The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 79

.,..,p,1rol71<Tn•, by the Authorized Version ''my to pl'l\cticnl topics : he he gins liis exhortation jewels." The cl1ildren of Israel are called in the affectionate manner common in Holy ~-,: ;,S,19, ns the peculium, the private, Scripture. Ho calls his renders "strnngers sper.ial, treasured possession of God. God and pilgrims." The word here renclored says of them, in Isa.. xliii. 21, •• This people "strangers" (1rdpo11,01) is equivo.leut to the ha..-e I formed for myself; they shall show classical µ.fro11to1, and means " fol'Cign set- forth my praise ; " rendered by the LXX. tlers,dwellers in a strang:e land." 'file second Aa&v µ.ov fw .,..,p1<1ro171<Tcl.µ.~v -rih apncl., µ.ov word (1rapurl~11µ0,, tran~lated" stmngers" ir ~,71y,«r8a1, God hath now chosen us Chris- eh. i.) means "visitors" who tarry for o. tim tians to be the Israel of God ; the Christian ~n ~foreign country,no~ perm~nentlysettlinE, Church is his peculium, his treasure, "a in 1t. It does not cont.am the 1dens associated people for God's own possession" (Revised with the modern use of "pilg1im;" though Version). The literal meaning of the Greek that word, derived from the Lntin peregrinua, words used by St. Peter is "a people for originally meant no more thnn "sojourner.'' acquisition," or "for keeping safe," the verb St. Peter is plainly using the words mete.- ha,ing the sense of "gaining, acqniring," pborically-his readers were citizens of the and also tbo.t of " presening, keeping for hea.veuly country; on earth they were one's self" (comp. l Thess. v. 9; also Acts sojourners. Both words occur in the Sep• xx. 28, "The Church of God, which he tuagint Version of Pa. xxxix. 12 (xxxviii. purchased (~v .,,.,pu,,ro,f,<Ta-ro) with his own 13 in the Greek), with the same metaphorical blood "). That ye should show forth the meaning. Abstain from fleshly lusts, whioh praises of him. That ye should tell out, war against the souL Strangers and pil- puhlish abroad. The verb is found no- grims should remember their distant home. where else in the New Testament. The and not follow the practices of the strange word translated "praises" (lipeTci.<, literally, land in which they sojourn. The lusts of the " virtues"), so very common in classical flesh a.re all those desires which issue out writers, occurs in the New Testament only of onr corrupt nature (comp. Gal. v. 16-21). here, 2 Pet. i. 3, 5, and Phil. iv. 8. Here They "war against the soul." "Non modo St. Pet.er is qnoting from the Septuagint impecliunt," says Bengel, "sed oppugnant; Version of Ise.. :rliii. 21 (the word is similarly gra.nde verbum" (comp. Rom. vii. 23). St. used in Isa. xlii. 12 and !xiii. 7). Perhaps Peter uses the word " soul " here for the the best rendering is that of the Revised whole spiritual nature of man, as in eh. i 9, Version, " excellencies." Who ha.th oe.lled 22. you out of da.rkneu into his marvellous Ver. 12. - Having yonr oonversa.tion light. He had chosen them before the honest among the Gentiles. If we read foundation of the world; he called them a,rexe<TBa, in ver. 11 (some ancient manu- when they received the gospel: "Whom he scripts have l,;-,,.,xeuBe), there is a slight did predestinate, them be also called." He irregularity in the construction, as the par- ea.lied them out of the darkness of ignorance ticiple lxovTEs is nominative; it gives more and sin. The Gentiles walked in utter force and vividness to the sentence (comp. darkness, in Jess measnre the Jews also. in the Greek, Eph. iv. 2; Col. iii. I 6). The The light of his presence is marvellous, conversation (a:valTTpo<fr{,, mode of life or wonderful; those who walk in that light behaviour) of the unconverted is described feel something of its irradiating glory. as "vain " in eh. i. 18; the conversation of Ver. 10.-Which in time past were not a Christians must be seemly (1ta1'-f,), exhibit- people, but are now the people of God. St. ing the beauty of holiness. The Churches Pet.er quotes the prophecy of Hosea. (ii. 23), to which St. Peter wrote we1·e in Gentile as St. Paul also does in Rom. ix. 25, 26. countries ; they must be careful, for the And as St. Paul applies the prophet's words honour of their religion, to set a good ex- (said originally of the Jews) to the Christian ample among the heathen-a warning, alas I Church, to those called "not of the Jews too often neglected in modern as well as in only, but also oftbe Gentiles," so apparently ancient times. That, whereas they speak does St. Peter here. They were not a people; against you as evil-doers; literally, wherein, •• Ne populus quidem.," says Bengel," nedum in the matter in which they speo.k, i.e. iu Dei populus." It is the calling of God reference to manner of life. Christians which gives a unity to the Church gathered were commonly accused of "turning the out of all races and all landB, and makes it world upBide down;" of doing "contrary to the people of God. Which ha.d not obtained the decrees of Crusar," as at Thessalonica. meroy, but now have obtained meroy. The (Acts xvii. 6, 7); of being atheists and ll.Orist participle, h1.,778,,,.,-u, implies that blasphemers of the populnr idolatry, as at that mercy had been obtaine<l at a definite Ephesus (Acts xix. 37). Suetonius calla time, at their con version. them a "genus hominum superstitionis Ver. 11.-Dearly beloved, I beseech you as novm et maleficru" (' Vit. Neron.,' eh. xvi.). 1trangers and pilgrima. St. Peter returns Probably the grosser accusation11 of Thye11-. 011. u. 1-26.) TRE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 73