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1 Peter 1:13-16

13. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the
end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ;

13. Quare succincti lumbis mentis vestrae, sobrii, perfecte sperate in
eam quae ad vos defertur gratiam, in revelatione Jesu Christi;

14. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the
former lusts in your ignorance:

14. Tanquam filii obedientes, non conformati pristinis, quae in
ignorantia vestra regnarunt, cupiditatibus:

15. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation;

15. Sed quaemadmodum is qui vos vocavit sanctus est, ita ipsi sancti in
tota conversatione reddamini;

16. Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

16. Propterea quod scriptum est, Sancti estote, quia ego sanctus sum.
(Leviticus 11:44; 19:2; 20:7.)


From the greatness and excellency of grace he draws an exhortation,
that it surely behoved them the more readily to receive the grace of
God, as the more bountifully he bestowed it upon them. And we must
notice the connection: he had said, that so elevated was the kingdom of
Christ, to which the gospel calls us, that even angels in heaven desire
to see it; what then ought to be done by us who are in the world?
Doubtless, as long as we live on earth, so great is the distance
between us and Christ, that in vain he invites us to himself. It is
hence necessary for us to put off the image of Adam and to cast aside
the whole world and all hinderances, that being thus set at liberty we
may rise upwards to Christ. And he exhorted those to whom he wrote, to
be prepared and sober, and to hope for the graces offered to them, and
also to renounce the world and their former life, and to be conformed
to the will of God. [15]

Then the first part of the exhortation is, to gird up the loins of
their mind and to direct their thoughts to the hope of the grace
presented to them. In the second par, he prescribes the manner, that
having their minds changed, they were to be formed after the image of
God.

13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind It is a similitude taken
from an ancient custom; for when they had long garments, they could not
make a journey, nor conveniently do any work, without being girded up.
Hence these expressions, to gird up one's-self for a work or an
undertaking. He then bids them to remove all impediments, that being
set at liberty they might go on to God. Those who philosophize more
refinedly about the loins, as though he commanded lusts to be
restrained and checked, depart from the real meaning of the Apostle,
for these words mean the same with those of Christ,

"Let your loins be girded about, and burning lamps in your hands,"
(Luke 12:35,)

except that Peter doubles the metaphor by ascribing loins to the mind.
And he intimates that our minds are held entangled by the passing cares
of the world and by vain desires, so that they rise not upward to God.
Whosoever, then, really wishes to have this hope, let him learn in the
first place to disentangle himself from the world, and gird up his mind
that it may not turn aside to vain affections. And for the same purpose
he enjoins sobriety, which immediately follows; for he commends not
temperance only in eating and drinking, but rather spiritual sobriety,
when all our thoughts and affections are so kept as not to be
inebriated with the allurements of this world. For since even the least
taste of them stealthily draws us away from God, when one plunges
himself into these, he must necessarily become sleepy and stupid, and
he forgets God and the things of God.

Hope to the end, or, Perfectly hope. He intimates that those who let
their minds loose on vanity, did not really and sincerely hope for the
grace of God; for though they had some hope, yet as they vacillated and
were tossed to and fro in the world, there was no solidity in their
hope. Then he says, for the grace which will be brought to you, in
order that they might be more prompt to receive it. God ought to be
sought, though far off; but he comes of his own will to meet us. How
great, then, must be our ingratitude if we neglect the grace that is
thus set before us! This amplification, then, is especially intended to
stimulate our hope.

What he adds, At the revelation of Jesus Christ, may be explained in
two ways: that the doctrine of the Gospel reveals Christ to us; and
that, as we see him as yet only through a mirror and enigmatically, a
full revelation is deferred to the last day. The first meaning is
approved by Erasmus, nor do I reject it. The second seems, however, to
be more suitable to the passage. For the object of Peter was to call us
away beyond the world; for this purpose the fittest thing was the
recollection of Christ's coming. For when we direct our eyes to this
event, this world becomes crucified to us, and we to the world.
Besides, according to this meaning, Peter used the expression shortly
before. Nor is it a new thing for the apostles to employ the
preposition en in the sense of eis. Thus, then, I explain the passage,
-- "You have no need to make a long journey that you may attain the
grace of God; for God anticipates you; inasmuch as he brings it to
you." But as the fruition of it will not be until Christ appears from
heaven, in whom is hid the salvation of the godly, there is need, in
the meantime, of hope; for the grace of Christ is now offered to us in
vain, except we patiently wait until the coming of Christ.

14 As obedient children He first intimates that we are called by the
Lord to the privilege and honor of adoption through the Gospel; and,
secondly, that we are adopted for this end, that he might have us as
his obedient children. For though obedience does not make us children,
as the gift of adoption is gratuitous, yet it distinguishes children
from aliens. How far, indeed, this obedience extends, Peter shews, when
he forbids God's children to conform to or to comply with the desires
of this world, and when he exhorts them, on the contrary, to conform to
the will of God. The sum of the whole law, and of all that God requires
of us, is this, that his image should shine forth in us, so that we
should not be degenerate children. But this cannot be except we be
renewed and put off the image of old Adam.

Hence we learn what Christians ought to propose to themselves as an
object throughout life, that is, to resemble God in holiness and
purity. But as all the thoughts and feelings of our flesh are in
opposition to God, and the whole bent of our mind is enmity to him,
hence Peter begins with the renunciation of the world; and certainly,
whenever the Scripture speaks of the renewal of God's image in us, it
begins here, that the old man with his lusts is to be destroyed.

In your ignorance The time of ignorance he calls that before they were
called into the faith of Christ. We hence learn that unbelief is the
fountain of all evils. For he does not use the word ignorance, as we
commonly do; for that Platonic dogma is false, that ignorance alone is
the cause of sin. But yet, how much soever conscience may reprove the
unbelieving, nevertheless they go astray as the blind in darkness,
because they know not the right way, and they are without the true
light. According to this meaning, Paul says,

"Ye henceforth walk not as the Gentiles, in the vanity of their mind,
who have the mind darkened, being alienated from the life of God,
because of the ignorance that is in them."
(Ephesians 4:17.)

Where the knowledge of God is not, there darkness, error, vanity,
destitution of light and life, prevail. These things, however, do not
render it impossible that the ungodly should be conscious of doing
wrong when they sin, and know that their judge is in heaven, and feel
an executioner within them. In short, as the kingdom of God is a
kingdom of light, all who are alienated from him must necessarily be
blind and go astray in a labyrinth.

We are in the meantime reminded, that we are for this end illuminated
as to the knowledge of God, that we may no longer be carried away by
roving lusts. Hence, as much progress any one has made in newness of
life, so much progress has he made in the knowledge of God.

Here a question arises, -- Since he addressed the Jews, who were
acquainted with the law, and were brought up in the worship of the only
true God, why did he charge them with ignorance and blindness, as
though they were heathens? To this I answer, that it hence appears how
profitless is all knowledge without Christ. When Paul exposed the vain
boasting of those who wished to be wise apart from Christ, he justly
said in one short sentence, that they did not hold the head.
(Colossians 2:19.) Such were the Jews; being otherwise imbued with
numberless corruptions, they had a veil over the eyes, so that they did
not see Christ in the Law. The doctrine in which they had been taught
was indeed a true light; but they were blind in the midst of light, as
long as the Sun of Righteousness was hid to them. But if Peter declares
that the literal disciples even of the Law were in darkness like the
heathens, as long as they were ignorant of Christ, the only true wisdom
of God, with how much greater care it behoves us to strive for the
knowledge of him!

15 He who hath called you is holy He reasons from the end for which we
are called. God sets us apart as a peculiar people for himself; then we
ought to be free from all pollutions. And he quotes a sentence which
had been often repeated by Moses. For as the people of Israel were on
every side surrounded by heathens, from whom they might have easily
adopted the worst examples and innumerable corruptions, the Lord
frequently recalled them to himself, as though he had said, "Ye have to
do with me, ye are mine; then abstain from the pollutions of the
Gentiles." We are too ready to look to men, so as to follow their
common way of living. Thus it happens, that some lead others in troops
to all kinds of evil, until the Lord by his calling separates them.

In bidding us to be holy like himself, the proportion is not that of
equals; but we ought to advance in this direction as far as our
condition will bear. And as even the most perfect are always very far
from coming up to the mark, we ought daily to strive more and more. And
we ought to remember that we are not only told what our duty is, but
that God also adds, "I am he who sanctify you."

It is added, In all manner of conversation, or, in your whole conduct.
There is then no part of our life which is not to be redolent with this
good odour of holiness. For we see that in the smallest things and
almost insignificant, the Lord accustomed his people to the practice of
holiness, in order that they might exercise a more diligent care as to
themselves.
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[15] Pareus observes, that the Apostle, in this part of the chapter,
exhorted the faithful to sobriety, holiness, humility, and brotherly
love, by five reasons: 1, because they were the children of God, ver.
14; 2, because God is holy, and requires holiness, ver. 15; 3, because
God is no respecter of persons, ver. 17; 4, because of the value of the
price for their redemption, ver. 18; and 5, because they had been born
again of an immortal seed, ver. 23. -- Ed.