The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 77

to point to a r£>0exit'e rer:deriug here; offered once for o.11 by the great High Lut the verb used by St. Jude is active, Pricft np~n the alto.r of the cro,s. Dut hr-01,co~oµoiivru. St. Jude is apparently there is 8till socritice in the CluiHtio.n thinking of the human siJe of the work, Cirnrch. 'l'lrnt ono S:tcrifice is ever present St. Pl'ter of the Divine; iu tile deepest in its atoning virtue a1Hl clc11nsi11g powe1·; seme Christ is the Duil,kr os well o.s the l\nd t!,rougl1 that one Socrifice the priests Founcbtion, as he himself Fnid in words of the spil'ilnal temple offer up dtiily spi- dnu Ltless present to St. Petcr's mind, ritual s1tcl'ificcs-the sacrifice of pl'uyc1· and "Upon tl1is rock I will bnild my Church." praise (Heh. xiii. 15), the socri!ice of aim~ Thul Church is the o.ntitype of the 1mcieut and oblations (Hob. xiii. 16), 11,nd that temple-a building not material, but spiri- Sllcrifice without which prayer and pl'nise tual, consisting, not of dead stones, but of and alms aro vo.in oblations, the saorifice of i;nuctified souls, resting on no earthly self (Rom. xii. 1). • These spiritua.l sacrifices foundation, but on that Rock which is are offered up through Jesus Christ the Christ (comp. Eph. ii. 20-22; l Cor. grmt High Priest (Heb. xiii. 15); they Iii. 16, 17 ; 2 Cor. vi. 16). An holy priest- derive their value only from faith· in his hood; rather, for (literally, inw) a holy sacl'ifice of himself; they are eflicncioua prie,sthnod. The figure again changes; the through his perpetual mediation and inter- thought of the temple leads to that of the cession; through him alone they ure accept- priesthood. The stones in the spiritue.l able to God. 'fhey are offered through temple a.re living stones; they are also him, and they are acceptable through him. i•ricsts. According to the original ideal of The Greek words admit of either connection; the Hebrew theocracy, nil Israelites were to and perhaps are intended to cover both be priests: "Ye shall be unto me a relations. kingdom of priests, a holy nation" (Exod. Ver. 6.-Wherofore e.lso it is contained in :xix. 6). This ideal is fultilled in the Chris- the Solipture; literally, because it contains tian Chnrch; it is a holy priesthood. Here in Scripture. There is no article according and in ver. 9 the Church collectively is to the best manuscripts; 11,nd the verb called a priesthood; in the Hook of the (,repdx.,) is impersonal; it i5 similarly used Ticvelation (i. 6; v. 10; xx. 6) Chrbtians in Josophus, 'Ant.,' :xi. 7. Compare the use indi'l"id ually are called priests. Bishop of the substantive ,rep•ox-1, in Acls viii. 32. Lightfoot says, e.t the opening of bis diaser- St. Pete1· proceeds to quote the prophecy te.tion on the Chrutian ministry, "The (Isa. xxviii. 16) to which he .l1as already kingdom of Christ . . . has no sacred days referred. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief Corner- or seasons, no special sanctuaries, because stone, elect, precious. The passage is t.aken every time and t:very place alike are holy. from the Septuagint, with the omission of Above a.II, it has no sacerdotal system. It some words not important for tbe prnsent interposes no sacrificial tribe or class purpose. St. Paul quotes the same prophecy uetween God e.nd man." He continues, still more freely (Rom. ix. 33). 'l'he rab- .. This conception is strictly an ideal, which binical w1·iters understand it of Hrzekiah, we mnst ever hold before our eyes . . . Lut but the earlier Jewish interpreters regarded which nevertheless cannot supersede the it e.s Messianic. And he that bclieveth on necessary wants of human society, and, if him shall not be confounded. The Hebrew crudely e.nd hastily applied, will lead only words litemlly mean "shall not be in to signal failure. .AF, appointed do.ye and haste;" the Septuagint appears to give the set places are indispensable to her efficiency, general meaniug. He thut hclicvcth (the so ulso the Church coulJ not fulfil 1he Hebrew word l'l?.!f) menus "to loon upon, purposes for which she exists without to build upon," and so "to trust, to rulers and teachers, mthout a ministry of confidtl ") shall not be flurried and excited reconciliation, in short, without an order of with vain fears and trepiuation; his mind men who may in some Eense be designated is stayccl on the Lord. a prif'slhood.'; The whole Jewish Church Yer. 7.-Unto yon therafore which bolieve was e. kino-dom of prieEte; yet there was an he is precious; ro.ther, unto you therefore Aaronic p~iesthood. The Chribtian Church which believe is the honour. 'l'he apostle is a holy priesthoud; yet there is e.n order applies the lust clause of the prophecy to hie of men who nm appointed to exercise the readers: they believe, they are built up Ly functions of the ministry, e.nd who, as faiLh upon the chief Corner-stone; therefore representing the collective priesthood of the the honour implied in the words of the whole Church, may be truly called priests. prophet, " He that belicveth on him shall To offer up spiritw.l se.crifices, acceptable to not be conf'oundcd" is theirs. There may God by Jesus Chr'..st. The priest must he.ve alao be in the worJ T&µf/, hononr, e.n echo ot Burne\\ hat to offer (H,,b. Yiii. :J). The the lvnµos (" precious," literally," held in aucrificce of tbe ancknt Law had found their honour") of vcr. 6; 1mu thus tho furli1cr falfihurnt in 1he one all-suilldent Sacrific~, IJJCaniug may bo im1ilic<l, "The worth which ou. II. 1-25.] THE FIRST l~l'ISTLE GENErtAL OF PETER. 71