What does
it mean to be “Holy as I Am Holy”?
1 Peter
2:1-25 (NKJV)
1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy,
envy, and all evil speaking,
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that
you may grow thereby,
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is
gracious.
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed
by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual
house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold,
I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who
believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but
to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,"
8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of
offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they
also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the
praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the
people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that
when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works
which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for
the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may
put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as
bondservants of God.
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.
Honor the king.
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with
all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience
toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for
your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you
take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found
in His mouth";
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when
He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who
judges righteously;
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes
you were healed.
25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned
to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Verse 11 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy,
envy, and all evil speaking,
Therefore, laying aside—This is in close
connection with the preceding chapter, from which it should not have been
separated, and the subject is continued to the end of the 10th verse.
The present chapter divisions in our Bibles were invented in 1205
by Stephen Langton, a professor in Paris (he later became Archbishop of
Canterbury), who put these into a Vulgate edition of the Bible. These chapter
divisions were first used by the Jews in 1330 for the Hebrew Old Testament in a
manuscript and for a printed edition in 1516. This system of chapter divisions
likewise came into the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in the 1400's.
It was Robert Stephanus, a Parisian book printer, whose
versification of the Bible has prevailed to the present. He took over the verse
divisions already indicated in the Hebrew Bible and assigned numbers to them within
the chapter divisions already assigned by Stephan Langton.
Laying
aside all malice. These tempers and dispositions must have been common among
the Jews, as they are frequently spoken against: Christianity can never admit
of such; they show the mind, not of Christ, but of the old murderer. ACC
“Therefore” goes back to 1:3-12 as well as
1:22-25. To prepare for an exposition of the Christian’s calling, Peter urged
his readers to take off all kinds of evil conduct like so many soiled garments.
The sins he mentioned are all incompatible with brotherly love (cf. 1:22).
Malice (wickedness) and guile (deceit) are attitudes. The remaining three words
describe specific actions. These are not “the grosser vices of paganism, but
community-destroying vices that are often tolerated by the modern church.” CN
Verse 2-3 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that
you may grow thereby,3 if indeed you have
tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Desire does not mean merely to want something, but rather to long for
something with all of one’s being. that you
may grow: The purpose of studying God’s truth is not only to learn more,
but to become mature in the
crave. The unrestrained hunger
of a healthy baby provides an example of the kind of eager desire for spiritual
food that ought to mark the believer. spiritual milk Milk is not to be understood
here as in — in unfavorable contrast to solid food — but as an
appropriate nourishment for babies. grow up. The Greek for this phrase is the standard term
for the term for the desirable growth of children . NIVSN
As
new-born babes—In the preceding chapter, 1 Peter 1:23, the apostle states that
they had been born again; and as the new-born infant desires that aliment which
nature has provided for it, so they, being born again—born from above, should
as earnestly require that heavenly nourishment which is suited to their new
nature; and this the apostle calls the sincere milk of the word, or as some
translate, the rational unadulterated milk; i.e. the pure doctrines of the
Gospel, as delivered in the epistles and gospels, and as preached by the
apostles and their successors. ACC
Verse
4 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed
by men, but chosen by God and precious,
To whom coming, as unto a living stone—This is a reference to Isaiah 28:16: Behold,
I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone,
a sure foundation. Jesus Christ is, in both the prophet and apostle, represented
as the foundation on which the Christian Church is built, and on which it must
continue to rest: and the stone or foundation is called here living, to
intimate that he is the source of life to all his followers, and that it is in
union with him that they live, and answer the end of their regeneration; as the
stones of a building are of no use but as they occupy their proper places in a
building, and rest on the foundation.
Disallowed
indeed of men—That is, rejected by the Jews. This is a plain
reference to the prophecy, Psalm 118:22: The
stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. ACC
"living
stone"; living, as having life in Himself from the beginning, and
as raised from the dead to live evermore (Rev. 1:18) after His rejection by
men, and so the source of life to us. Like no earthly rock, He lives and
gives life. JFB
Here Peter began to give the basis on which the
four preceding exhortations rest. These exhortations were: be holy (1:13-16),
be fearing (1:17-21), be loving (1:22-25), and be consuming the Word (2:1-3).
They grow out of our relationship to God who has begotten us. The apostle referred to Psalm
118:22 that both Jesus and he had previously quoted to the Sanhedrin (Matt.
21:42; Acts 4:11). CN
Verse
5 5 you also, as living
stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Peter saw the church as a living temple to which
God was adding with the conversion of each new believer. Each Christian is one
of the essential stones that enables the whole structure to fulfill its purpose.
Later Peter would say his readers were also priests (v. 9), but here the
emphasis is on their being a building for priestly service, namely, a temple. “This
‘spiritual house’ includes believers in the five Roman provinces of 1:1 and
shows clearly how Peter understood the metaphor of Christ in Matt. 16:18, And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this
rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against
it. to be not a local church, but the church general (the kingdom of
Christ). CN
2:5
Christians are part of God’s great spiritual building project. Stones here
refers to stones that are shaped and ready for use in construction, as opposed
to natural rock. a holy priesthood: Unlike the Old Testament priesthood, in
which only those who were born into a certain tribe could be priests, all who
are reborn into God’s family, that is, all believers, are priests who have the
privilege and responsibility of offering spiritual sacrifices to God. NSB
Verse 6 6 Therefore it is
also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief
cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no
means be put to shame."
Behold, I lay in Zion—This intimates that the foundation of the Christian
A chief
corner stone—This is the same as the foundation stone; and it is called here
the chief corner stone because it is laid in the foundation, at an angle of the
building where its two sides form the ground work of a side and end wall. And
this might probably be designed to show that, in Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles
were to be united; and this is probably the reason why it was called a stone of
stumbling, and rock of offense; for nothing stumbled, nothing offended the Jews
so much as the calling of the Gentiles into the Church of God, and admitting
them to the same privileges which had been before peculiar to the Jews.
ACC
2:6 precious cornerstone. This is an obvious
reference to Christ, as vv. 6b-8 make clear. The cornerstone, which determined
the design and orientation of the building, was the most significant stone in
the structure. The picture that Peter creates is of a structure made up of
believers (living stones, v. 5 ), the design and orientation of which are all
in keeping with Christ, the cornerstone. the one who trusts in him. Two
attitudes toward the cornerstone are evident: (1) Some trust in him; (2) others
reject him ( v. 7 ) and, as a result, stumble and fall the one who trusts in
him. Two attitudes toward the cornerstone are evident: (1) Some trust in him;
(2) others reject him ( v. 7 ) and, as a result, stumble and fall ( v. 8 ). NIVSN
Verse
77 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but
to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,"
Verse
8 8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of
offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they
also were appointed.
In contrast to believers, those who reject Jesus
Christ as the foundation find Him to be a stone over which they trip and fall.
He becomes the instrument of their destruction. The “builders” were Israel’s
religious leaders (cf. Ps. 118:22). When they disobeyed Old Testament commands
to accept their Messiah, they stumbled spiritually and would suffer destruction
(Isa. 8:14). This was true of Israel corporately, and it is true of every unbeliever
individually.
Election
results in the salvation of some (1:2), but it also means destruction for
others .
To what
does God appoint those who stumbled, unbelief or the stumbling that results
from unbelief? God appoints those who stumble to stumble because they do not
believe. Their disobedience is not what God has ordained, but the penalty of their
disobedience is
The
doctrine of “double predestination” is that God foreordains some people to
damnation just as He foreordains some to salvation. This has seemed to some
Bible students to be the logical conclusion we should draw because of what
Scripture says about the election of believers. CN
Application
of the Scripture just quoted first to the believer, then to the unbeliever. On
the opposite effects of the same Gospel on different class.
Those who rejected the
stone were all the while in spite of themselves unconsciously contributing to
its becoming Head of the corner. The same magnet has two poles, the one
repulsive, the other attractive; so the Gospel has opposite effects on
believers and unbelievers respectively. JFB
A stone of stumbling—Because in him all Jews
and Gentiles who believe are united; and because the latter were admitted into
the Church, and called by the Gospel to enjoy the same privileges which the
Jews, as the peculiar people of God, had enjoyed for two thousand years before;
therefore they rejected the Christian religion, they would have no partakers
with themselves in the salvation of God. This was the true cause why the Jews
rejected the Gospel; and they rejected Christ because he did not come as a
secular prince. In the one case he was a stone of stumbling—he was poor, and
affected no worldly pomp; in the other he was a rock of offense, for his Gospel
called the Gentiles to be a peculiar people whom the Jews believed to be
everlastingly reprobated, and utterly incapable of any spiritual good.ACC
The “corner stone” refers to the main stone on
which the building rests. It does not refer to a modern corner stone or to the
last stone the mason put at the top of the building, the keystone. In view of
this, it seems that the rock (Gr. petra, a large stone) to which Jesus referred in
Matthew 16:18 was not Peter (Gr. Petros, a small stone) but Himself. Jesus, not
Peter, much less Judaism, is the foundation upon which God has promised to build
the church.
Isaiah
promised that those who believe on the Stone will never (Gr. ou me,
the strongest negative) be disappointed. Peter clarified two relationships of the believer
in these verses (4-6). He rests on Christ as a building rests on its
foundation. Furthermore he relates to every other believer as the stones of a
building under construction relate to one another. We need each other, should
support each other, and should work together to build the church in the world. CN
Verse 9 9 But you are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into
His marvelous light;
1 Peter 2:9 Ye are a chosen
generation—The titles formerly given to the whole Jewish Church, i.e. to all
the Israelites without exception, all who were in the covenant of God by
circumcision, whether they were holy persons or not, are here given to
Christians in general in the same way; i.e. to all who believed in Christ,
whether Jews or Gentiles, and who received baptism in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
The
Israelites were a chosen or elected race, to be a special people unto the Lord
their God, above all people that were upon the face of the earth, Deuteronomy 7:6.
They
were also a royal priesthood, or what Moses calls a kingdom of priests, Exodus 19:6. For all were called to
sacrifice to God; and he is represented to be the King of that people, and
Father of those of whom he was king; therefore they were all royal.
They
were a holy nation, Exodus 19:6; for they were separated
from all the people of the earth, that they might worship the one only true
God, and abstain from the abominations that were in the heathen world.
They
were also a peculiar people, , a purchased people; , a private property, belonging to God Almighty, Deuteronomy 7:6; none other having any
right in them, and they being under obligation to God alone. ACC
2:9 But you: This verse provides a direct contrast to the previous
verse, a contrast between those who believe in Jesus Christ and those who do
not. a chosen generation: God has not left to chance those who will be part of
a unique body of people, a group who will serve Him. He has reserved that
decision for Himself. a royal priesthood: Believers are transformed not only
internally (see v. 5, which describes us as being made into “a holy
priesthood”) but also externally. We are a priesthood that functions in a
ruling capacity, as kings. a holy nation: Believers are a unified group of
people who are set apart for God’s use. His own special people: God protects
those whom He has adopted into His family. NSB
2:9 All the figures of the church that Peter chose
here originally referred to Israel. However with Israel’s rejection of Jesus
Christ (v. 7) God created a new body of people through whom He now seeks to
accomplish the same purposes He sought to achieve through Israel but by
different means. This verse, which at first might seem to equate the church and
Israel, on careful examination shows as many differences between these groups
as similarities.
“But this does not mean that the church is Israel
or even that the church replaces Israel in the plan of God. Romans 11 should
help us guard against that misinterpretation. . . . The functions that Israel
was called into existence to perform in its day of grace the church now
performs in a similar way. In the future, according to Paul, God will once again
use Israel to bless the world.
Israel was
a physical race of people, the literal descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. The church is a spiritual race, the members of which share the common
characteristic of faith in Christ and are both Jews and Gentiles racially.
Christians are the spiritual descendants of Abraham. We are not Abraham’s
literal descendants, unless we are ethnic Jews, but are his children in the
sense that we believe God’s promises as he did.
Consequently they share with the Jews the
precarious status of ‘aliens and strangers’ in the Roman world.”
The church
is what it is so that it can do what God has called it to do. Essentially the
church’s purpose is the same as Israel’s. The Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20;
et al.) clarifies the methods God wants us to use. These methods differ from
those He specified for Israel, but the church’s vocation is really the same as
Israel’s. It is to be the instrument through which the light of God reaches
individuals who still sit in spiritual darkness. It is a fallacy, however, to
say that the church is simply the continuation or replacement of Israel in the
New Testament, as most covenant theologians do.[82] Most theologians agree that
the most basic difference between dispensational theology and covenant theology
is that dispensationalists believe that the church is distinct from Israel
whereas covenant theologians believe that the church is the continuation and
replacement of Israel, the so-called “new Israel.”CN
Verse 10 10 who once were
not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy
but now have obtained mercy.
Verse 10. Adapted from Hos 1:9, 10; Hos 2:23. Peter plainly confirms
Paul, who quotes the passage as implying the 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—literally, "who were men not compassionated." Implying that it
was God's pure 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. JFB
Christians, generally speaking, do not understand or appreciate
God’s purpose for the church that Peter presented so clearly here. Consequently
many Christians lack purpose in their lives. Evidence of this includes
self-centered living, unwillingness to sacrifice, worldly goals, and
preoccupation with material things. Before Christians will respond to
exhortations to live holy lives they need to understand the reasons it is
important to live holy lives. This purpose is something many preachers and
teachers assume, but we need to affirm and assert it much more in our day.
“Peter concludes the first
major section of his epistle (1:3—2:10) by drawing the lines for a
confrontation. Two groups are differentiated—’unbelievers’ and ‘you who
believe’—on the basis of their contrasting responses to Jesus Christ, the
‘choice and precious Stone’ (v 6). The former are on their way to ‘stumbling’
and shame, the latter to ‘honor’ and vindication. The theological contrast
between these two groups, with its consequent social tensions, will absorb
Peter’s interest through the remainder of his epistle.” CN
1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past were
not a people—This is a quotation from Hosea 1:9, 10; 2:23, where the calling of
the Gentiles, by the preaching of the Gospel, is foretold. From this it is
evident, that the people to whom the apostle now addresses himself had been
Gentiles, covered with ignorance and superstition, and now had obtained mercy
by the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. ACC
Verse 11 11 Beloved, I beg you
as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the
soul,
1 Peter 2:11 As strangers and
pilgrims—These were strangers and pilgrims in the most literal sense of the
word, see 1 Peter 1:1, for they were strangers
scattered through Asia, Pontus, etc.
Abstain
from fleshly lusts—As ye are strangers and pilgrims, and profess to seek a
heavenly country, do not entangle your affections with earthly things. While
others spend all their time, and employ all their skill, in acquiring earthly
property, and totally neglect the salvation of their souls; they are not
strangers, they are here at home; they are not pilgrims, they are seeking an
earthly possession: Heaven is your home, seek that; God is your portion, seek
him. All kinds of earthly desires, whether those of the flesh or of the eye, or
those included in the pride of life, are here comprised in the words fleshly
lusts.
Which
war against the soul—Which are marshalled and drawn up in battle array, to
fight against the soul; either to slay it, or to bring it into captivity. This
is the object and operation of every earthly and sensual desire. How little do
those who indulge them think of the ruin which they produce! ACC
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 the world and the flesh of which the Nazarite vow was
the type. JFB
2:11 aliens and strangers. . As aliens and strangers on earth, whose citizenship is in
heaven, they are to be separated from the corruption of the world, not yielding
to its destructive sinful desires.
2:11“Beloved, I [or we] urge you” frequently marks
off a new section of an epistle, as it does here “I urge you” typically
introduces exhortations. Again Peter reminded his audience of their identity so
they would respond naturally and appropriately. Aliens have no rights in the
land where they live. Strangers are only temporary residents. Peter reminded
his readers that, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through.” “Peter’s purpose is not to define his readers’ actual legal or
social status in the Roman Empire . . . but simply to further his standing
analogy between them and the Jewish people. In view of our status we should refuse the appeal
of our desire to indulge in things that are contrary to God’s will for us.
“Fleshly lusts” are selfish natural appetites that appeal to our sinful nature
(cf. 1 John 2:16).
2:11 sojourners and
pilgrims: With these words, Peter reminds believers (1:1) that this earth is
not our home. We are foreigners here, traveling to our eternal home, heaven.
The word translated abstain literally means “to hold away from one’s person.”
In other words, we must distance ourselves from our own self-indulgent urges.
war: Life is not a game but a war to be waged, and that war is a matter of
eternal life or death (see Rom. 7:23; James 4:1). Yet the war is not
necessarily fought on a physical, temporal plane, but on a spiritual one. NSB
Verse 12 12 having your conduct
honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers,
they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day
of visitation.
2:12
see your good deeds. Deeds that can be seen to be good . The Greek word
translated “see” refers to a careful watching, over a period of time. The
pagans’ evaluation is not a snap judgment. the day he visits us. Perhaps the
day of judgment and ensuing punishment, or possibly the day when God visits a
person with salvation. The believer’s good life may then influence the
unbeliever to repent and believe. NIVSN
1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation
honest—Living
in such a manner among the Gentiles, in whose country ye sojourn, as becomes
the Gospel which ye profess.
That
whereas they speak against you as evil doers—In all the heathen
In the
day of visitation—I believe this refers to the time when God should come to
execute judgment on the disobedient Jews, in the destruction of their civil
polity, and the subversion of their temple and city. God did at that time put a
remarkable difference between the Jews and the Christians: all the former were
either destroyed or carried into slavery; not one of the latter: nor did they
deserve it; for not one of them had joined in the sedition against the Roman
government. ACC
2:12Peace in the inner man is necessary for
excellent behavior before others. Part of the suffering Peter’s original
readers were experiencing was due evidently to slander from unbelieving Gentile
pagans. They appear to have been accusing them unjustly of doing evil. This has
led some commentators to conclude that Peter wrote this epistle after A.D. 64
when Nero began an official persecution of Christians allegedly for burning
Rome. I think this conclusion is reasonable. Peter urged his readers to give their critics no
cause for justifiable slander. If they obeyed, their accusers would have to
glorify God by giving a good testimony concerning the lives of the believers
when they stood before God. The “day of visitation” is probably a reference to
the day God will visit unbelievers and judge them (i.e., the great white throne
judgment). This seems more likely than that it is the day when God will visit
Christians (i.e., the Rapture). The writers of Scripture do not refer to
Christians’ departure from this world as an occasion when unbelievers will
glorify God. However when unbelievers bow before God they will glorify Him
(e.g., Phil. 2:10-11). For the original readers this would have applied to the
destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 CN
Verse 13 13 Therefore submit
yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king
as supreme,
2:13-14The Christian’s relationship to the state
and to state officials is quite clear. We are to submit to the authority of
government rulers by obeying them. We should do this not because these
individuals are personally worthy of our submission necessarily, but because by
submitting to them we honor God by obeying His Word. Peter reminded his readers that government has
a valid and necessary God-appointed purpose. The presence of political
corruption should not blind us to the legitimate role of government that God
has ordained.
Peter
believed that there was a proper place for civil disobedience, however (cf.
Acts 4:19-20). It is when the laws of human government make it illegal to obey
God. In such a case we should obey God rather than man. However we should also
realize that in disobeying the law we will probably have to bear the
consequences of disobeying. The consequences may involve a fine, imprisonment,
or even death. CN
2:13 Peter forcefully
commands Christians to submit voluntarily to governing authorities. He does not
make submission a matter of personal conviction or choice. He decrees that it
is an obligation for all Christians. to every ordinance of man: This phrase
suggests that the submission of Christians is not to be exercised solely in
relation to civil authorities (v. 14), but to all kinds of rules that
Christians encounter (2:18; 3:1). NSB
1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves to
every ordinance of man—In every settled state, and under every form of
political government, where the laws are not in opposition to the laws of God,
it may be very soundly and rationally said: "Genuine Christians have
nothing to do with the laws but to obey them." Society and civil security
are in a most dangerous state when the people take it into their heads that
they have a right to remodel and change the laws. See the whole of this subject
fully handled in the notes on Romans 13:1, etc., to which I beg
every reader, who may wish to know the political sentiments of this work, to
have recourse.
The
meaning of St. Peter appears to be this: the Jews thought it unlawful to obey
any ruler that was not of their own stock; the apostle tells them they should
obey the civil magistrate, let him be of what stock he may, whether a Jew or a
Gentile, and let him exercise the government in whatsoever form. This is the
general proposition: and then he instances emperors and their deputies; and,
far from its being unlawful for them to obey a heathen magistrate, they were to
do it for the Lord's sake, on account of the Lord, whose will it was, and who
commanded it. ACC
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 the king command one thing, and the subordinate magistrate another,
we ought rather to obey the superior". 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
had, 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.
JFB
2:13
every authority instituted among men. Such authority depends on God for its
existence Indirectly, when people disobey a human ruler they disobey God, who
ordained the system of human government. king. When Peter wrote, the emperor
was the godless, brutal Nero, who ruled from a.d. 54 to 68 Of course, obedience
to the emperor must never be in violation of the law of God.
Verse 14 14 or to governors, as
to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the
praise of those who do good.
2:14 governors: This term
was used by the Greeks for all people, apart from the supreme ruler of a nation,
who exercise authority on behalf of the
Verse 14. governors—subordinate
to the emperor, "sent," or delegated by Cæsar to preside over the
provinces.
Although 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 the whole state. The only
justifiable exception is in cases where obedience to the earthly king plainly
involves disobedience to the express command of the King of kings.
praise of them that do
well—Every government recognizes the excellence of truly Christian subjects.
Thus Pliny, in his letter to the Emperor Trajan, acknowledges, "I have
found in them nothing else save a perverse and extravagant superstition."
The recognition in the long run mitigates persecution.
Verse 15 15 For this is the
will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish
men--
2:15 In the context Peter meant that by obeying
the law we can obviate unnecessary and illegitimate criticism. Jesus did this
by faithfully paying his taxes (Matt. 17:24-27; 22:21). Note that Jesus also
told His disciples to pay their taxes even though Rome used their tax money for
purposes contrary to God’s will. Paul taught that Christians should pay their
taxes, too (Rom. 13:6-7). Peter had learned that physical retaliation was not
best since he had tried to defend Jesus by attacking the high priest’s servant
in the Garden of
2:15 the will of God: The
authority backing Peter’s command for civil obedience is the God of the
universe, the Sovereign Ruler over all citizens and governments and over all
Christians and non-Christians. put to silence: Our actions should make our
accusers speechless, like a muzzle placed over their mouths.
For so
is the will of God—God, as their supreme governor, shows them that it is his
will that they should act uprightly and obediently at all times, and thus
confound the ignorance of foolish men, who were ready enough to assert that
their religion made them bad subjects. The word φιμουν, which we translate put
to silence, signifies to muzzle, i.e., stop their mouths, leave them nothing to
say; let them assert, but ever be unable to bring proof to support it. ACC
2:15
silence the ignorant talk. Good citizenship counters false charges made against
Christians and thus commends the gospel to unbelievers (cf. Tit 2:7-8 ). NIVSN
Verse 16 16 as free, yet not
using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
2:16
Live as free men. Does not authorize rebellion against constituted authority,
but urges believers freely to submit to God and to earthly authorities (as long
as such submission does not conflict with the law of God). as a cover-up for
evil. Genuine freedom is the freedom to serve God, a freedom exercised under
law. Liberty is not license to do as we please. NIVSN
1 Peter 2:16 As free—The Jews
pretended that they were a free people, and owed allegiance to God alone; hence
they were continually rebelling against the Roman government, to which God had
subjected them because of their rebellion against him: thus they used their
liberty for a cloak of maliciousness—for a pretext of rebellion, and by it endeavored
to vindicate their seditious and rebellious conduct.
But as
the servants of God—These were free from sin and Satan, but they were the
servants of God—bound to obey him; and, as he had made it their duty to obey
the civil magistrate, they served God by submitting to every ordinance of man
for the Lord's sake. ACC
2:16 not using liberty:
Freedom in Christ must be used wisely. A cloak for vice may be understood
either as an excuse made up before the fact (a reason for wrongdoing), or after
the fact (a cover-up for wrongdoing). The context here seems to support the
second. as bondservants of God: We should submit all our actions to God, for He
is our Master.
Verse 1717 Honor all people.
Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
2:17 These four injunctions summarize our social
obligations. The first two and the last two are pairs. We should respect
everyone, but we should love fellow believers. God deserves fear whereas the
emperor is worthy of respect. These two pairs connect with Jesus’ teachings
that we should love our enemies (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35) and render to
Caesar what is his and to God what is His.
All people
are worthy of honor if for no other reason than because they reflect the image
of God. Our primary responsibility to other Christians is to show them love
(cf. 1:22; John 13:35). Our primary responsibility to God is to show Him fear
(reverence, cf. 1:17). Peter added a final word about the king. He probably did
so because his readers found it especially difficult to honor the Roman emperor,
who was evidently Nero when Peter wrote this epistle.
“Peter called believers to a different spirit, a
spirit of deference—even while experiencing undeserved persecution. The word
‘deference’ conveys the idea of thoughtful consideration of another
individual’s desires or feelings or the courteous, respectful, or ingratiating
regard for another’s wishes. . . .
Similarly
we may not be able to respect certain government officials because of their
personal behavior or beliefs. Still we can and should honor them because they
occupy an office that places them in a position of authority over us. We honor them
because they occupy the office; we do not just honor the office. Peter
commanded us to honor the king and all who are in authority over us, not just
the offices they occupy. We may not respect someone, but we can and should
honor them by treating them with respect. Respecting people and treating them
with respect are two different things. Feeling respect for someone is different
than showing respect for someone. Honoring others is our responsibility;
earning our respect is theirs. This is especially difficult when those in
authority are persecuting us. CN
1 Peter 2:17 Honour all men—That is, Give honor to whom honor is due, Romans 13:7. Respect every man as a
fellow creature, and as one who may be a fellow heir with you of eternal life;
and therefore be ready to give him every kind of succor in your power.
Love
the brotherhood—All true Christians, who form one great family of which God is
the head.
ACC
2:17
proper respect to everyone. Because every human being bears the image of God.
fear God . NSB
2:17 Fear God: Our
reverence for God should be the basis of our relationships with others. All
people are created in His image, and He is the One who has placed some people
in authority over us. Therefore we should treat everyone with love and respect.
Verse 18 18 Servants, be
submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and
gentle, but also to the harsh.
2:18 In Peter’s culture the servant was the person
who faced the most difficulty in relating to the person over him or her in
authority. Masters traditionally enjoyed great power over their slaves. The
Greek word translated “servants” (oikelai) means domestic servants, but
in that society those people were slaves in that they had some limitations on
their personal freedom. In our culture Peter’s directions apply to how we
behave in relation to those directly over us in society (employers, bosses,
administrators, teachers, et al.). Again Peter commanded an attitude of respectful
submission (cf. v. 13). The master’s personal character or conduct is not the
reason for this behavior. We are to respond this way regardless of his or her
actions (cf. Eph. 6:5-8). CN
2:18 Servants: Somewhere
from one-third to half of the population of the Roman Empire were slaves. The
percentage of Christians who were slaves may have been even higher. be
submissive . . . with all fear: Workers are to take their responsibilities
seriously. but also to the harsh: Christians are to serve even the worst of
bosses with respect. NSB
Verse 18. Servants—Greek,
"household servants": not here the Greek for
"slaves." Probably including freedmen still remaining in their
master's house. Masters were not commonly Christians: he therefore
mentions only the duties of the servants. These were then often
persecuted by their unbelieving masters. JFB
Verse
19 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience
toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
2:19 Those who suffer
faithfully but unjustly as a result of their service to God please Him. Such
suffering has a great reward (see Matt. 5:10–12; Rom. 8:17, 18; Phil. 1:19; 2
Tim. 2:12). Peter himself had asked Jesus about this and received an exciting
encouragement about the divine compensation package (see Matt. 19:27–30).
endures: Believers are not merely to survive the difficulties that come their
way, rather they are to bear patiently their heavy loads. Grief here is not the
result of loss but of being afflicted. wrongfully: This verse is about injustice,
about people being treated worse than they deserve.
2:19The reason we should behave this way is that
this behavior is God’s will (cf. vv. 13, 17). The fact that this is how God
wants us to behave is sufficient reason for compliance. Our conscious
commitment to God should move us to do what is right resulting in a clear
conscience. Probably many of Peter’s readers were suffering because of the
persecution of their masters (1:6-7). The translators of the word “favor” in
this verse and the next in the NASB (Gr. charis) usually rendered it
“grace.” In this context it means what counts with God, what pleases Him,
rather than what He gives. CN
1 Peter 2:19 For this is
thankworthy—If, in a conscientious discharge of your duty, you suffer evil,
this is in the sight of God thankworthy, pleasing, and proper; it shows that
you prefer his authority to your own ease, peace, and emolument; it shows also,
as Dr. Macknight has well observed, that they considered their obligation to
relative duties not to depend on the character of the person to whom they were
to be performed, nor on their performing the duties they owed to their
servants, but on the unalterable relations of things established by God. ACC
Verse 20 20 For what credit is
it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when
you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable
before God.
2:20 Credit suggests
benefit or personal gain. There is no advantage to believers for successfully
enduring a deserved punishment for wrongdoing, yet there is great value when we
honor God with our actions when we are unfairly condemned by others (3:17).
take it patiently: Endurance and perseverance in the face of suffering please
God. NSB
1 Peter 2:20 For what glory is it—It
appears from this that the poor Christians, and especially those who had been
converted to Christianity while in a state of slavery, were often grievously
abused, they were buffeted because they were Christians, and because they would
not join with their masters in idolatrous worship. ACC
2:20 However, Peter hastened to distinguish
between justifiable and unjustifiable suffering. He did not want his readers to
rest comfortably if they were suffering for their own sins. Nevertheless if
they were suffering for their testimony, or without having provoked antagonism
by improper behavior, they could rest confidently because God approved their
conduct even if other people did not. What God rewards is endurance in His will
(cf. James 1:4).
CN
Verse 21 21 For to this you
were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that
you should follow His steps:
2:21 Part of the Christian’s calling includes suffering. Jesus Christ suffered
“These verses [21-25] contain the fullest
elaboration of the example of Jesus Christ for believers in the New Testament “Nothing seems more unworthy and therefore
less tolerable, than undeservedly to suffer; but when we turn our eyes to the
Son of God, this bitterness is mitigated; for who would refuse to follow him
going before us?” CN
Verse 21. Christ's example a
proof that patient endurance under undeserved sufferings is acceptable with
God.
hereunto—to
the patient endurance of unmerited suffering (1Pet 3:9). Christ is an example
to servants, even as He was once in "the form of a servant."called—with a heavenly
calling, though slaves. JFB
2:21 For to this you were
called: Part of being a Christian is the privilege of serving God faithfully
when we encounter undeserved judgment (see Phil. 1:29). leaving us an example:
Observing how Christ handled unjust punishment gives us insight as to how we
also may endure such trials. NSB
Verse 22 22 "Who
committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth";
2:22
Scripture declares the sinlessness of Christ in the clearest of terms, allowing
for no exception .
2:22 Who committed no
sin: Christ was perfect in everything He did, even when He was wrongly
condemned to death by the world. Nor was deceit found: In His thoughts and
attitudes, Jesus was perfect. NSB
1 Peter 2:22 Who did no sin—He suffered, but not on account of any evil he
had either done or said. In deed and word he was immaculate, and yet he was exposed to suffering; expect the same, and when it comes bear it in the same spirit. It is very likely that the apostle mentions guile, because those who do wrong generally strive to screen themselves by prevarication and lies. These words appear to be a quotation from Isaiah 53:9. ACC
Verse
23 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when
He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who
judges righteously;
2:23 Peter referred specifically to Jesus’
sufferings when He was on trial and during His crucifixion. Certainly Peter’s
readers could find a strong example to follow there. “Revile” means to heap
abuse on someone. Often our threats are empty; we cannot follow through with
them. However, Jesus could have followed through. Instead He trusted God to
deal with His persecutors justly, as we should. “Peter’s picture of what
Jesus did not do seems clearly molded by his memory of the messianic picture in
Isaiah 53:6-7. Yet rather than quoting this passage, he gives his own
confirmatory witness, thereby underlining the veracity of the prophetic portrayal.”
CN
But
committed himself—Though he could have inflicted any kind of punishment on his
persecutors, yet to give us, in this respect also, an example that we should
follow his steps, he committed his cause to him who is the righteous Judge. To
avoid evil tempers, and the uneasiness and danger of avenging ourselves, it is
a great advantage in all such cases to be able to refer our cause to God, and
to be assured that the Judge of all the earth will do right. ACC
Verse 24 24 who Himself bore
our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live
for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
As a
result of Christ’s death on the cross and believers’ union with Christ in his
death, they are “dead” to sin so that they may live new lives and present
themselves to God as instruments of righteousness. you have been healed. ; not
generally viewed as a reference to
physical healing, though some believe that such healing was included in the
atonement. Others see spiritual healing in this passage. It is another way of
asserting that Christ’s death brings salvation to those who trust in him. NIVSN
2:24 Jesus’ sufferings reached their climax on the
cross. Peter taught that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and laid down His
life as payment for those sins. He viewed Jesus’ cross as an altar on which a
sacrifice was placed. We could translate the second part of this verse as
follows: “. . . that, having broken with our sins, we might live for
righteousness.” Jesus Christ’s death separated our sins from us. Consequently
we can now live unto righteousness rather than unto sin CN
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self—Not
another in his place, as some anciently supposed, because they thought it
impossible that the Christ should suffer.
Bare
our sins in his own body—Bore the punishment due to our sins. In no other sense
could Christ bear them. To say that they were so imputed to him as if they had
been his own, and that the Father beheld him as blackened with imputed sin, is
monstrous, if not blasphemous.ACC
2:24 who Himself bore our
sins: The Greek wording emphasizes Jesus’ personal involvement in the act of
paying the price for our sins. It also emphasizes that it is our sins that
Jesus bore on the Cross. The tree is the Cross. that we . . . might live for
righteousness: The purpose of Christ’s bearing our sins is that we might live
to please Him. by whose stripes: The Greek word for stripes is singular
rather than plural. Thus our spiritual healing comes neither from Jesus’
day-to-day sufferings nor from His sufferings that led to the Cross, but from
the one ultimate wound—His death. NSB
Verse 25,25 For you were like
sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your
souls.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep
going astray—Formerly ye were not in a better moral condition than your
oppressors; ye were like stray sheep, in the wilderness of ignorance and sin,
till Christ, the true and merciful Shepherd, called you back from your
wanderings, by sending you the Gospel of his grace.
Bishop
of your souls—Jesus Christ is the Overseer of souls; he has them continually
under his eye; he knows their wants, wishes, dangers, etc., and provides for
them. As their shepherd, he leads them to the best pastures, defends them from
their enemies, and guides them by his eye. Jesus is the good Shepherd that laid
down his life for his sheep. ACC
Verse 25. (Isa 53:6.) Shepherd and Bishop—The
designation of the pastors and elders of the Church belongs in
its fullest sense to the great Head of the Church, "the good
Shepherd." As the "bishop" oversees (as the Greek
term means), so "the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous".
He gives us His spirit and feeds and guides us by His word. JFB
2:25 Peter concluded his citation of Jesus’
example (vv. 21-24). He reminded his readers that they too, as the sheep Isaiah
referred to in the passage he just cited, had once wandered from God.
Nevertheless now they had returned to the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who
would fulfill the function of a shepherd by guarding their souls from hostile
adversaries. Their enemies might assail their bodies, but the Lord would
preserve their souls (whole persons) safe (cf. 1:3-5). CN
2:25
Shepherd. A concept raised here in connection with the allusion to the
wandering sheep of Isa 53 . The sheep had wandered from their shepherd, and to
their Shepherd (Christ) they have now returned. Elders are to be both shepherds
and overseers, i.e., they are to look out for the welfare of the flock. These
are not two separate offices or functions; the second term is a further
explanation of the first. NIVSN
2:25 Shepherd: This title
portrays Christ as One who tenderly and wisely provides for all our needs.
Overseer: Christ is also our Guardian, our Protector, the One who watches over
us. This is the only place where the titles Shepherd (Pastor) and Overseer
(Bishop or Elder) are used in the singular. No one else is qualified to be the
one Shepherd and Overseer of our souls—only Christ is. For this reason the New
Testament regularly describes the church and its congregations as having more
than one leader .
NSB
NSB…………………. The Nelson study Bible : New King
James Version.
CN…………………… Constable’s
Notes
NIVSN………………NIV Study Bible Notes
JFB……………………Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible
Commentary
ACC…………………..Adam
Clark Commentary
