The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 108

Ven:. 21-24.-The p1wpose of the Savio1w's su_ferings. One thing must be obsrrved &nd admired in the religious life and the religious teaching of the inspired apostles- everything they did and everythinii; they said led thei1· minds to the Lord Jesu~. If Christ be the Son of God and the Saviour of mankind, this is not to be wondered nt. He is not only the central figure of human history; he is at the core of each Christian's heart, at the spring of eacli Christian's life. The Christianity which is apart from men's thinking and duty and interest has no likeness to the Christianity of the apostles. Every subject they treated was, in their view, related to the Lord Jesus. Especially did they look at every relationship of society, and every duty of man in the light of Christ's Deity, Christ's humanity, Christ's cross I It was natural to them t? think th1;1s. Their hear1:5 were full of Christ, and what~ver path of inquiry, instruc- t10n, or action they took, 1t was sure to lead them to him. And this was not vain enthusiasm; it was most reasonable and right. We, too, cannot see thinas as they are in God's sight, we cannot act as he would have us, unless we connect ~II our expe- rience and all our duty with him who has brought God to us, who has brought us to God. Peter was a very practical man. When he wrote hid Epistle, he wrote it to actual living men and women. God be praised that we are taught our doctrines, not in theological treatises, but in letters which were the outpouring of soul to soul. Certain superfine religionists think the real occupations and relations of life as some- thing quite beneath their notice. So did not the apostle. For instance, he knew that some of the Christian people who would read his letter were slaves; and nccordingly he wrote to them as to slaves. There is no doubt that Christianity introduced among mankind principles which first ameliorated, and then abolished, slavery. But Peter had to deal with facts as they were. Christianity was to help men, not only to rise above slavery, but-whilst slavery still endured as an institution-to make the best of it. So Peter told these slaves that there was a work for them to do, a witness for them to offer, whilst they were still slaves. He bade them remember how their Maste1• Christ, who was at the same time their Redeemer, had borne himself amidst injustice, false accusation, contumely, and suffering. And he brought to bear the willing s!lcrifice of Christ for them upon their hearts, as a Divine motive to endurance and patience. 'l'hey were not so ill treated as their great Saviour had been; and, whilst he was perfectly innocent and good, they were not free from human infirmities. It was certainly their duty to display the spirit of their Lord, to do what he had done, to endure as he bad endured. 'l'hus they should honour him. Thus they should be in the way of reaping some wholesome fruit of blessing for themselves. 'fhus they should win others to the faith which none could help admiring. And thus they should secure fur themselves a sure recompense of reward. I. LooK AT THE FACT OF CHBrsT's SUFFERING. That the Founder of our religion should suffer is itself an astonishing and instructive fact. Suffering and shame, sub- mission to violence and cruelty,-these are not usually associated with power and victory. Yet the Author of the religion which has the greatest influence over man- kind, and is moulding the history of the world, was pre-eminently a Sufferer. \Ve believe that this was foretold. It cannot be questioned tliat the first Christian preachers and writers proclaimed, witbout any reserve, the humiliation and the woe of their great Lord. They even gloried in the cross. Peter was, perhaps better than any man, able to witness to the sufferinas and to the demeanour of Jesus Christ. He was "witb him in the garden; n and although he fell asleep, yet, on waking, he saw on his Master's brow the •• bloody sweat,'' and read upon bis Master's features the agony of soul through which he had passed, with no human sympathy, with none to share his aw!ul watcb. Peter was there when Judas betrayed the Lord with a kiss, and beheld tho meekness with which Le yielded himself into the hands of bis foes. It was Peter who drnw the sword in defence of his Master, and who heard that Master's rebuke, nnd his language of pathetic resignation, "'l'be cup which my Father hath given me, shall J not drink it?" The same Peter followed Jesus into the judgmcnt-hall, nnd saw the Lord wlwm he l1JYed Lc;und aud reviled, and witnessed hie meekness under insult and en. n. 1-25.J THE FIHST EPJSTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 103