The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 81

whic-h prescnte no real difficulty; the mean• lead us to givo due honour to cnrthly princes ing being t.hnt Christinn freedom must ahow who rule by his controlling providc11ce. It itself, not in licence, bnt in willing obedience WI\S especially necessary to urge the fonr of to constituted authorities: "Not only for QQd as a motive, when the king to be wrntlt, but for conscience' sake" (Rom. xiii. honoured was such as Nero. 5). Those whom the 1ruth makes free arc Ver. 18.-Servants. 'l'he word is not fiou,\o 1 free indeed, but true freedom implies sub• slaves, but ol,;:fra,, household eorvants, domes'. mission to legitimate authority. And not ties. St. Peter mny have used it as e. less using your liberty for a cloke of malicious- hnrsh term, in Cluistin.n kindliness allll ness; litera:ly, not having your liberty as a courtPsy ; or he may have chosen it pur dol.e. '.fhe word rendered " cloke" ( bri· posely to include the large class of freedmen ,cd.l>..uµµa) is used in the Septuagint (Exod. and other dependeuts who were to be fouud xxvi. 14) for the covering of the tabernade. in the houses of the greo.t. The frequent The pretence of Christiau liberty must not mention of sin. ves in the Epistles shows that be made a covering, a concealment, of many of the Jh-st Christians must have been wickedness. But as the servants of God. in a condition of servitude (comp. 1 Cor. vii The truest liberty is that of the servn.nts of 2~-23; Eph. vi. 5-8; Col. iii. 22; 1 Tim. God; his service is pel'fect freedom (comp. v1. 1, 2, etc.). It was only natural that men Rom. vi. 16-23). should feel uneasy and irritable under the Ver. 17.-Honour all men. St. Peter yoke of slavery as they came to learn the illustrates the well-doing which he enjoins equality of all men in the eight of God, o.nd in ver. 15, drawing out his genera.I exhorta• t~ understand the bl~s~ed privileges and the tion into four rules of conduct. First, he high hopes of Chr1Bt1ans. The ·apostles bids ue give honour to all men. The Chris- counselled submission and resignation to the tians of Asia 111inor saw heathenism and vice will of God. Slavery we.s e.n unnatural all aronnd them; they heard of the abomi- institution; it must in time disappear under nable life of Nero and his courtiers atlfome. the softening influences of the gospel. But They were conscious of a greut and elevating Christian slaves were to wait in faith and change which had passed over themselves; pa.tienc~. The sacr~d writers use language St. Peter has just been enumerating the of studied moderation, carefully avoiding dignities and privileges of the Christian any expressions which might be regarded as life. But they must not be lifted up; they exciting to violence or revolutionary out- must des-pise no one, but honour in all men breaks. Be subject to your masters with all the handiwork of God, created after God's fear. The participle 01<0Ta.urroµevo, seems own image, though sadly marred aud de- to look back to the imperative inroT.l'}'11n in faced by sin. Respect is dne to all men, of ver. 13; the relation of slaves to their lords course in varying degrees and to be shown being one of the ordinances of me.n alluded in different waya; bnt in some sense it ill to there (comp. Eph. vi. 5, where St. Paul due to all, to the humblest and even to the bide slaves to be obedient to their me.stars worst. The aorist imperative (T1µ.f:rra'T,) "with fear and trembling, in singleness of se~ms to lay down this principle as a sharp, your heart, as unto Christ"). The holy fear definite rule, to be accepted at once, and of God, by whose providence they were eet to be applied ns need arises, according to in that Jowly station, would involve the fear the circumstances of each case. The three of failing in their duty to their masters. follmdug imperatives are present; the All fear; not onlylfear of punishment, but duties which they prescribe are viewed o.s e.lao fear of neglecting duty. Not only to coutinuons, recognized elements in 'll'ell- the good e.nd gentle, but also to the froward. doing. There was something new and Serve.nte must not make the character of strange in the command to honour a.ll men ; their masters an excuse for disobedience ; if it is expressed forcibly, ouce for all, by the their masters are froward (rr,col>..w[, literally, aorist imperatirn. Love the brotherhood. "crooked, perverse"), still they mnet bo The word a.fi,l>..t/>.n-11s, brotherhood, is peculiar submissive to the will of God. to St. Peter; it stands for the aggregate Ver. 19.-For this is thankworthy; lite- of Christian brethren regarded IL8 one rally, this is grace (comp. Luke vi. 32, no/a. body in Christ. 'l'he Lord bids us " lorn vµ.iv xap•s in£; "What thank have ye?" our enemies." St. Peter's rule does not where the parallel paernge in St. Matthew weaken the force of the Saviour's precept. is Tiva. µ.,rr8bv txen; "What reword he.ve .But love must vary in depth and degree ye?"). A comparison of these passages nccorJirrg to the varying relations of life; seems to show that xap,s o.nd 1-urrOos are used and the love which true Christians feel for in a similar sense as expressive of God'scon- the like-minded must be one of its strongest desccndiDg love. In hie gracious tenderness forms. Fear God. Honour the king. 'l'he he speaks of reward, though we deserve only llf:ly fear of God is the begiuuiug of wisdom. punishment; he even speaks of thanks, l':.c fe:u of Goel ae the King of kings will though we deserve oulycontlomnation. Other on. n. 1-20.] THE FlilSl' EPISTLE GENERAL 01•' PETER. 75