Commentary on Peter and Jude, Peter 1 · Argument – Commentary
The argument of this firſt Epistle of S. Peter, by M. Luther.
¶Before wee fall in hande with the interpretation of this Epiſtle, it ſhall bee verie requiſite, firſt to laye downe vntounto the Reader ſome briefe admonition, whereby he may knowe, bothe how it is to bee eſteemed, and alſo how to attaine to the certaine knowledge thereof.
FIrſt of all is to bee noted, that all the Apoſtles doe handle one and the ſelf ſame doctrine, and therfore is it not well done of ſome, in that they ſay there bee onelyonly fower Euangeliſtes, and fower Goſpels, whereas all is one Goſpell, what ſo euer the Apoſtles hauehave left in writyng.
Now, the Goſpel ſignifieth nothing els then the preaching and publiſhing of the grace and merciemercy of God through Chriſt our Lorde, purchaſed for vsus by his death. And to take it properly, it is not that whiche is contained in bookes and comprehended in letters, but rather the vocall preachyng, and the liuely worde and voyce, whiche ſoundeth in the whole worlde, and is ſo openly vttered, that it maie eueryevery where bee heard. Neither is it a booke that containeth the Lawe, wherein are many points of good doctrine, as it hath bin hitherto commō ly beleeued. For it draweth vsus from all confidence and hope of any woorke of our owne, whereby to become righteous: and declareth vntounto vsus the riche graces of God, freely and without any our owne merite giuen vntounto vsus: teachyng vsus alſo Chriſt, who hauing by his interceſſion appeaſed ye wrath of God, and ſatiſfied for our ſinnes, hath quite aboliſhed and blotted out our iniquities and by his works, iuſtified and made vsus righteous.
Now, whoſoeuer either preacheth or writeth theſe thynges, he teacheth the true Goſpell in deede, whiche all the Apoſtles, but eſpecially S Paule and S. Peter hauehave done in their Epiſtles, Whatſoeuer then is preached or publiſhed concerning Chriſte, is one Goſpell, although one handle it after one ſorce, and in one kinde of wordes, an other after an other ſorce, and in an other kinde. For a thing may be handled either in many wordes or in fewe and may be deſcribed either briefly or at large. Howbeit ſeeyng all tendeth vntounto no other ende but to teache vsus that Chriſt is our Sauiour, and that we through faith in hym, without any our owne workes, are iuſtified and ſaued, it is al one Word, and one Goſpell, as there is one onelyonly faith, and one Baptiſme in the whole Churche of Chriſt.
Thou readeſt then nothing written by any of the Apoſtles, whiche is not alſo contained in the writynges of others that were as it were penners of the Scripture: but thei that hauehave handled this poynt eſpecially and with greater endeuour and ſtudie then the reſt, namely that onelyonly faithe in Chriſte doeth iuſtifie, euen thei are the beſt Euangeliſtes of all. Hereupon thou maieſt more rightly call the Epiſtles of Paule the Goſpell, then thoſe thinges whiche Matthewe, Marke, and Luke hauehave written. For thei deſcribe not muche beſide the Hiſtorie concernyng the doinges and miracles of Chriſte: as for the grace whiche Chriſte hath purchaſed for vsus, none doeth more fully and fitly entreate therof then S. Paule, eſpecially in his Epiſtle to the Romans. Now, ſeing the Word is of more importance then the actions and doynges of Chriſte, and that if we ſhould want the one of them, it were farre better to be with out the deedes and Hiſtorie, then the Wordes and Doctrine, it followeth that thoſe bookes are moſt highly to be eſteemed, whiche entreate eſpecially of the doctrine and wordes of our Lorde Ieſus Chriſte. For aſmuche as if there were no miracles of Chriſt, and that we were altogether ignoraūt of them, yet were his wordes ſufficient for vsus, and without which wee can not ſo muche as liue.
Hereupon therefore it followeth, that this Epiſtle of S. Peter is to bee accompted among the moſte excellent bookes of the newe Teſtament, and is the true and pure Goſpell, in aſmuche as the Apoſtle herein teacheth nothyng els, then that whiche Paule and the reſt of the Euangeliſtes doe: namely ſincere faith, and that Chriſte is freely giuen vntounto vsus, who hauyng taken awaie our ſinnes, is our onelyonly Sauiour, as in the proceſſe of this Epiſtle we ſhall ſee. By this that is here ſaied, wee maie likewiſe iudge of all bookes and doctrines, what is the Goſpell, & what is not. For whatſoeuer is not either preached or written after this ſorte, and to this ende, that maie wée boldly iudge not to bee the Goſpell, hauehave it neuer ſo faire and goodly a ſhewe. This power to iudge hauehave al Chriſtians, and not the Pope or Councels alone, whiche face and crake that thei and none but thei hauehave authoritie to iudge of doctrines. And thus muche maie ſuffize for the argument: let vsus now heare the Epiſtle.
The firſt Epiſtle generall of Sainct Peter.
The firſt Chapter.
PEter an Apoſtle of Ieſus Chriſte, to the ſtraungers that dwell here and there throughout Pōtus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Aſia and Bithynia,
Elect accordyng to the foreknowledge of GOD the Father vntounto ſanctification of the Spirit, through obedience and ſprinckling of the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt: Grace and peace be multiplied vntounto you.
Bleſſed be GOD, euen the Father of our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt, whiche according to his aboundant merciemercy hath begotten vsus againe vntounto a liuely hope by the reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt from the dead,
To an inheritaunce immortall and vndefiled, and that fadeth not awaie, reſerued in heauen for you,
Whiche are kept by the power of God through faithe vntounto ſaluation, whiche is prepared to bee ſhewed in the laſt tyme.
Wherein ye reioyce, though now for a ſeaſon (if neede require) ye are in heauineſſe, through manifolde tentations,
That the triall of your faith, beyng much more precious then gold that periſheth (though it be tried with fire) might be founde vntounto your praiſe, and honour and glorie, at the appearyng of Ieſus Chriſt:
Whom ye hauehave not ſeene, and yet louelove him, in whom now, though ye ſee hym not, yet do you beleue, and reioyce with ioye vnſpeakeable and glorious:
Receiuyng the ende of your faith, euen the ſaluation of your ſoules.
Of the whiche ſaluation the Prophets hauehave inquired and ſearched, whiche propheſied of the grace that ſhould come vntounto you,
Searchyng when or what tyme the Spirit whiche teſtified before of Chriſt whiche was in them, ſhould declare the ſuffrynges that ſhould come vntounto Chriſt, and the glorie that ſhould followe.
VntoUnto whom it was reueiled, that not vntounto themſelues, but vntounto vsus thei ſhould miniſter the thinges which are now ſhewed vntounto you by them whiche hauehave preached vntounto you the Goſpell by the holy Ghoſt ſent doune from heauen, the whiche thinges the Angels deſire to beholde.
Wherefore girde vp the loynes of your minde: bee ſober, & truſt perfectly on the grace that is brought vntounto you, by the reuelation of Ieſus Chriſt,
As obedient children, not faſhioning your ſelues vntounto the former luſtes of your ignorance:
But as he whiche hath called you, is holy, ſo be ye holy in all maner of conuerſation,
Becauſe it is written: Be ye holy, for I am holy.
And if ye call him Father, whiche without reſpect of perſone iudgeth according to eueryevery mans woorke, paſſe the tyme of your dwellyng here in feare:
Knowing that ye were not redemed with corruptible thinges, as ſiluer and golde, from your vaine conuerſation, receiued by the traditions of the fathers,
But with the precious bloud of Chriſt, as of a Lambe vndefiled, and without ſpot.
Whiche was ordeined before the foundation of the worlde, but was declared in the laſt tymes for your ſakes,
Which by his meanes doe beleeue in God that raiſed him from the dead, and gaue him glorie, that your faith and hope might be in God.
Hauing purified your ſoules in obeying the truthe through the Spirit, to louelove brotherly without fainyng, louelove one an other with a pure harte feruently,
Beyng borne a newe, not of mortall ſeede, but of immortall, by the worde of God, who liueth and indureth for euer.
For all fleſhe is as graſſe, and all the glorie of man is as the flower of graſſe. The graſſe withereth, and the flower falleth awaie.
But the worde of the Lord endureth for euer: and this is the worde whiche is preached among you.