The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 80

tee.n banquets, etc., came later. They may powers that be a.re ordained of God," anrl in by your good works, which they shall be- obeying them we obey the ordinance of Gori. hold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Christians were commonly accused of in- The word rendered, "which they eue.11 be- subordination, of doing "contrary to the holcl" ( l1ro1r-r,60-a11-r<r, or, accorcling to some decreeH of Cresar" (Acts xvii. 7); they must of the olcler manuscripts, l1ro1r-r,6011TEs, show by their conduct that these accusa . .beholding), occurs only here and in eh. iii. tions are falae, that tho progress of the 2, It implies close attention; the Gentiles gospel be not hindered. Whether it be to watched the conduct of the Christians, the king, as supreme. By "the king" i 3 no.now ly scrutinizing it to discover faults meant the Roman emperor, who was fre- and inconsistencies. The use of the corre- quently so clescribed in the Greek writers. sponding substantive, i1r&1r-r11s, in 2 Pet. i. 16 Nero was emperor when St. Peter wrote. is a coincidence to be noticed. It is not Christians were to obey even him, wicked probable that there is any reference to the tyrant as he was; for his power was ~i ven bee.then use of the word in connection with him from above, as the Lord himself hacl the Eleusiuia.n Mysteries. St. Peter hopes said of Pilate (John xix. 11 ). that this close observation of the lives of Ver. 14.-0r unto governors, as unto Christian people would lea.d the Gentiles them that a.re sent by him; literally, through to glorify God; he was thinking, perhaps, Mm. Some commentators, following Calvin, of our Lord's words in the Hermon on the understand the pronoun of the Lord. Cer- mount : "Let your light so shine before tainly, governors are sent through him ; he men, that they may see your good works, "ordereth all things, both in heaven a.nd and glorify your Father which is in heaven." earth." But it seems more natural in this Perhaps in the following clause also we may place to refer the pronoun to the nearer trace an echo of the Saviour's words in substantive, the king; it was through the Luke xie. 44, "Because thou knewest not Roman emperor that the various governors, the time of thy visitation" (i1r10-,co1r;)s, as legates, etc., were sent from time to time here). St. Peter hopes that the holy lives (as the Greek present participle implies) to of Christians may be made the means of administer the provinces. For the punish- saving many Gentile souls in the time of ment of evil-doers, and for the praise of visitation; that is, when God should visit them that do well. Observe the close the heathen with hie converting grace, seek- resemblance to Rom. xiii. 3, -¼. St. Peter ing to draw them to himself, whether by recognizes the Roman seuse of justice which gracious chastisement or by the preaching we see in men like Festus and Gallio. At of his servants. This seems more natural first the Jews were the persecutors of the than to understand the words of God's Christians; the Roman magistrates were visitation of the Ohrietians in tha persecu- their protectors. St. Peter wrote before the tions which were impending; though it is great outbreaks of Roman persecution; he true that many Gentiles were won to was himself to suffer under that emperor Christ by the calm and holy bee.ring of whose a.uthority he upheld. 1uffering Christians. Ver. 15.-For so is the will of God, that Ver. 13.-Submit yourselves to every with well-doing ye may put to sileuce the ordina.nce of ma.n. The aorist pa.ssive ignore.nee of foolish men. The Gentiles ( 111roT4')'1)TE) ie used, e.s often, in a middle speak against thtl Christians as evil-doers ; sense. The word for "ordinance" is ,c-rlo-u, they artl to put their accusers to silence by which in classica.l Greek means "founda- well-doing; this is to be their answer rather tion," as ofa city; but in the New Testament than indigue.nt self-vindico.tion. The Greek is used elsewhere only of the works of God, word rendered "put to silence" ( cp,µovv) in the sense of "creation," or" a creature" means literally" to muzzle" (comp.l\fatt.xxii. (see Mark xvi. 15; Col. i. 23, etc.). Hence 12; Mark iv. 39; l Cor. ix. 10). The word some, as De Wette, translate the words, "to for "iguorance " ( ,i'l'""'o-(a) occurs, besides every human creature," supporting their this passage, only in 1 Cor. xv. 3!, where it view by eh. v. 5. But on the whole this evidently means "culpable, self-caused ig- seems unlikely; a.116pw1rl111J ,c-r(o-,s is e. strange norance." The word for "foolish" (ficppwv) and awkward periphrnsis for f&116pw1ros. It is e. strong one-it weans" senseless" (comp. is better to understand it as meaning a 1 Cor. xv. 36). Here it ha.s the r.rticle, " the human creation or foundation. Certainly foolish men," i.e. those "who speak against " there is no power but of God" (Rom. xiii. you r.s evil-doers." 1); but the form which that power assumes Ver. 16.-As free. This verse is wit to be is a human institution. St. Peter bids his taken with what follows, for it does uot well readers to submit themselves to the de facto cohere with the contents of ver. 17: but form of government. For the Lord's sake. either with ver. H (vor. 15 being regardou Not from human motives, as fonr of punish- o.s parenthetical) or with ver. 15, notwith- ment; but fo1· tbe Lord's sake, because " the standing the oha.uge of case in the originlll,  74 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PB'l'EU. [ut. n. 1-26.