οὖν, _therefore_ since your suffering is according to God's will and calls only for the normal self-devotion, which Christ required of His disciples go on with the duties of the station of life in which you are called. πρεσβυτέρους, not merely _older men as_ contrasted with _younger_ (1 Peter 5:5),... [ Continue Reading ]
The command laid upon St. Peter, _shepherd my sheep_ (John 21:19) became the charge delivered to succeeding elders (_v._ Acts 20:28) and a familiar description of the Christian pastor (_e.g._, 1 Corinthians 9:7) who must copy the good Shepherd who obeyed where His predecessors fell short (Ezekiel 34... [ Continue Reading ]
φανερωθέντος τοῦ ἀρχιποίμενος, _at the manifestation of the chief Shepherd, i.e._, Christ, ἀρχιποίμην is the equivalent of ὁ ποίμην ὁ μέγας of Hebrews 13:20, being formed on them analogy of ἀρχιερεύς = בהן הגדל; else it occurs only as Symmachus' rendering of נקד (LXX, νωκηδ) in 2 Kings 3:4 and in a... [ Continue Reading ]
νεώτεροι, the younger members of each Church were perhaps more or less formally banded together on the model of the σύνοδοι τῶν νέων, which are mentioned in inscriptions as existing distinct from the Ephebi in Greek cities, especially in Asia Minor (Ziebarth Die Griechische Vereine, 111 115). Compar... [ Continue Reading ]
ταπεινώθητε οὖν echoes the exhortation and its accompanied scripture in 1 Peter 5:5 obey in order that the promise (Luke 14:11) may be fulfilled for you, _he that humbleth himself shall be exalted_ (_sc._ by God). So too St. James, _subject yourselves therefore_ to God (1 Peter 4:7). τὴν κραταιὰν χε... [ Continue Reading ]
τὴν μέριμναν … αὐτὸν comes from Psalms 55:12, ἐπίριψον ἐπὶ Κύριον τὴν μέριμνάν σου, which is the source of part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25 ff.). ὅτι … ὑμῶν substituted for καὶ αὐτός σε διαθρέψει of Ps. _l.c._ in accordance with Jesus' amplification and application of the metaphor. God... [ Continue Reading ]
νήψατε γρηγορήσατε, _cf._ 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:7. So St. Paul, γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν … ἡμέρας ὄντες νήφωμεν (1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:8) drawing upon the common source in the Parables of the Householder and Burglar, etc. (Matthew 24:42 ff.) which set forth the sudden coming of the... [ Continue Reading ]
ᾧ ἀντίστητε. St. James adds the same exhortation to his quotation of Prov. The connexion is not obvious but is perhaps due to the traditional exposition of לץ = ὑπερηφάνοις as referring to the Devil and his children. As God ranges Himself against scoffers, so must Christians resist the Devil who is... [ Continue Reading ]
Your adversary assails you, but God has called you to His eternal glory; first for a little you must suffer, His grace will supply all your needs. 1 Peter 5:9 is practically a parenthesis; ὁ θεός stands over against ὁ ἀντίδικος (1 Peter 5:8) as δέ shows. ὁ καλέσας, for the promise of sustenance impl... [ Continue Reading ]
Liturgical formula, adapted in 1 Peter 4:11 (ἐστιν), which occurs in 1 Timothy 6:16; Jude 1:25; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
Postscript in St. Peter's own handwriting, like Galatians 6:11-18 (ἴδετε πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμεῇ χειρί); 2 Thessalonians 3:17 f. (ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ Παύλου). διὰ Σιλουανοῦ, _by the hand of my scribe_ _S._; so Ignatius writes διὰ Βύρρου to the Philadelphians (11:2) and the Smyrnae... [ Continue Reading ]
φιλήματι ἀγάπης. So St. Paul concludes 1 Thess. with greet all the brethren with an holy kiss (1 Thessalonians 5:26; _cf._ 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; Romans 16:16). “Hence,” says Origen, “the custom was handed down to the Churches that after prayers (so Justin Apol., i. 65) the brethr... [ Continue Reading ]