Practical Commentary of 1 Peter Volume 2, Commentary · Chapter 3 · Verse 1
Ver. 1.
The elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.
THE Church of Christ being one body, is interessed in the condition and carriage of each particular Christian, as a part of it; but more eminently in those, that are more eminent, and organick parts of it. Therefore the Apostle, after many Excellent directions given to all his Christian Brethren to whom he writes, doth most reasonably and fitly add this express Exhortation to these, that had oversight and charge of the rest, The Elders that are amongst you, &c.
The words have (1.) A particular definement of the Persons exhorted and exhorting. (2.) The Tenour of the Exhortation it self. The former in the 1 verse, the Persons exhorted, The Elders among you. First,
Elders.] This here, as often, is a name not of Age, but of Office; yet named by that Age that is, or ought to be most suitably qualified to such an office, and imports, that men, though not aged; yet if called to that office, should be noted with that Wisdom and … of mind and carriage, which may give that authority, and command that respect, that is requisite for their calling; not Novices, as St. Paul speaks, not as a light bladder being easily blown up, as young unstable minds are, but such as young Timothy was in humility and diligence, as the Apostle testifies of him, Phil. 2. 20. and further exhorts him to be, 1 Tim. 4. 12. Let no man despise thy youth: but be an example of believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in purity.
The name of Elders indifferently signifies either their age, or their calling, and of ruling, sometimes civil Rulers, sometimes Pastors of the Church, as amongst the Jews both. Here it appears that Pastors are meant, as the Exhortation of feeding the flock evidences; which though it sometimes signifie ruling, and here may comprise it, yet is chiefly by Doctrine; and then the stile given to Christ in the encouragement added, the chief Shepherd.
A due frame of spirit and carriage in the Elders, particularly the Apostles of the Church, is a thing of prime concern for the good of it. It is one of the heaviest threatnings, when the Lord declares that he will give a rebellious People such Teachers and Prophets as they deserved, and indeed desired: If there be a man to prophecy of wine and strong drink, such a one shall be a prophet, says he to that People. And on the other side amongst the sweetest promises of mercy, this is not the least, to be furnisht with plenty of faithful Teachers. Though prophane men make no reckoning of it, yet were it in the hardest times, they that know the Lord will account of it as he doth, a sweet allay of all sufferings and hardship; though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, Isa. 30. 20.and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner, &c. Oh! how rich in promises, that Jer. 3. 15. I will give you Pasters acording to my own heart.
Inf. This promise to be prest and suited for by earnest prayer; were people much in this duty, Pastors would find it, and so people themselves receive back their Prayers with much gain into their own bosom, have the returned benefit of it: as the Vapours that go up from below, fall down upon the Earth again in sweet showers, and make it fruitful; thus went there many prayers up for Pastors, their Doctrine would drop as rain, Deut. 32.and destill as dew; and the sweet influence of it would make fruitful the Valleys, humble hearts receiving it. And at this time it is very needful that the Lord be much suited for the continuance and increase of his savour in this his Church, as they that have power would be more careful of those due means, that in Schools of learning or otherways are needful for the enablement of men for this service; so all generally both People and Pastors, and such as are offering themselves to that service, would chiefly beg from the higher Academy, that teaching, abun…ance of that Spirit, to those imployed in that work, that might make them able Ministers of the New Testament.
Oh! it is an inestimable blessing to have the saving Light of the Gospel shining clear in the faithful and powerful Ministry of it: they thought so, that said of their worthy Teacher, they had rather for them the Sun should not shine, [Satius sole… non Inc…re quam Chrysostomum non docere.]than he should not teach.
2. The person exhorting: I a compresbyter, or fellowelder with you. The duty of mutual exhorting, lies on each Christian to another, little known amongst the greatest part: but truly Pastors would be as in other duties, so in this eminent, and exemplary in their intercourses and converse, saying often one to another▪ Oh! let us remember to what we are called; to how high and heavy a charge? to what holiness and diligence? How great the hazard of our miscarriage, and how great the reward of our fidelity is, whetting and sharpening one another by those weighty and holy considerations.
And as a Witness of the suffering of Christ.] He did indeed give witness to Christ by suffering for him the hatred and persecutions of the World in the publishing of the Gospel, and so was a witness and Martyr before the time that he was put to death: and this I exclude not, but that which is more particularly here intended is, his certain knowledge of the sufferings of Christ, in his own person, as an eye witness of them, and upon that knowledge a publisher of them▪ Luke. 24. 48. And thus these two suit with the two motives, bearing home the exhortation. The one couch't in that, the flock of God, v. 2. His purchase with those his sufferings, whereof I was an eye witness. And the other of a Crown, v. 4. I may speak the more confidently of that, for I am one of those that have real interest in it, and firm belief of it, a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.
And these indeed are the things that give weight to a Man's words, make them powerful, and pressing. A witness of the suffering of Christ. The Apostles had a singular advantage in this that were foreign, eye witnesses, and St. Paul that wanted that, had it supplyed by a vision of Christ, in his conversion. But certainly a spiritual view of Christ crucified is generally (I will not say absolutely) necessary to make a Minister of Christ, but certainly very requisite for the due witnessing of him, and opening up the excellency and vertue of his sufferings, so to preach the Gospel that there needs no other crucifix after so clear and lively a way as that; it may in some measure suit the Apostles Word, Gal. 3. 1. Before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you.
Men commonly read, and hear, and may possibly preach of the sufferings of Christ as a common story, and that way it may a little move a Man, and wring tears from his eyes; but faith hath another kind of sight of them, and so works other kind of affections, and without that, the very eye sight of them, availed the Apostles nothing: for how many saw him suffer as they did, that reviled, or at least despised him. But by the eye of faith to see the only begotten Son of God, as stricken, and smitten of God, bearing our sorrows, and wounded for our transgression, Jesus Christ the righteous reckoned amongst the unrighteous and malefactors, to see him stript naked, and scourged, and buffetted, and nailed▪ and dying, and all for us; this is the thing that will bind upon us most strongly all the duties of Christianity, and of our Callings, and best enables us, according to our Callings, to bind them upon others. But our slender view of these things makes light sense, and that cold incitements to answerable duty; certainly, deep impression would cause lively expression.
Would we willingly stir up our own hearts, and one another to holy diligence in our Station, study Christ as suffering, and dying, more thoroughly, that is the very life of the Gospel and of our Souls, 'tis all we have to learn, and all we have to teach and press on you, I determined to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified. To make Christ's Cross the sum of all my learning.
Of the glory that shall be revealed.] As a witness of those sufferings, so a partaker of the glory purchast by these sufferings, and therefore as one insighted and interessed in what he speaks, the Apostle might fitly speak of that peculiar duty which these sufferings and glory do peculiarly perswade. This the only way of speaking of those things, not as a Discourser or contemplative Student, but a partaker, there is another force of a Pastors exhortation either to his people or his brethren, that brings his message written upon his own heart, speaks of the guilt of sin and sufferings of Christ for it, as particularly feeling his own guilt, and looking on these sufferings as taking it away, speaks of free grace, as one that either hath drunken of the refreshing streams of it, or at least, is earnestly thirsting after it, of the love of Christ from a heart kindled with it, of the glory to come as one that looks to be sharer in it, and longs earnestly for it, that hath all his joy and content laid up in the hopes of it.
And thus Christians one with another in their mutual exhortings and comfortings, all is cold and dead that …lows not from some inward perswasion and experimental knowledge of divine things; that gives edge, and sweetness to Christian conference. To be speaking of Jesus Christ, not only as a King and as Redeemer, but their King, and their Redeemer, Davids stile, my King, and my God: and of his sufferings as theirs,Peregrinus in terris nulla est jucundior recordatio quam suae civitatis Aug in Psal. 145. applyed by saith, and acquitting them in St. Pauls stile, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Of the glory to come as their Inheritance, they are partakers of it, their home, as strangers meeting together abroad, in some foreign Country, delighting to speak of their own Land, and their parentage, friends, and their rich patrimony there abiding them. And this ought to be the entertainment of Christians when they meet. Away with triffling vain discourses, cause all to give place to these refreshing remembrances of our home. Were our hearts much on that rich Inheritance above, it would be impossible to refrain our tongues, and to pass on so silent of it, to find matter of empty pratings, and be pleased with them, and no relishing this; whither go your hearts, they are out of their way, and abase themselves, that turn so much downwards, and are not more above the Sun, eying still that blessed Land, where our purchast Inheritance lies.
Inf. Oh! seek after more clear knowledge of this glory, and of your interest in it, that your hearts may rejoyce in the remembrance of it, that it be not to you as the description of a pleasant Land, such as Men read in History, and have no portion in, they like it well, and are pleased with it while they read, be it but some imagined Country or Commonwealth finely fancied. But know it to be real, no device, and seek to know your selves partakers of it.
This confidence hangs not upon a singular revelation, but on the power of faith, and the light of the Spirit of God which clears to his Children the things that he hath freely given them, though some of them, at sometimes, it may be all or most of their time do want it, God so disposing it they scarce clearly see their right, till they be in possession; see not their Heaven and home till after they be at it, or hard upon it; yet truly this we may, and ought to seek after in humility and submission, that we may have the pledge and earnest of our Inheritance, not so much for the comfort within us, though that is allowed, as that it may wean our hearts from things below, may raise us to higher and closer Communion with God, and enable us more for his service, and excite us more to his praises even here. What were a Christian without the hope of this glory, as one said, tolle Religionem & nullus eris. And having this hope, what are all things here to him? how poor and despiseable the better and worse of this life, and this life it self, how glad is he that it will quickly end, and what were the length of it to him, but by the long continuance of his banishment, holden long from home, and how sweet is the message that is sent for him to come home.
The glory to be revealed.] It is hid for present, wholly unknown to the Children of this World, and even but little known to the Children of God that are heirs of it, yea they that know themselves partakers of it, yet know not much what it is, only this, that it is above all they know, or can imagine; they may see things that make a great shew here, they may hear of more than they see, they may think or imagine more than either they hear, or see, or can conceive of; still they must think of this glory as beyond it: see I pompous shews, or read I, or hear of them; yet this I say of them, these are not as my Inheritance it is far beyond them; yea does my mind imagine things far beyond them, golden mountains and marble Palaces, yet those fall short of my Inheritance, for it is such as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entred into the heart of Man to conceive. Oh! the brightness of that glory when it shall be revealed. How shall they be astonisht that shall see it, and not partake of it? how shall they be filled with everlasting joy, that are heirs of it? were the heart much upon the thoughts of that glory, what thing is there in this perishing World, that could either li…t it up or cast it down?