1 Peter 1:7

1:1-9 This epistle is addressed to believers in general, who are strangers in every city or country where they live, and are scattered through the nations. These are to ascribe their salvation to the electing love of the Father, the redemption of the Son, and the sanctification of the Holy Ghost; and so to give glory to one God in three Persons, into whose name they had been baptized. Hope, in the world's phrase, refers only to an uncertain good, for all worldly hopes are tottering, built upon sand, and the worldling's hopes of heaven are blind and groundless conjectures. But the hope of the sons of the living God is a living hope; not only as to its object, but as to its effect also. It enlivens and comforts in all distresses, enables to meet and get over all difficulties. Mercy is the spring of all this; yea, great mercy and manifold mercy. And this well-grounded hope of salvation, is an active and living principle of obedience in the soul of the believer. The matter of a Christian's joy, is the remembrance of the happiness laid up for him. It is incorruptible, it cannot come to nothing, it is an estate that cannot be spent. Also undefiled; this signifies its purity and perfection. And it fadeth not; is not sometimes more or less pleasant, but ever the same, still like itself.

All possessions here are stained with defects and failings; still something is wanting: fair houses have sad cares flying about the gilded and ceiled roofs; soft beds and full tables, are often with sick bodies and uneasy stomachs. All possessions are stained with sin, either in getting or in using them. How ready we are to turn the things we possess into occasions and instruments of sin, and to think there is no liberty or delight in their use, without abusing them! Worldly possessions are uncertain and soon pass away, like the flowers and plants of the field. That must be of the greatest worth, which is laid up in the highest and best place, in heaven. Happy are those whose hearts the Holy Spirit sets on this inheritance. God not only gives his people grace, but preserves them unto glory. Every believer has always something wherein he may greatly rejoice; it should show itself in the countenance and conduct. The Lord does not willingly afflict, yet his wise love often appoints sharp trials, to show his people their hearts, and to do them good at the latter end. Gold does not increase by trial in the fire, it becomes less; but faith is made firm, and multiplied, by troubles and afflictions. Gold must perish at last, and can only purchase perishing things, while the trial of faith will be found to praise, and honour, and glory. Let this reconcile us to present afflictions.

Trial (δοκίμιον) Only here and James 1:3. Rev., proof. The word means a test. As the means of proof, however, is not only the touchstone itself, but the trace of the metal left upon it, the sense here is the result of the contact of faith with trial, and hence the verification of faith. The expression is equivalent to your approved faith. Compare Romans 2:7, Romans 2:10. Than of gold Omit the of, and read than gold. The comparison is between the approved faith and the gold; not between the faith and the proof of the gold. Though it be tried (δοκιμαζομένου) Kindred with δοκίμιον, proof, and better rendered by Rev., proved. The verb is used in classical Greek of assaying or testing metals, and means, generally, to approve or sanction upon test. It is radically akin to δέχεσθαι, to receive, and hence implies a proof with a view to determine whether a thing be worthy to be received. Compare 1 Corinthians 3:13; Galatians 6:4; 1 John 4:1. It thus differs from πειράζειν, to try or tempt (see on πειρασμοῖς, 1 Peter 1:6), in that that verb indicates simply a putting to proof to discover what good or evil is in a person; and from the fact that such scrutiny so often develops the existence and energy of evil, the word acquired a predominant sense of putting to the proof with the design or hope of breaking down the subject under the proof - in other words, of temptation in the ordinary sense. Hence Satan is called ὁ πειράζων, the tempter, Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5.

See on Matthew 6:13. Archbishop Trench observes that "δοκιμάζειν could not be used of Satan, since he never proves that he may approve, nor tests that he may accept." Might be found (εὑρεθῇ) In accord with the preceding expressions, and indicating discovery as the result of scrutiny. Praise and glory and honor Such is the order of the best texts, and so Rev. Glory and honor often occur together in the New Testament, as Romans 2:7, Romans 2:10; 1 Timothy 1:17. Only here with praise. Compare spirit of glory, 1 Peter 4:14.

1 Peter 1:7 . Δοκίμιον , the trial ) That is, your faith , which is thus tried ; for it is compared with gold.— πολυτιμότερον , much more precious ) The epithet belongs to the subject.— τοῦ ἀπολλυμένου , which perisheth ) Gold perishes with the world, 1 Peter 1:18 ; nor will it then profit any one. The same participle occurs, John 6:27 .— δὲ , but [7]) Faith is compared with gold, not with reference to the perishing of gold, but with reference to its being tried by fire.— εὑρεθῇ , may be found ) For it does not now appear; but it will appear when other things shall perish .— ἔπαινον , praise ) in words.— τιμὴν , honour ) in deeds.— δόξαν , glory ) in the award bestowed at the judgment.— ἀποκαλύψει , at the revelation ) 1 Peter 1:13 . [7] The δέ is held a good reading in the judgment of Ed. 2, rather than according to the larger Ed., although it is not given in the Germ. Vers. ABC Rec. Text have διὰ πυρὸς δὲ δοκιμαζομένου . Vulg. Omits ἀπολλυμένον , and therefore also δέ . Orig. has καὶ διὰ κυρὸς δεδοκιμαομένου .—E.

That the trial of your faith; i.e. your faith when tried. He compares the faith of the saints with gold, and argues from the less to the greater: q.d. If men do so far esteem their gold, that they will make the excellency and preciousness of it appear by trying it in the fire, which purgeth away the dross, and discovers the goodness of the metal; no wonder if God will have the faith of the saints (more precious to him than gold is to men) tried by afflictions, that the excellency of it may more fully be discovered. Being much more precious than of gold; i.e. than the trial of gold; or gold tried, compared with faith tried. That perisheth; is worn away, and consumed by use, as many particles of it likewise may be in the very trial of it, 1 Peter 1:18 ; whereas faith is not consumed nor wasted, but increased by being used, and made more conspicuous by being tried. Might be found unto praise and honour and glory; i.e. may be found to be, or to have turned, to praise, &c., the dignity of it being by that means evidenced. These several words show whither present trials tend, and in what they issue; they may be reproachful and ignominious now, Hebrews 12:2 , but they end in glory.

We need not be critical about the difference of these three words, praise, honour, and glory, which may be synonymous expressions (by way of amplification) of the same thing, yet they are mentioned distinctly with relation to believers elsewhere; praise, 1 Corinthians 4:5 , honour, 1 Samuel 2:30 John 12:26 , glory, as well as honour, Romans 2:10 . At the appearing of Jesus Christ; i.e. at the day of judgment, frequently so called, as 1 Peter 1:13 5:4 Colossians 3:4 2 Thessalonians 1:7 . Christ’s glory is at present hid and obscured, while he is instructing his elect, and training them up unto patience, and defers his judging of his enemies; but at last it will be fully manifested in the face of the world, when he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, &c., Revelation 1:7 .

1 Peter 1:7 . τὸ δοκίμιον . The evidence of the papyri (Deissmann, Bible Studies , pp. 259 ff.) shows that δοκίμιος is a bye form of the adjective δόκιμος approved ; so Psalm 12:7 , ἀργύριον πεπυρωμένον δοκίμιον ( cf. 1 Chron. 39:4; Zechariah 11:3 , where it occurs as v.l. for δόκιμον ). Hence the phrase (here and in Jam 1:3 ?) corresponds exactly to St. Paul’s τὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης γνήσιον —“the genuineness of your faith or “the approvedness”). So Arethas on Revelation 9:4 , οἱ δὲ τὸ δοκίμιον ἑαυτῶν διὰ πυρὸς παρεχόμενοι . The substantive δ . = “means of trial, testing” which does not suit this context, or a specimen of metal to be tested.— πολυτιμότερον , to justify the common rendering (A.V., R.V.) according to which π . κ . τ . λ . are taken as in apposition to τὸ δοκ ., ὄν , must be supplied as if omitted by haplography after πολ . But there is no need for emendation, if πολ . be taken as predicate thrown forward for the sake of emphasis.— χρυσοῦ κ . τ . λ . St. Peter adapts the familiar comparison of man’s suffering to the fining-pot of precious metal, insisting on the superiority of the spiritual to the material gold. The stress lies on διὰ πυρός . True faith is tested by trials, just as gold is proved by fire. It is more valuable than gold which is perishable. If men test gold thus, much more will God test faith which outlives the present age, cf. Hebrews 9:23 . Cf. use of πύρωσις , 1 Peter 4:12 .

For the image, Zechariah 13:9 , δοκιμῶ αὐτοὺς ὡς δοκιμάζεται τὸ χρυσίον ; Psalm 66:10 ; Proverbs 17:3 ; Sir 2:5 , etc.— Τοῦ ἀπολλυμένου , cf. John 6:27 , τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν ἀπ . (contrasted with imperishable food; here gold generally is contrasted with faith) and φθαρτοῖς ἀργυρίῳ καὶ χροσίῳ below.— εὑρεθῇ , cf. 2 Peter 3:14 , σπουδάσατε ἄσπιλοι καὶ ἀμώμητοι αὐτῷ εὑρεθῆναι ἐν εἰρήνῃ ; Psalm 17:3 , ἐδοκίμασας τὴν καρδίαν μου … καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀδικία .— εἰς ἔπαινον … must be taken with the whole sentence, unless ὂν be supplied. So εἰς might introduce the predicate (better stronger) of εὑρ ., cf. Romans 7:10 . εἰς taken as = ל expressing transition into a new state or condition (as Romans 7:10 ).— ἔπαινον is the verdict. “Well done good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” The Christian is the true Jew and receives at last the praise which the name Judah signifies. In Romans 2:29 , ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ Ἰουδαῖος … οὗ ὁ ἔπαινος οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρωπων ᾀλλʼ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ , Paul follows the alteration of the original ἐξομολόγησις ( Genesis 29:35 , LXX, and Philo) consequent upon the transference of the praise ( תודה ) from God to men ( cf. Genesis 49:8 , Ἰούδα σε αἰνέσαισαν οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ). The old Israel set their hope on praise from the congregation ( Sir 39:10 ) or glory from men, John 5:44 ; John 12:42 f. The new Israel looked for praise from God to balance the dispraise of men ( Matthew 5:11 f.); so St.