Here an exhortation is offered, drawn from the high dignity of the subject. The inquiries of the prophets concerning our salvation served us, and the work of our salvation is so wondrous that it became desirable even to the angels. That our salvation is pleasing to the angels is evident from the joy they expressed at the Nativity of Christ. They sang then: "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:14). Having spoken of this, the apostle sets forth the reason for it and says: since this salvation of ours is dear to all, not only to men but also to the angels, do not treat it with negligence, but concentrate yourselves and be courageous. This is indicated by the words: "girding up the loins" (1 Peter 1:13), which God also commanded Job to do (Job 38:3, 40:2). What loins? "Of your mind," the apostle says further. Prepare yourselves in this manner, be watchful, and hope perfectly in the joy that awaits you, the joy at the second coming of the Lord, of which he spoke a little earlier (1 Peter 1:7).
1 Pet. 1:13. Therefore, (beloved,) girding up the loins of your mind, being watchful, hope perfectly in the grace that is being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Pet. 1:14. As obedient children, do not conform yourselves to the former lusts that were in your ignorance,
1 Pet. 1:15. But, according to the example of the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your conduct.
1 Pet. 1:16. For it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
The Apostle calls "conformity" the being carried along by present circumstances. For even now some foolish people say that one must adapt to circumstances. But since surrendering oneself to the will of circumstances is frivolous, the Apostle commands that whether they had held to this until now in knowledge or in ignorance, from henceforth they should conform themselves to Him Who called them, Who is truly Holy, and themselves become holy.
1 Pet. 1:17. And if you call as Father Him Who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, then conduct the time of your sojourning with fear,
1 Pet. 1:18. knowing that you were redeemed from your vain way of life, handed down to you from your fathers, not with perishable silver or gold,
1 Pet. 1:19. but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot,
Scripture distinguishes a twofold fear, one — preliminary, the other — perfect. The preliminary fear, which is also the foundational one, consists in someone turning to an honorable life out of dread of accountability for one's deeds, while the perfect one consists in someone, for the sake of perfection of love toward a friend, out of zeal for the beloved, fearing lest he remain indebted to him in anything that strong love demands. An example of the first, that is, the preliminary fear, is found in the words of the psalm: "Let all the earth fear the Lord" (Ps. 33:8); that is, those who care nothing for heavenly things, but only busy themselves with earthly ones. For what will they have to endure when the Lord "arises to shatter the earth" (Isa. 2:19, 21). An example of the second, that is, the perfect fear, can also be found in David, for instance in the following words: "Fear the Lord, all His saints, for there is no want to those who fear Him" (Ps. 34:9). And again in the words: "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever" (Ps. 19:9). The Apostle Peter urges those who listen to him to live in such perfect fear, and says: by the unspeakable mercy of God the Creator you have been received into the number of His children; therefore let this fear always be with you, since you have become such by the love of your Creator, and not by your own works. The apostle employs many arguments in his persuasion. He persuades, first, by the fact that angels take a sincere and living part in our salvation; second, by the sayings of sacred Scripture; third, by necessity: for whoever calls God Father must necessarily, in order to retain for himself the right of adoption, do things worthy of this Father; and fourth, by the fact that they have received innumerable blessings through the price paid for them, that is, the Blood of Christ, shed as a ransom for the sins of mankind. Therefore he commands them to have this perfect fear as a companion throughout the whole time of their life. For people who strive for perfection always fear lest they remain without some perfection. Note. Christ said that the Father judges no one, but "has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22), but the Apostle Peter now says that the Father judges. How is this? To this we also reply with the words of Christ: "The Son can do nothing of Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it" (John 5:19). From this also the consubstantiality of the Holy Trinity is evident, the perfect identity within It, and the peaceful and untroubled harmony. "The Father judges" — this is said without distinction, because everything that anyone says about One of the three Persons must be referred in common to all of Them. On the other hand, since the Lord also calls the apostles "Children!" (John 13:33) and says to the paralytic: "Child! your sins are forgiven you" (Mark 2:5), there is no incongruity in the fact that He too is called the Father of those whom He regenerated by imparting holiness to them.
1 Pet. 1:20. Who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1 Pet. 1:21. who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory,
Having spoken of the death of Christ, the apostle added to this a word also about the resurrection. For he fears lest the newly converted might incline again toward unbelief because the sufferings of Christ are humiliating. He adds also that the mystery of Christ is not new (for this too disturbs the simple-minded), but from the beginning, before the creation of the world, it was hidden until its proper time. However, it was revealed also to the prophets, who searched into this, as he said a little above. And now he says that what was foreordained before the creation of the world has now been revealed or accomplished. And for whom was it accomplished? For you. For it was for your sake, he says, that God raised Him from the dead. And why for you? So that, having purified yourselves by obedience to the truth through the Spirit, you might have faith and hope in God. Why "having purified"? Because, believing in Him who by His resurrection from the dead laid the foundation of your incorruptible life, you yourselves must also "walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4), after the example of Him who called you to incorruption. Do not be troubled that here the apostle Peter, and repeatedly the apostle Paul, says that the Lord was "raised" by the Father (Acts 13:37, 31). He speaks thus, employing the customary manner of teaching. But hear how Christ says that He raised Himself. He said: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). And in another place: "I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:18). It is not without purpose that the resurrection of the Son is ascribed to the Father; for by this the single action of the Father and the Son is shown.
1 Pet. 1:21. so that you may have faith and hope in God.
1 Pet. 1:22. Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned brotherly love, love one another fervently from a pure heart,
Having said that Christians are born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which lives and abides forever, the apostle sets before their eyes the insignificance and extreme fragility of human glory, thereby urging the listener to hold more firmly to the teaching previously imparted, since it is constant and extends forever, while earthly things quickly decay by their very nature. To confirm this, "grass" and "the flower of grass" are brought forward here, being weaker in existence than "grass"; David also likens our life to them (Ps. 103:15). Having shown the small worth of our glory, the apostle returns again to explaining what exactly regenerated them by the word of God, living and abiding forever, and says: this is the word which was preached to you. He affirms concerning this word that it abides forever, because the Lord Himself also said: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Matt. 24:35). One should know that the words "to sincere brotherly love" must be read in this order: from a pure heart love one another constantly, to sincere brotherly love. For the completion of a matter usually follows after what was carried out for its sake. And since sincere brotherly love follows after constant love for one another from a pure heart, it is right that the words "from a pure heart" and the rest should stand first, and the words "sincere brotherly love" after them. One should also note that the preposition "to" (εἰς) must be taken in place of the preposition "by reason of, for" (διά).
1 Pet. 1:23. as born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, of the word of God, which lives and abides forever.
1 Pet. 1:24. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass: the grass withered, and its flower fell off;
1 Pet. 1:25. But the word of the Lord endures forever; and this is the word which was preached to you.
The Apostle showed the superiority of spiritual rebirth over fleshly birth, and pointed out the worthlessness of mortal glory, namely, that birth is joined with corruption and impurity, and glory differs in nothing from spring plants, whereas the word of the Lord experiences nothing of the sort. For every human opinion quickly ceases, but the word of God is not so — it has eternal abiding. With this purpose he added: "that word which was preached to you."