Hilary of Arles

In his own words on 1 Peter

• 1 Peter 1:3

  Peter means that God has acted to redeem us without any help from us. His mercy is great enough to be able to forgive every sin which has been committed in thought, word and deed, from the beginning to the end of the world.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 1:4

  An incorruptible inheritance must be an infinite one, since everything finite is corruptible. The inheritance of the first Adam was corrupted by sin, but the inheritance of the second Adam can never be touched by the stain of sin.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 1:7

  The glory of the redeemed will never fade after they have been raised from the dead, for it will have withstood the fire of temptation, whereas the gold of this world is said to rust.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 1:8

  Not even a thousand ironclad tongues can sound out the sweetness of the heavenly blessings.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 1:12

  The angels long to look into these things because of the greatness of their love. They meditate on the Spirit and go on doing so forever, because love never comes to an end.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 1:22

  Why does Peter talk about purifying our souls but says nothing about the body? The reason for this is that true purity comes from within. If the soul is clean, the body will be cleansed as well.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 1:24

  Here we see the two sides of the human being. The outer man is like the flower of the field which is mortal and will pass away, whereas the inner man lives forever by the power of the living God.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:1

  As you have been born again by the Word of the living God, lay aside all malice, for an infant has no malice in him.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:2

  Milk has three forms which can be compared to doctrine, that is, the liquid, cheese and butter. Liquid milk is the literal sense of Scripture, cheese is the moral sense, and butter is the spiritual sense. Find a good teacher and you will soon learn these things.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:5

  You have been built on a good foundation, that of the apostles, prophets and patriarchs.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:6

  Everything in this prophecy is written about Christ. There are many living stones in God's temple, but here we are contemplating only the One.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:7

  Those of you who believe in Christ are more than just stones—you are sons of God!

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:11

  Evil desires are called "carnal" because they operate through the flesh, but in reality they are spiritual, because they come from the soul.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:12

  The day of visitation will be like the time when God visited Egypt through an angel and slew all the firstborn children. Similarly he will visit the lands of the earth and will cut off the firstfruits of all evil works.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:12

  As the head of the church Peter lays down rules for everyday behavior, and by doing so he unites all the members of the church in one overall harmony.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:16

  If we have a form of religion on the outside but inside we are opposed to the rulers of the church as well as to kings and princes, we are using our faith as a pretext for evil.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:19

  You will be approved by God if you suffer unjustly, because you know that that is exactly what he did.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:20

  Peter shows here that those who deserve punishment receive no mercy or grace from God if they perish.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 2:25

  Error has three causes—darkness, loneliness and ignorance. The Gentile sheep were wandering among idols because of their foolish ignorance, and they found themselves lost in the darkness of sin and in the loneliness of a strange nation. Peter goes on to add that now they have turned to the guardian [bishop] of their souls, because although there are many guardians around who care about the things of the flesh, there are few who can look deep into the soul and take care of it.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:1

  The husband is the head of the wife, and so she must be subject to him just as the other members of the body must be subject to the head. Peter wants wives to show their husbands the path of virtue with just the same vitality as so many of them lead their husbands in the opposite direction.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:2

  Actions speak louder than words, and the husbands will be persuaded by what they see, not by what they hear from their wives.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:3

  There is nothing wrong with these ornaments in themselves, but they are unnecessary extras for the believer and should therefore be avoided. Most of them were invented by the daughters of Ham, which explains why the prohibition is directed to women rather than to men.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:5

  Women must remain holy in every state of life, whether they are married, single or celibate.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:7

  The head can easily corrupt the members of the body, but Peter addresses himself to the latter first, lest it be thought that the lesser might somehow despise the greater. But then he goes on to exhort the greater to treat the lesser members properly. This means, first, husbands must respect the times set aside for prayer and fasting and not demand their marital rights if these are going to be a distraction from other things. Second, men must accept that they are stronger than their wives and therefore have a duty to protect them. Third, both parties are heirs of eternal life which God gives by grace, not by any merit which we may possess, and we do well to remember that "It depends not on man's will or exertion, but on God's mercy."

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:8

  Peter, as the head of the church, calls everyone to unite in harmony, whether they are secular rulers and peasants, princes of the church and monks, or husbands and wives. The same basic principles apply to them all.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:9

  Of course you should not return evil for good or cursing for blessing either, though some people do. A Christian is called to the exact opposite behavior!

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:10

  The present is evil, but the future is bright. We should always remember that.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:13

  Who can prevent you from being blessed, for the Scriptures say that no one can take our joy from us.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 3:16

  Do not get angry or threaten anyone. Your conscience is the part of you which embraces what is good and which rejects evil. It is like the doorkeeper of a house which is open to friends and closed to enemies.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 4:2

  The will of God which we live by is the witness of the gospel, which kills any interest we may have in human glory.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 4:6

  The gospel is preached to the Gentiles who are dead in sin, but this may also refer to the fact that when the Lord was buried in the tomb he went to preach to those who live in hell.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 4:7

  Peter is saying that once the gospel has been preached to the Gentiles the end will have come.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 4:12

  The trials and temptations which come to Christians are nothing new. The prophets of the Old Testament suffered exactly the same things. All such trials find their meaning and culmination in the cross of Christ. The servant is not greater than his master. If Christ suffered, how can we expect to get off any more lightly?

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 4:15

  Our suffering must not be like that of the thief on the cross, who suffered because he was a murderer, even though he himself confessed that Christ had done no wrong. Nor should we be like Ananias and Sapphira, who tried to steal what belonged to God. Even less should we imitate Simon Magus, who denounced the apostles to Nero and who tried to buy their gifts with gold and silver.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 4:16

  If you suffer as a Christian, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Think of James the son of Zebedee or Stephen. However awful the trials you suffer may be, learn to glory in them, not to be upset by them. Christ's glory is revealed in the church when it suffers.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 5:1

  It is by exhortation and constructive criticism that the flock of the Lord is to be set straight.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 5:2

  Here Peter is telling the leaders of the church exactly what the Lord told him: "Feed my sheep."

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 5:3

  Even though you may have authority over the church in what you say or in the office which you occupy, you should never have a superior attitude toward others.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 5:5

  By "young men" Peter means everyone who occupies a subordinate role in the church. But note that those who are superiors must also act humbly, for humility is what should be common to both.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

• 1 Peter 5:9

  There is a world of difference between God and the devil. If you resist God, he will destroy you, but if you resist the devil, you will destroy him.

  INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER