1 Peter 5:10

5:10-14 In conclusion, the apostle prays to God for them, as the God of all grace. Perfect implies their progress towards perfection. Stablish imports the curing of our natural lightness and inconstancy. Strengthen has respect to the growth of graces, especially where weakest and lowest. Settle signifies to fix upon a sure foundation, and may refer to Him who is the Foundation and Strength of believers. These expressions show that perseverance and progress in grace are first to be sought after by every Christian. The power of these doctrines on the hearts, and the fruits in the lives, showed who are partakers of the grace of God. The cherishing and increase of Christian love, and of affection one to another, is no matter of empty compliment, but the stamp and badge of Jesus Christ on his followers. Others may have a false peace for a time, and wicked men may wish for it to themselves and to one another; but theirs is a vain hope, and will come to nought. All solid peace is founded on Christ, and flows from him.

{13} But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (13) He seals up as with a seal the former exhortation with a solemn prayer, again willing them to ask increase of strength at his hands, of whom they had the beginning, and hope to have the accomplishment: that is, of God the Father in Christ Jesus, in whom we are sure of the glory of eternal life.

1 Peter 5:10 . The God of all grace — Of all mercy, compassion, and free, unmerited goodness; and the source of all those influences of the Holy Spirit, by which alone true spiritual light and life, peace, purity, and consolation, can be attained; who hath called — Invited; us unto his eternal glory — And not merely to behold, but to possess it; and hath sent us the invitation by Christ Jesus — His Word made flesh; that is, not only through him, as Mediator, who hath procured the inestimable blessing for us by his obedience unto death, but by him as a Divine Messenger, the greatest that ever appeared among men, confirming and enforcing his message by a most holy life, by extreme sufferings, by mighty miracles, by an ignominious, painful death, and a most glorious resurrection. After that ye have suffered a while — Such trials as his infinite wisdom shall see fit to appoint. Observe, reader, sufferings must precede glory! See 1 Peter 2:19 ; 1 Peter 2:23 ; 1 Peter 3:14 ; 1 Peter 4:12 ; Romans 8:17 ; Romans 8:35 ; 2 Timothy 2:12 . But it is only a while the disciples of Christ are called to suffer; a very short while compared with eternity. Or St. Peter may use the word ολιγον , here rendered a while, and which means a little, in respect of the degree as well as of the duration of suffering; for, compared with the joys of heaven, the sufferings of this life are light as well as momentary, 2 Corinthians 4:17 .

Make you perfect — That no defect may remain in your Christian knowledge, experience, or practice. See on Hebrews 13:21 . Stablish — That nothing may overthrow your faith or hope, damp the flame of your love, or interrupt the constancy of your obedience; strengthen — That ye may conquer all your enemies, and may do, be conformed to, and suffer the will of God to the end; and settle you — As a house upon a rock. Or, inverting the order of the words, and taking the last particular first, as preparatory to the others, (which the sense of the several expressions seems to require, according to the usual progress of the work of grace in the hearts of believers,) the meaning will be, 1st, May he place you on your foundation, (so the word θεμελιωσαι , here rendered settle you, properly signifies,) even on the foundation which God hath laid in Zion, ( 1 Corinthians 3:11 ,) Christ Jesus, or on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, ( Ephesians 2:20 ,) namely, the fundamental doctrines attested by them. 2d, May he strengthen you, that no power of earth or hell may move you from that foundation. In consequence of this, 3d, May he establish you in his truth and grace, in faith, hope, love, and new obedience, that you may be steadfast and immoveable in your adherence to the doctrines, your possession of the graces and privileges, and your performance of the duties of your holy calling.

Who hath called us (ὁ καλέσας ἡμᾶς) But the tense is the aorist, and the true reading is ὑμᾶς, you, instead of us. Render, therefore, as Rev., who called you; before the foundation of the world. See Romans 8:29, Romans 8:30, and compare unto his eternal glory and them he also glorified. By Christ Jesus (ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ) The best texts omit Jesus. So Rev., which also renders, better, in Christ, denoting the sphere or element in which the calling and its results take place: "Christ as the life, head, and very principle of all existence to the Christian" (Cook). Awhile (ὀλίγον) Rev., more literally, a little while. See on 1 Peter 1:6. Make you perfect, etc The Tex. Rec. makes this and the three following verbs in the optative mood, expressing a wish. So the A. V. But the best texts make them all indicative future, and thus convert the wish or prayer into an assurance. Thus, then, Shall himself perfect (αὐτὸς καταρτίσει) The A. V. overlooks the αὐτὸς, himself, which is very significant as indicating God's personal interest and energy in the work of confirming his children. Shall perfect. Rev. reads restore, in margin. The root of this word appears in ἄρω or ἀραρίσκω, to fit or join together. So ἄρθρον means a joint. The radical notion of the verb is, therefore, adjustment - the putting of all the parts into right relation and connection.

We find it used of mending the nets (Matthew 4:21), and of restoring an erring brother (Galatians 6:1); of framing the body and the worlds (Hebrews 10:5; Hebrews 11:3); of the union of members in the church (1 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11). Out of this comes the general sense of perfecting (Matthew 21:16; Luke 6:40; 1 Thessalonians 3:10). Shall stablish (στηρίξει) The word is akin at the root to στερεός, steadfast (1 Peter 5:9), and is the very word used by Christ in his exhortation to Peter, "strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32). Possibly there is a reminiscence of this in Peter's use of the word here. Compare 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; James 5:8; Revelation 3:2. Shall strengthen (σθενώσει) continued...

1 Peter 5:10 . Πάσης χάριτος ) of all and unmixed grace , which begins and completes, which calls and settles (founds). [It is an act of grace, when GOD sends even sufferings upon us.—V. g.]— ἐν , in ) Taken with who hath called .— ὀλίγον , a little ) However great it seems, it is little and short in comparison with eternal glory.— παθόντας , when you have suffered ) Some sufferings are to be endured, then perfection comes, etc.— αὐτὸς , He Himself ) [without the aid of man]. Do you only watch, and resist the enemy: God will perform the rest. Comp. the I , Joshua 13:6 ; Joshua 13:1 .— καταρτίσει , will perfect ) so that no defect remain in you. The Doxology which follows agrees with the Indicative, rather than with the Optative, which some here read.[42] Comp. 1 Timothy 1:17 ; 2 Timothy 4:18 .— ΣΤΗΡΊΞΕΙ , will stablish ) so that nothing may cause you to waver.— σθενώσει , will strengthen ) so that you may overcome all the violence of your adversaries. A saying worthy of Peter . He is strengthening his brethren. [42] καταρτίσει , στηρίξει , etc., in the Future, is the reading of AB and most Versions, except that, whilst many MSS. of Vulg. read “confirmabit,” Amiat. MS. reads “confirmavit:” the latter, however, has “perficiet.” Rec Text reads the optative, καταρτίσαι , στηρίξαι , etc.—E.

But the God of all grace; i.e. the author and giver of all grace, from whom ye have received what you have, and expect what you want. Who hath called us unto his eternal glory; that eternal glory whereof believers at the last day shall be made partakers, which is called God’s glory, because it is that which he hath promised to them, and will at last put them in possession of: see 1 Peter 5:1 Romans 5:2 ; and because they shall after a sort partake of the Divine glory which they behold. By Christ Jesus; for Christ’s sake, as the meritorious cause of our effectual calling, and by him as the great Apostle of our profession, Hebrews 3:1 . Or, by Christ Jesus may refer to glory, Christ being the cause of their glorification as well as calling. After that ye have suffered a while; this he adds for their encouragement, that whatsoever they suffered would be but short, as 1 Peter 1:6 2 Corinthians 4:17 . Make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you; either: 1. Perfect that which is begun, Hebrews 13:20,21 , stablish that which is right, 2 Thessalonians 2:16 , strengthen that which is weak, settle or found (by a firm union and conjunction unto Christ) that which is already built, Ephesians 3:17,18 Col 1:23 : or: 2. These four words may be but different expressions whereby the apostle sets forth the same thing, viz.

God’s confirming and establishing those saints unto their final perseverance; and his using so much variety of expressions may imply, that it is a matter of very great difficulty to hold on our Christian course, without failing or coming short of the goal, and therefore we need singular assistance from God to enable us to it.

1 Peter 5:10 . Your adversary assails you, but God has called you to His eternal glory; first for a little you must suffer, His grace will supply all your needs. 1 Peter 5:9 is practically a parenthesis; ὁ θεός stands over against ὁ ἀντίδικος ( 1 Peter 5:8 ) as δέ shows.— ὁ καλέσας , for the promise of sustenance implied in the calling; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 f.; 1 Corinthians 1:8 f.— ἐν Χριστῷ goes with ὁ … δόξαν ; God called them in Christ and only as they are in Christ can they enter the glory; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 , εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ καινὴ κτίσις … θεὸς ἦν ἐν Χριστῷ κόσμον καταλλάσσων ἑαυτῷ .— ὀλίλον παθόντας , after you have suffered for a little while . The same contrast between temporary affliction and the eternal glory is drawn by St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:17 , τὸ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεω … αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται , where in addition to the antithesis between eternal glory and temporary suffering the weight of glory (play on meanings of root יקר ) is opposed to the lightness of tribulation.— αὐτός has the force of πιστὸς ὁ καλῶν ( 1 Thessalonians 5:24 ).— καταρτίσει , shall perfect . When Simon and Andrew were called to leave their fishing and become fishers of men James and John were themselves also in a boat mending— κατατίζοντας —their nets ( Mark 1:16-19 ).

The process was equally necessary in their new fishing and the word was naturally applied to the mending of the Churches or individual Christians who by their good behaviour must catch men (see e.g. , 1 Corinthians 1:10 ). Only God can fully achieve this mending of all shortcomings; cf. Hebrews 13:21 .— στηρίξει , shall confirm; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:17 , etc.; when the Kingdom of Heaven was stormed the stormers needed confirmation ( Acts 18:23 ). This was the peculiar work assigned to St. Peter— thou having converted confirm — στήρισον — the brethren ( Luke 22:32 ).— σθενώσει is only apparently unique, being equivalent to ἐνισχύσει or δυναμώσει (Hesychius) cf. Colossians 1:11 , ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει δυναμώμενοι κατὰ τὸ κράτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ and Hebrews 11:34 , ἐδυναμώθησαν ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας (parallel to ὀλίγον παθ . above).