Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · 베드로전서 1장

1 Peter 1:1. To the strangers scattered, &c.— "To those Christians whom Providence has dispersed through various countries, and whom divine grace has taught to consider themselves, wherever they dwell, as strangers and sojourners on earth." By Asia, in this verse, is not to be understood what is nowcommonly meant by Asia; that is, a fourth part of the world; but Asia Propria, or Proconsular Asia; in which stood the city of Ephesus, and some few of the neighbouring towns mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, and in the Revelation. In this confined sense of the word Asia must be understood, Acts 2:9; Acts 16:6; Acts 10:31.Revelation 4:11; Revelation 4:11.

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1 Peter 1:2. Elect according to the foreknowledge, &c.— Dr. Heylin reads this verse, Whom God the Father, according to his foreknowledge, has elected and sanctified by the Spirit, that they should obey Jesus Christ, and be sprinkled with his blood. And he observes, that as the Christian church succeeded to the Jewish, it has the same titles of elect and sanctified; that is, consecrated to God, being separated from the rest of the world by the peculiar illumination of the Holy Spirit. The source of their redemption by Jesus Christ was the love of God the Father, who designed before the coming of Christ, not only to call the Jews, but also to take unto himself a chosen people from among the Gentiles. It was not owing to the merit of those Gentiles, or granted as a reward for their works of righteousness antecedent to their conversion, that the gospel was sent among them; but to the foreknowledge and love of God the Father. By the phrase the sprinkling of the blood the apostle may refer to the Jewish ceremony of sprinkling the blood of the sacrifices upon the people; whereby they entered into covenant with God.

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1 Peter 1:3. Which—hath begotten us again, &c.— "Who—hath regenerated us as his children to the hope of life and immortality; of which he hath given us a remarkable pledge and confirmation by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." The law of Moses condemned all offenders to death without mercy: the gospel promises pardon, and life, or immortality, to all penitent persons. The Jews were under the law before the gospel came, though at the same time under a covenant of grace. As to the Heathens, they were, through fear of death, all their life-time subject to bondage: though there were among them some confused notions, and pretty general expectations, of a life after death; yet their hopes were very faint and languid in comparison of what Christians may have. How great reason is there to bless God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath raised us to the hope of immortality; brought to light a future state in so clear and express a manner, and given us such a pledge and seal of its truth, as revealed in the gospel, by the resurrection of his Son!

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1 Peter 1:4. To an inheritance— St. Peter had spoken of the hope of life, 1 Peter 1:3. He now explains what he meant by thatlife; even the greatest felicity that canbe enjoyed, which he compares to an inheritance, or large estate, a thing most generally esteemed here upon earth. But there is also a further allusion; for parents beget their children to the hopes of living and enjoying their estates or inheritance after them; God had regenerated these Gentile Christians to the hope of a firmer and more durable inheritance: for mortal men in general are born to a short-lived inheritance; the pious are regenerated to one that is everlasting, and not only everlasting, but undefiled;—oneneithergottennordetainedbyanywickedmethods;nor shall persons polluted with vice have any share therein. See Revelation 21:27. The inheritance of wicked men, or the land where they dwell, is said to be defiled by their own sins; to which perhaps there may be an allusion here. It is added, which withereth not away;—so the word αμαραντον properly signifies. Temporal possessions are soon lost, all the glory of them withereth like the grass; (James 1:11.) but the future inheritance of the saints shall not remove from one person or family to another; it is no fading inheritance. The faithful lose it not while they live, neither shall they ever die and leave it to their heirs.

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1 Peter 1:5. Who are kept by the power of God— The word φρουρουμενους, which we translate kept, is very strong and expressive: it does not mean being kept after any manner, but with the most constant and vigilant care; as a tower or a city is watched by a military garrison, which keeps guard day and night, and plants the greatest number of centinels where the place is weakest, or there is most danger. Such is the watchful care of God over his people: as long as they continue faithful, nothing shall be able to hurt them; no enemies or persecutors can deprive them of their reward. Through faith, δια πιστεως, would be read most properly during faith; and the verse may be paraphrased thus: "who, as long as you steadily adhere to the Christian faith, are guarded and defended by the mighty power of God, and preserved unto that salvation or eternal happiness, which is prepared, and will certainly be revealed at last; that is, at the end of the world:" for at the general conflagration, or when the present state of things comes to an end, then shall the greatest and final salvation be revealed. In speaking of the last time, possibly St. Peter might allude to Daniel 9:13. See John 6:39; John 11:24.

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1 Peter 1:6.— St. Peter here begins to speak of their persecutions and sufferings, which he enters upon with great tenderness and address; and endeavours to reconcile their minds to them by many and various arguments. First, he intimates that such afflictions would soon be over. Secondly, that they were necessary, or at least highly proper, in order to purify and refine their minds. Thirdly, that if their Christian faith could bear the furnace of afflictions, it was more valuable than the finest gold, and all worldly treasures. Fourthly, that their sufferings would meet with a most ample reward at Christ's second coming, Fifthly, that, as they loved Christ, and believed in him, though they had never seen him, they would at last rejoice with ineffable joy, when they received, as the reward of their faith, the salvation of their souls. And sixthly, that the ancient prophets had made a strict and diligent inquiry about that salvation; even those very prophetswho had prophesied of the Gentiles being favoured with the gospel;—to reveal which, God had lately poured out the Spirit, and sent the apostles not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, 1 Peter 1:6-12. Having alleged thus much to support them under their persecutions and troubles, he goes on to exhort them by all means to avoid their former way of living, and to practise the holy virtues of the Christian life, as they were obliged by their profession, 1 Peter 1:13.-Ch. 1 Peter 2:3.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice,— "Upon which account you greatly rejoice, though now for a short time, as it is fitting, you are distressed by diverse temptations." Heylin, and the Syriac version. See James 1:2. Mat 5:4 and 1 Peter 4:12; 1Pe 4:14 of this Epistle.

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1 Peter 1:7. That the trial of your faith, &c.— "Though gold loses nothing in the furnace, yet will it by length of time wear away, or be affected with rust, though not so soon as some other metals; and it will at farthest perish in the general conflagration: but faith will then stand the trial, and come out brighter and more glorious." Some would read this, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold and silver which had been tried in the fire. Afflictions are to men's faith, what the furnace is to gold; that is, to try whether it is proof or no; and, if it be proof, will purify, refine, make it brighter and more valuable. St. Peter therefore calls a severe persecution πυρωσις, a fiery trial. Ch. 1 Peter 4:12. See Job 23:10.

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1 Peter 1:8. Whom having not seen,— It is very possible that, among these dispersed Christians, there might have been some who had visited Jerusalem while Christ was there, and might have seen or conversed with him. However, St. Peter speaks according to the usual apostolical manner, as if they all had not. See John 20:29. 2 Corinthians 5:6-7. Hebrews 1:14.

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1 Peter 1:9. Receiving the end of your faith, &c.— Because you shall attain the salvation of your souls, as the recompence of your faith. The word Κομιζομαι signifies, "To receive as a recompence." See Parkhurst,

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1 Peter 1:10. Of which salvation the prophets— The gospel was not fully revealed to the Jews before the coming of Christ. Something of the nature of the gospel in general, and of that grand event, the conversion of the Gentiles, was revealed to them; upon which they were very desirous to have found out all that concerned it, and would have been very glad to have lived to see that happy time, when their predictions should be accomplished.ThatDanielunderstoodnotthefullmeaningofhis own prophesies, see Daniel 8:15; Daniel 8:27; Daniel 12:8-9. It is evident, that the antient prophets had views of a greater salvation than that of being saved out of the hands of their enemies when they conquered Canaan, and got possession of that good land, the land of Promise. To that salvation, (especially that spoken of by Daniel,) St. Peter seems here to allude. By grace or favour, in this verse, we understand the favour of having the gospel preached unto them, and being admitted to the privileges of Christians; the elect people of God under the Messiah. By χαρις, grace, in the New Testament, is often meant the gospel, or the Christian religion.

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1 Peter 1:11. The Spirit of Christ— It is well worthy of our notice, that the Spirit which dictated to the prophets is called the Spirit of Christ; which both proves his existence before his incarnation, and his supreme Godhead; and illustrates the full view that he himself had of all he was to do and suffer under the character of our Redeemer. The apostle, in discoursing so largely concerning the prophets, seems to have a special reference to the converted Jews, who would enter more thoroughly into this part of his reasoning, than the converted Gentiles. It has been with great propriety observed, that if the prophets and righteous men of old, to whom the word of God came, did not clearly understand the things they foretold, but employed themselvesinsearchingandexaminingthe prophetical testimonies of the Spirit which was in them; it is evident that the prophesies themselves were obscure: and for good reason they were so; because they were not delivered so much for their sakes, as for the sake of those who lived in the times when they were accomplished.

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1 Peter 1:12. Unto whom it was revealed,— Many of the things foretold by the ancient prophets, did evidently relate to distant times, and many of them to the coming of Christ, and the numerous conversions of the Jews and Gentiles to his holy religion. St. Peter very properly mentions it, to the honour of Christians, that the ancient prophets, ministered not unto themselves, but unto them: and it was a great confirmation to their faith to compare the prediction and event, and observe their harmony. By using the phrase, Those that have preached the gospel unto you, St. Peter seems to speak of these Christians, not as his own converts, but as converted by others; probably they had been converted by St. Paul and his assistants. St. Peter here plainly alludes to the prophesy, Joe 2:28-29 which he himself declared to be accomplished, Acts 2:16; Acts 2:47. The apostles evidently laid claim to the Spirit of God as their infallible guide in things which concerned the Christian doctrine; and did actually understand and plant Christianity by the same Spirit which had inspired the ancient prophets: but they never pretended to be infallible and unpeccable in their other conduct; neither was there any occasion that they should be so. Doddridge paraphrases the last clause of the verse thus: "And indeed, the doctrines which they preach, are things of so great excellence and importance, as to be well worthy the regard of angels, as well as men. And accordingly, as the images of the cherubim on the mercy-seat seem to bow down, to look upon the tables of the law, laid up in the ark; so those celestial spirits do, from their heavenly abode, desire to bend down, to contemplate such a glorious display of divine wisdom and goodness." See James 1:25.

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1 Peter 1:13. Gird up the loins of your mind,— The apostle seems here to allude to the precept which he had heard from our Lord, Luke 12:35; Luk 12:59 which is the more probable, from his immediately adding the words, νηφοντες τελιως,— being constantly upon the watch. The meaning is, that Christians are to endeavour to have their minds in such a frame for the coming of Christ, as servants have their bodies for their master's coming to his marriage-feast, when he is to entertain his friends in the most agreeable manner. See 1 Kings 18:46. Luke 17:8.

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1 Peter 1:14. As obedient children,— As children of obedience; an usual Hebraism, by which persons are called the children of that, to which they are addicted or devoted. "Obedience (says Dr. Heylin,) is a sure ground of hope: to expect salvation without it, is not hope, but presumption." What the former lusts were, see ch. 1 Peter 4:3. Their conformity to them is here expressed by a very emphatical word; συσχηματιζομενοι ; which signifies, "Such a conformity as a medal or image has to the mould in which it was formed or cast." Our translation has well expressed this allusion; not fashioning yourselves. Compare Romans 6:17.

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1 Peter 1:15. As he which hath called you, &c.— The gods which the Heathens worshipped had a very bad moral character, and the imitation of them rendered their worshippers worse than they would otherwise have been. But nothing can lead to higher degrees of holiness and virtue, than imitating the true God, who hath blessed us with the Christian revelation, and who is there displayed as a Being of the most perfect moral character. See 2 Corinthians 7:1.

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1 Peter 1:17. And if ye call on the Father,— And since you invoke him as your Father, who impartially judges every man according to his actions, Live in a continual awe of him, while you sojourn here below; 1 Peter 1:18. Considering that you were redeemed from the vain manner of life which you learned of your earthly parents, not by perishable things as silver and gold; Heylin: who observes, that religious fear, or a continual awe of God, rightly concurs with hope, to support us in temptation. See 1 Peter 1:14. Some think there is an allusion in the words corruptible things, silver and gold, to the lamb which made an atonement; and was bought at the common expence, furnished by the contribution of the half shekel, as a typical atonement for their souls. See Exodus 30:11; Exodus 30:38.

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1 Peter 1:20. Who verily was fore-ordained— All the former dispensations, from the beginning of the world, were carried on with a view to the coming of Christ, under whom was to be the concluding dispensation; and in this view, the Bible takes in a large and extensive plan. What our translation has rendered fore-ordained, properly signifies fore-known; and seems to relate to the predictions of the ancient prophets concerning the coming of Christ, together with his sufferings and death mentioned in the preceding verse; or, rather, to God's foreseeing, before this world was created, that the consequence of his Son's coming among men, with such a view, and in such circumstances, would end in his undergoing a violent death; and yet, though he foresaw that event, he did not therefore forbear to send him. See Ephesians 1:4.John 17:24; John 17:24.

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1 Peter 1:21. Who by him do believe— Who by him,—by his means,—or on his account,—do trust in God. The expression is remarkable; and the meaning seems to be, that Christians, who before their conversion were ignorant of the true God, learnt his Being and Providence, through grace, from the great fact of Christ's resurrection, and the power with which God the Father invested him on his ascension into heaven.

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1 Peter 1:24. For all flesh is as grass, &c.— Flesh is often, by a common figure, put for man: but perhaps the apostle here used the word to intimate that he meant the body of man, frail and short-lived like the tender herb; by way of opposition to the soul, which he considered as incorruptible. All the glory of man, means every thing wherein men pride themselves, or which renders them admired or illustrious;—beauty, strength, learning, eloquence, titles, riches, and honours: all these are only like a fair flower, which looks beautiful for a little while, but soon fades and withers away. See Jam 1:10-11 and Isa 40:6-8 the place from whence St. Peter quoted these words.

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