'l'HE
PULPIT COMMENTARY, EDITED DY 'l'IIE
VERY RKV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., DEAN OF GLOUCESTER;
AND BY TTIE
REV. JOSEPH S, EXELL, M.A.
Wl'l'H
INTRODUCTIONS BY THE
VERY REV. F. W. FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S., DEAN OF CANTERBURY. RIGIJT REV. H. COTTERILL, D.D., F.R.S.E. VERY REV. PRINCIPAL J. TULLOCH, D.D. REV. CANON G. RAWLINSON, M.A. REV. A. PLUMMER, M.A., D.D.
NEW EDITION.
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY LONDON AND NEW YORK 1907 THE
FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. INTRODUCTION.
I. AUTlllllTlC[TY o, TUB EPJffLI. TUERE aro modern writ.era who describe the t.eaching of tLia Epistle aa "an insipid Paulinism." To the believer it is one of tLe most precioua part.a of Holy Scripture. It is charocterized by a depth of conviction, a. vivid reali- zation of .the spiritual blessings, the living hope, the abiding joy, which spring from a true faith in Christ; by a firm grup of the neceiu,ity of reality in tbe Christian life, of resolute sell-denial and patient obt:dicnce ; by a deep and true sympo.tby with suffering Chri■tiana; by a. steadfut faith in the Lord's atonement and tbo power and preciousness of his example ; by an earnest presento.tion of the duties of humility, brotherly love, endarnncc, trustfulness, porsovenmee; by a calm and holy wisdom, worthy of the fin1t of the apostles, worthy of him to whom the Lord bad given the sigui- flcant name of Peter, who "seemed to boa pi1Ju.r" (Gal. ii. 9) of the riling Church.
1. Internal Eviclenu. The writer doac.Tibca himself 48 "Poter, an apostle of Jcsns Christ." Tho Epistle itself bears witness to the truth of the superscription. He places the greo.t word II olect " in the forefront of his Epi11tlo. St. Peter had heard that word three times from tho Lo1·d's lips in the solemn p1-ophecy of coming judgmont (Mark xiii. 20, 22, 27). Ho was present when Christ pronoanced his blessing on those who had not seen, but yet bod believod (John u. 29); ho almost echoes the Saviour's words in eh. i. 8. 'rhe Lord hnd said, " Let your loins bo girded about, and your lights burning;" St. Peter bidit 1111 "gird up tbo foins of yonr mind" (oh. i. 13). TI.Jo Lord told hi11 opostles tho.t he ea.me "to give his lifo a ransom for many;" St. Peter reminds ua 11 thnt wo o.ro redeemed .• , with tho prooious blood of Cliri11t" (eh. i. 18). I, rlGTICD. fi INTnODUCTION TO
The de9Cription of Cbrial in eh. i. 19 u "a l,amh without bloml1b and wfLh- <:>Ul •pot," ,...,_inda •• that Andrew, Simon Pet.er'• brothC!I', who flnt brongh6 him tn Jen■, wu nne of lh,.,.. t•o di■cipt.. of John the Daptl■t who hoard th.-ir mut.!r •1, "Debold the t.mb of God I" 1'ho W'ord■ d ~ , and n, ,, u in r,h, i. 6 and 12 mmi11cl 111 of M11tt. Y. 12 and Luke n,iy, 12. Ttie Lord had IIJ)Oken of th1i kingdom pnipand from "the foandaLfon of the ,..,fJfld ; " hll had uid, "Thi■ i• my oommandmcnt, that yo J.o,,e one another;" :-- •.. Peter l'l!JK'RUI hi■ Mutar'1 word■ ia eh. i. 20, 22. 1.'he Lord had applu,d ll.i bimatlf &be wont. of the haudnd and eigbt.onth pttalm, the prophecy of the lltoae whiela the bailden rrjectel ; St. Poter quota the ame pMlm 111 eh. ii. 7, &ad, u H hi■ thought.A went bBck to that ■olemn hour when, immediately art.er biA great confOMion, ho iacarred through bis mi.taken ..t!ection the Lm-cl'• INn'ere nbake, be reproduces tho word which wu then applied to hi.nulcll, -..a.h,•, "ao olence" (eh. ii. 8). Tbo Lord Jw1 told him that be wu Pet.er, a it.one; be bad spoken of hia Ohnrch which be wonld build upon tbe J"OCk; St. Peter de.cribel all Ohrat'• faithfnl people u .. living 1tona, built up a ,ipiritaal bouo" (eh. ii. &). The Lord had f!J'IOkeii of" the day of 'f'Uit&tion "of Jerualom (Lab sis. 44); St. Pet.er ocboel hia worda ia eh. ii. 12. la lrlark i. 26 aud iv. 39-the Gospel wbfeh wu ia all pn,be.biJity writtcn under St. Peter'■ direction-we read the NIUl'b.ble wonl f/,ywi,,, (,;.,, '@;;.,, .,,.u/,l,-o) ; tbo ap011tle u■ot the NIU word ia eh. ii. lti. la eh. ii. U> "tbi, i, thaakwonli7" ■com• an echo of Luke Vl. ft, ud " ~ 1t'1'0agfaJJ7" of Jrlatt. T, 39, The Lotcl bad 11,fd, u Thon are the cbildreD f.,_, .. ud 7.t bad CODMmW to pay t.bo balf-tbekel low the ~ af the temple, ia accordaace with St. Peter'■ promi,o; the a.po,tle i.c1- c.l,at Cbrut.iau are free, and 7et that t.be,- 1bould 1ubmft to ffffJ ,,rdimnee ,,t w for the Lord'• au. Bo had ,oen tho Lord Jen, sfrd. himaelf witb a k>Wel, ud wub tlu, apo,,tlel' f.eet; he bid.I hf.t reader, rfrd thomNlY• wUb luamilit7, t.o tie it round them lib & clole-flttlJJr apron (eh. v. ,). Tb. Lord bad. Mid that b.e had given the a.po,tlel an enmple (JohJI zili. U); be had ap.ia &ad again biddw tlJer.11 to emu aftor hfm, to follow Lim ; St. Peter teu. u that Cbritt left " a, an namr,fo, that 1• t-uoiild !ollc,w hi. at.pi" (eh. i.i. 21), St. Pete-r may ba.-o "'1D tbe mocking ..,1,rl to. acoargillg wbeo the duiclplo whom 1•n11 Jovod took him fnto tho ~ p,Mllt'a ball ; JM, -,-b of Uwl ~nilin, aad. tba •tripe,11 Wllng a reJD&rk• MM .,o,,d ~ J , wludi ~ to pieture tb• bwody w•l111 ming untlor ,.,~ ertHJJ ,..._ 111 eh. u.. 2£ J.-. •~u lJI. "1Ju,11p "'''"I ufn,7," uml ut II tho 8w,plwwd of. 7c,r,, .,.Ja," a.r.d i,1 Qb. "· -' of t,tu, eLi.t 8fu,pluird, a. ff tbo J~•• word.I ,a llaiM,. jz, U &Dd niU. 12, 1~, IIPll tl," precfou■ &Jlggor1 '11 u. Gc,rAI ilu,p-4 Jl80Ql'W ..tt.nrard1 by ~t. John, were 1t411 !1•01h fn i,. mlnAllf"1, I,i cli. Iii. 9, 1" ,re, IHl4Jfn t<, ,oo t,,ro alltu1lon11 to the 11mnor1 "'' the ~ (eqmp, X.U, T, 39, 10), Th41 lhrd foul chr111t c,n the #Olcunn .,,.,.,,;~ of tbfl D•Jog" i11 )!a.U. nfT, 37, :J~; ljt,, l'•km m.itJ11 tlu, 1M11• fn d,. W. ~, .,,._. ma ~ i tb&t, 0017 "lll'l'f "'"' Bt'8d" 1oom1 al#O a 11 J'/:fr,i1,i.a«1C. uf. lntkt &iii. 23. Tiu, tr(l1'd11, II..,. ,;ood ,t.wM<IM, in oh, fv.10, TJIE l'JRBT EPJFJTLE OOERAL O'J PF,T~R.