PETER,
FIRST
EPISTLE
OF
II.
The
behaviour
of
the
Christian
in
the
world
and
in
the
brotherhood,
2"-3'2.
It
must
be
pure
and
honourable
in
the
midst
of
the
heathen,
2"-
12.
(a)
Though
free
servants
of
God,
Christians
must
be
loyal
to
the
earthly
government,
and
observe
their
duties
to
all
men
in
their
several
stations,
W.13-17.
(6)
Slaves
must
be
obedient
even
to
harsh
masters,
showing
their
possession
of
Divine
grace
and
their
discipleship
to
Jesus,
by
enduring
suffering
like
Him
whose
unmerited
death
has
brought
us
salvation,
w.^^-^.
(c)
Wives
are
to
exercise
a
quiet
and
gentle
spirit,
like
true
mothers
in
Israel,
submitting
to
their
husbands,
in
the
hope
that
if
they
are
heathen
they
may
be
won
to
the
faith
by
their
Christian
life.
Likewise
husbands
must
honour
their
wives
as
equally
with
themselves
heirs
of
life.
3'-'.
(d)
The
duty
of
a
peaceful
and
kindly
life
to
strengthen
the
unity
within
the
brotherhood,
w.^-*^.
III.
The
uses
of
suffering,
S'^M"'.
(a)
Suffering
cannot
really
harm
one
who
has
Christ
in
his
rieart;
nay,
gentle
steadfastness
under
persecution
may,
like
our
Master's,
win
over
others
to
God,
Z"-".
Digression.
Quickened
in
spirit
by
death,
Christ
carried
the
gospel
to
the
godless
world
that
perished
in
the
Flood,
through
which
Noah
and
his
family
were_
saved,
a
type
of
the
Christian
who
in
his
baptism
asks
God
for
a
good
conscience,
and
is
cleansed
through
the
risen
Christ
now
triumphant
over
all
His
enemies,
w.18-22.
(6)
Suffering
delivers
us
from
our
sinful
life.
Though
your
former
heathen
comrades
revile
you
for
abandoning
their
life
of
sensuality,
you
must
have
done
with
them
and
leave
them
to
the
just
Judge
of
all,
4'-^.
Digression.
In
the
short
time
that
remains
until
the
return
of
the
Lord,
Christians
should
live
a
life
of
self-control,
exercising
brotherly
love,
hospitality,
and
spiritual
gifts,
4^-".
(c)
Your
sufferings
are
not
imique,
but
become
a
blessing
if
they
are
the
result
of
fidelity
to
your
Christian
profession,
and
not
of
evil
conduct.
They
are
a
sign
that
judgment
is
near,
which
you
may
await
in
a
life
of
well-doing,
trusting
your
faithful
Creator,
w.^2-19,
IV.
Miscellaneous
advice,
5*-".
(a)
Counsel
to
elder
of
the
Church,
and
to
the
younger
men,
5'-*.
(6)
Exhortation
to
resignation,
watchfulness,
and
trust
in
the
midst
of
the
terrible
sufferings
that
are
being
endured
by
the
brotherhood
every-where,
w.^-".
(c)
Personal
greetings,
w.^^-h,
2.
Readers.
—
Of
the
provinces
in
which
the
readers
lived,
Galatia
and
Asia
were
evangelized
by
St.
Paul,
but
nothing
is
known
of
the
evangelization
of
the
rest,
nor
does
the
letter
assume
that
St.
Peter
had
any
share
in
it.
At
first
sight
it
would
appear
that
the
readers
were
Jewish
Christians,
as
some
scholars
hold
that
they
were,
but
the
body
of
the
Epistle
clearly
shows
that
the
prevailing
element
was
Gentile,
and
the
words
of
1'
are
to
be
taken
figuratively
of
the
sojourn
of
the
Christian
aa
a
resident
alien
on
earth,
absent
from
his
heavenly
fatherland
(2'-
"
4'-*).
Doubtless,
how-ever,
very
many
who
had
been
Jews
were
found
in
all
the
Churches
of
the
large
cities.
The
former
life
of
the
readers,
on
the
average
low
level
of
Asia
Minor,
had
been
given
over
to
the
vices
of
the
fiesh;
perhaps,
indeed,
their
past
conduct
was
the
source
from
which
the
criminal
charges
were
brought
against
them
afterwards
as
Christians
(2''
i^-
").
The
Churches
were
suffering
severely,
though
there
does
not
seem
to
have
been
an
official
persecution,
or
a
systematic
attempt
at
exter-mination,
for
it
is
assumed
that
most
will
remain
until
the
Parousia
(4').
So
severe
was
their
suffering,
that
only
the
strong
arm
of
God
could
protect
them
in
their
temptation
(!'-'
412
5s).
Christians
are
easily
con-founded
with
criminals
(2i2-
■'■
i»
3"-
'«■
"
4"i.
"),
slaves
suffer
at
the
hands
of
their
masters,
wives
from
their
husbands,
but
their
experience
was
of
the
same
PETER,
FIRST
EPISTLE
OF
character
as
that
of
the
Christian
brotherhood
through-out
the
world
(5»).
The
Churches
are
'islands
In
an
ocean
of
heathenism.'
3.
Purpose.—
This
letter
is
an
encouragement
to
readers
who
are
in
danger
of
lapsing,
through
suffering,
into
the
unholy
life
of
their
neighbours.
By
recalling
the
fact
of
the
resurrection
of
Christ,
and
by
an
appeal
to
the
example
of
His
remedial
sufferings,
the
author
seeks
to
awaken
their
faith
and
hope
in
God.
They
are
urged
to
sustain
their
moral
life
in
the
exercise
of
a
calm
and
sober
confidence
in
the
grace
of
God
soon
to
be
revealed
more
fully
(1"
4'
5»-'»),
and
to
commend
their
gospel
to
the
heathen
world
by
their
lives
of
good-ness,
entrusting
themselves
in
well-doing
to
a
faithful
Creator
(4>«).
4.
Teaching.—
(a)
Doctrine.—
'FaiVa
in
God
as
the
holy
Father
and
faithful
Creator
is
built
upon
the
solid
facts
of
the
gospel,
—
in
particular,
the
life,
death,
and
resurrection
of
Christ
the
eternal
Messiah
(!»-").
The
life
of
Jesus
Christ
has
made
an
ineffaceable
impression
upon
the
author.
He
was
spotless,
the
perfect
pattern
for
men,
but
also
the
Messiah,
who
as
the
Servant
of
the
Lord
has
by
His
death
ransomed
a
new
people
and
ratified
a
new
covenant
(1^
18-20
222-M).
By
His
res-urrection
He
has
been
exalted
to
God's
right
hand,
and
will
soon
return
to
unveil
further
glories
(1"
322).
The
most
probable
interpretation
of
3'»ff-
is
that
Christ
went,
during
the
period
between
His
death
and
resurrec-tion,
to
the
abode
of
the
dead,
and,
having
preached
His
gospel
to
those
who
had
been
the
wicked
ante-dUuvian
world,
has
made
it
of
universal
efficacy
(cf.
Eph
48-").
In
this
life
Christ
becomes
an
object
of
inexpressible
joy
to
believers
on
whom
the
Spirit
has
been
poured
forth
(12-
s.
12).
Peter
does
not
regard
the
Spirit
as
the
source
of
Christian
virtues,
but
as
the
pledge
of
our
future
inheritance,
as
well
as
of
present
Divine
grace
manifested
in
the
ability
to
endure
suffering
(4").
This
Spirit
was
also
identified
with
the
pre-existent
Messiah,
and
was
the
means
of
His
persistence
through
death
(1"
3'8-
"
4").
By
the
Spirit
the
brethren
are
also
consecrated
in
a
new
covenant
to
Jehovah,
thereby
receiving
the
fulfilment
of
the
promise
of
the
Messianic
age
(12).
The
risen
Christ
has
become
the
object
of
the
believer's
utter
love
and
devotion,
and
has
begotten
in
him
the
living
hope
of
an
eternal
inheritance.
(6)
The
Christian
life.
—
At
baptism
the
believer
has
his
conscience
cleansed
through
the
risen
Christ;
and
the
new
life
springing
from
the
seed
of
the
word
of
God
planted
in
the
heart
grows
by
feeding
upon
that
word.
Holiness
is
its
quality,
involving
obedience
to
the
truth,
freedom
from
fleshly
lusts,
self-control
under
suffering,
joy
in
a
present
salvation,
and
hope
of
life
in
the
incorruptible
inheritance.
Faith
is
the
act
whereby
the
believer,
realizing
the
worth
of
the
unseen
world
through
the
revelation
of
Jesus
Christ,
puts
complete
trust
in
God.
With
Christ,
the
living
stone.
Christians
form
the
new
temple
in
which
the
brethren
are
a
royal
priesthood.
They
are
the
true
Israel,
a
brotherhood
which
is
God's
home
on
earth.
The
Christian
is
a
pilgrim
on
earth,
his
life
one
of
love
to
the
brethren
and
of
gentle
endurance
towards
the
unbeliever,
whom
he
seeks
to
win
to
the
gospel,
while
he
stands
ready
girt
for
his
Master's
coming
(1"
55-»).
6.
Literary
affinities.-
(a)
The
OT.
—
This
Epistle
is
greatly
indebted
to
the
LXX,
especially
to
the
Psalms
and
to
Isaiah,
whose
teaching
as
to
the
holiness
of
God
and
the
redemptive
efficacy
of
the
sufferings
of
the
Servant
of
the
Lord
is
echoed
(1
P
l'»-2ii.
Is
52»
53;
1
P
jM.
M^
i9
408ff.;
1
p
26B-,
Is
28'6,
Ps
US'';
1
P
22i"-
;
Is
53;
1
P
S'""-,
Ps
3412a.).
Proverbs
also
is
used
(1
P
2",
Pr
2421;
1
P
48,
Pr
1012;
1
p
4i8_
pr
ipi;
i
p
55,
Pr
3M).
(6)
Book
of
Enoch.
—
An
acquaintance
with
this
pseudepigraphlc
book
may
be
traced
in
1
P
I12
3"-
2».
Cf.
Enoch
91
10<-
'■
12.
1!
641-
2-
692«.
