1 Peter 1:2

{1} Elect according to the {a} foreknowledge of God the Father, through {b} sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1) Peter purposing to speak of the duties of a Christian life, reasons first of the principles and beginnings of all Christian actions, rising far higher than nature, and carrying us also far above the same. For he shows that we who are otherwise by nature sinners, were through the free mercy of God the Father first chosen from everlasting: then according to that everlasting decree. We were by a certain second creation made his sons in Christ his only begotten, by whose Spirit we are inwardly changed and by whose blood we are also reconciled. To the end, that as Christ himself rose again from the dead, we also might be received into that same heavenly and everlasting glory. (a) Or, according to the purpose of God, who never alters nor changes the same. (b) That being set apart from the rest of this wicked world, through the working of the Holy Spirit, they should be consecrated to God; Eph 1:5

1 Peter 1:2 . Elect — Called out of the world, and from a state of ignorance and sin, guilt and depravity, weakness and wretchedness, by the word, the Spirit, and providence of God; and in consequence of obeying the call, by turning to God in true repentance, living faith, and new obedience, chosen — Or accepted of God. For all true believers, or genuine Christians, whose faith works by love, have continually the title of God’s elect in the New Testament. See notes on Romans 8:28 ; Romans 8:33 ; Ephesians 1:4-5 . “Election,” says the Rev. J. Wesley, “in the Scripture sense, is God’s doing any thing that our merit or power has no part in. The true predestination, or fore-appointment of God, Isaiah , 1 st, He that believeth shall be saved from the guilt and power of sin. 2d, He that endureth to the end shall be saved eternally. 3d, They who receive the precious gift of faith, thereby become the sons of God; and being sons, they shall receive the Spirit of holiness, to walk as Christ also walked. Throughout every part of this appointment of God, promise and duty go hand in hand. All is free gift; and such is the gift, that the final issue depends on our future obedience to the heavenly call. But other predestination than this, either to life or death eternal, the Scripture knows not of. Moreover, it Isaiah , 1 st, Cruel respect of persons; an unjust regard of one, and an unjust disregard of another.

It is mere creature partiality, and not infinite justice: 2d, It is not plain Scripture doctrine, (if true,) but, rather, inconsistent with the express written word, that speaks of God’s universal offers of grace; his invitations, promises, threatenings, being all general. 3d, We are bid to choose life, and reprehended for not doing 2:4th, It is inconsistent with a state of probation in those that must be saved or must be lost. 5th, It is of fatal consequence; all men being ready, on very slight grounds, to fancy themselves of the elect number. But the doctrine of predestination is entirely changed from what it formerly was. Now it implies neither faith, peace, nor purity. It is something that will do without them all. Faith is no longer, according to the modern predestinarian scheme, a divine evidence of things not seen, wrought in the soul by the immediate power of the Holy Ghost; not an evidence at all, but a mere notion. Neither is faith made any longer a means of holiness; but something that will do without it. Christ is no more a Saviour from sin; but a defence, a countenancer of it. He is no more a fountain of spiritual life in the souls of believers, but leaves his elect inwardly dry, and outwardly unfruitful; and is made little more than a refuge from the image of the heavenly; even from righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

According to (κατὰ) In virtue of; in accordance with. Foreknowledge (πρόγνωσιν) Only here and Acts 2:23, in Peter's sermon at Pentecost. He is distinguishing there between foreknowledge and determinate counsel. The Father Implying that the relation contemplated by the divine foreknowledge is a new relation of sonship. In sanctification (ἐν ἁγιασμῷ) Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:13. The spiritual state in which the being elected to salvation is realized. The word is peculiarly Pauline, occurring eight times in Paul's epistles, and besides only here and Hebrews 12:14. Unto obedience (εἰς) Note the three prepositions: according to (κατά) the foreknowledge; in (ἐν) sanctification; unto (εἰς) obedience. The ground, sphere, and end of spiritual sanctification. Sprinkling (ῥαντισμὸν) Here in a passive sense - the being sprinkled. Properly, the ritualistic act of sprinkling blood or water. See Numbers 19:19, Numbers 19:21. Compare Hebrews 9:13; Hebrews 12:24 :; Numbers 19:9, Numbers 19:13, where the water in which were the ashes of the red heifer is called ὕδωρ ῥαντισμοῦ, water of sprinkling (Septuagint), which the A. V. and Rev. Old Testament render water of separation. The word and its kindred verb occur only in Hebrews and Peter. Jesus Christ The foreknowledge of the Father, the sanctification of the Spirit, the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ the Son.

1 Peter 1:2 . Κατὰ πρόγνωσιν , according to the foreknowledge ) This depends upon elect . Foreknowledge is also praised (referred to), 1 Peter 1:20 . It includes also good-will and love.— Θεοῦ , of God ) The mystery of the Trinity, and the economy of our salvation, are intimated in this verse, and indeed these constitute the sum of the Epistle.[1]— Πατρὸς , Father ) even our Father.— ἐν ἁγιασμῷ Πνεύματος , in sanctification of the Spirit ) 2 Thessalonians 2:13 , note.— εἰς ὑπακοὴν , to obedience ) That obedience is meant which is rendered through faith; 1 Peter 1:22 , note. St Paul undoubtedly joins together, in the passage quoted above, sanctification of the Spirit and faith . Observe also the particles, κατὰ , ἐν , εἰς ; by means of which the bearing of the three cardinal benefits upon election, and their mutual order, is indicated. Comp. Apocalypse Revelation 1:4-6 .— καὶ ῥαντισμὸν , and sprinkling ) The obedient are sprinkled to the remission of their sins: 1 John 1:7 . But here the sprinkling is passive, by means of which the sprinkling is obediently received. On the subject of obedience , see again 1 Peter 1:14 ; on the blood of sprinkling, 1 Peter 1:19 .— πληθυνθείη , be multiplied ) to a further extent. The same word occurs, 2 Peter 1:2 .

So Daniel 6:25 , εἰρήνη ὑμῖν πληθυνθείη , peace be multiplied unto you . [1] He treats of the Father in verses 1 Peter 1:3 ; 1 Peter 1:15 ; 1 Peter 1:17 ; 1 Peter 1:21 ; 1 Peter 1:23 ; of Christ, in verses 1 Peter 1:3 ; 1 Peter 1:7 ; 1 Peter 1:11 ; 1 Peter 1:13 ; 1 Peter 1:19 , 1 Peter 2:3 ; of the Spirit, in verses 1 Peter 2:11-12; 1Pe 2:22 .—V. G.

By elect he means, either: 1. Singled out of the world, and separated unto God in their effectual calling, as 1 Corinthians 1:1 ; those that are said to be called, 1 Corinthians 1:26 , are said to be chosen, 1 Corinthians 1:27,28 ; and so the word seems to be taken, Jam 2:5 : or: 2. Chosen to salvation, and the means of it, in God’s eternal decree, Ephesians 1:4 2 Thessalonians 2:13 . According to the foreknowledge; either: 1. The Divine preordination, or decree of election, as the word is taken, 1 Peter 1:20 , and then we may take elect in the first sense; men are chosen out of the world, or called in time, according as they were chosen from eternity, Romans 8:30 : or: 2. Foreknowledge here is as much as approbation or love, Matthew 7:25 Romans 11:2 ; and so signifies the free favour and good will of God, which is the fountain from whence the decree of election proceeds; and then we are to take elect in the latter sense, and so elect according to the foreknowledge of God, is, eternally designed unto life, according to, or out of, that free grace and love God did from eternity bear to them, which was the only motive he had for his choosing them: or, (which comes to the same), by foreknowledge we may understand election itself, as it is in God; and by election, the same, as terminated in the creature, and executed in effectual calling.

Of God the Father; this doth not exclude the Son or Spirit from their interest in and concurrence to the Divine decree, but only notes the order of working among the three Persons in the affair of man’s salvation; election is ascribed to the Father, reconciliation to the Son, and sanctification to the Spirit. Through sanctification: sanctification seems to be taken in a large sense, for the whole change of our spiritual state, both as to real grace in regeneration, and relative in justification; so that God may then be said to sanctify us, when in our effectual calling he justifies us from our sins, and renews us unto obedience: so it is taken, Hebrews 10:10 . Of the Spirit; this is to be understood rather of the Spirit of God, the efficient of sanctification, than the spirit or soul of man, the subject of it. Unto obedience; either: 1. The obedience of Christ to God; and then the sense is, elect, or ordained to be, by the sanctification of the Spirit, made partakers of the benefits of Christ’s obedience: or: 2.