Part 12 (2/2)

Thus St. Peter has sufficiently instructed us how to contend with the devil. It requires not much running hither and thither; is besides a work that you can do, yet no longer than you depend through faith on the word of G.o.d. If he comes and would drive you into despondency because of sin, only seize hold of the word of G.o.d that speaks of the forgiveness of sin, and venture yourself thereon; then will he be compelled quickly to let you alone. St. Peter says, moreover:

_Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world._ That is, be not surprised that you must meet opposition from the devil; but comfort yourselves, inasmuch as ye are not alone, but there are others besides you who must endure such suffering, and reflect that you have your brethren to share with you in the strife.

There now you have the Epistle in which you have sufficiently heard a truly christian doctrine; in what a masterly manner he has described faith, love, and the Holy Cross; and how he instructs and warns us as to how we should contend with the devil. Whoever comprehends this Epistle, has doubtless enough, so that he needs nothing more but that G.o.d teach him richly from that which likewise overflows in the other books. But that is besides nothing different from this; for here the Apostle has forgotten nothing which it is necessary for a Christian to know.

Finally, he does what every faithful preacher should do, in that he not only takes care to feed the sheep, but also cares and prays for them; and concludes with a prayer that G.o.d may give them grace and strength, that they may understand and retain the word.

V. 10. _But the G.o.d of all grace who hath called us unto His Eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you._ That is the wish wherewith he commits them to G.o.d--G.o.d, who alone bestows grace, and not a single grace, but all grace richly in one, who has called you through Christ that ye might have Eternal glory, not through any desert of your own, but for Christ's sake; if ye have Him, ye have through faith, without merit of yours, Eternal glory and salvation, which will prepare you, that you may be strong, grow, and stand, and that ye may be able to accomplish much; and to this end He will strengthen and establish you, that ye may be able to bear and suffer all.

V. 11. _To him be praise and power for ever and ever, Amen._ Praise is the sacrifice that we as Christians should offer up to G.o.d. He only adds, in conclusion:

V. 12. _By your faithful brother Silva.n.u.s, (as I suppose), have I written briefly, to admonish and manifest that this is the true grace of G.o.d wherein ye stand._ Although I well know (he would say) that you have heard this before and know it well, so that you do not need that I should teach it unto you, yet have I written this to you (as those that are truly Apostles should do), that I might also admonish you that you abide therein, since you are tried and exercised; and you are not to imagine that I preach any otherwise than as you have already heard.

V. 13. _The Church that is at Babylon greets you._ Such was the practice of writing in the Epistles the farewell. _The Church at Babylon_, says he, _greets you_. I suppose, but am not fully confident, that he here meant Rome, for it has been generally supposed that the Epistle was written from Rome. Still, there were two Babylons,--one in Chaldea, the other in Egypt, which is now Al Cair. But Rome is not called Babylon, except figuratively, in the sense, as was said above, of thronging corruption. Thus, Babel means, in the Hebrew, a confusion. So, perhaps, he has called Rome a confusion, or Babel, since _there_ was also such disorderly conduct, and a confused mult.i.tude of all kinds of shameful practices and vices; and whatever in the whole world was scandalous had flown together there. In this same, he says, is a church gathered of such as are Christians, who greet you. But I will readily leave every one to hold it as he will, for no importance attaches to it.

_My son, Marcus, also._ Some say that he here means Mark, the Evangelist, and calls him his son, not literally, but spiritually,--as Paul calls Timothy and t.i.tus his sons, and says to the Corinthians that he has begotten them in Christ.

V. 14. _Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity._ This custom has now pa.s.sed away. In the Gospel we read distinctly that Christ received his disciples with a kiss, and such was then a practice in those lands. Of this kiss, St. Paul often speaks, also.

_Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen._ That is, who believe in Christ. This is the adieu wherewith he commits them to G.o.d.--Thus we have concluded this first Epistle. G.o.d grant His grace, that we may hold and keep it. Amen.

THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF ST. PETER.

PREFACE.

St. Peter wrote this Epistle because he saw how the true, pure doctrine of faith had become falsified, darkened and suppressed. And he has wished to meet a two-fold error, springing from a wrong understanding of the doctrine of faith, and guard against it in both directions; namely, that we should not ascribe to works the power of making us righteous and acceptable before G.o.d, though these works belong to faith; and, on the other hand, that no one should think that there may be faith without good works. For if any one preaches concerning faith, that it justifies us without any addition of works, the people say, ”One need do no works,” as we see it in our daily experience; and, on the other hand, when they fall on works and exalt them, faith must be prostrated, so that the middle way is one to be retained with difficulty, where there are not preachers of the right kind.

Now, we have ever taught this doctrine, that to faith we are to ascribe all things, one as well as another; that it alone makes us just and holy in the sight of G.o.d. Moreover, that if faith is present, out of it good works must and should proceed, since it is even impossible that we should pa.s.s this our life quite indolent, and do no works. Thus St. Peter in this Epistle would also teach us, and thus meet those who perhaps out of the former Epistle might have received the wrong apprehension that it sufficed for faith, though we should at the same time do no work. And against this the first chapter especially aims, wherein he teaches that believers should try themselves by good works, and become a.s.sured of their faith.

The second chapter is against those who exalt works merely, and depreciate faith. Therefore he admonishes them against the false teachers who should come, who, through the teachings of men, should destroy faith entirely. For he clearly saw what a cruel trial there would yet be in the world, as had even then already begun; as St.

Paul says, II. Thes. ii., ”The mystery of iniquity already works.”

Thus is this Epistle written as a warning for us, that we prove our faith by our good works, and yet that we trust not to our works.

CHAPTER I.

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