Chapter One
1 Pet. 1:1. Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect,
1 Pet. 1:2. according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ:
He said "sojourners" either because they were scattered, or because all who live according to God are called sojourners on earth, as, for example, David says: "for I am a stranger with You and a sojourner, as all my fathers were" (Ps. 39:12). The name "sojourner" is not the same as the name "pilgrim." The latter signifies one who has come from a foreign country, and even something more imperfect. For just as a secondary matter (πάρεργον) is lower than the main work (τοῦ ἔργου), so also a pilgrim (παρεπίδημος) is lower than a resident alien (ἐπιδήμου). This inscription should be read with a rearrangement of words, namely thus: Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ. The remaining words should be placed after this, for in them are indicated those to whom the epistle is written. "According to the foreknowledge of God." By these words the apostle wishes to show that he, apart from the matter of time, is in no way inferior to the prophets, who themselves also were sent—and that the prophets too were sent, Isaiah speaks of this: "to preach good tidings to the poor, He has sent Me" (Isa. 61:1). But if he is inferior in time, he is not inferior according to the foreknowledge of God. In this respect he declares himself equal to Jeremiah, who, before being formed in the womb, was known and sanctified and appointed "a prophet to the nations" (Jer. 1:5). And since the prophets, along with everything else, foretold the coming of Christ (for they were sent for this purpose), he explains the ministry of apostleship, and says: I, through sanctification of the Spirit, have been sent unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ. He explains that the work of his apostleship consists in setting apart. For this is what the word "sanctification" means, as for example in the words: "for you are a holy people to the Lord your God" (Deut. 14:2), that is, set apart from the other nations. Thus, the work of his apostleship is, through spiritual gifts, to set apart the nations obedient to the cross and sufferings of Jesus Christ, sprinkled not with the ashes of a heifer when it was necessary to cleanse the defilement from association with pagans, but with the Blood from the sufferings of Jesus Christ. By the word "Blood" he simultaneously foretells the martyrdom for Christ of those who believe in Him. For whoever with obedience follows in the footsteps of the Teacher will, without doubt, not himself refuse to shed his own blood for the One Who shed His for the whole world.
1 Pet. 1:2. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you.
"Grace," because we are saved freely, contributing nothing of our own. "Peace," because, having offended the Master, we were numbered among His enemies.
1 Pet. 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has begotten us again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to a living hope,
1 Pet. 1:4. To an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
He blesses God, thanking Him for all the good things that He bestows. What does He bestow? Hope — not the kind that was through Moses, concerning settlement in the land of Canaan, which was mortal, but a living hope. From where does it have life? From the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For as He Himself rose, so also to those who come to Him through faith in Him He gives the power to rise as well. Thus, the gift is a living hope, an "incorruptible inheritance," not stored up on earth, as for example for the fathers, but in heaven, from which it also has the property of eternity, and in this it surpasses an earthly inheritance. Along with this hope there is yet another gift — the preservation and protection of the faithful. Because the Lord also prayed about this, when He said: "Holy Father, keep them" (John 17:11). "By power." What kind of power? — until the Lord's appearing. For if the preservation were not powerful, it would not have extended to such a limit. And when there are so many and such great gifts, it is natural for those who receive them to rejoice.
1 Pet. 1:4. kept in heaven for you,
1 Pet. 1:5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
If the inheritance is in heaven, then the revelation of a millennial kingdom on earth is a lie.
1 Pet. 1:6. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
1 Pet. 1:7. so that your tested faith may prove more precious than gold that perishes, though tested by fire,
Just as the Teacher in His promise declares not only joy but also sorrow, saying: "in the world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33); so also the apostle added to the word about joy: "having been grieved." But since this too is distressing, he adds "now," and this is in agreement with his Leader. For He also says: "you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy" (John 16:20). Or the word "now" should be referred to the joy, since it will be succeeded by the future joy, not short-lived, but lasting and endless. And since the discourse about trials produces disturbance, the apostle points out the purpose of trials: because through them your proven character becomes more evident and more precious than gold, just as gold, tested by fire, is valued more highly by people. He adds: "if need be," teaching that not every faithful person, nor every sinful person, is tested by sorrows, and neither the one nor the other is left in them forever. Righteous people who suffer endure sorrows for the obtaining of crowns, while sinners endure them as punishment for sins. Not all the righteous experience sorrows, lest you consider malice praiseworthy and come to hate virtue. And not all sinners experience sorrows — so that the truth of the resurrection would not be called into doubt, if everyone were to receive their due already here.
1 Pet. 1:7. to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
1 Pet. 1:8. Whom, not having seen, you love, and Whom, though you do not see Him now, yet believing in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and glorious,
1 Pet. 1:9. attaining at last by your faith the salvation of souls.
By these words the apostle indicates the reason why the righteous suffer evil here, and partly consoles them by the fact that through afflictions they become more glorious, partly encourages them by the addition "at the revelation of Jesus Christ," meaning that it is precisely then that He, through the manifestation of their labors, will bestow great glory upon the strivers. He also adds something else that draws one toward the endurance of afflictions. What is it? The following: "Whom having not seen, you love." If, he says, not having seen Him with bodily eyes, you love Him by hearing alone, then what love will you feel when you see Him, and moreover appearing in glory? If His sufferings have so bound you to Him, then what attachment must His appearance in unbearable splendor produce in you, when salvation of souls will also be given to you as a reward? And if you are to appear before Him and be deemed worthy of such glory, then now show patience corresponding to it, and you will fully attain the intended goal.
1 Pet. 1:10. To this salvation pertained the inquiries and investigations of the prophets, who prophesied of the grace appointed for you,
Since the apostle mentioned the salvation of the soul, and it is unknown and strange to the hearing, it is attested by the prophets, who searched and inquired about it. They searched into the future, as, for example, Daniel, whom the angel appearing to him called for this reason "man of desires" (Dan. 10:11)! They inquired into what and what manner of time the Spirit who was in them was indicating. "What," that is, the time of fulfillment; "what manner," that is, when the Jews through various captivities would arrive at perfect worship of God and become capable of receiving the mystery of Christ. Note that, by calling the Spirit "Christ's," the apostle confesses Christ as God. This Spirit indicated the sufferings of Christ, saying through Isaiah: "like a sheep He was led to the slaughter" (Isa. 53:7), and through Jeremiah: "let us put poisonous wood in his food" (Jer. 11:19), and the resurrection through Hosea, who said: "He will revive us after two days; on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before His face" (Hos. 6:2). To them, the apostle says, it was revealed that not for themselves, but for us. By these words the apostle accomplishes a twofold task: he proves both the foreknowledge of the prophets and that those now called to the faith of Christ were known to God before the creation of the world. By the word about the foreknowledge of the prophets he impresses upon them that they should receive with faith what was foretold to them by the prophets, because even sensible children do not disregard the labors of their fathers. If the prophets, who had no benefit to gain for themselves, searched and inquired, and having found, enclosed it in books and handed it down to us as an inheritance, then we would be unjust if we treated their labors with contempt. Therefore, when we also proclaim this to you, do not disregard it, and do not render our gospel vain. Such is the lesson from the foreknowledge of the prophets! And by the fact that believers are foreknown by God, the apostle instills fear, so that they would not show themselves unworthy of God's foreknowledge and calling from Him, but would urge one another to become worthy of God's gift.
1 Pet. 1:11. searching into what and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating, when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that would follow them.
1 Pet. 1:12. It was revealed to them that not to themselves, but to us, they were ministering that
If both the apostles and the prophets acted by the Holy Spirit, the ones proclaiming prophecies and the others the Gospel, then it is evident that there is no difference between them. Therefore, the apostle says, you ought to give us the same attention as their contemporaries gave to the prophets, so as not to undergo the punishment that befell those who disobeyed the prophets. It should also be noted that in these words the apostle Peter reveals the mystery of the Trinity. When he said "the Spirit of Christ," he pointed to the Son and the Spirit, and he pointed to the Father when he said "from heaven." For the phrase "from heaven" should be understood not as referring to a place, but preeminently to God, who sends the Son and the Spirit into the world.
1 Pet. 1:12. which have now been proclaimed to you by those who preached the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, into which things angels desire to look.