophecy Is 53:7, comp. 1 Pet 2:22.
ἀσπίλος (so in the Anthology but perhaps both).
Vs. 20—ἐπ’ ἐσχάτου τῶν χρόνων—The whole of the new dispensation gathered up, as it were.
φανερωθέντος—implying pre-existence.
δι’ ὑμᾶς—chiefly Gentiles.
Vs. 21—πιστοὺς εἰς Θεὸν—This was not true of the Jews, who knew God before. But the Gentiles were brought to the knowledge of God through Christ. This is a matter of history.
On πιστός whether active or passive, see Lightfoot, Galatians, p. 154sq. Here the active sense predominates as in John 20:27.
On πίστις εἰς—Acts 20:21; 24:24; 26:18. See e.g. Col 2:5
πιστεύειν εἰς frequently. So here πιστός εἰς, comp. below ὥστε τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν.
τὸν ἐγείραντα—This is the central object of this faith, belief in the resurrection. Rom 10:9.
ὥστε—so your faith and hope might be towards God, not as the heathens. Your faith might also be a hope etc.
Vs. 22—ἐν τῇ ὑπακοῇ τῆς ἀληθείας. This is an objective genitive, obedience to the truth. See 2 Cor 10:5—εἰς τὴν ὑπακοὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. But in the case of εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως Rom 1:5; 16:26, the sense is subjective.
εἰς φιλαδελφίαν—love of the brethren as rightly here, the brotherhood into which we are born. Not ‘brotherly kindness’ as in the A.V. 2 Pet 1:7. The new spiritual fatherhood, under a new spiritual brotherhood. To 2 Pet 1:7 comp. Rom 12:10.
Vs. 23—ἀναγεγεννημένοι—being born again.
ἐκ σπορᾶς—comp. John 1:13.
διὰ λόγου ζῶντος Θεοῦ καὶ μένοντος.
Vss. 24-25—Is 40:6 sqq.—φωνὴ λέγοντος· βόησον· καὶ εἶπα· τί βοήσω; πᾶσα σάρξ χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπου ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου· ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ἐξέπεσε, τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. ἐπ᾿ ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἀνάβηθι, ὁ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Σιών·
Here we have διότι πᾶσα σὰρξ ὡς χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα αὐτῆς ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου· ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ἐξέπεσεν· τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα Κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν τὸ ῥῆμα τὸ εὐαγγελισθὲν εἰς ὑμᾶς.
Differences—the use of ὡς; substitute αὐτῆς for ἀνθρώπου thus returning to the Hebrew.
ἐξέπεσεν—after the same words in both.
Κυρίου substituted for Θεοῦ ἡμῶν (LXX and Hebrew).
The εὐαγγέλιον of Isaiah.
Vs. 25—ῥῆμα—the accomplished result.
λόγος—the active principle. The ῥῆμα is the outcome of the λόγος.