THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF

PETER.

[Peter was one of the Apostles of the Lord from the beginning. He is very frequently mentioned in the Gospels and in the first part of the Acts. The history of his after life is uncertain, but probably he met a martyr's death at Rome about A.D. 67. It is not clear whether he wrote from Babylon during a mission to the Jews in the East, or from Rome as the figurative Babylon ; nor whether he wrote for Jewish Christians alone or for Jewish and Gentile Christians as together constituting the true Israel of God. It is evident, however, that he is addressing Christians who were scattered abroad in Gentile regions, and who were suffering on account of their faith, and that for such he has a special message, prepared in his own experience. One chief thought of his life was that of the Glory of the Messiah, and the subject in connection with which his inner development advanced was above all that of the relation between Suffering and Glory. At first, the two seemed to him to be irreconcilable. "Be it far from Thee, Lord; this shall never be unto Thee," had been his protest when his Master predicted His Sufferings. The Cross had been the death-blow to the false hopes of Messianic Glory which he once had cherished; they had seemed to be borne to the grave along with Him. But the Resurrection of Jesus was for the Apostle a resurrection to a life of higher Hope, and the way through Suffering to Glory was clearly revealed.]

The Blessings of Believers. I. I-2. 10.

Their Living Hope of Future Inheritance a Present Joy amidst trials, and the Fulfilment of Past Prophecies. A holy life of Hope and Obedience befits the Redeemed. From Faith and Hope should spring Love. By Growth in Salvation Believers are joined to the true People of God, in whom the Promise of the Old Covenant is Fulfilled.

PETER an apostle of Jesus Christ to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification wrought by the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the

I. 2

blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy begat us again unto a living Hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who by the power of God are guarded through Faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials, that your proved Faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth, and yet even it is proved by fire, might be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Whom not having seen ye love, on whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your Faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning which salvation the Prophets sought and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that was coming unto you, searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them to whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto you, were they ministering these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.

Wherefore girding up the loins of your mind, being perfectly calm, set your Hope on the grace that is being brought unto you in the revelation of Jesus Christ. As

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children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living, because it is written, Ye shall be holy, for I am holy. And if ye call on Him as Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ, who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of the times for your sake who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your Faith is also Hope in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned Love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently, having been begotten again, not from corruptible seed, but from incorruptible, through the Word of God who liveth and abideth for,

All flesh is as grass,

And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass:
The grass withered,

And the flower fell away:

But the word of the Lord abideth for ever.

And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you. Putting away therefore all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation, if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming

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unto Him, a living Stone, rejected indeed by men, but with God elect, precious, ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ because it is contained in scripture,

Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner Stone, elect, precious, And he that believeth on Him shall not be put to shame. For you therefore who believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The Stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the Head of the corner and a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may shew forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

The Duties of Believers in their Relations to the Hostile Gentile World. 2. 11-4. 6.

A Noble Life to the Glory of God. Submission to Heathen Rulers. Duties of Slaves. Of Wives. Of Husbands. Hostility to be overcome by Calm Endurance of wrongful Suffering, after the Example of Christ, who through Suffering entered into His Glory. The Blessedness of the Suffering that separates believers from an ungodly World which is to be judged.

Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles, that, wherein they speak against you as malefactors, they may by your good works which they watch, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's

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sake; whether it be to the king as supreme, or unto gov ernors as sent by Him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well: (for so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men :) as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of malice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Household-servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle but also to the crooked. For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when ye sin and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if when ye do well and suffer for it ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that ye should follow His steps: who did no sin neither was guile found in His mouth: who when He was reviled reviled not again, when He suffered, threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously; who His own self bare our sins in His body upon the tree, that we having died unto sins might live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed.

For ye were going

astray like sheep, but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. In like manner, ye wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word they may without a word be gained by the behavior of their wives as they watch your chaste behavior coupled with reverence. Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing jewels of gold or of putting on apparel, but let it be the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight