Глава II

Instructions on the spiritual growth of Christians (1–3). On the spiritual structure of Christian society in general (4–10). About a virtuous life (11–12). On submission to authorities (13–17). On the obedience of servants to masters (18–20). 1 Peter 2:1. So, having put aside all malice and all deceit, and hypocrisy, and envy, and all slander, 1 Peter 2:2. like newborn babies, love the pure milk of words, so that from it you may grow into salvation; 1 Peter 2:3. for you have tasted that the Lord is good. Those who are regenerate must put aside all malice (v. 1. See James 1:21; Eph 4:22; Col 3:8). Therefore the Apostle in Art. 1 “in a few words he embraces all the multitude and variety of evil” (Blessed Theophilus) - all passions and vices that are decisively incompatible with pure Christian brotherly love (1 Pet. 1:22). And then the Apostle instills in Christians (v. 2) to love with all their might the truly nourishing word of God, like spiritual milk, and at the same time points to their inner experience: “Taste as much as you can,” that is, through exercise in the sacred commandments of the Gospel you have tangibly learned how good this teaching is. And the means in the matter of knowledge are stronger than any word, just as what is experienced in practice is more pleasant than any word. So, having experienced the goodness of the Lord for yourself, show kindness and mercy to each other” (Blessed Theophilus). 1 Peter 2:4. Approaching Him, a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious by God, 1 Peter 2:5. and you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Moving from instructions to individual Christians to speech about the improvement of Christian society as a whole, the Apostle represents Christian society under the image of a building, a house, under construction. And here the Apostle’s thought, naturally, first of all stops at the cornerstone of the building of Christian society, or the Church - Christ the Savior, the Living Stone (cf. John 6:51). Also St. Preachers of the Old Testament - St. the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 28:16) and St. The psalmist (Psalm 118:22) foreshadowed a worldwide event - the placing by Jehovah of the cornerstone in Zion, the one who believes in which will not be ashamed, but the unbelieving builders will reject Him. This prophecy is interpreted about Christ by the Savior Himself (Matthew 21:42), the Apostle Peter in his speech before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:11) and Apostle. Paul (Rom 9:33). The false judgment of unbelieving people about this stone, who rejected Him, is opposed by the only true judgment of God about it as a chosen and precious stone (v. 4). On this stone all Christians must be built into a spiritual house or church, in which they form the “holy priesthood,” ίεράτευμα άγι ov. Just as in the Old Testament the priesthood of Levi was deliberately chosen by God to stand before God and make sacrifices to Him for themselves and the people (Lev. 16:1; Num. 9:13; Ezekiel 40:46), although at the same time both the whole people and its individual members were later to form a spiritual priesthood and kingdom (Exodus 19:5–6), so to an even greater extent - in the New Testament there is a priesthood for the accomplishment of sacraments, teaching and government in the Church; but next to it, without abolishing it, there is the omnipriesthood, the spiritual priesthood of all Christians, obligated to offer spiritual sacrifices to God - prayers and praises to God, self-sacrifice, deeds of love and mercy and other Christian deeds (Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15-16; 1 John 3:16; Phil 4:18). The Apostle seems to exhort Christians this way: “Make closer friends with each other through the unity of love, and join together in the fullness of the spiritual home, not caring in the least about the contempt of people, because they have rejected the cornerstone - Christ. Having reached unanimity among yourself, and having built yourself into a spiritual home, and having acquired the holy priesthood, offer spiritual sacrifices” (Blessed Theophilus). 1 Peter 2:6. For the Scripture says: Behold, I lay in Zion a corner stone, chosen, precious; and he who believes in Him will not be put to shame 2 . 1 Peter 2:7. Therefore He is a treasure to you who believe, but to you who do not believe the stone which the builders rejected, but which became the head of the corner, 3 is a stone of stumbling and a stone of offense, 1 Peter 2:8. over which they stumble, not obeying the word, to which they are left. The Apostle Peter now confirms the thought and instruction to Christians about the spiritual dispensation, citing (not literally) the most Old Testament quotes: Isaiah 28:16, 8:14; Ps 117:22–23. Here “Christ is called the cornerstone because He unites both walls that make up the spiritual house, that is, pagans and Jews, with His embrace and binds them into one agreement, destroying the useless sacrifices of some and changing the demonic superstition of others into piety” (Blessed Theophilus). In 8 tbsp. The Apostle, in the spirit of the Old Testament sayings cited, speaks about the fate of those who do not believe the word of God. “This is what they were left for: this does not mean that they were appointed for this by God. For from him who desires that all men should be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), there can in no way be the cause of destruction. But just as they made themselves vessels of wrath, adding to this disobedience, the situation they prepared for themselves was left in that. For if man, as a rational being, was created free, and freedom cannot be forced, then it would be unfair to blame the one who gives to man exactly the part that he himself has prepared for himself through his deeds” (Blessed. Theophilus.). 1 Peter 2:9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people, to proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:10. once not a people, but now the people of God; who were once not pardoned, but are now pardoned 4 . In contrast to the sad fate of unbelievers and outcasts, the Apostle draws with bright and strong features the high calling and purpose of believers, for whom Christ is truly the cornerstone and precious stone. These features were borrowed by the Apostle from the Old Testament, partly from the Law of Moses, Exodus 19:5–6; Deuteronomy 7:6, partly from the prophets Hosea 1:6, 8, 2:23–24, using the expressions about Christians: “chosen race”, “royal priesthood” (cf. Rev. 1:6, 5:10), “holy nation”, “people taken for an inheritance” - all these honorary names of Old Testament Israel have the highest meaning when applied to Christians, redeemed by the blood of the Son of God. Thus exalted and blessed, Christians have a high purpose and purpose in life - to proclaim the perfections of the Caller - God. “The Lord Himself teaches this when he says: “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). For God’s creation is everything, and God’s destiny is only those who have been awarded this for their virtue” (Blessed Theophilus). The contrast between the old and new states of those called in Art. 10 is indicated by the saying of the prophet Hosea (quoted not literally): you are “once not a people, but now the people of God, once you did not receive mercy, but now you have received mercy” (Hosea 2:23), “so that this speech does not seem difficult, he quotes reproachful words from the prophet Hosea” (Blessed Theophilus). 1 Peter 2:11. Beloved! I ask you, as strangers and strangers, to abstain from carnal lusts that attack the soul, 1 Peter 2:12. and to lead a virtuous life among the pagans, so that for the reasons for which they slander you as evildoers, when they see your good deeds, they may glorify God on the day of visitation. “Teachers of faith have a custom of adding moral lessons to dogmatic teaching. This is what the blessed Apostle Peter now does” (Blessed Theophilus). A series of moral instructions, showing how Christians can proclaim the perfections of God in their lives according to Christian principles (v. 9), begins with a general rule - to move away from carnal lusts and lead a virtuous life, by which Christians could best soften the hostile attitude of the pagans towards themselves, who were prone to misinterpretation and condemnation of both the teachings and life of Christians. “When they (the pagans) examine our life and find that their concept of us contradicts reality, they themselves correct themselves in their shameful deeds and thus glorify God” (Blessed Theophilus). 1 Peter 2:13. Therefore be submissive to every human authority, for the sake of the Lord: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 1 Peter 2:14. whether to rulers, as sent from him to punish criminals and reward those who do good, 1 Peter 2:15. for this is the will of God, that by doing good we should stop the ignorance of foolish people - After the general instruction on virtue, the Apostle now gives more specific instructions on how Christians should relate to certain public institutions, where Christians could show their good deeds before the pagans. The Apostle does this, probably, both in order to refute the slander and slander against Christians by the pagans (vv. 12, 15), and to warn the Christians themselves with their freedom (vv. 16). The Apostle instructs Christians to be submissive to “every human creature,” κτίσει, that is, to the order or establishment of social life. “He calls the rulers appointed kings, and even the kings themselves, human creatures, since they are also elected or appointed by people... So, he says, be submissive to the worldly rulers, but be submissive to the Lord, as the Lord commanded. What did the Lord command: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Therefore, if they command anything contrary to the ordinance of God, they should not be obeyed. This is what Christ commanded; His disciple now commands the same. This is so that the pagans cannot say that Christianity brings the overthrow of (civil) life, as if it is the cause of disorder and indignation “for the Lord’s sake.” This addition also applies to the faithful. Some of them could say: the Apostle himself promises us the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Peter 1:4), and through this ascribes great dignity to us. Then again he humiliates us, subordinating us to worldly rulers? So, if anyone says this, let him know, he says that this commandment is not from me, but from the Lord Himself... He also adds a reason: firstly, such is the will of God; secondly, our obedience to our superiors proves our good behavior and, moreover, shames the infidels. For when they slander us as proud, but see that we are humble and, where appropriate, submissive, then through this they become more ashamed” (Blessed Theophilus). 1 Peter 2:16. as free people, not as using freedom to cover up evil, but as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:17. Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Warning Christians against unbridled behavior under the guise of Christian freedom (v. 16), the Apostle expresses the moral duties of Christians in civil and public life in four brief rules of conduct: “honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king” (v. 17). “Look at the precision: give fear to God, and honor to the king,” he says. If we must have fear of God, who can destroy both soul and body (Matthew 10:28), then we should not obey kings when they command us to do something immoral” (Blessed Theophilus). 1 Peter 2:18. Servants, obey your masters with all fear, not only the good and gentle, but also the harsh. 1 Peter 2:19. For this pleases God if someone, thinking about God, endures sorrows, suffering unjustly. 1 Peter 2:20. For what is praise if you endure being beaten for your wrongdoings? But if, while doing good and suffering, you endure, this pleases God. From the instructions of a general nature (v. 17), the Apostle now deduces (v. 18) a specific instruction about the conscientious, before God, obedience of Christian slaves to their masters, and not only to the kind and meek, but also to the stern. This last thought is further argued by the general consideration of the pleasingness of innocent suffering to God (vv. 19–20). 1 Peter 2:21. For you have been called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, so that we would follow in His footsteps. “Incomparably higher is the wisdom of the one who, without recognizing anything bad in himself, endures everything with gratitude. This is a great feat, accomplished by a few and brings down the special favor of God, since this person competes with the sufferings of Christ, since Christ did not suffer for his own sins, for He did not create sin (Isaiah 53:9), but suffered for us and for our sins” (Blessed Theophilus). 1 Peter 2:22. He committed no sin, and no flattery was in His mouth 5 . 1 Peter 2:23. Being slandered, He did not slander each other; while suffering, he did not threaten, but handed it over to the Righteous Judge. 1 Peter 2:24. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, having been delivered from sins, would live for righteousness: by His stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:25. For you were like wandering sheep [having no shepherd], but have now returned to the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls 6 . In depicting the redemptive feat of Christ the Savior, who in this feat showed the highest example to people - patience, generosity and meekness, the Apostle is partly guided by a free transcription of the prophecy of Isaiah about the suffering Youth or Servant of Jehovah (Isa. 50:6, 53:4, 6, 9), and partly by New Testament testimonies about the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. There may be such bewilderment here: “as the Apostle Peter says here that the Lord, when He was slandered, did not slander each other, and when He suffered, He did not threaten, when we see that He calls the Jews deaf dogs, the Pharisees blind (Matthew 15:14), He says to Judas: “It would have been better for this man not to have been born” (Matthew 26:24), and at other times: “It would be better for Sodom than for the city.” to that” (Matthew 10:15). We answer: The Apostle does not say that the Lord never reproached or threatened, but that when He was slandered, He did not slander each other, and when He suffered, He did not threaten. For if He sometimes reproached, it was not in vengeance on those who slandered Him, but He reproached and reproached those who were stubborn in unbelief... Therefore, the word of the Apostle Peter, who convinces one to be gentle through the example of the Lord, is very true” (Blessed Theophilus). It is characteristic of the language and worldview of the Apostle Peter that he here (v. 24) calls the atoning death of the Savior on the cross, as in his speeches in the book of Acts (Acts 5:30, 10:39), by hanging or ascension on a “tree”, το ξύλον, which sets off Christ’s taking upon Himself, in fulfillment of the words of the prophet Moses (Deut. 21:23), who laid the curse of sin and death on the people (Gal. 3:21). The purpose of the atoning death of the Lord is indicated by the Apostle from two sides: by it people got rid of sins and received grace-filled strength to live for righteousness. In Art. 25 The Apostle depicts the religious and moral state of pre-Christian humanity, according to Isaiah 53 and other biblical passages - Old Testament (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Ps 119:176; Eze 34:5, 11) and New Testament (Luke 15:4; Matthew 9:36; John 10:15), as a disastrous state of spiritual wandering of people deprived of true knowledge and pure morality. Accordingly, the conversion of people and Christianity are designated by the Apostle as a return to the Shepherd and Guardian (τό Ποιμένα χαι έπίσχοπον) of our souls (cf. John 10:1). You might be interested in: