Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance 15 but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, 16 for it is written, “Be holy because I [am] holy.
17 Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, 18 realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold 19 but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. 20 He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, 21 who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Peter’s letter is addressed to the Christians in five provinces in Asia Minor (1 Pet. 1:1). He blesses them and reminds them of the new birth they were given by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:3). The language in his letter, “gird up the loins of your mind”, is to remind them of the Passover when God brought them out of slavery in Egypt (Ex. 12:11). They have been called to holiness, and are to focus on the Parousia, the second coming of Christ, by living soberly and keeping their hopes on the grace to be received at the revelation of the risen Christ. Christians are to act in accordance with the New Covenant written with the blood of Christ on the cross. They are not to act in a profane manner as they did before but are to be set apart (be holy) for Christ; “For I, the Lord, am your God. You shall make and keep yourselves holy, because I am holy (Lev. 11:44)
If they call on the Father who shows no partiality (Acts 10:34-35), they should conduct themselves in accordance with His will, knowing that the price paid for their redemption was the precious blood of Christ, the “spotless unblemished lamb (Ex. 12:5)”. The Son of God who always existed was made known through his incarnation at the beginning of the end times. He willingly died and was raised from the dead so that their faith and hope in God may be increased.
Strengthen us, O Lord, that we may be obedient to your will
and live soberly as we await the second coming of Christ. By the Word of God, we have been freed from
the desires of the flesh. Help us to
live the teachings of Christ and not be entangled again in the defilements of
this world. This we ask through Christ
our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Comments