*H Wherefore laying away all malice and all guile and dissimulations and envies and all detractions,
Ver. 1. Wherefore laying aside all malice. S. Peter having put them in mind of the great benefit of Christ's coming to redeem us from sin, exhorts them to avoid sin, to lead a life worthy of their vocation, to follow Christ's doctrine, and imitate his example. Wi.
* Footnote * Romans 6 : 4
For we are buried together with him by baptism into death: that, as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life.* Footnote * Ephesians 4 : 22
To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error.* Footnote * Colossians 3 : 8
But now put you also all away: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech out of your mouth.* Footnote * Hebrews 12 : 1
And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us:*H As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile, that thereby you may grow unto salvation:
Ver. 2. Desire the rational [1] milk without guile, or deceit. Without guile, in construction, does not agree with new-born children, but with milk, as appears by the text. The sense is, follow the pure doctrine of the gospel, without mixture of errors. Wi.
*H If so be you have tasted that the Lord is sweet.
Ver. 3. Whoever has a relish for Jesus Christ, has also for his word; and such as have a relish for neither, are truly deplorable. Let us pray then that God would feed us with his word, and with the holy Eucharist, that contains his body and blood, his soul and his divinity, that we may thereby grow up to salvation.
*H Unto whom coming, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen and made honourable by God:
Ver. 4. The living stone, rejected, &c. Christ is the chief foundation of his Church, the corner-stone of the building, whom the Jews, and other obstinate unbelievers, reject to their own condemnation and destruction. See Isai. xxviii. 16. Mat. xxi. 42. Acts iv. 11. Rom. ix. 32. Wi.
*H Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Ver. 5. You also . . . a holy [2] priesthood; and, as he saith again, (v. 9.) a royal priesthood. 1. Because they had ministers of God, who were truly and properly priests, of whom Christ is the chief. 2. Every good Christian in a less proper sense may be called a priest, inasmuch as he offers to God what in a less proper and metaphorical sense may be called sacrifices and oblations; that is, the sacrifice of an humble and contrite heart, (Ps. l.) the sacrifice of self-denials and mortifications, of prayer, almsdeeds, &c. And it is called a royal priesthood, as Christians may be called metaphorically kings, by governing their passions, or because they are invited to reign with Christ in his kingdom, to sit on his throne, &c. See Apoc. iii. 21. &c. Wi.
* Footnote * Isaias 28 : 16
Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will lay a stone in the foundations of Sion, a tried stone, a corner stone, a precious stone, founded in the foundation. He that believeth, let him not hasten.* Footnote * Romans 9 : 33
As it is written: Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and a rock of scandal. And whosoever believeth in him shall not be confounded.* Footnote * Psalms 117 : 22
The stone which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner.* Footnote * Isaias 8 : 14
And he shall be a sanctification to you. But for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, for a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.* Footnote * Matthew 21 : 42
Jesus saith to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes.* Footnote * Acts 4 : 11
This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner.*H And a stone of stumbling and a rock of scandal, to them who stumble at the word, neither do believe, whereunto also they are set.
Ver. 8. Whereunto also they are [3] set, or placed, i.e. by God's permission; not that God is the cause of their sins or damnation, (whose will is that every one be saved) but his justice has appointed and decreed punishments against those who, by their own wilful malice, refuse to believe and to follow his doctrine: their stumbling against this stone is wilful and obstinate. Wi.
*H But you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people: that you may declare his virtues, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
Ver. 9. You are . . . a purchased people, whom Christ purchased, bought and redeemed with the price of his precious blood. — That you may declare his [4] virtues; i.e. the excellencies and perfections of God, who hath called you, and now made you his people, which you were not, at least in this matter before, neither you that were Jews, nor especially you that were Gentiles. Wi.
* Footnote * Osee 2 : 24
And I will say to that which is not my people: Thou art my people: and they shall say: Thou art my God.* Footnote * Romans 9 : 25
As in Osee he saith: I will call that which was not my people, my people; and her that was not beloved, beloved; and her that had not obtained mercy; one that hath obtained mercy.*H Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul,
Ver. 11. I beseech you . . . to refrain, &c. from all unlawful and disorderly passions, that the Gentiles not yet converted may have nothing to blame in your lives and conversation, but may be edified and induced to praise God. Wi.
* Footnote * Romans 13 : 14
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ: and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences.* Footnote * Galatians 5 : 16
I say then: Walk in the spirit: and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.*H Having your conversation good among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by the good works which they shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Ver. 12. In the day of visitation. God is said to visit his people, sometimes by afflictions and punishments, and sometimes by graces and favours. Some think S. Peter here, by the day of visitation, means the approaching destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and that the sense is, that the heathen Romans seeing your peaceable dispositions and pious conversations, may have a favourable opinion of the Christian religion, and be converted. Others, that you and they to whom the gospel is preached, may glorify God when he visits them with graces and favours, whether exterior or interior. Wi. — Be careful not to give occasion to scandal. Detraction is the life of the world, and piety is most exposed to its shafts, because it most condemns the maxims of its followers.
*H Be ye subject therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be to the king as excelling,
Ver. 13. To every human creature, [5] to every one whom the order of Providence has placed over you, whether it be to emperors or kings, who have the supreme power in kingdoms, or to governors of provinces; obey your temporal princes, though heathens and idolaters, (as the Roman emperors were at that time enemies to the Christian religion) in all that is not sinful and against the law of God: for this is the will of God, and all power is from God. See Rom.s xiii. In like manner (v. 18) servants must be subject and obey their masters, though they be infidels. See 1 Cor. vii. By this you will silence the ignorance and calumnies of foolish men, who pretended that the Christian religion taught them to be disobedient to princes, and to be subjects of Christ only, their supreme spiritual king. Wi.
* Footnote * Romans 13 : 1
Let every soul be subject to higher powers. For there is no power but from God: and those that are ordained of God.*H As free and not as making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the servants of God.
Ver. 16. As free; to wit, from the slavery of sin, but take care not to make this Christian freedom and liberty a cloak for malice, as they do, who pretend that this makes subjects free from their obedience to temporal princes and magistrates; or servants free from the obedience due to their masters, even when they are froward, [6] ill-humoured, or cross to them. Wi. — There were some heretics in the days of S. Peter, as there are at present, who under pretext of evangelical liberty seek to be free from all even lawful subjection, and thus set themselves above the ordinances of both civil and ecclesiastical power.
* Footnote * Romans 12 : 10
Loving one another with the charity of brotherhood: with honour preventing one another.* Footnote * Ephesians 6 : 5
Servants, be obedient to them that are your lords according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to Christ.* Footnote * Colossians 3 : 22
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh: not serving to the eye, as pleasing men: but in simplicity of heart, fearing God.* Footnote * Titus 2 : 9
Exhort servants to be obedient to their masters: in all things pleasing, not gainsaying:*H For this is thankworthy: if, for conscience towards God, a man endure sorrows, suffering wrongfully.
Ver. 19. Take notice that this is praiseworthy, an effect of God's grace, a thing acceptable to God, when you suffer injuries patiently; whereas it is no glory, nothing that deserves commendation or reward, either before God or man, to suffer for doing ill, as a malefactor, who deserves punishments. But it is glorious and meritorious for you to suffer as Christians, and for the Christian faith: be not then ashamed to suffer in this manner. These sufferings are marks of God's favour towards you, and you have the example of Christ, which you must imitate. Wi.
* Footnote * Isaias 53 : 9
And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth.*H Who, when he was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threatened not, but delivered himself to him that judged him unjustly.
Ver. 23. Christ, who was incapable of sinning, did not revile [7] them that reviled him; he suffered all with patience; he willingly gave himself up to Pontius Pilate, that judged him, and condemned him unjustly [8] to the death of the cross: and remember that all he suffered was to satisfy for your sins, that he bore our sins in his own body on the tree of the cross. Remember always this great benefit of your redemption, and of your being called to believe in him, and to be eternally happy by following his doctrine; that all of you were as sheep going astray, lost in your ignorance and in your sins, but that by his grace and by his merits you are now called and converted to Jesus Christ, the great pastor and bishop of your souls. You are happy if you live under his care, inspection, and protection. Wi.