The apostle did not say that Christ died in his divinity but in his flesh, so as to emphasize that it was not his divine nature which suffered but his human one. The sufferings are those of the one to whom the body belongs. Since the flesh belonged to the Word, the sufferings of the flesh must be attributed to the Word as well.

In order that Christ might be believed to be the Savior of all, according to their appropriation of his incarnation, he assumed the sufferings of his own flesh, as was foretold in Isaiah [50:6]: I gave my back to lashes, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; I did not turn away my face from the disgrace of their spittings.

By proclaiming that he would suffer and die in the flesh, Christ was indicating that he was passible in his flesh but impassible in his divinity. The ineffable union of the two natures did not cut him in two, for he remains one Lord, one Christ and one Son, one person and one hypostasis, that of the Word incarnate. By becoming man he became capable of suffering and death, but in the divine nature which he had from eternity he remained impassible and consubstantial with the Father and the Son. But insofar as he was consubstantial with us also, he was able to partake of our sufferings and did so willingly and in truth.

The apostle Peter gave this comfort to those of us who are bound by the chains of persecution.

There can be no doubt that the saints who submitted their bodies to martyrdom at the hands of violent persecutors abstained from sin as far as they could, right up to the end of their lives. For who would have time to think about sinning if he were being crucified, stoned, thrown to the lions, burnt at the stake, buried alive with scorpions or whatever? Would such a person not be much more focused on obtaining an eternal crown of glory as soon as sufferings of that kind were over? Peter exhorts us all to have the same attitude.

Christ did not suffer in his divinity but in his flesh. God can never suffer. Christ suffered in the flesh, as the apostle teaches, so that from his wounds might flow salvation to humanity. This was foretold by the prophet Isaiah:^[1] Christ suffered for our sins so that grace might be given to us.

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

Compare this with what Paul wrote: If we are dead with Christ, we shall also live with him^[1] and dead therefore to sin but alive to God.^[2]

What Peter is saying is this: We must depart from the evil deeds of pagan life and not go back to our old ways nor imitate those who have relapsed into debauchery and drunkenness.

This is ironic, as if Peter were saying: Have you not had enough of the pleasures which you once indulged in? Or do you still hanker after the Gentile life which you used to live? It is in connection with this that he notes the various types of debauchery.

These people are surprised and put off when they see us turning toward what is good rather than going along with them. And not only do they not seek the good, they fall away even into blasphemy.

Not only do the Gentiles wonder at the change in you, not only does it make them ashamed, but they also attack you for it, for the worship of God is an abomination to sinners.

It does not necessarily follow that we should here understand those who have departed from the body. For it could be that by the dead Peter means unbelievers, those who are dead in soul. Therefore we are not obliged to believe that he refers to hell when he mentions the dead in the next verse.

This will happen in the future, when everyone will have to be ready to give an account of himself, and no one will be able to stop him from doing so. For everything will be laid bare before God, who judges the righteous and the wicked. At that time he will judge and separate the ones from the others, as the Savior himself said: He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.^[1]

Some people say that the soul is living and the body dead, but it is impossible for a soul to come to judgment without its own body. Rather here Peter calls the righteous living, because they do the works of the life to come, and the unrighteous he calls dead, because they are dead in their transgressions and dead works. But the gospel has been preached to both the righteous and the unrighteous, even to those who are dead in their sins, so that they may judge themselves by casting their vote against themselves.

Those who abandon their faith in this life are judged according to the above judgments, so that they might repent. This is why Peter adds so that in the spirit they might live as God lives.

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.

Here Peter uses dead to refer to the Gentiles, who are dead because of their insurmountable sins and whom he wants to see turn to Christ. Such sinners, after they accept his commandments, judge themselves in the flesh according to their human understanding, by mortifying it in fasting, prostrations, tears and other forms of suffering. They do this in order that they may live in the spirit as God wants them to, being inspired by the word of the apostle Paul, who said: If our outer man is being destroyed, our inner man is being renewed day by day.^[1]

So great is God’s concern, so great is his love, so great is his desire that we should be dead to the flesh but alive in the Spirit, that he even decided to preach the message of faith to those who had committed major crimes and who deserved to be put to death for their licentiousness, their lust, their violence, their gluttony, their drunkenness and their illicit worship of idols.

This means that those who are now attacking believers will have to give account of themselves to him who judges everyone, both living and dead, for the dead are also judged, as is clear from Christ’s descent into hell. For when he went there after his death on the cross he preached in the same way as he had preached to those who were alive on earth. Moreover, he did this not in word but in deed. And just as when he came into the world in order to justify those who were ready to acknowledge him and to condemn those who refused to do so, so he did exactly the same in hell. For he went to judge those who had lived according to the flesh, but those who had lived according to the Spirit, that is, who had lived an honest and spiritual life, he raised to glory and salvation.

It was the habit of the Fathers to take this verse completely out of context. They therefore said that the word dead has two different meanings in Scripture, referring either to those who are dead in their sins and who never lived at all or to those who have been made conformable to the death of Christ, as Paul said: The life that I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God.^[1] But if they had paid the slightest attention to the context, they would have seen that here the dead are those who have been shut up in hell, to whom Christ went to preach after his death on the cross. ^[2] THE DEAD ARE SINNERS. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: Christ was preached to many who rose again at his resurrection, something which is attested in Matthew [27:52-53]. In this life sinners bear sufferings in the body by means of repentance, in order to gain a constant and blessed life in that spiritual citizenship. It seems that by the dead Peter means sinners and that by life in the Spirit he means repentance. COMMENTARIES.^[1]

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

Peter says this so that you will not be fooled into thinking that judgment is a long way off or even that it will never come. Its timing may be uncertain, as far as we are concerned, but it is sure to come sooner or later.

The end of all things means their completion and consummation. Perhaps this means that the end of all the prophecies is near, for that refers to Christ who is in himself the consummation of all things. This is very different from Epicurus, who said that pleasure is the end of all things, or other Greeks, who said that the end is wisdom or contemplation or virtue.

Love unites us to God. Love hides a multitude of sins. Love puts up with everything and is always patient. There is nothing vulgar about love, nothing arrogant. . . . Without love, nothing can please God.

The one who sins does not love, for love covers a multitude of sins. Love cuts out the desire to sin, and since it also casts out fear, it is obviously full of perfect faith.

Nothing is stronger against the wiles of the devil, dearly beloved, than the kindness, mercy and generosity of love, through which every sin is either avoided or conquered.

There are many good works which alleviate sins, but Peter speaks especially of love, because it is by love that we forgive those who trespass against us, something which is righteous in the sight of God and in full agreement with the godliness which has been given to us.

If you receive your neighbor as though he were Christ, you will not complain or feel embarrassed but rather rejoice in your service. But if you do not receive him as if he were Christ, you will not receive Christ either, because he said: Whoever receives you, receives me.^[1] If you do not show hospitality in this way, you will have no reward. Abraham received passers-by and travelers just as they were. He did not leave them to his servants. On the contrary, he ordered his wife to bring flour, even though he had domestic help. But he and his wife wanted to earn the blessing, not only of hospitality but of service also. This is how we ought to show hospitality, by doing all the work ourselves, so that we may be sanctified.

Note that when Peter mentions love he immediately goes on to talk about offering hospitality without grumbling. That is a sure sign of what love is.

God has granted to each of us the special graces needed for the upbuilding of his church, so that we will do what he has indicated should be done, not only without complaint but with joy.

Our creator and dispenser so orders all things that love is increased when the divine gifts which one does not see in himself are bestowed to be possessed by another. Thus the manifold grace of God is well dispensed when the gift received is believed to belong also to the one who does not have it and when it is believed to have been given for the sake of him with whom it is shared.

It is not merely that the rich man is obliged to meet the needs of those who are less well off than he is but also that each one of us must use the gifts which we have received either by nature or by the Holy Spirit, so that no one may say that we are keeping these things to ourselves and refusing to share them with our neighbors.

Those who offer hospitality to others make themselves happy and content, not so much because they are giving of their own as because they are being helped by others. And this in two ways; first, because they enjoy the company of their guests, and second, because they earn a reward for their hospitality. But if you receive a brother, do not be distracted by too much serving, and do not attempt what is beyond your strength. Unnecessary effort is always tedious, and such exertions will only embarrass your guests. Do not let your guest become a cause for impoverishing yourself, but even in hard times be as generous as you can.

It seems that Peter was afraid that he might say or teach something which goes against the will of God, or against what is written in Scripture, and be found to be a false witness to God or a blasphemer or a heretic who was introducing something which goes against the Lord’s teaching. And what he practiced himself in this respect he enjoins on us all.

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?

Peter comforts believers here by telling them not to be upset when they face suffering, since Christ bore much more for our sakes than we could ever bear for his. We should therefore remain steadfast in such trials so that one day we may rejoice in his presence.

Many Christians found afflictions hard to bear because they had read in the law that a prosperous and secure life was promised to those who serve God. Peter therefore approaches the subject by telling them that they are greatly beloved. He then goes on to warn them not to be surprised at their sufferings, which come to them as tests from God.

This means that if you are righteous you are suffering for righteousness’s sake, just as Christ did.

How can it be that when the Spirit of God appears to be blasphemed among the ungodly he is glorified in you? This happens because when people accuse you falsely the shame of it rests on them, but you receive glory thereby.

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.

A meddler is someone who loves to mind other people’s business in order to find reasons for attacking them. This is the mentality of a wicked and treacherous person who is prepared to engage in any kind of evil.

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.

This is the judgment which will occur in times of persecution.

When the time comes for God’s judgment to begin, it will start with the best and work its way downwards, that is to say, it will commence with those who believe and belong to the church of God. Just think—if the examination of our lives begins with those who belong to God’s household, what will it be like by the time it gets to those who have rejected the gospel? God sends great suffering and fear on believers so that they may learn that he is the judge to whom they must answer, and on unbelievers he sends the same fear, saying that they will not escape the great punishments which are their lot.

Scripture teaches us that there are two kinds of divine judgment—one which is hidden and one which is public. The hidden judgment is a punishment by which each one of us is moved to repentance, or to conversion, or if we despise the calling and discipline of God, to damnation. The public judgment is the one which will take place when Christ comes again to judge the living and the dead. This judgment is already beginning at the house of God, that is, in the church, in that by undergoing our present sufferings we are being prepared for the joys of eternity. The wicked are currently living securely in this present transitory life, but once that is over there will be nothing left for them but God’s vengeance, which will be as great as the punishment which they deserve.

When I see Moses asking for forgiveness and not obtaining it, when I see him considered unworthy of pardon because of his few words, spoken against the rock in anger,^[1] in spite of his many good deeds, I truly realize what the severity of God is like and am persuaded that these words of the apostle are true.

It is the righteous man who is scarcely saved on the day of judgment. If he had no fault, he would easily be saved. As it is, he is righteous because he flourishes with many virtues, but he is scarcely saved because he stands in need of the mercy of God in some things.

The Pelagians do not want to believe that the entire human race has been corrupted by the sin of one person and condemned as a result. From that sin and damnation only the grace of Christ can cleanse and deliver us. Why is it therefore that a righteous man is scarcely saved? Is it difficult for God to deliver the righteous? Of course not! But in order to show that our nature has been justly condemned, even the Almighty does not want it to appear as if being delivered from it is something easy.

Peter said according to God’s will either because our afflictions are part of God’s providence and are sent to us as a form of testing, or because although we are afflicted by God’s will, we depend on him for the outcome. For he is faithful and sure and does not lie when he promises us that we shall never be tempted beyond what we are able to bear.^[1]