1 Peter 1:12

Conversation honest] RV 'behaviour seemly': cp. 1 Peter 1:15. In the day of visitation] (from Isaiah 10:3) when God shall no longer overlook the heathen ignorance: cp. Acts 17:30. Then the good lives of the Christians, even though seen in memory only, may help them at last to glorify God.

B. 1 Peter 2:13 to 1 Peter 3:12. The duties of the Christians, as a body and in particular classes.

B (i). 1 Peter 2:13. 'You are all subjects of the government, and must live as such. The government, though it might seem to be a mere human institution, is really created by God, and you see God's will working through it, as through the rest of the creation. God's will is that you should do well, and be at last delivered from the misconstructions of your ignorant neighbours. The government, by its repression of evil and encouragement of well-doing, is acting towards both these ends. When you recognise that such submission is submission to God's will, then submission becomes part of that freedom to which you have been brought by redemption—a freedom which those only know who have become slaves of God. This freedom obliges you to have a wide and noble rule of courtesy. Honour all men: only so can you keep the private rule of your community to love the brotherhood. In the same way honour to the king must follow fear towards God, by whom kings rule: as indeed Holy Scripture teaches you.' With this paragraph cp. Romans 13:1; Titus 3:1.

From heaven] as in 1 Peter 1:4, represented as a place. The visible heavens are a symbol of the spiritual heaven, which, without such a symbol, we can hardly think of at all; but our Lord's words in Luke 17:21 warn us not to press human language too far: cp. 1 Peter 3:19; 1 Peter 3:22. To look into] The Gk. word means 'to look as out of a window.' The angels from the heights of heaven, if we may thus carry on the symbolic language, have a wider view than ours, and watch the results of Christ's redeeming work coming one after another into view.

B (i). 1 Peter 1:13. 'Such faith and hope belong to your life of sanctification; but so does obedience. Sanctification indeed means a holy life. Christ's redemption has allowed you to call the Judge of all men Father; but you may not therefore fear Him less; indeed, life becomes more awful when you think of the price and mystery of that redemption, which has been designed from eternity to direct your faith and. hope to God Himself.'