CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES
1 Peter 2:11.—This verse begins some direct counsels concerning the ordering of Christian conduct and relations. As they have a somewhat severe tone, they are commenced with an affectionate form of address—“Dearly beloved.” Strangers and pilgrims.—Sojourners, suitable to those who belonged to the dispersion, but specially suggesting the unworldliness of the spiritual life, in Christ, which they had begun. Fleshly lusts.—Which lead to drunkenness, gluttony, and uncleanness. There was special need for the Hebrew Christians to be vigilant, on account of the calumnies which the heathen were beginning to circulate about the Christians. For the “works of the flesh” see Galatians 5:19-21. Soul.—The higher element in man’s nature. Here the new spiritual life of the soul is referred to. The antagonism between flesh and spirit is a familiar Pauline topic.
1 Peter 2:12. Conversation.—Behaviour in relationships with others. Honest.—Better, “seemly.” The word used is the ordinary Greek word for “beautiful,” and it distinctly means goodness that comes into sight. A daily walk that is attractive, winsome, to look at. Gentiles.—Everybody other than yourselves. Speak against you.—In different ways. Both the Gentiles and the bigoted Jews aspersed the character of the Christians. We cannot stop the slanderer, but we can jealously see to it that he shall have no ground for his slandering. We may be persecuted, as Christ was; we must try to be as free from blame as Christ was (see 1 Peter 2:20). Day of visitation.—Time of calamities which the early Christians regarded as the coming of Christ. “Not only the last great day, but on whatever occasion God brings matters to a crisis” (Canon Mason).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH— 1 Peter 2:11-12
The Persuasive Power of Moral Goodness.—St. Peter urges these Christian Jews to live out fully their Christian life, to “walk worthy of their vocation”—they would find that give them their best influence, their best power of ministry. Men must heed when they see “what almighty grace can do.” Living out fully the Christian life involves two distinct, but closely related, things.
I. Self-management.—“Abstain from fleshly lusts.” The Christian’s first and greatest difficulty is with himself. He has bodily passions which men around him are in no sense holding in control, and to which he has given power because once he did not hold them in control. When a man becomes a Christian he virtually pledges himself that henceforth he will “hold the vessel of his body in sanctification and honour.” But fulfilling that pledge he finds to be most serious and anxious work. Sins of the flesh, of sensual indulgence, are usually thought of as Pagan, Gentile sins, they are the sins of humanity. And no forms of sin so directly, or so ruinously, affect the spiritual life. They “war against the soul.” “The lusts are on active service, engaged in a definite campaign against the immortal part of the man.”
II. Ordered conduct and relations.—“Having your behaviour seemly among the Gentiles.” The R.V. gives “seemly,” but the good old suggestive word “honest” might wisely have been retained. Honest includes simple, sincere, straightforward—even good-looking, commendable, persuasive. The honest man is a power wherever he goes. The type is found in Nathanael: “An Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” The ancient philosopher was told that a certain man was slandering him. “Never mind,” he replied; “I will live so that no one will believe him.” We have always at our command the all-conquering power that lies in an honest and good life. That always does, sooner or later, “put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.”
SUGGESTIVE NOTES AND SERMON SKETCHES
1 Peter 2:12. Christians called Evil-doers.—St. Peter asserts distinctly that calumnies were really rife about some particulars of the Christian morality, at the time that this letter was written. It is a mark of a late date, for at first the Christians had not attracted sufficient notice, as a body, to be talked of, either in praise or blame. The heathen at first regarded them as merely a Jewish sect (Acts 18:15; Acts 25:18-20), and as such they received a contemptuous toleration. The first State recognition of Christianity as a separate religion, with a characteristic of its own, was the Persecution of Nero, A.D. 64. Now it so happens that we have almost contemporary heathen documents which bring out the force of this passage. Suetonius, in his life of Nero (chap xvi.), calls the Christians by the very name St. Peter uses: “the Christians, a kind of men of a new and malefic superstition.” Only about forty years later, we have Pliny’s famous letter to Trajan, written actually from the country in which St. Peter’s correspondents lived, and referring to some of the very persons (probably) who received the epistle, as having apostatised at the time of the persecution under Nero; in which letter Pliny asks whether it is the profession of being a Christian which is itself to be punished, or “the crimes which attach to that profession.” The Apologists of the second century are full of refutations of the lies current about the immorality of the Christian assemblies. The Christians were a secret society, and held their meetings before daylight; and the heathen, partly from natural suspicion, partly from consciousness of what passed in their own secret religious festivals, imagined all kinds of horrors in connection with the Christian mysteries. From what transpired about the Lord’s Supper, they believed that the Christians used to kill children, and drink their blood, and eat their flesh. Here, however, the context points to a different scandal. They are warned against the fleshly lusts, in order that the heathen may find that the Christians’ great glory lies in the very point wherein they are slandered. “Evil-doers,” therefore, must mean chiefly offences on that score. It is historically certain that such charges against Christian purity were common. Even as late as the persecution under Maximin II., in the year 312, it was reported that these meetings before light were a school of the vilest arts.—A. J. Mason, M.A.
Charges against Christians.—The words indicate the growth of a widespread feeling of dislike, showing itself in calumny. The chief charge at this time was probably that of “turning the world upside down,” i.e. of revolutionary tendencies, and this view is confirmed by the stress laid on obedience to all constituted authority in the next verse. With this were probably connected, as the sequel shows, the accusations of introducing discord into families, setting slaves against their masters, wives against their husbands, etc. The more monstrous calumnies of worshipping an ass’s head, of Thyesteian banquets of human flesh, and orgies of foulest licence, were probably of later date.—Dean Plumptre.
1 Peter 2:11-12. Strangers and Pilgrims.—Archbishop Leighton paraphrases these verses thus: “If you were citizens of this world, then you might drive the same trade with the men of this world, and follow the same lusts; but seeing you are chosen and called out of this world, and invested into a new society, made free of another city, and are therefore here but travellers, passing through to your own country, it is very reasonable that there be this difference between you and the world, that while they live at home, your carriage be such as befits strangers, not glutting yourselves with their pleasures, nor surfeiting upon their delicious fruits, as some unwary travellers do abroad; but as wise strangers, living warily and soberly, and still minding most of all your journey homewards, suspecting dangers and snares in your way, and so walking with a holy fear, as the Hebrew word for a stranger imports.”
1 Peter 2:12. The Church in Relation to the World.—The relation in which Christians stand to those who are not Christians is of vital importance to understand and feel. The references to this are numerous and emphatic:—“I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me” (Psalms 39:1). “Also I said, It is not good that ye do; ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?” (Nehemiah 5:9). “In all things show thyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he who is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you” (Titus 2:7-8). These and like references inculcate the duty of conservating the Christian name and the glory of God. Such warnings would be in keeping with the Jewish faith, in which honour was fortified at any cost; but in the teachings of Jesus Christ the subject has received another and a better side—viz., that the exhibition of the Christian character should be perfect, with a view to exert on the unconverted the best possible influence. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” In addition to the duty to “give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully,” add the power which will convert reproach into praise, and make of the enemy a friend. Let this latter side of the matter have our present attention. That the Christian character should be perfect for the sake of its own beauty, is a truth worthy of prayerful solicitude at all times; but the Christian character is more than a garment to be observed—it is an influence to be imparted to others. That the name of Jesus, by which we are called, may not be dishonoured by the inconsistencies of our life, we need to lift the subject of holy living above the mere matter of duty, into that of service, wherein the glory of God will overcome the darkness of the human heart.
I. We begin with the fact that we are watched by those who are of opposite tendencies.—We are under daily examination. We are searched, not for the good we may have, but for the blemishes that may be found in us, because the “carnal mind is enmity against God.” There are those who take a greater delight to look at an eclipse of the sun for five minutes than to enjoy its light for a lifetime. But if there were no light in the sun there could not be an eclipse. So with men of worth, the contrast between the excellent and the not excellent fixes the eye of envy upon them; but where excellency is, it cannot be altogether ignored. In this fact we rejoice, but our rejoicing is the more when only virtue is found. Let those who search us to discover weakness find none. Let the reflection of our virtue reveal to them their own unworthiness.
II. Let us further consider the influence of the Christian character for the good of others.—“Glorify God,” etc. There is an error which must be removed from the minds of many to establish this remark in their minds. Too frequently it is supposed by some that because they cannot take a prominent part in gospel services, and thereby possibly become instrumental directly in the conversion of souls, their lives are comparatively unobserved and useless. Let us remove this notion. As there is not a single ray of light, or drop of water, or breath of air, which does not contribute to the vast system of light, of water, and of air, so there is not a single Christian example which does not minister in the circle of the Church, and lead to higher results. The old man, staff in hand, short step, all weathers, going by the squire’s house to chapel, made an impression at last, and the squire followed. He entered, and heard a sermon which touched him; the next Sunday he waited for the old man, but in vain. He went alone, and learnt from the preacher that the old man had gone home that morn. Men will feel the need of the change which they see in us. The sinner knows that there is something wrong within. He may not comprehend the mischief—he may not understand his sins; but he will perceive by the change in others that he also needs a change. Where there is sin there is sorrow and unrest. There is a perfect charm in the apostle’s description of the change—“the new man.” (Describe a man wasting by disease, who has been cured.) The new man breathes freely to heaven the aspirations of his soul. He walks uprightly, and runs in the way of God’s commandment. His arm is strong to do work. Another diseased man will see the change, and ‘in all need to Jesus go.’ As God has visited us to give us a new heart, so He will visit others, who have seen the change, to give them a new heart also. Conversions have been singularly blest in this respect,—“We will go with you, for we,” etc. Men will feel the need of the peace which we enjoy. You remember the invitation, “Come unto Me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Men will feel the need of the prospect which cheers us. We have a good hope through grace. I was asked, when nearing New York, if I expected any one to meet me at the landing place, and I said, “Yes.” But the friend who asked said sorrowfully, “No one will meet me!” “I will come again, and take you to Myself.” Seeing that such glorious issues depend on the consistency of our character that others may follow our example and be saved, we have the highest inducement to live a godly life in this present world. Let us take others with us home to glory: we may meet by the way the lame; let us help him on. See the world outside the Church! What misery and degradation! We will take the gospel to them: the Christ of the Bible shall be a living Christ before them in our lives. Holy living shall be a song that they must hear.
“O Friend O Brother! not in vain
Thy life so calm and true,
The silver dropping of the rain,
The fall of summer dew!”
—WHITTIER.
And, lastly, The influence of the Christian life leads to the highest result.—It may be that to-day we think so much of self that we cannot rise to the highest point of our life. The highest degree of Christian excellence is the service and glory of God. To realise this we must look beyond ourselves, and beyond those to whom we may bring salvation, and beyond any benefits faith may confer on either of them or us, to GOD. He will manifest Himself in the day of visitation, when we shall see and feel that our life is intended to reach even to Himself. In the day of visitation all matters will be seen in their true light. The life of the Church will never be fully and rightly comprehended until that day, when God will explain it. Therefore, labour on, brethren, leaving the consequences to the light of that day, striving only to do good, and save immortal souls.—Weekly Pulpit.
1 Peter 2:11-17. Our Pilgrim Life; How to Pursue It.
I. The threefold exhortation—Abstain, suffer, submit (1 Peter 2:11-16).
1. Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. These include all inordinate sensual gratifications of our physical nature.
2. Suffer. Christians living as strangers among the Gentiles in apostolic times were spoken of as evil-doers. Their characters were maligned, their motives were impugned, their conduct misrepresented in all manner of ways. They must endure such treatment as their Saviour did, with all meekness, having their behaviour, conversation (ἀναστροφή) good and honest. The good, patient, charitable living of the early Christians told upon their enemies.
3. Submit. The Early Christians lived under heathen governments, which, in many respects, were despotic, cruel, and unjust. But human institutions are indirectly of Divine origin, and Christians should submit to all lawful authority. Christianity helps the repeal of unjust and iniquitous laws, but it requires submissive obedience to all that is lawful.
II. A summary of Christian duties.—
1. “Honour all men.” This duty has no limits. “All men, without exception, possess a certain value, first, as the creatures of God, and secondly, as redeemed by Christ.
2. “Love the brotherhood.” Such is the Christian Church—a brotherhood, a household of faith.
3. “Fear God.” This is the highest principle by which men can be actuated, in all the relationships of life. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and therefore the beginning of goodness, charity, love, and holiness.
4. “Honour the king” (see 1 Peter 2:13, and Proverbs 24:21). In virtue of his office, honour is due to him. Anarchy is a crime, loyalty is a virtue.—Thornley Smith.