Father Noël Alexandre: Commentary on 1 Peter 2:18–25
LITERAL COMMENTARY
1 Pet 2:18–20. Servants, be subject with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. Let Christian servants be subject to their masters with great reverence—not only to those who are equitable, humane, and kind, but also to those who are unjust, morose, difficult, and harsh. For this is grace, if for conscience toward God anyone endures sorrows, suffering unjustly. For this is especially pleasing to God: if someone, relying on the testimony of his innocence (of which God is conscious), endures sad and bitter things unjustly inflicted, in order to please Him. For what glory is it if, when you sin and are buffeted, you endure it? For what praise and glory before God do you merit if it happens that you are struck with blows or afflicted with other punishments on account of your offenses? But if, when doing good, you patiently endure these things, this is grace with God. But if, while you are doing good and nevertheless are afflicted with evils, you patiently bear them, this is especially pleasing to God.
1 Pet 2:21–23. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps. For to this you have been called—to the Christian religion—that you may endure all adversities with a strong and equanimous spirit, because Christ also deigned to suffer for all of us and for each one of us, His unworthy and hostile servants, leaving you an example of patience, humility, and obedience, which you may imitate. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. Whose innocence was so extraordinary that He neither sinned by deed nor by word, nor could sin—the Holy One of holies. Who, when He was reviled, did not revile; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but delivered Himself to Him who judged Him unjustly. When He was torn by curses, insults, and calumnies, He did not repay curses, insults, or calumnies; when He endured chains, scourgings, wounds, and the cross, He did not utter even a threatening word against the authors of His condemnation and against His torturers, but delivered Himself to the unjust judge Pilate. Or, according to all Greek codices and Oriental versions, He commended His cause to God, the just Judge, as Jeremiah says in His person: "But You, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously, who test the reins and the heart, let me see Your vengeance upon them; for to You I have revealed my cause" (Jer. 11:20).
1 Pet 2:24. Who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. He Himself, who had no sin of His own, bore the most grievous burden of our sins—that is, the punishments due to the sins of all mankind—in His own body as a propitiatory victim, and carried them to the wood of the cross, on which He offered Himself as on an altar to God the Father for the salvation of all, and by His blood took away, blotted out, and expiated the sins of the whole world, so that, having no further commerce with sins, we might henceforth live in justice and holiness. By His wounds you were healed from the plagues of your sins.
[Note on Grotius:] Grotius reveals himself as a Socinian in his Annotations, where, explaining this verse, he says that Christ, when He was crucified, did not properly take away our sins, but gave the causes by which they might be taken away. "For the cross of Christ," he says, "is the foundation of preaching; preaching, of repentance; and repentance takes away vices." But Christ, by satisfying divine justice superabundantly for our sins, by the virtue and merit of His passion and death, took away our sins, blotted them out, and healed them—even though the virtue of that universal medicine is not applied to us except through Baptism, Penance, etc. Compare with John 1:29: "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sin of the world"; and Hebrews 9:28: "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many."
1 Pet 2:25. For you were as sheep going astray, but you are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. Not long ago you were like sheep going astray from Christ the Shepherd, from the way of salvation, from the flock of the just, rushing to destruction through the byways of errors and vices; but now you have been converted to Christ, the Shepherd and guardian of your souls, through His grace, by which He deigned to draw and convert you to Himself.
MORAL COMMENTARY
1 Pet 2:18. Servants, be subject with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. Let Christian servants serve their masters with a Christian disposition and perform their duties for them with a willing and ready spirit, for God's sake, following the example of Christ, who assumed the form of a servant that He might deliver men from servitude and assert them into the liberty of the sons of God. Let them submit to and obey their masters: with the fear of reverence; with the fear of displeasing them; with the fear of offending God, who has called them to the state of servitude that He might sanctify them through humility, obedience, labors, and patience. The fear of displeasing masters proceeds from love for them; and if this is referred to God, it is charity. The fear of displeasing God, which commands subjection and obedience to servants, belongs to charity, whereby one serves the Lord of all with fear. Servants, serve your masters with good will; and obey not only the good, but also the harsh. For what is the grace of your servitude if you serve the good diligently? But if you also merit the harsh, and serve them with patience in contemplation of the Lord Jesus, you will have your reward. For the just Lord Himself suffered at the hands of the unjust, and by His wonderful patience affixed our sins to His cross, so that whoever has imitated Him may wash away his sins in His blood.
1 Pet 2:20. For this is grace, if for conscience toward God anyone endures sorrows, suffering unjustly. He who has God alone as witness of his patience and of his innocence can await Him with greater confidence as his protector and rewarder. Men commonly complain that they suffer unjust vexations, that they are afflicted beyond their deserts, that they expostulate about injuries. "If I were guilty," they say, "I would not bear it impatiently." Blind men, who do not consider: (1) that they are always guilty before God; and (2) that it is a great grace if He permits and wills them to be afflicted in this life, so that by patiently enduring afflictions they may expiate the daily offenses of human frailty, without which not even the just themselves live; (3) that it is a greater grace if they suffer unjustly, because they become more like Christ, who endured such grave and atrocious things—chains, scourgings, spittings, mockeries, blasphemies, blows, the crown of thorns, the cross—though innocent: "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth"; (4) that it is the greatest grace if they suffer for justice, out of love for God and for His glory. For "blessed are those who suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." It is not the punishment, but the cause, the end, the disposition of the soul, and the affection—namely, charity, humility, patience—that confers holiness and merit upon sufferings. For what glory is it if, when you sin and are buffeted, you endure it? But if, when doing good, you patiently endure, this is grace with God.
1 Pet 2:21–23. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps; who, when He was reviled, did not revile; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but delivered Himself to Him who judged Him unjustly. To this end we are Christians: that we may be crucified with Christ. The flesh is regenerated; the body is that of one crucified. "If anyone desires to come after Me," Christ Himself says, "let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24). An impenitent Christian, a lover of pleasures, impatient of tribulations and troubles, does not deserve to be called a disciple of Christ if he does not follow His footsteps. We are ungrateful if we refuse to suffer anything for His sake, who endured the death of the cross for us, leaving us an example of patience.
Even during His passion itself, and before He came to the cruelty of death and the shedding of blood, what reproaches of insults He patiently heard! What mockeries of contumely He endured! That He might patiently receive the spittings of those who insulted Him—who a little before had formed the eyes of the blind with His spittle, and in whose name the devil is now scourged with his angels by His servants! That He Himself might endure scourgings, who crowns His martyrs with eternal flowers and palms! That He might be beaten in the face, who gives true palms to the victors! That He might be stripped of His earthly garment, who clothes others with the robe of immortality! That He might be fed with gall, who gave heavenly food! That He might drink vinegar, who offered the saving cup! He, the innocent, the just—nay, innocence itself and justice itself—is reckoned among criminals; Truth is oppressed by false testimonies; the Word of God is led silent to the victim. And while at the cross of the Lord the stars are confounded, the elements troubled, the earth trembles, night shuts out the day, and the sun withdraws its rays and its eyes lest it be compelled to behold the crime of the Jews—He does not speak, nor is He moved, nor does He profess His majesty even under the passion itself. All things are perseveringly and continuously endured to the end, that in Christ full and perfect patience may be consummated.
And after all these things, He still receives His murderers, if they turn to Him and come; and with saving patience, benign and long-suffering, He closes His Church to no one. Those adversaries, those blasphemers, those always hostile to His name—if they repent of their offense, if they acknowledge the crime committed—He admits not only to pardon of the crime but even to the reward of the heavenly kingdom. If, therefore, we also, most beloved brethren, are in Christ; if we have put on Christ; if He is the way of our salvation—let us who follow Christ with saving footsteps walk by Christ's examples: Who, when He was reviled, did not revile; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but delivered Himself to Him who judged Him unjustly.
1 Pet 2:24. Who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. The Son of God, as surety for all men, bore in His own body the punishments for our sins, that He might expiate the sins of all and offer to the justice of the eternal Father a satisfaction equal to the gravity of the crimes—nay, superabundant. He carried our sins to the tree, that by His blood He might blot out with His precious blood the handwriting that was against us—that is, the guilt of eternal damnation. He was pierced with most cruel wounds that He might heal the wounds of our souls. He was wounded for our iniquities; He was bruised for our sins; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; by whose stripes we were healed (Isa. 53:5). He died on the cross; He offered Himself to the Father as a victim for our sins and for the sins of the whole world, that He might confer upon us the life of justice and grace, and merit for us eternal life and glory.
Let us not forget the grace of our Surety, the mercy of our Savior; let us not be ungrateful for such great benefits. Let us acknowledge how grievous are the wounds of our sins, for which it was necessary that the Lord be wounded. For unless these sins led to death—and eternal death—the Son of God would not have died for them. Let us not neglect so salutary, so inestimable a remedy; let us not, by our contumacy, by the vice of an ungrateful soul, and by a perverse will rejecting the medicine, make it useless to us. Let the cross of Christ be for us the limit and end of sinning. In it let the world be crucified to us, and we to the world. With our old man crucified in it, let the body of sin be destroyed, that we may no longer serve sin, but live and serve justice. Let not sin therefore reign in our mortal body, that we should obey its concupiscences; but let us yield our members as weapons and instruments of justice to God (Rom. 6:12–13). Let us cling to the cross of Christ and be crucified with Him, carrying about in our body the mortification of Jesus. For the cross of Christ, which was expended for the salvation of mortals, is both a sacrament and an example: a sacrament, by which divine power is fulfilled; an example, by which human devotion is incited—since redemption grants even this to those rescued from the yoke of captivity: that imitation may be able to follow it.
1 Pet 2:25. For you were as sheep going astray, but you are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way" (Isa. 53:6). Not only were we wandering, but we were lost, exposed to the attacks of spiritual beasts—namely, demons. But the good Shepherd of our souls, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, descended from heaven that He might seek us wandering in the desert of this world and snatch us from the jaws of wolves. He recalled the straying and brought them back to Himself; for we could not return to Him unless His grace drew us; we could not be converted to Him unless He Himself converted us. He carries those He has sought on His shoulders; He feeds them in His bosom; by His word, by His Body and Blood, by His examples, by the truth of His mysteries. He calls us as His own sheep; He makes us docile and obedient to His voice; He protects and defends us; and through the paths of His commandments He leads us to eternal pastures. "As a shepherd He shall feed His flock; in His arm He shall gather the lambs, and lift them up in His bosom; He Himself shall carry them" (Isa. 40:11).
This is He of whom another Prophet says: "Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I Myself will seek My sheep and will visit them. As a shepherd visits his flock in the day when he is in the midst of his sheep that are scattered, so will I visit My sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the day of cloud and darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel, in the rivers, and in all the habitations of the earth. In the most fruitful pastures I will feed them, and on the high mountains of Israel shall their pastures be. I will save My flock, and it shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up over them one Shepherd, who shall feed them: My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their Shepherd" (Ezek. 34:11–14, 23). Christ, namely, immolated His life for His sheep, and that He might gather together in one the dispersed children of God, that He might nourish His elect from all nations, joined in one body and in one Church by the Holy Spirit, with the salutary foods of the sacred Scriptures and the Sacraments, and finally lead them to the mountains of Israel—the eternal mountains—where they shall be inebriated with the plenty of the house of God, and shall drink of the torrent of pleasure and the fountain of life.
There are indeed many shepherds in the Church, but all good shepherds are one in the One; they are one. They feed; Christ feeds. In them is His voice; in them is His charity. There are many bishops, and all are one in Christ. The bishop, who rules his Church and always attends to its utility and defense, anoints his faithful with his Holy Spirit, consecrates them to God, offers them to God the Father as mystical priests, sanctifies their vows and prayers and other good works by the virtue of his sacrifice—the eternal Priest, who offered Himself that by a more perfect and living victim, immolated for the salvation of the whole world, He might abolish the sacrifice of the Old Testament. In this sacrifice, the same One was man, the same was sacrifice, the same was Priest, the same was altar, the same was God, the same was King, the same was Pontiff, the same was sheep, the same was lamb—and thus He became all things in all things for us, that in all ways life might be supplied to us, and that He might establish the constant and immutable firmness of His priesthood forever; that He might no longer distribute successions with regard to lineage, but will that it be preserved and propagated in the Holy Spirit by justification, by a singular benefit.
Let those who are assumed to the episcopate consider that they are bishops of souls, not of possessions; of the Church, not of riches; that all their endeavors ought to be referred to procuring the salvation of souls; that no labor should be spared to promote it; that even life itself, if necessary, should be poured out with blood for the salvation of the sheep committed to them—following the example of Christ, the supreme Shepherd.
CONTINUE
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