The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 16

e.ttrihuted to the Jews (Acts iii. 17; Rom. x. but bath committed all jnclgment to the S; 1 Tim. i. 13), it wo.s ignoro.nce, not of the Son." But the Father is " Fons judicii ," aR moro.l lBw, o.s here, but of the Person and Diclymue says(quoted by Alford), "judicante office of Christ. The Jews had the oracles of Filio, Pater est qu\ juclicat," for the Son God; thoy know his will (Rom. ii. 17; iii. judges as hie Delegate; a.q it was through 2; comp. Bl~o Eph. iv. 18 o.nd Acts xyjj. the Son that the Father made the worlds. 30). He judges according to every man's work, Ver. 15.-13ut as he whioh hath called regarding, notclistinctione of rank, or wealth, you is holy ; rather, after the pattern of the or nationality, but only the character of the Holy One who called you. The calling is work. Observe that the word" work" (tp-yov) the fulfilment of the election :, "Whom he is in the eingnlar number, as ..-pii{w in Matt. did predestino.te, them he also ce.llecl." The xvi. 27. God judges according to every ChristiBn"s effort must be to fashion himself, man's work as a whole, accorclinl!; to the by God's grace, after the likeness of God, not whole scope Rnd meiming of his life as according to the former lusts (comp. Me.tt. issuing from the one governing principle, v. 45, 48; also Col. iii. 10; Eph. iv. 24). whether faith or selfishness. So Bengel, So be ye holy in all manner of oonversation. "Unins hominis unum est opus, bonum In the whole course of your daily life, in all ma.lumve." Pass the time of your sojourning its details, as you move hither and thither here in fear. The verb here, a.va.cr-rp<UfnJ-re, among men, take the holiness of God for corresponds with the noun a.oa.crorpocpii (" con- your pattern : " Be not conformed to this versation") of ver.15; both might be renclered world." (For the word "conversation" (as Dean Plumptre suggests) by "conduct" (a.va.crorpocpfi), comp. Ga.I. i. 13; Eph. iv. 22; (noun or verb)-" in all your conduct" in I Tim. iv. 12; Heb. xiii. 7.) ver. 15: and here, "conduct yourselves." Ver. 16.-»eoause it is written, lie ye holy; The word" sojourning" reminds us of ver. I for I am holy; literally, o.ccording to the of this chapter e.nd of eh. ii. 11, in which best manuscripts, ye shall be holy-future last place we he.ve the correspondin!\' Greek for imperative. The worcls occur five times word. We are sojourners here, life is short ; in the Book of Leviticus. God had co.lied but the character of that short life determines the Israelites to be his peculiar people, a our eternal condition: therefore Jim in fear. kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod. St. John says, "Perfect love casteth out xix. 5, 6). He has called us Christians to fear;" hnt there is no contradiction, a.a be "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, some have said, between the two holy a holy nation, a peculio.r people" (eh. ii. apostles; for the fear which cannot coexist 9). He is holy, awful in holiness; in his with perfect love (it may in various measures Bight" the heavens are not clean." We who coexist with imperfeot love) is slavish fear, are his must strive to be holy, separated selfish fear of death and punishment. The from all that is impure, consecrated to his fee.r which St. Peter and St. Paul (Phil. ii. service. 12) commend is holy fear-the fear of a son Ver. 17.-And if ye call on the Father. for a loving father, the fear of displeasing "If" does not imply doubt; it introduces an God before whom we walk, God who gave hypothesis which, being taken for granted, his blessed Son to die for us, Goel who will involves e. duty. Apparently there is here judge us at the last. This fear is not a reference to the Lord's Prayer, e.s in 2 Tim. cowardice. Our Lord said (Lake xii. 4), iv. 18. You call on God a.a your Father; then "Be not afraid of them that kill the bocly. pass your time in fear (comp. Mai. i. 6, "If . . . Fear him," etc. They who thus fear I be a Father, where is mine honour?''). He God need fear nothing else but God. called you first ; now ye ce.11 on him. The Ver. 18.-Forasmuch as ye know ; lite- translation of the Revised Version is more rally, knowing, C<mi!ide'l"ing. That ye were exo.ct the.n the Authorized Version," If yo not redeemed with oorruptible things, as call on him o.s Father.". Who without Bilver and gold. The orcler in the original cespeot of persons judgeth e.coording to gives more emphasis: "That not with cor- every m.an's work. The adverb l,:rrpocr.,. ruptible things, silver and gol<l, were ye -,roll.ii-,ror.,s, rendered "without respect of redeemed." Alford notes here that the persons," occurs nowhere else in the New diminutives (a.p-,up(q, f) xpucriq,) stand gene- Testament: but the tbonght is familiar. rally (not always) for the coined or wrought St. Peter himself he.d said, when he was sent metal. The word h,vrpdi811ore, "ye wero to receive Cornelius into the Church, "Of a ransomed," seems to point be.ck to the great truth I r,erceive that God is no respeoter of saying of our Lord, "The Son of man ea.me persons '(A.cts x. 34). Tho disciples of the . . . to give his life a l'!lnsom for mauy Pharisees had said the same of our Lord ("-6orpo11 a,orl-,roMwv)" (Matt. xx. 28; Mark x. (Matt. xxii. 16; comp. also Rom. ii. 11: 45; comp. 1 Tim. ii. 6). Doubtless no human Ge.I. ii. 6: Je.s. ii. 1-4). The Lord said language ce.n adequately express the my8- (John v. 22), " 'l'he Fo.ther judgeth no man, tery of the atonement. 'fhe.t stupenduns  10 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [en, 1. 1-2Cio