The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 11

Poter adopts the doJ:ology ueed by St. Paul Bengel, oto., oonneot the words, " by tho in writing to the Churohee at Corinth and resurrection," etc., not with " bath begottou Ephesus (2 Oor. i. 3; Eph. i. 3), the lllllt us again," but with the word "lively" or being one of those to whioh this Epistle is "living "-a hope that liveth t.hrough tho eddresserl. It is B question whether the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 'l'hie conneo- genitive, "of our Lord Jesus Christ," tiou is grammatic&lly possible, aud gives a depends on both substantives or only on good and trne meauiug; it is the rcsurreo- the last. The Greek will admit either tion of the Lord Jesus Christ which makes ,·iew, and there are high authorities on the Christian's hope liviug and strong; but both sides. On tl1e whole, the first seems the other explanation seems more natural, tho most nature] interpretation. The Lord and is supported by such passages as Rom. himself hnrl said," I 68Cend unto my Father, iv. 25, aud eh. iii. 21 of this Epistle. The nnd your Father; and to my God, and your heavenly inheritanco is the ultimate end of God" (John xx. 17). He could not say, our regeneration ; the hope of that inheri- "our God," for the relations aro widely tance is the present joy of the Christian diflerent; he could say," my God," as he life. St. Paul remincls the Ephesian had so.id upon the cros~; for, in the well- Christians that when they were without known words of Theophy lact, " he is both Christ they had no hope (Epb. ii. 12); but the God and the Father of one and the same God according to his great mercy begat us Christ; his God, as of Christ manifest in again into a n~w life, and one important the flesh; his Father, as of God the Word." aspect of that 11ew life is hope, the hope of So St. Paul, after nsing this same form of ever-deepening fellowship with God now, salutation in Eph. i. 3, speaks of God in the of everlasting life with God in heaven. ee,·cnteentb l"erse a.s "the God of our Lord That hope is living; it is "pervaded with Jesus Christ, tlui Father of glory" (comp. life, carrying with it in undying power the also Rom. J:V. 6; 2 Oor. xi. 31; Col i 3). certainty of fulfilment (Rom. v. 5), and Which aocordmg to his abundant mercy me.king the heart joyful and happy." hath begotten us age.ill nnto a lively hope, (Ruther); "it hB,i life in itself, and gives by the resurrection of Jeans Christ from the life, and has life as its object" (De Wette). dead; rather, begat, as in the Revised .And it liveth, it doth not perish. like the V crsion. St. Peter refers our regeneration hopes of this world, but it lives on in ever back to the great fact of the resnrrectiou of fuller joy till it reaches its consummation in Christ. The Lord J esns Christ is" 1.h.e First- heaven; even there "hope abideth," for begotten of the dead " (Rev. i 5) ; we are ever in heaven there will be, it seems, a " buried with him in baptism, wherein also continual progress from glory to glory, ye are risen with him through the faith of nearer and nearer to the throne. St. Peter the operation of God, who bath raised him is the apostle of hope. "He loves," says from the dead" (Col. ii. 12). The Church, Bengel, "the epithet'living,'and the mention " which is his body" (Eph. i 23), died with of hope." him iu his death, rose with him in his resur- Ver. 4.-To an inheritanoe incorruptible, rection. Christiana individually are baptized and undefiled, and that fe.deth not away. into his death, "that like as Christ was The Christian's hope maketh not ashamed. raised up from the dend by the glory of the The inheritance is sure ; it is better than Father, even so we also should walk in the inheritance promised to Abraham: for newness of life" (Rom. vi 4). The resur- it is (1) inoorrupUble. All things earthly recLiou of Christ was in a real sense the have in themselves the seeds of decay and birth of the Church. Therefore St. Peter, death; but "when this corruptible shall who in eh. iiL 21 speaks so strongly of the have put on incorruption," the redeemed of effect of holy baptism, here refers our the Lord shall receive a kingdom that regeneration to that without which baptism cannot be moved, where "neither moth nor would be an empty ceremony, the resur- rust doth corrupt." (2) It is undeji./.ed. rection of our Lord. God's great mercy The inheritance of Israel was defiled (Lev. (cowp. Eph. ii. 4, 5, "God, who is rich in xviii. 27, 28), but into the heavenly inheri- mercy, . . . he.th quickened us together with tance eutereth not "anything that defiletb" Christ ") is the :first cause of our new birth, (Rev. xxi 27). (3) It fadeth not away. Chruit's resurrection is the means through " The graas witbereth, the flower falleth which it waa accomplished. St. Peter alone away; " it is not so in the "land that is of the New Teste.ment writers UBes the very far off." 'fhe crown reserved for its word here rendered "bath begotten again " blessed inhabitants is e.n amaranth wreath (o.11a.-y,11vf,tTas); it occurs alllO in ver. 23. (comp. Wied. vi. 13 and oh, v. 4, where see But our Lord himself, and his apostles St. note). There are no tendencies to corruption James and St. Paul, teach the aume truth there, no possibilities of defilement, not even in 6imile.r words (6ee John iii. 5; Jaa. i. 18; that fa.ding which must pass over the foir(jst Ti Luc iii. 5). Some cuwmentatord, as Luther, things of earth. Reservod in hoavon for on r. 1-25.] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 5