That Simon, called Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, was the writer of this epistle, is not questioned by any; nor was the genuineness and authenticity of it ever made a doubt of.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ The writer of this epistle describes himself first by his name, Peter, the same with Cephas, which signifies a rock, or stone; a name given him by Christ at his first conversion, and which respected his after firmness, solidity, resolution, and constancy; for his…

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, &c.] Not to any office, as to that of bishops or presbyters; for though the apostle writes to some of them under this character, yet not all; nor were they so called, as a nation, for they were persons scattered about in several countries; nor…

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The epistle begins here with thanksgiving to God, or an ascription of blessing, praise, and glory to him; for this does not mean an invoking or conferring a blessing on him; neither of which can be, for there is not a greater than he to be…

To an inheritance incorruptible This is a further explanation of the “lively hope”, or hope laid up in heaven, which regenerate ones are begotten to: it is an “inheritance”; a large estate, and rich possession, they are born heirs apparent to; what is not to be got by industry, or obtained by the…

Who are kept by the power of God This is a description of the persons for whom the inheritance is reserved in heaven; they are not only chosen to salvation, and begotten again to an inheritance, but they are preserved unto it; their happiness is very great; their inheritance is safe in heaven for…

Wherein ye greatly rejoice The Vulgate Latin version reads, “in which ye shall rejoice”: and so the Syriac version, adding, “for ever”; and refer these words to the “last time”; or, times spoken of in the preceding verse; when the saints will greatly rejoice, being in full possession of eternal…

That the trial of your faith This is the principal end which God has in afflictive providences, to try the faith of his people; so the faith of Abraham, Job, Habakkuk, and others, have been tried: being much more precious than of gold that perisheth: the grace of faith is much more precious than…

Whom having not seen, ye love That is, Jesus Christ, whom they had never seen with their bodily eyes, being Jews, who dwelt not in Judea, when Christ was upon earth, but were scattered about in several parts of the Gentile world; and yet Christ being made known to them, through the preaching of the…

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. ] Which is a just and sufficient ground of joy and rejoicing. “Salvation” intends spiritual and eternal salvation; that which God appointed his people to from all eternity, which is obtained by Christ, applied by the Spirit, and…

Of which salvation the prophets have inquired They greatly desired the coming of the Saviour, and to see him; they longed after the salvation to be accomplished by him, and expressed their wishes for him, and that; and inquired into the nature of it, and gave an account thereof, according to the…

Searching what, or what manner of time The prophets made a very diligent inquiry into the exact time when Christ should come to work out the salvation of his people; to whom it was made known that his coming should be before the sceptre, or tribe of Judah, and all civil government in it, ceased;…

Unto whom it was revealed The salvation they searched and inquired into, and the grace of it; the time of its being wrought out, and what sort of times they would be when Christ should come, both to the church, and to the world, among Jews and Gentiles; as also what cruel sufferings the Messiah…

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind With the girdle of truth; see since angels desire to look into the mysteries of grace, do you apply your minds, and diligently attend unto them, in opposition to all loose and vagrant thoughts of the mind, about other things: give yourselves up wholly to…

As obedient children Or “children of obedience”. This may be connected either with what goes before, that seeing they were children of God, by adopting grace, and in regeneration brought to the obedience of faith, to whom the inheritance belonged, therefore they ought to continue hoping for it; or…

But as he which hath called you is holy Which is a periphrasis of God the Father, who had called them, not merely in an external way, by the outward ministry of the word; but internally, powerfully, and efficaciously, by his Spirit and grace; and who had called them to holiness of life and…

Because it is written In be ye holy, for I am holy: an argument the apostle knew must have weight with these persons, who were chiefly Jews, scattered abroad among the Gentiles, and had a value for the Scriptures of truth; and therefore, as the argument for holiness of life, from the nature and…

And if ye call on the Father Of Christ, and of all the saints; or “seeing” ye do. This is a fresh argument, engaging to holiness of life and conversation.

Forasmuch as ye know From the Scriptures of truth, by the testimony of the Spirit, by his work upon the soul, and by the application of the benefits of redemption, such as justification, pardon, adoption, and sanctification; see , that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and…

But with the precious blood of Christ Christ was prophesied of as a Redeemer under the Old Testament, and the Jews frequently ascribe redemption to the word of the Lord God [[5]]; and which the apostle here attributes to the blood of Christ; whose blood is the same with ours, only not tainted with…

Who verily was foreordained Or “foreknown”; that is, by God; and which intends, not barely his prescience of Christ, of what he should be, do, and suffer; but such a previous knowledge of him, which is joined with love and affection to him; not merely as his own Son, and the express image of his…

Who by him do believe in God Christ, as God, is the object of faith; as Mediator, he is the way to the Father, by which men come to him, believe in him and lay hold upon him, as their covenant God and Father; and is also the author of that faith by which they believe in him; and all their…

Seeing ye have purified your souls The apostle passes to another exhortation, namely, to brotherly love; the ground of which he makes to be, the purification of their souls; and which supposes that they had been impure; and indeed, their whole persons, souls and bodies, were so by nature; even all…

Being born again As they were of God, according to his abundant mercy, by the resurrection of Christ, to a lively hope of a glorious inheritance; as in and therefore seeing they were brethren in a spiritual relation, they ought to love as brethren; being children of the same Father, belonging to…

For all flesh is as grass All men, as born of corruptible seed, are frail, mortal, and perishing; they spring up like grass, and look beautiful for a while, but are very weak and tender, and in a little time they are cut down by death, and wither away; and while they live, are, in a good measure,…

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever Though men die, and ministers of the word too, and everything in the world is uncertain, unstable, fleeting, and passing away, and whatever change has been in the ordinances of divine service; yet the word of the Lord, the Gospel of Christ, is settled for…