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2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and
hypocrisies,
and envies, all evil
speakings, 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the
sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby: 2:3 If so be ye
have tasted that the Lord is
gracious.
2:4 To whom coming, as unto a
living stone, disallowed indeed of men,
but chosen of God, and precious, 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to
God by
Jesus Christ.
2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in
Sion a chief corner stone,
elect,
precious: and he that believeth on
him shall not be
confounded.
2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them
which be
disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the
same is made the head of the
corner, 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and
a rock of offence, even to them which
stumble at the word, being
disobedient: whereunto also they were
appointed.
2:9 But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of
him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light;
2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of
God: which had not obtained
mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
2:11 Dearly beloved, I
beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain
from fleshly lusts, which war against the
soul; 2:12 Having your
conversation honest among the
Gentiles: that, whereas they speak
against you as
evildoers, they may by your good works, which they
shall behold, glorify
God in the day of
visitation.
2:13 Submit yourselves to every
ordinance of man for the Lord's sake:
whether it be to the king, as supreme; 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto
them that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers, and for the
praise of them that do well.
2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to
silence the ignorance of
foolish men: 2:16 As free, and not using your
liberty for a cloke of
maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
2:17 Honour all men. Love the
brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to
the good and gentle, but also to the
froward.
2:19 For this is
thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God
endure grief, suffering
wrongfully.
2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be
buffeted for your faults, ye
shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it,
ye take it patiently, this is
acceptable with God.
2:21 For even
hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an
example, that ye should follow his steps: 2:22
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 2:23 Who, when
he was
reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened
not; but committed himself to him that judgeth
righteously: 2:24 Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being
dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.
2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the
Shepherd and
Bishop of your souls.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
1 Peter
Book: 1 Peter
Chapter: 2
Overview:
A temper suitable to the
Christian character as born again, is
recommended.
(1-10) Holy
Conversation among the
Gentiles
directed.
(11,12) Subjects exhorted to pay all proper obedience
to their civil governors.
(13-17) Also servants to their
masters, and all to be patient, according to the
Example of the
suffering
Saviour.
(18-25)
1-10 Evil-speaking is a sign of malice and guile in the
Heart;
and hinders our profiting
By the
Word of God. A new
Life needs
suitable
Food. Infants desire
Milk, and make the best endeavours
for it which they are able to do; such must be a
Christian's
desires after the
Word of God. Our
Lord Jesus Christ is very
merciful to us miserable sinners; and he has a
Fulness of
Grace.
But even the best of
God's servants, in this
Life, have only a
taste of the consolations of
God.
Christ is called a
Stone, to
teach his servants that he is their protection and security, the
foundation
On which they are built. He is precious in the
excellence of his nature, the dignity of his office, and the
Glory of his services. All true believers are a holy priesthood;
sacred to
God, serviceable to others, endowed with heavenly
Gifts and graces. But the most spiritual sacrifices of the best
in
Prayer and praise are not acceptable, except through
Jesus
Christ.
Christ is the chief
Corner-
Stone, that unites the whole
number of believers into one
Everlasting Temple, and bears the
weight of the whole fabric. Elected, or
Chosen, for a foundation
that is
Everlasting. Precious
Beyond compare,
By all that can
give worth. To be built
On Christ means, to believe in him; but
in this many deceive themselves, they consider not what it is,
nor the necessity of it, to partake of the
Salvation he has
wrought. Though the frame of the world were falling to
Pieces,
that
Man who is built
On this foundation may hear it without
fear. He shall not be confounded. The believing soul makes haste
to
Christ, but it never finds cause to hasten from him. All true
Christians are a
Chosen Generation; they make one family, a
people distinct from the world: of another
Spirit, principle,
and practice; which they could never be, if they were not
Chosen
in
Christ to be such, and sanctified
By his
Spirit. Their first
state is a state of gross
Darkness, but they are called out of
Darkness into a state of joy, pleasure, and prosperity; that
they should show forth the praises of the
Lord By their
profession of his
Truth, and their good conduct. How vast their
obligations to Him who has made them his people, and has shown
Mercy to them! To be without this
Mercy is a woeful state, though
a
Man have all worldly enjoyments. And there is nothing that
So
kindly
Works Repentance, as right thoughts of the
Mercy and
Love
of
God. Let us not dare to abuse and affront the free
Grace of
God, if we mean to be saved
By it; but let all who would be
found among those who obtain
Mercy, walk as his people.
11,12 Even the best of men, the
Chosen Generation, the people
of
God, need to be exhorted to keep from the worst sins. And
fleshly lusts are most destructive to
Man's soul. It is a sore
Judgment to be given up to them. There is a
Day of visitation
coming, wherein
God may
Call to
Repentance By his
Word and his
Grace; then many will
Glorify God, and the holy lives of his
people will have promoted the happy change.
13-17 A
Christian Conversation must be honest; which it cannot
be, if there is not a just and careful discharge of all relative
duties: the
Apostle here treats of these distinctly. Regard to
those duties is the will of
God, consequently, the
Christian's
duty, and the way to silence the base slanders of ignorant and
foolish men. Christians must endeavour, in all relations, to
behave aright, that they do not make their liberty a
Cloak or
covering for any wickedness, or for the neglect of duty; but
they must remember that they are servants of
God.
18-25 Servants in those days generally were slaves, and had
Heathen masters, who often used them cruelly; yet the
Apostle
directs them to be subject to the masters placed over them
By
Providence, with a fear to dishonour or offend
God. And not only
to those pleased with reasonable service, but to the severe, and
those angry without cause. The sinful misconduct of one
relation, does not justify sinful behaviour in the other; the
servant is bound to do his duty, though the master may be
sinfully froward and perverse. But masters should be meek and
gentle to their servants and inferiors. What
Glory or
distinction could it be, for professed Christians to be patient
when corrected for their faults? But if when they behaved
Well
they were ill treated
By proud and passionate
Heathen masters,
yet bore it without peevish complaints, or purposes of revenge,
and persevered in their duty, this would be acceptable to
God as
a distinguishing effect of his
Grace, and would be rewarded
By
him.
Christ's
Death was designed not only for an
Example of
patience under sufferings, but he bore our sins; he bore the
Punishment of them, and thereby satisfied Divine
Justice. Hereby
he takes them away from us. The fruits of
Christ's sufferings
are the
Death of
Sin, and a new holy
Life of
Righteousness; for
both which we have an
Example, and powerful motives, and ability
to perform also, from the
Death and
Resurrection of Christ. And
our
Justification;
Christ was bruised and crucified as a
Sacrifice for our sins, and
By his
Stripes the diseases of our
souls are cured. Here is
Man's
Sin; he goes astray; it is his
own act. His misery; he goes astray from the pasture, from the
Shepherd, and from the flock, and
So exposes himself to dangers
without number. Here is the recovery
By Conversion; they are now
returned as the effect of Divine
Grace. This return is, from all
their errors and wanderings, to
Christ. Sinners, before their
Conversion, are always going astray; their
Life is a continued
error.