The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 205

whatever ordeal our God appoints; thus also shall wo be prepared for it whon it comes. When it is so.id tha.t Christ suffered in the flesh, there may be, in the line of a former thoujl:bt, a look beyond his pa.st condition to his present condition, He is no longer in the flesh to suffer; so shall it soon be with us, tha.t we are no longer in the flesh to suffer. Il. THE RESOLUTION TO SUFFER CARRIES WITH IT A BREAK WITH BIN, "For he tha.t hath suffered iu the flesh bath ceased from sin; that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." It is better to carry the third person through the whole, the second part being simply a further definition of the first. It is wrong also not to bring out the past tense, " he that suffered," just as it was said "Christ suffered." It is, however, introducing a. foreign thought to suppose the meaning to be tha.t, when Christ suffered, the person thought of suffered. The person to be thought of is one to whom a.t a previous stage and a critical stage in his history there was given the choice of suffering or not suffering. When he resolved to suffer, he very distinctly broke with sin. He saic1. that he would rather suffer than sin. He looked forward to the rest of his time in the flesh, and said that the rule of his life would no longer be the lusts of men (a rule variab1e and with- out authority), but the will of God (a rule invaria.ble and ha.ving the highest autho- rity). The "no longer" of sin along with "the time past of suffering" is to be explained by the fact that suffering commenced with conversion to Christianity, III. THE BREAK WITH SIN IS NOT TO BE REGRETTED, " For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, a.nd to ha.ve walked in le.seivious- ness, lusts, wine-bibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries." The life according to "the desire of the Gentiles" is particularly described. It was a life in excesses, especially of impurity. It was a life in lusts, especially fleshly. It was a life in wine-swillings. It was a life in night-banquetings, after which the custom was to sally out into the streets "wakening the echoes with song and dance and. noisy frolic." It was a life in drinking-bouts. It was a life in idolatries that violated what was sacred (associated with many abominations). Petees readers were of Gentile extraction ; for it is said that in time past they had wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and walked in the things mentioned. He adroitly founds on their experience, saying less than the reality in order to suggest the more. "The past may suffice; there is a :figure in that, meaning much more than the words express. It is enough I oh, too much, to have so long, so miserable a life" (Leighton). We are reminded of Paul's way of dealing with the Roman Christians, "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteonsness. What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death." IV. THE ~"EW ABE A PUZZLE AND AN OFFENCE TO THE OLD. "Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." The heathen are represented as rushing over the barriers that stand in the way of viciow; indulgence; and they are astonished to find their former companions not nlfihing with them to the same goal. They are puzzled to understand the new prin- ciples from which they act, the complete revolution that has taken place in their ways of thinking and acting. And they are more than puzzled; they are offended. 'l'hey take it as an affront that their company should not be thought good enough, and so they speak evil of them. _ Y. AccouNT rs To BE GIVEN TO CHRIST AB JUDGE. "Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." Was it right for the Christians to withdraw? was it wrong for the heathen to resent their withdrawal? Yes; it would be as decid~d by Christ, to whom these evil-speakers would give account. '!'bus does the apostle return to his line of thought. So far fr~m being. crushed by death, Christ is to be gloriously active in the future on earth agam. He 1s here represented as ready to fu,d,ge the quick and the dead. He is to judge all without exception. He is ready to judge, as invested with all the authority and power that are necessary for judgment. At this moment, if the materials for judgment were complete, he could descend from heaven to hold the great assize. _ VI. C'-!l!NECTION WITH JUDGMENT OF TIJE FORMERLY MENTIONED PREAClllNG TO THE DEAD. "For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flc~h, but live according to God in the spirit." cu. IV', 1-10.J THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 201