xv. 12; I John iii. 16; Heb. xii. 2). Only in I John ii. 6 is Christ presented as an example in the more general

22. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. The reference is to the Greek Bible of Isa. liii. 9. Stress is here laid on the innocent sufferings of Christ. (See 2 Cor. v. 21; 1 John iii. 5; Heb. vii. 26. See notes on I Pet. i. 19.)

23. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not. The reference is to Isa. liii. 7. Stress is laid, in this verse, on the patient sufferings of Christ. But committed himself. So the text of the Revisers, Winer, De Wette, Sadler, Plumptre, Lillie, and others; His cause, so margin of Revisers, Calvin, Gerhard, Cook, and others; it, i. e. His wrongs, so Luther, Huther, Wiesinger, Weiss, Keil, and others. In the verb no object is expressed, unless it is taken in the reflexive sense, he committed himself. There can be no possible objection to such an interpretation, grammatically or otherwise. It is true, however, that Christ not only committed Himself, but also His cause, His wrongs, and even His wrong-doers to him that judgeth righteously, i. e. to God the Father.

24. Who his own self bore our sins in his body upon the tree (margin, carried up . . . to the tree). The reference is to Isa. liii. 11, 12. Stress is laid, in this verse, on the vicarious sufferings of Christ. Note the progress in thought in these verses, innocent (verse 22), patient (verse 23), vicarious (here). Christ bore our sins in His body by suffering in our stead, the punishment for our sins in the crucifixion, inasmuch as His body was nailed to the Cross, and died thereon, thereby delivering us from the punishment due to sin. Special stress is here laid upon the idea of Christ's substitution for us. That we, having

died unto sins. Peter not only teaches that by His death Christ made expiation for our sins (as also in Rom. iii. 25; Eph. v. 2; Heb. ix. 12, 14; 1 John iv. 10), but he also takes it for granted that believers by the appropriation of the merits of the death of Christ have died unto sin. That this was brought about by baptism is distinctly taught by Paul in Rom. vi. 2-11. Might live unto righteousness. For this purpose Christ died, for this God has called us into His kingdom (1 Thess. iv. 7), for this believers have been born again (1 Pet. i. 22, 23: Eph. ii. 10), this being the true fruit of our baptism into Christ (Rom. vi. 3-11). This righteousness here spoken of consists in doing the will of God. By whose stripes (bruise) ye were healed. Peter refers to Isa. liii. v. Strictly speaking, this refers to the bruise, the marks left by scourging. But here a part stands for the whole, denoting not only His scourging but all His sufferings, which culminated in His death on the cross. Christ alone is our Healer.

25. For ye were going astray like sheep. A reference to Isa. liii. 6. A description of the condition of those who are separated from Christ. This was true of the Christian Jews before their conversion (Matt. ix. 36) as well as of the Gentiles. But are now returning unto the Shepherd. Christ speaks of Himself as the good Shepherd (John x. 11), and Peter in v. 4 calls Him the Chief Shepherd. Of this shepherd God had already spoken. through His prophet Ezekiel (xxxiv. 23). And Bishop (overseer) of your souls. Christ as the Head of the Church is both Shepherd and Bishop (Guardian, Protector) of souls, in the highest sense. As a shepherd Christ nourishes, strengthens, and feeds; as a bishop he searcheth and seeketh out His sheep and disciplines them (Ezek. xxxiv. II, 12 according to the Greek Bible).

CHAPTER III.

12. THE DUTIES OF CHRISTIAN WIVES.

1-6. In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behaviour of their wives; beholding your chaste behaviour coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands: as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

I. In like manner, ye wives. We have in this section the third application of the exhortation given in ii. 12. Peter here shows how believing wives can do much to advance the kingdom of God. Be in subjection to your own husbands. The same thought is expressed by Paul in Eph. v. 22-24; Col. iii. 18. (Compare also I Cor. xi. 3, 8, 9, 11; 1 Tim. ii. 11-14.) These words are addressed to all Christian wives, but especially to those who have unbelieving husbands. That, even if any obey not the word. Disbelieve and oppose the preached Word. They may without the word be gained by the behaviour (manner of life) of their wives. That the unbelieving husband, apart from the preached Word, may be won for Christ and His kingdom, by the selfsacrificing obedience, gentleness and purity, displayed in the Christian demeanor of his believing wife.

2. Beholding your chaste behaviour (manner of life) coupled with fear. The reference is not to the fear of God, but the thought is the same as in Eph. v. 33, "let the wife see that she fear her husband."

3. Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning. (See 1 Tim. ii. 9, 10.) For this is but too often an external indication of the inward character of the soul. Of plaiting the hair. Female vanity as displayed in the invention of new styles and fashions in the braiding of the hair is constantly referred to by the satirists of this period. And of wearing jewels of gold. Still worn in the East (and among us) to an extent beyond all due proportion of the fitness of things. Or of putting on apparel. COOK: "All these expressions justify the inference that many Christian converts belonged to the middle or even opulent classes, as was certainly the case at a very early period." Peter here does not forbid dress and adornment to a woman suitable to her station in life, but exhorts her first to take heed to the dress and adornment of the heart. Both Peter and Paul lay stress upon a modest and seemly apparel.

4. But let it be the hidden man of the heart. The inner man, in contradistinction to the outward man, is to be the object of adornment. In the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit. This is the imperishable apparel with which the inner life of a true woman should be clothed, in which she should live and move. She is to be meek, i. e. mild, gentle, as opposed to anger, wrath (James i. 20, 21), and jealousy (James iii. 13, 14); she is to be quiet, tranquil, calm, not caring for passionate excitement. Such a beautiful womanly spirit is one which is in the sight of God of great price. LUTHER: "A woman should be thus disposed as not to care for adornment. . . . But if her husband wish it, or there be

some other good reason for adorning herself, then she is right to do so."

5. For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves. By these holy women are meant the saintly wives and mothers named in the O. T. Being in subjection to their own husbands. This is a proof that they had adorned themselves with "a meek and quiet spirit." The margin of the R. V. punctuates husbands (as Sarah . . . ye are become), doing well, and not being afraid.

6. As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. The allusion, evidently, is to Gen. xviii. 12, as one example of obedience, extending over her whole life. Whose children ye now are, if ye do well. This doing well proves that they have become children or daughters of Sarah, in the same sense as Paul speaks of Christians becoming sons of Abraham (Gal. iii. 7). This doing well has particular reference to the marriage relation. And are not put in fear by (afraid with) any terror. A difficult passage. Women, who have unbelieving husbands, are to be so full of trust in God, that they are not to manifest any nervous, shuddering fear, as if dreading some curse or blow from their unbelieving husbands, for such a demeanor, instead of leading to a faithful discharge of duty, would only incapacitate them to discharge it, and make matters worse by irritating and annoying their husbands. There is no reference here, as some maintain, to the natural fear attending childbirth (1 Tim. ii. 15).

13. THE DUTIES OF CHRISTIAN HUSBANDS.

7. Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honour unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered,