The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 8

FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. EXPOSITION. OHAPTER L direct from Christ. Bat he calls himsell simply an apostle, not the prince of the Ver. 1.-Peter. It is the Greek form of apostles; he claims no superiority over the the name, which the Lord Jesus himself rest of the apostolic college. The impulsive harl giveu to the great apostle; first, by forwardness which had once been the 1mticipation, in the spirit of propheoy (John prominent defect in his noble character ha.cl i. 42) ; and again when the prophecy was passed away; he had learned that difficult already in a measure fulfilled, and Simon lesson which the Lord had impresserl upon was proving himself to be indeed a stone, the apostles when he set the little child built upon the Rock of Ages, which is among them as their example; he was now, Christ (Matt. xvi. 18). It was his Christian in his own words," clothed with humility." no.me; he must have prized that name as To the strangers scattered; literally, to the the gift of Christ, reminding him always of elect sojourners of the du,-persicm of Pontus, his confession and of the Saviour's promise, etc. " The dispersion" (8,a.cnropci) was the urging him to maintain throughout life that recognized term (comp. Jas. i 1; John vii_ rock-like steadfastness which we.a indeed 35; 2 Mace. i. 27) for the Jews who were characteristic of him, but in which he had scattered over Gentile countries. The gos- more than once very sadly failed. The use pel of the circumcisiou was committed unto of the Greek form seems to indicate that Peter (Gal. ii. 7); Paul and Barnabas were the Epistle was originally written in Greek, to go unto the bee.then; James, Cephas, and and gives some slight support to the view John unto the circumcision (Gal. ii. 9). But that it was addressed to Gentile converts as St. Peter had been taught to call no man well as to Hebrew Christians. An apostle common or unclean ; be did not forget that of J'esus Christ. He does not add e.nv asser- God had made choice that the Gentiles by tion of the truth of his apostleship, as St. his mouth should hear the word of the Paul often does; his apoatolio dignity had gospel, and believe ( Acts xv. 7) ; he can not been questioned; the false brethren, who scarcely have intended to maintain in this so often disputed the authority of St. Paul, Epistle that exclusiveness into which he had never assailed St. Peter. He does not once relapsed, and for whioh he was rebuked join other names with his own in the by St. Paul (Gal. ii. 11-H). He' certainly address, though he mentions nt the closo of uses the word here rendered "strangers" his Epistle Marous-probably the John Mark ( 1rape1r18,luois) metaphorically in eh. ii. 11 who accompanied St. Paul in his first mis- (oomp. Heb. xi. 13); and we cannot but sionary journey- and Silvanus-probably think that, by "the sojourners of the dis- the Silas of the Acts of the Apostles, and persion," he means, not merely the J c·wislt the Silvanus whom St. Paul associates with Christians of Asia Minor, but all Christi,tn himself in addressing the Churoh of the people dispersed among the heathen. We Thessnlonians. He desoribes himself as "an shall see, as we proceed iu the study of the apostle of Jesus Christ." All Christiana Epistle, that the writer contemplates Gen- who knew the gospel history knew that St. tile as well as Jewish reurler:i. Those Peter we.e one of the first-oe.lled apostles, renders were sojourners for n brief time on one of the three who we1·e nearest to the earth (perhaps the preposition 1ra.pcl. marks Lord, one who had received the apostolio the passing cbarncter of their s0journ): commission in II marked and special manner "Here havo we no continuing city, but w11 L l'ETEll. D  THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [en. 1. 1-26.