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1Pe 1:1,2 The apostle's address to the strangers elect in Christ,

dispersed throughout the Lesser Asia.

1Pe 1:3-9 He blesseth God for having raised them to the hope of a

blessed immortality.

1Pe 1:10-12 He showeth that their salvation in Christ had

been foretold by the prophets of old,

1Pe 1:13-21 and exhorteth them to a vigilant and holy conversation,

suitable to their calling and redemption by the blood of

Christ,

1Pe 1:22-25 and to mutual love.

To the strangers; not only metaphorically strangers, as all believers are in the world, 1Pe 2:11; but properly, as being out of their own land, and so really strangers in the places here mentioned.

Scattered; so Jam 1:1.

Throughout Pontus; a country of the Lesser Asia, bordering upon the Euxine sea, and reaching as far as Colchis.

Galatia; which borders upon Pontus, and lies southward of it. To the Gentile churches inhabiting here, Paul wrote his Epistle inscribed to the Galatians.

Cappadocia; this likewise borders upon Pontus, and is joined with it, Act 2:9.

Asia; that part of Asia the Less, which was especially called Asia. viz. the whole country of Ionia, which contained in it Troas, Phrygia, Lydia, Carla, &c. See Act 16:6,9 19:10,31.

And Bithynia; another province of the Lesser Asia, bordering upon Pontus and Galatia, and opposite to Thracia.

Question. Who were the strangers to whom this Epistle was written?

Answer. Chiefly the Christian Jews scattered in these countries, as appears by 1Pe 2:12, and 1Pe 1:18, where he mentions the traditions of their fathers, of which the Jews were so fond, Mat 15:2 Gal 1:14; but secondarily, to the converted Gentiles. As Paul, the apostle of the uncircumcision, wrote principally to the converted Gentiles, at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, &c., but doth not exclude those Jews that were among them, who, being converted to the faith, were of the same mystical body with them; so Peter, though he firstly wrote to the converted Jews, as being an apostle of the circumcision, yet includes the Gentiles that were mingled among them, and joined in faith and worship with them.

By elect he means, either:

1. Singled out of the world, and separated unto God in their effectual calling, as 1 Corinthians 1:1; those that are said to be called, 1 Corinthians 1:26, are said to be chosen, 1 Corinthians 1:27,28; and so the word seems to be taken, Jam 2:5: or:

2. Chosen to salvation, and the means of it, in God’s eternal decree, Ephesians 1:4 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

According to the foreknowledge; either:

1. The Divine preordination, or decree of election, as the word is taken, 1 Peter 1:20, and then we may take elect in the first sense; men are chosen out of the world, or called in time, according as they were chosen from eternity, Romans 8:30: or:

2. Foreknowledge here is as much as approbation or love, Matthew 7:25 Romans 11:2; and so signifies the free favour and good will of God, which is the fountain from whence the decree of election proceeds; and then we are to take elect in the latter sense, and so elect according to the foreknowledge of God, is, eternally designed unto life, according to, or out of, that free grace and love God did from eternity bear to them, which was the only motive he had for his choosing them: or, (which comes to the same), by foreknowledge we may understand election itself, as it is in God; and by election, the same, as terminated in the creature, and executed in effectual calling.

Of God the Father; this doth not exclude the Son or Spirit from their interest in and concurrence to the Divine decree, but only notes the order of working among the three Persons in the affair of man’s salvation; election is ascribed to the Father, reconciliation to the Son, and sanctification to the Spirit.

Through sanctification: sanctification seems to be taken in a large sense, for the whole change of our spiritual state, both as to real grace in regeneration, and relative in justification; so that God may then be said to sanctify us, when in our effectual calling he justifies us from our sins, and renews us unto obedience: so it is taken, Hebrews 10:10.

Of the Spirit; this is to be understood rather of the Spirit of God, the efficient of sanctification, than the spirit or soul of man, the subject of it.

Unto obedience; either:

1. The obedience of Christ to God; and then the sense is, elect, or ordained to be, by the sanctification of the Spirit, made partakers of the benefits of Christ’s obedience: or:

2. The obedience of believers to Christ, and that either in their believing, faith being a giving obedience to the great command of the gospel, John 6:29, and particularly called obedience, Romans 1:5; and then the sense runs thus, elect unto faith, which was to be wrought in you by the sanctification of the Spirit: or else in the exercise of holiness, which is the fruit of faith; and then it signifies the same as Ephesians 1:4, chosen, that you might be made, by the sanctification of the Spirit, holy and unblamable, and might accordingly demean yourselves.

And sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; an allusion to the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifices under the law, Hebrews 9:13,14,20-22 Heb 12:24; it signifies the application of the blood of Christ for the purging of the conscience, (which was typified by those legal sprinklings), especially from the guilt of sin; which sprinkling, or application of the blood of Christ to our consciences, is performed on our part by faith, on God’s part by his Spirit working that faith in us (as well as enabling us unto obedience) in our effectual calling, as likewise by God’s imputing Christ’s righteousness to us; and so the sense of the whole is: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God, to be by the sanctification of the Spirit brought into the participation of all the benefits of Christ’s redemption; the sum of which consists in the renovation of your natures unto gospel obedience, and the justification of your persons.

Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied; there being several kinds of grace, 1 Peter 4:10, and several kinds of peace, outward and inward, he wisheth them all kinds of each; and there being several degrees and measures of both, he prays for an increase of these degrees in them, and so a multiplication of all good, both temporal and spiritual, to them.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; either the conjunction and is here but an explicative particle, and so we render it, 2 Corinthians 1:3, God, even the Father, & c.; or if we take it for a copulative, as Ephesians 1:3: God is called the God of Jesus Christ, according to Christ’s human nature, and his Father according to his Divine.

Which according to his abundant mercy; this shows the fountain from whence regeneration and all other spiritual blessings flow, and excludes all merit and dignity in us, as the cause of so great benefits.

Abundant mercy is the same with riches of mercy, Ephesians 2:4.

Hath begotten us again; translated us out of a state of sin and misery into a state of grace and life; and so begotten again here, is the same as sanctifying in the former verse.

Unto a lively hope; either a lively hope, for hope of life; or rather, a lively hope is a true and effectual hope, such as proceeds from a lively faith, and is itself productive of peace and purity, Romans 5:2 1Jo 3:3, in opposition to the vain hope of worldly men, which neither comes from faith nor tends to holiness.

By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: this may be referred either:

1. To God’s begetting us again, and then it implies the resurrection of Christ to be the cause of our regeneration, we being raised to a spiritual life by the power of Christ’s resurrection, and our vivification being often ascribed to it, 1 Peter 3:21 Romans 4:25 6:4,5: see Ephesians 2:5. Or:

2. To the lively hope to which he begets us, which depends upon, and ariseth from, the faith of Christ’s resurrection, Romans 8:11 1 Corinthians 15:17,19 1 Thessalonians 4:13,14. Christ’s resurrection being the cause and pledge of ours, as the certainty of ours depends upon his, so the liveliness of our hope follows upon the faith of it. Possibly the apostle may have in these words some respect to the languishing condition of the hope of him, and the other disciples, Luke 24:21, which was then ready to expire, but was again revived by their being well assured of his resurrection, Luke 24:33,34.

To an inheritance; so eternal life is called, Ephesians 1:18, and elsewhere, as being given not as wages to hirelings, but as an inheritance to children born of God, and adopted to him.

Incorruptible; immortal, everlasting, which being once possessed, cannot be taken away, nor pass over to others.

And undefiled; both as being pure in itself, and having nothing to offend them that enjoy it; and likewise as being incapable of any pollution or defilement, contrary to what is said of the land of Canaan, the earthly inheritance of the Israelites, Jeremiah 2:7 Ezekiel 36:17.

And that fadeth not away; always retains its vigour and gratefulness, never causes weariness or satiety in them that possess it. It seems to be a metaphor taken from flowers, probably the amaranthus, (the very word here used), which still keeps its freshness and verdure, without any decay or withering.

Reserved; laid up, Colossians 1:5 2 Timothy 4:8; secured for the heirs, though not yet possessed by them.

In heaven; and therefore safe, and out of the reach of enemies. This is opposed to the uncertain condition of earthly possessions, such as Canaan was.

For you; margin, for us, viz. whom God hath begotten again: or if we read it, as in the text, for you, the apostle may change the person in order to his exhortation.

Who are kept: lest it should be objected, that though the inheritance be safe in heaven, yet the heirs are in danger here upon earth, by reason of the power and stratagems of enemies, and their own imprudence and weakness; he adds, that not only their inheritance is reserved for them, but they preserved unto it, kept securely and carefully, as with a garrison, (for so the word signifies), against all the assaults, incursions, and devices of the devil and the world.

By the power of God; which power is infinite and invincible, and therefore able to keep them, John 10:28,29 Ro 8:31,38,39 2 Timothy 1:12.

Through faith; which, resting on the power of God, overcomes all their enemies, the flesh, 1Jo 3:9, the devil, 1 Peter 5:9 Ephesians 6:16, and the world, 1Jo 5:4. It implies, that not only they themselves are kept through faith, whereby they rely on the power of their Keeper, and his promises of keeping them, but that they and their faith too are kept by the power of God.

Unto salvation; viz. full and complete in glory, and not only begun and imperfect here.

Ready; as being already purchased, prepared, and laid up for them; and so he intimates, that their not as yet possessing it, is not because it is not ready for them, but because the time of their being put in possession of it is not yet come.

To be revealed: it was said to be reserved in heaven, 1 Peter 1:4, kept safe, but close too, as a rich treasure, the greatness of it is not yet known, even to them that are the heirs of it, Colossians 3:3,4 1Jo 3:2; here he adds, that it is to be revealed, and made known to them, so soon as the time of its manifestation shall come.

In the last time; simply and absolutely the last, viz. the day of judgment, which is called the last day, John 6:39,40 11:24 12:48.

Wherein; this refers to the whole foregoing sentence; Ye rejoice in your being kept by the power of God unto salvation.

Ye greatly rejoice: the Greek word signifies something more than a bare rejoicing, and therefore is added to a word that signifies to rejoice, Matthew 5:12, and implies an outward expression of the inward gladness of the heart, by looks, words, gestures, &c. Some read the word in the imperative mood, by way of exhortation; but the indicative, according to our translation, seems most agreeable to the context, in which, as yet, he commends the saints, to whom he writes, for the grace of God in them; descending to his exhortation afterward, 1 Peter 1:13.

Though now for a season; viz. while this life lasts, which is but a little time, 2 Corinthians 4:17.

If need be; if God see it fit, needful for your good, and conducing to his glory; intimating, that God doth not always afflict believers, but when he sees just cause, and never doth it without cause.

Ye are in heaviness:

Question. How could they be in heaviness, and yet rejoice?

Answer. Their grief and joy were about different objects; they might be in heaviness by reason of present afflictions, and rejoice in hope of future glory; they might grieve as men, and rejoice as saints; sense of suffering might affect them, and yet the faith of better things coming relieve them. If their heaviness did in any degree abate their joy, yet it did not wholly hinder it; and though their joy did overcome their heaviness, yet it did not wholly exclude it.

Through manifold temptations; he so calls afflictions, from the end and effect of them, the trial of their faith, Luke 22:28 Acts 20:19 Galatians 4:14 Jam 1:2 2 Peter 2:9: he calls them manifold, as being not only numerous, but various, and of divers kinds.

That the trial of your faith; i.e. your faith when tried. He compares the faith of the saints with gold, and argues from the less to the greater: q.d. If men do so far esteem their gold, that they will make the excellency and preciousness of it appear by trying it in the fire, which purgeth away the dross, and discovers the goodness of the metal; no wonder if God will have the faith of the saints (more precious to him than gold is to men) tried by afflictions, that the excellency of it may more fully be discovered.

Being much more precious than of gold; i.e. than the trial of gold; or gold tried, compared with faith tried.

That perisheth; is worn away, and consumed by use, as many particles of it likewise may be in the very trial of it, 1 Peter 1:18; whereas faith is not consumed nor wasted, but increased by being used, and made more conspicuous by being tried.

Might be found unto praise and honour and glory; i.e. may be found to be, or to have turned, to praise, &c., the dignity of it being by that means evidenced. These several words show whither present trials tend, and in what they issue; they may be reproachful and ignominious now, Hebrews 12:2, but they end in glory. We need not be critical about the difference of these three words, praise, honour, and glory, which may be synonymous expressions (by way of amplification) of the same thing, yet they are mentioned distinctly with relation to believers elsewhere; praise, 1 Corinthians 4:5, honour, 1 Samuel 2:30 John 12:26, glory, as well as honour, Romans 2:10.

At the appearing of Jesus Christ; i.e. at the day of judgment, frequently so called, as 1 Peter 1:13 5:4 Colossians 3:4 2 Thessalonians 1:7. Christ’s glory is at present hid and obscured, while he is instructing his elect, and training them up unto patience, and defers his judging of his enemies; but at last it will be fully manifested in the face of the world, when he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, &c., Revelation 1:7.

Whom; which Christ.

Having not seen; with your bodily eyes. Most of these Jews lived out of their own country, and so had not seen Christ in the flesh; and this was the commendation of their love, that they loved him whom they had not seen, though sight doth ordinarily contribute toward the stirring up of affection.

Ye see him not; neither as others have done in the days of his flesh, nor as you yourselves hereafter shall in his glory; ye walk by faith, and not by sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7.

Ye rejoice, in hope of seeing and enjoying him.

With joy unspeakable; which cannot be expressed with words. See the like phrase, Romans 8:26 2 Corinthians 9:15.

And full of glory; both in respect of the object about which this joy is conversant, the heavenly glory; the degree, it is the highest here in the world; the duration of it, it is most solid; as likewise in comparison of the joy of this world, which is vain and transitory, and whereof many times men are afterward ashamed.