Bible Commentaries

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

All malice and all guile — Out with this leaven utterly, 1 Corinthians 5:7 . Howsoever we otherwise fail, let us not in these be found faulty at all. These are not the spots of God’s children, Deuteronomy 32:5 . They are without gall, without guile, children that will not lie: they do not wallow or allow themselves in any kind of these evils; which are therefore plurally expressed.

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As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Desire the sincere — αδολον , as in children all speak and work at once, hands, feet, mouth. See David’s desire,Psalms 42:1; Psalms 42:1 ; Psalms 119:20 ; Psalms 119:40 ; Psalms 119:131 . The Greek word επιποθησατε signifieth vehemently to desire. See Romans 1:11 ; 2 Corinthians 5:2 ; Philippians 1:8 ; Philippians 2:16 .

The sincere — Gr. Guileless, unmixed milk, not sugared or sophisticated with strains of wit, excellency of speech, …, 1 Corinthians 2:1 .

That ye may grow thereby — After regeneration, 1 Peter 1:23 , augmentation. That word which breeds us, feeds us; as the same blood of which the babe is bred and fed in the womb, strikes up into the mother’s breasts, and there, by a further concoction, becometh white, and nourisheth it. And as milk from the breast is more effectually taken than when it hath stood a while, and the spirits are gone out of it; so the word preached rather than read, furthereth the soul’s growth. Let it be our care that we receive not the grace of God in vain; that we be not like the changeling Luther mentioneth, ever sucking, never batling; lest God repent him of his love and dry up the breasts; or send in the Assyrian to drink up our milk, Ezekiel 25:4 ; that we be not always learning, and never to know the truth, 2 Timothy 3:6 , as ants run to and fro about a molehill, but grow not greater. A Christian should go from the word, as Moses did from the mount, as Naaman did out of Jordan, or as the woman of Samaria came to the well peccatrix, sinful, went away praedicatrix, preaching, saith Ambrose.

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If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

If so be ye have tasted — As babes taste the milk they take down, Isaiah 66:11 . We are bidden to suck and be satisfied with the breasts of consolation, to press and oppress the promises, till we have expressed, and even wrung the sweetness out of them. This will make us even sick of love; our sleep will be pleasant unto us, and our hearts filled with gladness. The saints taste how good the Lord is, and thence they so long after him. Optima demonstratio est a sensibus, as he that feels fire hot, and that tastes honey sweet, can best say it is so.

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To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

As unto a living stone — Living and all quickening, as Acts 7:38 . Lively, that is, lifegiving oracles. He that hath the Son hath life, 1 John 5:12 .

Disallowed indeed of men — For the cock on the dunghill knoweth not the price of this jewel.

And precious — Far beyond that most orient and excellent stone Pantarbe, celebrated by Philostratus (in Vita Apol.); or that precious adamant of Charles Duke of Burgundy, sold for 20,000 ducats and set in the pope’s triple crown. (Alsted Chron.)

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Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Ye also as lively stones — God’s house is built of growing stones, of green timber, Song of Solomon 1:16-17

To offer up spiritual sacrifices — Such as are prayers,Psalms 141:2; Psalms 141:2 ; praises, Hebrews 13:15 ; alms, Hebrews 13:16 ; ourselves, Romans 12:1 ; our Saviour, whom we present as a propitiation for our sins, 1 John 2:1 , laying our hands on his head, seeing him bleed to death and consumed in the fire of his Father’s wrath for our sins.

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Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Wherefore it is contained — The Jews were so well versed in Scripture, that in quoting of texts there was need to say no more to them than, It is written, It is contained, περιεχει , they could tell where to turn to the place presently; and this was a great furtherance to the conversion of many of them, by the preaching of the apostles. Many among us are better seen in Sir Philip than in St Peter: in Monsieur Balzack’s letters than in St Paul’s Epistles; like that bishop of Dunkelden in Scotland, they know little or nothing either of the Old or New Testament; and therefore one may preach riff raff, Popery, or any error unto them, and they know not how to disprove it.

Shall not be confounded — The Hebrew text hath it, "shall not make haste," Isaiah 28:16 . Haste makes waste, as we say, and often brings confusion. Children pull apples before they are ripe, and have worms bred of them.

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Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

He is precious — Gr. τιμη , he is a price, or an honour. If you had not found all worth in him, you would never have sold all for him.

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And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

And a rock of offence — Like that rock Judges 6:21 , out of which comes fire to consume the reprobate.

Which stumble at the word — An ill sign, and yet an ordinary sin. A bridge is made to give us a safe passage over a dangerous river; but he who stumbleth on the bridge is in danger to fall into the river. The word is given as a means to carry us over hell into heaven; but he who stumbles and quarrels at this means, shall fall in thither, from whence otherwise he had been delivered by it. Few sins are more dangerous than that of picking quarrels at God’s word, and taking up the bucklers against it, snuffing at it,Malachi 1:13; Malachi 1:13 ; chatting against it, Romans 9:19-20 ; enviously swelling against it, Acts 13:45 ; casting reproaches upon it, Jeremiah 20:8-9 ; gathering odious consequences from it. Surely of such a man may say, as one doth of a hypocrite; I read not in Scripture, saith he, of a hypocrite’s conversion; and what wonder? for whereas after sin, conversion is left as a means to cure all other sinners; what means to recover him who hath converted conversion itself into sin? so here; what hope that he shall be saved who stumbleth at the only ordinary means of his salvation?

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