SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:10
¶ Mas el Dios de toda gracia, que nos ha llamado a su gloria eterna por Jess, el Cristo, despus que hubiereis padecido un poco de tiempo, l mismo os perfeccione, confirme, corrobore y establezca.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Peter 5:10
Verse 10. But the God of all grace] The Fountain of infinite compassion, mercy, and goodness. Mohammed has conveyed this fine description of the Divine Being in the words with which he commences every surat or chapter of his Koran, two excepted; viz.; ([ A r a b i c-) Bismillahi arrahmani arraheemi. Of which the best translation that can be given is that of the apostle, In the name of the God of all grace; the God who is the most merciful and the most compassionate, who is an exuberant Fountain of love and compassion to all his intelligent offspring.
Who hath called us] By the preaching of the Gospel.
Unto his eternal glory] To the infinite felicity of the heavenly state.
By Christ Jesus] Through the merit of his passion and death, by the influence of his Holy Spirit, by the precepts of his Gospel, and by the splendour of his own example.
After that ye have suffered a while] oligon paqontav? Having suffered a little time; that is, while ye are enduring these persecutions, God will cause all to work together for your good.
Make you perfect] katartisei, sthrixei, sqenwsei, qemeliwsei? All these words are read in the future tense by the best MSS. and versions.
He will make you perfect. - katartisei? Put you in complete joint as the timbers of a building.
Stablish] sthrixei? Make you firm in every part; adapt you strongly to each other, so that you may be mutual supports, the whole building being one in the Lord.
Strengthen] sqenwsei? Cramp and bind every part, so that there shall be no danger of warping, splitting, or falling.
Settle] qemeliwsei? Cause all to rest so evenly and firmly upon the best and surest foundation, that ye may grow together to a holy temple in the Lord: in a word, that ye may be complete in all the mind that was in Christ; supported in all your trials and difficulties; strengthened to resist and overcome all your enemies; and after all abide, firmly founded, in the truth of grace. All these phrases are architectural; and the apostle has again in view the fine image which he produced chap. ii. 5, where see the notes.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 10. But the God of all grace , etc.] Who has riches of grace, an immense plenty of it in himself, has treasured up a fulness of grace in his Son; is the author of all the blessings of grace, of electing, adopting, justifying, pardoning, and regenerating grace; and is the giver of the several graces of the Spirit, as faith, hope, love, repentance, etc. and of all the supplies of grace; and by this character is God the Father described as the object of prayer, to encourage souls to come to the throne of his grace, and pray, and hope for, and expect a sufficiency of his grace in every time of need; as well as to show that the sufferings of the saints here are but for a while; that they are in love and kindness; and that they shall certainly enjoy the glory they are called unto by him; and which is the next thing by which he stands described, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ . This call is not a mere external one by the ministry of the word, which is not always effectual and unto salvation; but an internal, special, and efficacious one, and which is high, holy, heavenly, and unchangeable. The persons who are the subjects of it are us, whom God has chosen in Christ, and are preserved in him, and redeemed by him; and who are a select people, and distinguished from others, and yet in themselves no better than others; nay, often the vilest, meanest, and most contemptible. Some ancient copies read you, and so do the Arabic and Ethiopic versions: what they are called to is his eternal glory; that which is glorious in itself, and is signified by what is the most glorious in this world, as a kingdom, crown, throne, inheritance, etc. and lies in constant and uninterrupted communion with Father, Son, and Spirit; in a complete vision of the glory of Christ, and in perfect conformity to him; in a freedom from all evil, and in a full enjoyment of all happiness: and this is his, God the Father's; which he has prepared and provided for his people of his own grace, and which he freely gives unto them, and makes them meet for: and it is eternal; it will last for ever, and never pass away, as does the glory of this world; it is a continuing city, a never fading inheritance, an eternal weight of glory: and to this the saints are called by, or in Jesus Christ; the glory they are called to is in his hands; and they themselves, by being called unto it, appear to be in him, and as such to belong unto him, or are the called of Christ Jesus; and besides, they are called by him, by his Spirit and grace, and into communion with him, and to the obtaining of his glory. After that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you ; some copies, and also the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, read these words in the future tense, not as a prayer, but as a promise, shall make you perfect, etc. the sense is the same; for if it is a prayer, it is a prayer in faith, for what shall be done; for God will make his people perfect: and which respects not their justification; for in that sense they are perfect already in Christ, their head, who has perfectly fulfilled the law for them, and fully expiated their sins; has completely redeemed them, and procured for them the pardon of all their trespasses; and has justified them from all their iniquities: but their sanctification; for though all grace is implanted in them at once, yet it is gradually brought to perfection; there is a perfection of parts, of all the parts of the new man, or creature, but not of degrees; and there is a comparative perfection with respect to themselves, before conversion, or with respect to hypocrites; for perfection oftentimes means no other than integrity and sincerity; or with respect to other Christians, who are weaker in knowledge and experience: and there is a perfection of holiness in Christ, who is their sanctification, but not in themselves; for every part of the work of grace is imperfect, as faith, love, knowledge, etc. and sin dwells in them, and they stand in need of fresh supplies of grace; and even the best of them disclaim perfection, though they greatly desire it, as here the apostle prays for it; and which shows that, as yet, they had it not, though they will have it hereafter in heaven, where there will be perfect knowledge, and perfect holiness, and perfect happiness. He also prays that God would stablish them, or believes and promises that he would. The people of God are in a safe and established state and condition already; they are in the arms of everlasting love, and in the hands of Christ, and in a sure and inviolable covenant of grace, and are built on the rock of ages; and are in a state of grace, of justifying, adopting, and sanctifying grace, from whence they can never finally and totally fall; and yet they are very often unstable in their hearts and frames, and in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty, and in their adherence to the doctrines of the Gospel; and need to be established, and to have a more firm persuasion of their interest in the love of God, and a more steady view of their standing in Christ, and the covenant of his grace, and a more lively and comfortable exercise grace on him, and a more constant discharge of duty, and a more firm and closer adherence to the truths and ordinances of the Gospel; and they will have a consummate stability in heaven, where are sure dwelling places. Another petition, or promise, is, that God would strengthen them; which supposes them to be weak and feeble, not as to their state and condition, for their place of defence is the munition of rocks; nor in the same sense as natural men are, or as they themselves were before conversion; nor are they all alike weak, some are weaker in faith and knowledge, and of a more weak and scrupulous conscience than others, and are more easily drawn aside by corruptions and temptations, and are in greater afflictions: and this is to be understood, not of bodily, but spiritual strength; that God would strengthen their souls, and the work of his grace in them, their faith, hope, and love; and strengthen them to perform their duties, to withstand temptations, oppose their own corruptions, bear the cross, reproaches, and persecutions, and do their generation work: and he further adds, and settle you, or found you; not that God would now lay the foundation, Christ, for he had been laid by him ready in his counsels and decrees, and in the covenant of his grace, in the mission of him into this world, and by his Spirit in their hearts; nor that he would afresh lay them on Christ, the foundation, for they were there laid already, and were safe; but that he would build them up, and settle their faith on this foundation, that they might be rooted and grounded in the love of God, have a lively sense and firm persuasion of their interest in it, and be grounded and settled in the faith of the Gospel; be settled under a Gospel ministry, have a fixed abode in the house of God, enjoy the spiritual provisions of it, and have fellowship with Christ, and his people here; and at last enter and dwell in the city which has foundations, where they will be never more subject to wavering, instability, and inconstancy, and from whence they will never be removed; this will be their last and eternal settlement: and this will be after they have suffered awhile; in their bodies, characters, and estates, through the malice and wickedness of men; and in their souls, from their own corruptions, the temptations of Satan, and the hidings of God's face; which will be but for a very little while, for a moment, as it were; these are only the sufferings of this present time, and in the present evil world; nor are they inconsistent with God being the God of all grace unto them, or with their being called to eternal glory, the way to which lies through them; and they are the means of perfecting, establishing, strengthening, and settling them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 10-14 - In conclusion, the apostle prays to God for them, as the God of all grace. Perfect implies their progress towards perfection. Stablis imports the curing of our natural lightness and inconstancy. Strengthe has respect to the growth of graces, especially where weakest an lowest. Settle signifies to fix upon a sure foundation, and may refe to Him who is the Foundation and Strength of believers. Thes expressions show that perseverance and progress in grace are first to be sought after by every Christian. The power of these doctrines on the hearts, and the fruits in the lives, showed who are partakers of the grace of God. The cherishing and increase of Christian love, and of affection one to another, is no matter of empty compliment, but the stamp and badge of Jesus Christ on his followers. Others may have false peace for a time, and wicked men may wish for it to themselve and to one another; but theirs is a vain hope, and will come to nought All solid peace is founded on Christ, and flows from him __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
αυτω 846 P-DSM η 3588 T-NSF δοξα 1391 N-NSF και 2532 CONJ το 3588 T-NSN κρατος 2904 N-NSN εις 1519 PREP τους 3588 T-APM αιωνας 165 N-APM των 3588 T-GPM αιωνων 165 N-GPM αμην 281 HEB
Vincent's NT Word Studies
10. Who hath called us (o kalesav hmav). But the tense is the aorist, and the true reading is uJmav, you, instead of us. Render, therefore, as Rev., who called you; before the foundation of the world. See Rom. viii. 29, 30, and compare unto his eternal glory and them he also glorified.By Christ Jesus (en Cristw Ihsou). The best texts omit Jesus. So Rev., which also renders, better, in Christ, denoting the sphere or element in which the calling and its results take place: "Christ as the life, head, and very principle of all existence to the Christian" (Cook).
Awhile (olifon). Rev., more literally, a little while. See on ch. i. 6. Make you perfect, etc. The Tex. Rec. makes this and the three following verbs in the optative mood, expressing a wish. So the A.V. But the best texts make them all indicative future, and thus convert the wish or prayer into an assurance. Thus, then, Shall himself perfect (autov katartisei). The A.V. overlooks the aujtov, himself, which is very significant as indicating God's personal interest and energy in the work of confirming his children.
Shall perfect. Rev. reads restore, in margin. The root of this word appears in arw or ajrariskw, to fit or join together. So arqron means a joint. The radical notion of the verb is, therefore, adjustment - the putting of all the parts into right relation and connection. We find it used of mending the nets (Matt. iv. 21), and of restoring an erring brother (Gal. vi. 1); of framing the body and the worlds (Hebrew x. 5; xi. 3); of the union of members in the church (1 Cor. i. 10; 2 Cor. xiii. 11). Out of this comes the general sense of perfecting (Matt. xxi. 16; Luke vi. 40; 1 Thessalonians iii. 10).
Shall stablish (sthrixei). The word is akin at the root to stereov, steadfast (ver. 9), and is the very word used by Christ in his exhortation to Peter, "strengthen thy brethren" (Luke xxii. 32). Possibly there is a reminiscence of this in Peter's use of the word here. Compare 1 Thessalonians iii. 13; 2 Thess. ii. 17; Jas. v. 8; Apoc. iii. 2. Shall strengthen (sqenwsei). Only here in New Testament. Compare Eph. iii. 16.
Shall settle (qemeliwsei). Omitted by some texts, and by Rev. From qemeliov, a foundation. The radical notion of the word is, therefore, to ground securely. It occurs in Matt. vii. 25, of the house founded on a rock; in Heb. i. 10, of laying the foundations of the earth. In Ephesians iii. 18, it is joined with rooted. The massings of these expressions, unconnected by conjunctions, indicates strong feeling. Bengel thus sums up the whole: "Shall perfect, that no defect remain in you: shall stablish, that nothing may shake you: shall strengthen, that you may overcome every adverse force. A saying worthy of Peter. He is strengthening his brethren."
