FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER CONTINUES
THEME: 1Pet. 5:12. “…this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand”
“The duties we are here exhorted to employ ourselves in are the mortification of sin, living to God, sobriety, prayer, charity, hospitality, and the best improvement of our talents, which the apostle presses upon Christians from the consideration of the time they have lost in their sins, and the approaching end of all things (v. 1–11).” M. Henry
- 2. Christ has suffered See on ch. 3:18 arm Rom. 13:12–14, Phi. 2:5, Heb. 12:3, for Rom. 6: 7, 11, Gal. 2:20, Col. 3:3–5, ceased from sin, Is. 1:16, Heb. 4:10, no. more Eph. 4: 17, 22–24; 5:7, 8. Col. 3:7, 8. Tit. 3:3–8. the lusts, Ep. 2:3. the will Ps. 143:10, Jn. 7:17, 2Cor. 5:15, Ep. 5:17; 6:6. Col. 4:12, 1Th. 5:18, Heb. 13:21. “As Christ suffered in his human nature, do you, according to your baptismal vow and profession, make your corrupt nature suffer, by putting to death the body of sin by self-denial and mortification; for, if you do not thus suffer, you will be conformable to Christ in his death and resurrection, and will cease from sin.” M. Henry
- -4 the time Act. 17:30. Rom. 8:12, 13, 1Cor. 6:11, to have Rom. 1:20–32, Eph. 2:2-3; 4:17, 1Th 4:5, Tit. 3:3, lasciviousness 2Cor. 12:21, Gal. 5:19, excess Pr. 23:29–35, Eph. 5:18, revellings Gal. 5:21, and 1Kg. 21:26, 2Chr. 15:8, Jer. 16:18. excess of riot. Luk. 15:13, 2Pet 2:22, and evil speaking, Act. 13:45; 18:6, 2Pet. 2:12, Jude 10. “A Christian ought no longer to live the rest of his time in the flesh, to the sinful lusts and corrupt desires of carnal wicked men; but, positively, he ought to conform himself to the revealed will of the holy God…All good Christians make the will of God, not their own lusts or desires, the rule of their lives and actions…It is but just, equal, and reasonable, that as you have hitherto all the former part of your life served sin and Satan, so you should now serve the living God.” M. Henry
- They who call you to account falsely shall have to give account of themselves for this evil speaking (Jude 15) and be condemned justly. 6. For—reason for v. 5, gospel preached also to … dead—as well as to them now living, and to them that shall be found alive at the Judge’s coming. The judge is ready to judge the quick and dead—the dead, I say, for they, too, in their lifetime, had the Gospel preached to them, that so they may be judged at last as those living now (and those who shall be alive when Christ comes). “Fausset A. R.
- of all things Eze. 7:2, 6, Rom. 13:12, 1Cor. 7:29, Phi. 4:5, Jas. 5:8-9, 2Pet. 3:9–11, ye be sober and watch unto prayers 1Th. 5:6–8, Tit. 2:12, Matt. 25:13; 26:38–41, Luk. 21:34, 36, Rom. 12:12, Ep. 6:18, Col. 4:2, 2Tim. 4:5. “We live in the last dispensation, not like the Jews under the Old Testament. The Lord will come as a thief: He is “ready” (v. 5) to judge the world at any moment: it is only God’s long-suffering, that the Gospel may be preached as a witness to all nations, that lengthens out the time which is with Him still as nothing. Sober, self-restrained… “Sober,” the opposite of “lasciviousness” (v. 3). watch— ‘be soberly vigilant;’ not intoxicated with worldly cares and pleasures. Temperance promotes wakefulness; both promote prayer. Drink makes drowsy; drowsiness prevents prayer. prayer— ‘prayers:’ the end for which we should exercise vigilance.” Fausset A. R. “Take care that you be continually in a calm sober disposition, fit for prayer; and that you be frequent in prayers, lest this end come upon you unawares,” Lu. 21:34.” M. Henry
- above all things Col. 3:14, 3Jn. 2, fervent – ‘intense love; for love shall cover (or covers- in the present tense, as several copies read) a multitude of sins;’ which seems a reference to the proverb, ‘love covereth all sins,’ Pr. 10:12, 1Cor. 13:1–13; 14:1, 1Th. 3:12; 4:9, 10, 2Th. 1:3, Heb. 13:1, Pro. 17:9; 18:13. A lesson from the Corinthians 1Cor. 11:30; 15:33. Their lack of love has been shown in bringing lawsuits, Ch. 6:1-8, wrangling about marriage, ch.7, eating things sacrificed to idols, ch. 8:1-13; 10:23-33, behaving selfishly at the Lord’s Supper, ch.11: 11-22, and vaunting themselves on account of their gifts. Ch.12 and 14. They did not realise that man tilts towards love-those who don’t mind their faults. He will desert a system or a person who blows their little mistakes beyond proportion. Love solves people problems, it enriches you. Is willingness to give without a thought of receiving anything in return. Love creates wealth by giving. Give more than you receive, Act.20:35 it will attract people to you. Love is not finding a perfect person; it is seeing an imperfect person perfectly. Love listens to other opinions, is concerned about others, overlook faults and failures, express itself through kindness- willingness to give without a thought of receiving anything in return. Handles each other differences, shows gratitude, and congratulates. The key to love is forgiveness. Forgiveness is vital and must be total. Matt. 18:21-35 ‘And there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee’ The expression ‘has something against thee’ covers all cases, even the slightest. It does not say ‘is at enmity with thee’ or ‘is angry with thee’ Mk. 11:25, Rom. 12:17-21 “Be reconciled, forgive or obtain forgiveness, do at least your best, that nothing may be set against your account by the great Judge”- STIER Life is more important than external acts of worship, and a healthy life will make worship more acceptable and profitable. Here we are to ‘yield reparation ungrudgingly, when it is demanded of you’- GRIFFITH Strive to settle personal difficulties in private without waiting for the intervention of legal processes. “It is best to settle difficulties without taking them before the Church’Matt. 18:15. However, the Church should be the last to intervene. Matt. 18:16-20. 1Cor. 6:1-8. CHRYS says “Nothing so restrains the wrong-doers, as when the injured bear what is done with gentleness. And it not only restrains them from rushing onward, but works upon them to repent for what has gone before, …And it makes them more our own, and causes them to be slaves –not merely friends –instead of haters and enemies.’Let us look at 1Cor. 6:7. Avenging oneself disgraces each of the two, and makes them worse, and their anger is brightened into greater flames, yea, often leads to death itself in the end. It is melancholy to see professed followers of Christ to be proud and unbending when difficulties arise among them. Is there some one with whom you are at variance? Prayerfully consider to do something to reconcile. Make effort, even if you have before tried in vain, an honest and earnest effort, in the fear of God, these are the words of the Son of God , our Saviour. Paul affirms in Rom. 12:17-21, ‘let not evil overcome you but overcome evil with good’ and in 1Cor. 6:7 we should rather be wronged. Somebody says ‘Forgiveness doesn’t depend on the other person, it depends on you, it doesn’t make what happened to you right, you made a decision not to let it control you. It is even important when the offending party refuses to admit guilt. Don’t place your future in that persons hand. Forgivness is first and foremost for your own benefit to let the pain and hurt go and moving forward. Hear what Nelson Mandela says as he walked out of unjust imprisonment of 27 years, “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
