The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 179

nn!urnl to s~pply the r,nrtidplc" Spl'&ldng" rC'sumcs the thought of eh. i. 7; tho pcrs~• 1J11rn "let him speak, after the nnnlogy or cutiou is o. hurnin:;, 11 fiery furnace, whirh ~,aK,woiiv-r~s ("ministering") in '\"'()f. 10. For is being kindled nmong them for a 1rio.l, tn 1he word x&;,,a, orncle..-, see Acts vii. 38; try the strength of their faith. The presonL J;om. iii. 2; also Heb. v. 12, in which last participles imply tlint tho persecution waR plare lhe Scriptures of the New Testament alrendy beginning; the word ,r,lpo,cris, " a,·,·rn to he intended. The apostle's me&n- burning (see Rev. xviii. 9, 18), shows the i :.g may be either that the Christian ~e\"erity. St. Peter tel_ls thetn its meani11g: 1, achC'r was to sp,ak as do the oracles of 1t was to prove them; 1t would turn to theil' Grnl, that is, tho Scripturc9, or (and t];e good. Persecution was not to be regarded nhscnc" nf lhe nrlicle rather favours this ns a strange thing. 'l'ho Lord had foret')hl Yicw) lhnt ho 'l"!"~s so to yield himself to the its coming. St. Pnul, in his first visit tG gnidanM of the !loly Spirit, that his teach- Asia lllinor, had warned them thnt " W.J in,! should be tile teaching of God; he wns must through much tribulation enter into to seek uo praise or reward for himself, but tiio kingJom of God." (On the word {,vl- only tile glory of God. Those who with (,a-8a1, see note on ver. 4.) The thing was single-hearted zeal seek God's glury do not strange; they wero not to count it as speak as it were oracles of God, for he strnnge; they must learn, so to speak, to Fpeakelh by them (comp. Mark xiii. 11). aeclimatizo themselves to it; it would If any man minister, let him do it as of the hrnce their energies o.nd strengthen tlieir ability which God giveth. .Age.in it is faith. better to supply the participle "minister- Ver. 13.-But rejoice, inasmuch as ye a.re ing." "'lrn.tevcr a man's gifts may be, he partakers of Christ's sufferings. St. Peter must miniskr them for the good of tlie speaks in stronger language ; he repeals the 'l"l"Lole Chureh (see ver. 9; also Rom. xii. Lord's words in l\lalt. v. 12. Christians 8; 1 Cor. xii. 28). And this he must do as should learn to rejoice in persecution; they of t!.e strength which God supplieth; the muet rejoice in so far as, in proportion as strength is not his-God giveth it. Tho (1<1180), they are partakers of Christ's suffer- verb xop11-y•-Z, rendered "giveth," is used in ings (see 2 Cor. iv. 10; Phil. iii. 10; Heb. classical Greek first of supplying the ex- xiii. 13). Suffering meekly borne draws penses of a chorus, then of libernl giving the Christian nearer to Christ, lifts him, as ge!lerally; it occurs in 2 Cor. ix. 10. The on a cross, ucarer to the crucified Lord; but (o{)mpouud, nnxop71-y,,v, is more common; St. this it does only when he looks to Jesus in Peter has it in the Second Epistle (i. 5, 11 ). Lis suffering, wh~n t.he eye of faith is fixed That God in all things may be glorified upon the cross of Christ. Then faith unites through lecus Chr.st. The glory of Goel the sufferings of the disciple with the suffer- should be the one end of all Chrislian work. ings of his Lord; he is made a partaker of '.l'l,e Lord himself had said so in the sermon Christ's sufferings; and so for as suffering on the mount, in 'l"!"ords doubtless w, 11 Las that blessecl result, in such measure ho remembered by the apostle (Matt. v. 16; wust rejoice in his suffering,, That, when l'omp. 1 Cor. x. 31). To whom be praise his glory shall be revealed; ye may be glad =d domillion for ever e.nd ever. Amen; also with exceeding joy; literolly, that in rather, o.s in the Revil,ed Version, whose is the revelation of ltis gwry also ye may rejoice the glm·y a11d dominion for the ages of age•. exulting. The word for" exulting," a-yaM,- It i, thought by eome that St. Peter is here ,I,µ.,vo,, corresponds 'l"l"ith that used in cih. ,p,ot,ug from some ancient form of prayer; i. 6 nnd in Matt. v. 12 (xalp,.,.• 1<al d-yaM•- t!Je use of the "Amen," and the resemblance aa-8<). Joy ia suffering now· is the earnest to Rev. i. 6 and v. 13, seem to favour this of the grtat joy of the redeemed iit the rnpposition. It is uncertain whether this revelation of that glory which they now see do:wl,,gy ia addressed to God the FatLc·r through a glass darkly. or to the Lord Jesus ChriBt ; the ordt:r of Ver. 14.-If ye be reproached for the ti.e words is in favour of the latter Yiew, :Name of Christ, happy are ye; rather, if ye ancl the doxology clo,ely resemLles that in are reriled in the Name of Christ, bles,ed are Rev. i. 6. ye. 'fhere is, og11in, a manifest quotation Ver. 12.-Beloved, think it not 1trange of our Lord's words in l\fott. v. 11. The ccn.cernill.g the fiery trial which iB to try conjunction "if" does not imply any doubt: you, as though some strange thiDg happened the words mean " when ye are reviled." unto you; literally, be not a,toni,hed at the For" in the Name; of Christ," comp. Mark burning among you, which is ooming w you ix. 41, '' Whosoever shall give you a cup for a trial, a, though a ,trange thing were ot' water to drink in my No.me, hecnus0 fO happeni119 to you. St. Peter returns to the belong to Christ." So here the mraning 1a, sufferings of his readers. The address, " Wliea ye are reviled because ye belong to "below,cl," as in eh. ii. 1), showd 11,e Christ, because yo benr his Nnme, bec,rn~o de;,t!i of his Aympathy with thew. He ye are Cbri~tians" (comp. Aets v. 41). for en. 1v. 1-19.J THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER.