The Soil For Love
THE SOIL FOR LOVE
1 PETER 1:22–2:3
Our growth depends on spiritual food—the living word of God.
Great though faith is, it takes second place to love. Peter remembered that his passionate devotion to his Master brought him a stinging rebuke (Matthew 16:23) and did not keep him from denying him. Christian love is a fruit of the Spirit, borne by the “purified soul” (1:22). The NEB gets the sense “… you have purified your souls until you feel sincere affection.” The evil things mentioned in 2:1 are weeds which effectively smother the growth of love. Some of those who complain of lack of love may find the clue to their trouble here. It may seem strange, but love is not one of those quiet virtues that grows best when least observed; the more we actually love, the more we will be able to. Furthermore, it is a long-term virtue. Many think that life is so short that they dare not give themselves unrestrainedly in love. We have been reborn for eternity, and love is one of the few things we can carry with us.
“Pure spiritual milk” (1:2): it is doubtful whether Peter is making the distinction found in Hebrews 5:12-14; 1 Corinthians 3:1f., where milk represents the simpler and more fundamental facts of the gospel. Babies need food regularly to remain in good health and grow. Adults may be able to fast or eat a little for days at a time, but not babies. This is why regular habits of Bible study and prayer are important for new converts. “Pure” (2:2): unadulterated. For us adulteration means the addition of some harmful substance, but here any addition is implied. The uninterested, blinded outsider may need some attraction to induce them to listen. For babies, born by the work of the Holy Spirit, such things are unnecessary. We must not water down our teaching, or add the sugar of sentimentality. On the other hand we must not offer a dry dehydrated teaching that has no life.