SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:2
elegidos (segn la presciencia de Dios Padre) en santificacin del Espíritu, para obedecer y ser rociados con la sangre de Jess, el Cristo: Gracia y paz os sea multiplicada.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Peter 1:2
Verse 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God] If the apostle had directed his letter to persons elected to eternal life, no one, as Drs. Lardner and Macknight properly argue, could have received such a letter, because no one could have been sure of his election in this way till he had arrived in heaven. But the persons to whom the apostle wrote were all, with propriety, said to be elect according to the foreknowledge of God; because, agreeably to the original purpose of God, discovered in the prophetical writings, Jews and Gentiles, indiscriminately, were called to be the visible Church, and entitled to all the privileges of the people of God, on their believing the Gospel. In this sense the word elected is used in other places of Scripture; see 1 Thessalonians i. 4, and the note there. The Rev. J. Wesley has an excellent note on this passage, which I shall transcribe for the benefit of those of my readers who may not have his works at hand.
"Strictly speaking, there is no foreknowledge, no more than afterknowledge, with God; but all things are known to him as present, from eternity to eternity. Election, in the scriptural sense, is God's doing any thing that our merit or power has no part in. The true predestination or foreappointment of God is, 1. He that believeth shall be saved from the guilt and power of sin. 2. He that endureth to the end shall be saved eternally. 3. They who receive the precious gift of faith thereby become the sons of God; and, being sons, they shall receive the Spirit of holiness, to walk as Christ also walked. Throughout every part of this appointment of God, promise and duty go hand in hand. All is free gift; and yet, such is the gift, that it depends in the final issue on our future obedience to the heavenly call. But other predestination than this, either to life or death eternal, the Scripture knows not of: moreover, 1. It is cruel respect of persons; an unjust regard of one, and an unjust disregard of another: it is mere creature partiality, and not infinite justice. 2. It is not plain Scripture doctrine, (if true,) but rather inconsistent with the express written word that speaks of God's universal offers of grace; his invitations, promises, threatenings, being all general. 3. We are bid to choose life, and reprehended for not doing it. 4. It is inconsistent with a state of probation in those that must be saved, or must be lost. 5. It is of fatal consequence; all men being ready, on very slight grounds, to fancy themselves of the elect number.
But the doctrine of predestination is entirely changed from what it formerly was: now it implies neither faith, peace, nor purity; it is something that will do without them all. Faith is no longer, according to the modern predestination scheme, a Divine evidence of things not seen wrought in the soul by the immediate power of the Holy Ghost; not an evidence at all, but a mere notion: neither is faith made any longer a means of holiness, but something that will do without it. Christ is no more a saviour from sin, but a defense and a countenancer of it. He is no more a fountain of spiritual life in the souls of believers, but leaves his elect inwardly dry, and outwardly unfruitful; and is made little more than a refuge from the image of the heavenly, even from righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Through sanctification of the Spirit - through the renewing and purifying influences of his Spirit on their souls, unto obedience - to engage and enable them to yield themselves up to all holy obedience, the foundation of all which is the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ - the atoning blood of Jesus Christ which was typified by the sprinkling of the blood of sacrifices under the law, in allusion to which it is called the blood of sprinkling.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father , etc.] Not to any office, as to that of bishops or presbyters; for though the apostle writes to some of them under this character, ( 1 Peter 5:1) yet not all; nor were they so called, as a nation, for they were persons scattered about in several countries; nor as a church, for they are not wrote to as such; nor does this character merely design their effectual calling; though as that is a fruit and evidence of election, it is sometimes so styled, and the saints called by grace are said to be chosen; ( John 15:19 1 Corinthians 1:26) but it intends the eternal election of those persons both to grace and glory; which the apostle knew of, not by divine revelation, or any particular discovery made to him; but he concluded it in a judgment of charity, they being all under a profession of faith in Christ, and he having reason to believe that the greater part of them were truly partakers of that faith which demonstrated them to be the elect of God: the cause, spring, and source of their election was, the foreknowledge of God the Father: to whom election is commonly ascribed, agreeably to the order of the divine Persons in the Trinity, and their distinct parts in the economy of salvation, though not to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit: and by this his foreknowledge is meant, not his eternal, universal, and infallible knowledge, and which is infinite, and reaches to all things and persons, present, future, or possible, for this has for its objects persons whom God never predestinated and chose: though certain it is that he knows and foreknows all whom he does predestinate and choose; nor does it intend the mere decree of election, or God's eternal purpose and resolution to choose, but the spring and source of that act of his: and much less does it mean a bare prescience of men, and choice of them, upon a foresight of faith, holiness, good works, and perseverance therein; for these are all, when genuine, the fruits and effects of election, which are included in it, and secured and brought about by it; but the sovereign grace, good will, and pleasure of God, or the everlasting love of God the Father, which is the cause of, and has given birth to the act of election, is meant by foreknowledge, joined with affection, delight, and approbation; knowledge, and foreknowledge, as ascribed to the divine Being, often signify such things; (see Psalm 1:6 2 Timothy 2:19 Romans 8:29,30) ( Romans 11:1,2) and such a knowledge God the Father had of the persons of the elect from all eternity; and which is the ground and foundation of his choosing them to grace and glory, and not anything in them, or done by them, or anything out of himself; no other reason can be given of it than his own grace, his pure love, and sovereign good will and pleasure: the means follow, through which they were chosen, through sanctification of the Spirit ; as in ( 2 Thessalonians 2:13). (See Gill on 2 Thessalonians 2:13). The ends to which the saints are chosen are, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ ; by obedience is meant either the obedience of elect men to Christ, which lies in obeying the truth of the Gospel, called the obedience of faith; and so is the same with the belief of the truth, which goes along in election with the sanctification of the Spirit, in ( 2 Thessalonians 2:13) and in submission to Gospel ordinances, and doing all good works in the name, faith, and strength of Christ; and which also are fruits and effects, and so not causes of divine predestination; (see Ephesians 2:10) and also follow upon the sanctification of the Spirit; or else the obedience of Christ is intended; and so the Arabic version renders it, unto the obedience of Jesus Christ; which lay in his performing the precepts of the law, and bearing the penalty of it, death; and by which the chosen seed are justified, or made righteous in the sight of God, and have a title to eternal life and glory, and are safe from wrath to come; and to the enjoyment of this grace, they are chosen of God the Father; and between these two, predestination and justification, there is a close and inseparable connection; so that they that are interested in the one, are in the other; (see Romans 8:30), the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; does not denote a small quantity of it, for it was shed and poured out in great abundance; but is said in allusion to the sprinkling of the blood of the passover lamb. ( Exodus 12:22,23) or to the sprinkling of the blood on the book of the covenant, and on the people at Mount Sinai, ( Exodus 24:8) or to other sprinklings of blood in their legal sacrifices: the application of the blood of Christ to the heart, by the Spirit of God, for cleansing, pardon, and justification, is meant; which affords true, solid, conscience peace and joy now, and entitles to eternal happiness and glory; all which are secured by electing grace. The salutation of these persons follows: grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied ; which is much the same that is used by the Apostle Paul in all his epistles; (see Gill on Romans 1:7), only Peter adds the word multiplied; which makes it more express, and the sense more clear: he means an enlarged view of interest in the love of God, an increase of grace out of the fulness of it in Christ, and of Gospel light, and of the several gifts of the Spirit; and also of all prosperity outward and inward, of a conscience peace through the blood of Christ, which passeth all understanding, and a more established and well grounded hope of enjoying eternal peace hereafter. The phrase is Jewish, and is used in their salutations in this form, ygsy wkml , let your peace be multiplied f23 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - This epistle is addressed to believers in general, who are strangers in every city or country where they live, and are scattered through the nations. These are to ascribe their salvation to the electing love of the Father, the redemption of the Son, and the sanctification of the Holy Ghost; and so to give glory to one God in three Persons, int whose name they had been baptized. Hope, in the world's phrase, refer only to an uncertain good, for all worldly hopes are tottering, buil upon sand, and the worldling's hopes of heaven are blind and groundles conjectures. But the hope of the sons of the living God is a livin hope; not only as to its object, but as to its effect also. It enliven and comforts in all distresses, enables to meet and get over all difficulties. Mercy is the spring of all this; yea, great mercy an manifold mercy. And this well-grounded hope of salvation, is an activ and living principle of obedience in the soul of the believer. The matter of a Christian's joy, is the remembrance of the happiness lai up for him. It is incorruptible, it cannot come to nothing, it is a estate that cannot be spent. Also undefiled; this signifies its purit and perfection. And it fadeth not; is not sometimes more or les pleasant, but ever the same, still like itself. All possessions her are stained with defects and failings; still something is wanting: fai houses have sad cares flying about the gilded and ceiled roofs; sof beds and full tables, are often with sick bodies and uneasy stomachs All possessions are stained with sin, either in getting or in using them. How ready we are to turn the things we possess into occasions an instruments of sin, and to think there is no liberty or delight in their use, without abusing them! Worldly possessions are uncertain an soon pass away, like the flowers and plants of the field. That must be of the greatest worth, which is laid up in the highest and best place in heaven. Happy are those whose hearts the Holy Spirit sets on thi inheritance. God not only gives his people grace, but preserves the unto glory. Every believer has always something wherein he may greatl rejoice; it should show itself in the countenance and conduct. The Lor does not willingly afflict, yet his wise love often appoints shar trials, to show his people their hearts, and to do them good at the latter end. Gold does not increase by trial in the fire, it become less; but faith is made firm, and multiplied, by troubles an afflictions. Gold must perish at last, and can only purchase perishin things, while the trial of faith will be found to praise, and honour and glory. Let this reconcile us to present afflictions. Seek then to believe Christ's excellence in himself, and his love to us; this wil kindle such a fire in the heart as will make it rise up in a sacrific of love to him. And the glory of God and our own happiness are s united, that if we sincerely seek the one now, we shall attain the other when the soul shall no more be subject to evil. The certainty of this hope is as if believers had already received it.
Greek Textus Receptus
κατα 2596 προγνωσιν 4268 θεου 2316 πατρος 3962 εν 1722 αγιασμω 38 πνευματος 4151 εις 1519 υπακοην 5218 και 2532 ραντισμον 4473 αιματος 129 ιησου 2424 χριστου 5547 χαρις 5485 υμιν 5213 και 2532 ειρηνη 1515 πληθυνθειη 4129 5684
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. According to (kata). In virtue of; in accordance with.
Foreknowledge (prognwsin). Only here and Acts ii. 23, in Peter's sermon at Pentecost. He is distinguishing there between foreknowledge and determinate counsel.
The Father. Implying that the relation contemplated by the divine foreknowledge is a new relation of sonship.
In sanctification (en agiasmw). Compare 2 Thess. ii. 13. The spiritual state in which the being elected to salvation is realized. The word is peculiarly Pauline, occurring eight times in Paul's epistles, and besides only here and Heb. xii. 14.
Unto obedience (eiv). Note the three prepositions: according to (kata) the foreknowledge; in (en) sanctification; unto (eiv) obedience. The ground, sphere, and end of spiritual sanctification.
Sprinkling (rantismon). Here in a passive sense - the being sprinkled. Properly, the ritualistic act of sprinkling blood or water. See Numbers xix. 19, 21. Compare Heb. ix. 13; xii. 24; Num. xix. 9, 13, where the water in which were the ashes of the red heifer is called udwr rJantismou, water of sprinkling (Septuagint), which the A.V. and Rev. Old Testament render water of separation. The word and its kindred verb occur only in Hebrews and Peter.
Jesus Christ. The foreknowledge of the Father, the sanctification of the Spirit, the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ the Son. The Father foreknowing, the Son atoning, the Spirit applying the Son's work in sanctifying. "The mystery of the Trinity and the economy of our salvation are intimated in this verse" (Bengel).
Grace and peace (cariv - eirhnh). Pauline terms. See Rom. i. 7. The salutation is peculiar by the addition of be multiplied, which occurs 2 Peter i. 2; Jude 2, and nowhere else in the salutations of the epistles. It is found, however, in the Septuagint, Dan. iv. 1 (Sept. iii. 31), and vi. 25. Professor Salmond observes: "If the Babylon from which Peter writes can be taken to be the literal Babylon (see on v. 13), it might be interesting to recall the epistles introduced by salutations so similar to Peter's, which were written from the same capital by two kings, Nebuchadnezzar and Darius, of two great dynasties, and addressed to all their provinces."
