Conciliar message of the Apostle Peter. First Ecumenical Council
Epistles of the Apostle Peter
The Apostle Peter, formerly called Simon, was the son of the fisherman Jonah from Bethsaida of Galilee (John 1:42-45) and the brother of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, who led him to Christ. St. Peter was married and had a home in Capernaum (Matt. 8:14). Called by Christ the Savior to fish on Lake Gennesaret (Luke 5:8), he always expressed special devotion and determination, for which he was awarded a special approach to the Lord along with the sons of Zebedee (Luke 9:28). Strong and fiery in spirit, he naturally took an influential place in the ranks of Christ's apostles. He was the first to decisively confess the Lord Jesus Christ as the Christ, that is, the Messiah (Matt. 16:16), and for this he was awarded the name Stone (Peter). On this rock of Peter’s faith, the Lord promised to create His Church, which even the gates of hell will not overcome (Matt. 16:18). The Apostle Peter washed his three-fold denial of the Lord (on the eve of the Savior’s crucifixion) with bitter tears of repentance, as a result of which, after His resurrection, the Lord again restored him to apostolic dignity, three times, according to the number of denials, entrusting him with tending His lambs and sheep (John 21:15- 17).
Apostle Peter the first contributed to the spread and establishment of the Church of Christ after the descent of the Holy Spirit, delivering a fiery speech to the people on the day of Pentecost and converting 3,000 souls to Christ. Some time later, having healed a man lame from birth, with a second sermon he converted another 5,000 Jews to the faith. (Acts 2-4 chapters). The book of Acts, chapters 1 through 12, tells the story of his apostolic work. However, after his miraculous release by an Angel from prison, when Peter was forced to hide from Herod (Acts 12:1-17), he is mentioned only once more in the story of the Apostolic Council (Acts chapter 15). Other information about him is preserved only in church traditions. It is known that he preached the Gospel along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in Antioch (where he ordained Bishop Euodia). Ap. Peter preached in Asia Minor to Jews and proselytes (pagans converted to Judaism) then in Egypt, where he ordained Mark (who wrote the Gospel from the words of Peter, called “Mark.” Mark was not one of the 12 apostles) as the first bishop Alexandria Church. From here he moved to Greece (Achaia) and preached in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:12), then preached in Rome, Spain, Carthage and Britain. Towards the end of St. Peter again arrived in Rome, where he suffered a martyr's death in 67, being crucified upside down.
First Council Epistle ap. Peter is addressed to “the strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” - the provinces of Asia Minor. By “newcomers” we must understand mainly the believing Jews, as well as the pagans who were part of the Christian communities. These communities were founded by ap. Pavel. The reason for writing the letter was the desire of the Apostle Peter "to strengthen your brothers"(Luke 22:32), when disagreements arose in these communities, and during the persecution that befell them from the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Internal enemies also appeared among Christians in the form of false teachers. Taking advantage of the absence of Paul, they began to distort his teaching about Christian freedom and patronize all moral laxity (1 Peter 2:16; 2 Peter 1:9; 2:1).
The purpose of this letter of Peter is to encourage, console and confirm the Christians of Asia Minor in the faith, as the Apostle Peter himself pointed out: “I wrote this briefly to you through Silvanus, your faithful brother, as I think, to assure you, comforting and testifying, that this is true. the grace of God in which you stand” (5:12).
The location of the first message is Babylon (5:13). In the history of the Christian church, the Babylonian Church in Egypt is known, where, probably, St. Peter wrote his letter. At this time, Silouan and Mark were with him, leaving the apostle. Paul after his departure to Rome for trial. Therefore, the date of the first message is determined between 62 and 64 years after R.H.
Second Council Epistle written to the same Asian Minor Christians. In this second message, St. Peter warns believers against depraved false teachers with particular force. These false teachings are similar to those denounced by St. Paul in his epistles to Timothy and Titus, as well as the Apostle Jude in his Catholic Epistle. The false teachings of heretics threatened the faith and morals of Christians. At that time, Gnostic heresies began to quickly spread, absorbing elements of Judaism, Christianity and various pagan teachings (In essence, Gnosticism is theosophy, which in turn is a fantasy in the toga of philosophy). In life, adherents of these heresies were distinguished by immorality and boasted of their knowledge of “secrets.”
The second letter was written shortly before the martyrdom of St. Petra: “I know that soon I must leave my temple, just as our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to me.”. Writing can be attributed to the years 65-66. The Apostle Peter spent the last years of his life in Rome, from which we can conclude that the second letter was written in Rome as his dying testament.
During the first three centuries, the Church of Christ was subjected to severe persecution by Jews and pagans. Confessing the truth of Christ, thousands of Christians endured suffering for their faith and accepted the crown of martyrdom.The persecution of the Church stopped only at the beginning of the fourth century, when the Christian emperor Constantine the Great ascended the throne.
In the year three hundred and thirteen, the emperor issued the famous Edict of Milan on complete religious tolerance. According to the edict, Christianity became the state religion.
Attacks on the Church from external enemies stopped, but they were replaced by an internal enemy, even more dangerous for the Church. This worst enemy was the heretical teaching of the Alexandrian presbyter Arius.
The Arian heresy concerned the fundamental principle of the Christian faith - the doctrine of the Divinity of the Son of God.
Arius rejected the Divine dignity of Jesus Christ and His equality with God the Father. The heretic argued that “the Son of God was nothing more than the highest, most perfect creation of the Divine, through whom the world was created.” “If the second Person is called the Son of God in the Holy Scriptures,” argued Arius, “it is not at all by nature, but by adoption.”
Hearing about the new heresy, Bishop Alexander of Alexandria tried to reason with Arius, but the admonitions of the archpastor were in vain. The heretic was firm and adamant.
When heresy, like a plague, swept through Alexandria and its environs, Bishop Alexander convened a Local Council in the year three hundred and twenty, at which he condemned the false teaching of Arius.
But this did not stop the apostate: having written letters to many bishops complaining about the determination of the Local Council and receiving their support, Arius began to spread his teaching throughout the East. Rumors of heretical unrest soon reached Emperor Constantine himself. He entrusted the investigation of the troubles to Bishop Hosea of Corduba. Convinced that the false teaching of Arius was directed against the foundations of the Church of Christ, Constantine decided to convene an Ecumenical Council. In the year three hundred and twenty-five, at his invitation, three hundred and eighteen fathers arrived in Nicaea: bishops, presbyters, deacons and monks - representatives of all Local Churches.
The participants of the Council were also the great fathers of the Church: St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, St. Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous, and others. Bishop Alexander of Alexandria arrived with his deacon Athanasius, later the famous Saint Athanasius the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria. The emperor himself was present at the meetings of the Council. He made a fiery speech. “God helped me to overthrow the wicked power of the persecutors,” said Constantine. “But incomparably more regrettable for me is any war, any bloody battle, and incomparably more destructive is the internal internecine warfare in the Church of God.”
During the council debates, Arius and his supporters, among the seventeen bishops, stood proudly and adamantly.
For two months and twelve days those gathered participated in the debate and clarified theological formulations. Finally, decisions were made and announced, which have since become binding on the entire Christian world.
The Council became the exponent of the apostolic teaching about the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity: The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the true God, born of God the Father before all ages, He is as eternal as God the Father; He was born, not created, and is of one essence, that is, one in His nature with God the Father. So that all Orthodox Christians could clearly know the dogmas of their faith, they were briefly and accurately set forth in the first seven parts of the Creed, which has since been called the Nicene Creed.
The false teaching of Arius, as a delusion of a proud mind, was exposed and rejected, and the heretic himself was excommunicated by the Council from the Church.
After resolving the main dogmatic issue, the Council established twenty canons, that is, rules on issues of church government and discipline. The issue of the day of celebration of Holy Easter was resolved. According to the resolution of the Council, Holy Easter should be celebrated by Christians not on the same day as the Jewish one, and certainly on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox.
Authorship of the First Epistle of John the Theologian.
John the TheologianDespite the fact that neither the title nor the text gives a direct indication that the author of this New Testament book is John the Theologian, the Christian Church has no doubt about this and never has had one. At the beginning of the message, we only learn that the author of the book is a witness to the life of Jesus Christ. The Church's confidence in the authorship of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian stems from the similarity of the text of the Epistle and. However, if we remember that a large number of modern researchers believe that the author of the Gospel of John was not John the Theologian, but perhaps John of Jerusalem, Prester John, or a group of followers of the Apostle John, the question of the authorship of the First Epistle of John can be considered open.
Time to write.
We know that the First Council Epistle of John the Theologian was familiar to Justin Martyr, who lived around 100-165 AD. Therefore, the Epistle could not have been written later than 165, no matter who the author was. By the beginning of the 3rd century, the book was already considered canonical and authentic. There were no questions about the authenticity and canonical dignity of the book for the same reason - there was no doubt that the text belonged to the author of the Fourth Gospel. Here we encounter the same images and thoughts, the same sublime Christian contemplation, the same living memories of an eyewitness to the life of the Son of God. Even the lexical set of words is the same.
The time of writing in the Church Tradition is usually attributed to the end of the 1st century (97-99) - the last years of the life of the Apostle John. In the text, John the Theologian speaks not about the structure of Christian communities, but about their functioning and growth, which, of course, was characteristic of the later period of the life of the Holy Apostle. The text does not reflect the Jewish disputes characteristic of the earlier apostolic epistles. The author, however, tries to confront the false teachers operating within the Christian community itself.
Place of writing: Ephesus in Asia Minor.
Place of writing: Ephesus in Asia Minor. Interpretation of the First Epistle of John.
The First Catholic Epistle of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian is often perceived as additional reading to the Gospel of John. The gospel is seen as theoretical, while the message is more practical and even polemical.
The first letter is addressed primarily to the Christians of Asia Minor. The main purpose of the Epistle is a warning against false teachers. The nature of the book is accusatory, exhorting. The author warns Christians about the dangers of false teachings about the Lord.
Most likely, by the word “false teachers” the author of the message meant Gnostics, who in their philosophy clearly distinguished between the earthly and the spiritual. It is also possible that the letter is directed against the theory dosetikov who did not consider the Son of God to be a real person. It is likely that the author also meant heretical views of Sirentia, who believed that the divine principle descended on Jesus during baptism and left him before the crucifixion.
It is worth saying that at that time the Greco-Roman world was distinguished by many ideas and philosophies, it is only clear that John the Theologian fought against those ideas that denied the fact that Jesus was the Son of God. The message is even more directed to the leaders of the church than to the congregations as a whole. It is the community leaders who must be faithful in their spiritual views.
Peter, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, chosen, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Said aliens either because they are scattered, or because all who live according to God are called strangers on earth, as, for example, David says: for I am a stranger with You and a stranger, like all my fathers(Ps. 38:13). The alien's name is not the same as the alien's name. The latter means one who comes from a foreign country and even something more imperfect. For just as a foreign matter (πάρεργον) is lower than the present matter (τοΰ εργου), so a stranger (παρεπίδημος) is lower than a migrant (έπιδήμου). This inscription must be read with the words rearranged, exactly like this; Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ. The remaining words should be placed after this; for in them those to whom the epistle is written are designated. According to God's foreknowledge. With these words the apostle wants to show that, with the exception of time, he is in no way inferior to the prophets, who themselves were sent, and that the prophets were sent, Isaiah says about this: preach the gospel to the poor sent Me (Isa. 61:1). But if it is lower in time, then it is not lower in the foreknowledge of God. In this respect, he declares himself equal to Jeremiah, who, before being formed in the womb, was known and sanctified and appointed a prophet to the nations (Jer. 1:5). And how the prophets, along with other things, foretold the coming of Christ (for for this purpose they were sent), he explains the ministry of the apostleship, and says: with sanctification of the Spirit I was sent to obedience and sprinkling with the Blood of Jesus Christ. Explains that the work of his apostleship is to separate. For this is what the word means consecration, for example, in the words: for you are a holy people to the Lord your God(Deut. 14:2), that is, separated from other nations. So, the work of his apostleship is, through spiritual gifts, to separate nations submissive to the cross and sufferings of Jesus Christ, sprinkled not with the ashes of a calf, when it is necessary to cleanse the defilement from communication with the pagans, but with the blood from the sufferings of Jesus Christ. In a word Blood at the same time predicts the torment for Christ of those who believe in Him. For whoever humbly follows in the footsteps of the Teacher will, without a doubt, himself not refuse to shed his own blood for the One who shed His for the whole world.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Grace, because we are saved for nothing, without bringing anything of ourselves. World, because, having offended the Lord, we were among His enemies.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to a living hope, to an inheritance incorruptible, pure, and unfading.
He blesses God, thanking Him for all the blessings that He provides. What does He give? The hope, but not the one that came through Moses, about a settlement in the land of Canaan, and which was mortal, but a living hope. Where does it have life from? From the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For just as He resurrected Himself, He also gives those who come to Him through faith in Him the power to rise again. So the gift is a living hope, incorruptible inheritance, not deposited on earth, as for example, to the fathers, but in heaven, from which it has the property of eternity, which is superior to the earthly inheritance. With this hope there is also a gift - the preservation and observance of the faithful. Because the Lord prayed about this too when he said: Holy Father! keep them(John 17:11). By force. What kind of power? - before the appearance of the Lord. For if observance had not been strong, it would not have extended to such a limit. And when there are so many such gifts, it is natural for those who receive them to rejoice.
kept in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
If the inheritance is in heaven, then the opening of the millennial kingdom on earth is a lie.
In this you rejoice, having now grieved a little, if necessary, from various temptations, so that your tested faith may be more precious than gold that perishes, although it is tested by fire.
As the Teacher in his promise declares not only joy, but also sorrow, saying: you will have tribulation in the world(John 16:33), so the apostle added to the word about joy: having mourned. But as sad as this is, it adds Now, and this is in accordance with its Leader. For He also says: you will be sad, but your sorrow will turn into joy(John 16:20). Or a word Now should be classified as joy, since it will be replaced by future joy, not short-term, but long-lasting and endless. And since talking about temptations produces confusion, the apostle indicates the purpose of temptations: because through them your experience becomes more obvious and more precious than gold, just as gold tested by fire is valued more dearly by people. Adds: if needed, teaching that not every faithful person, nor every sinner, is tested by sorrows, and neither one nor the other is left in them forever. The sorrowing righteous suffer to receive crowns, and sinners suffer as punishment for their sins. Not all righteous people experience sorrow, lest you consider wickedness praiseworthy and hate virtue. And not all sinners experience sorrow - so that the truth of the resurrection would not be doubted, if everyone here still received their due.
To praise and honor and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ, Whom, having not seen, you love, and Whom, not having seen before, but believing in Him, you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, finally achieving through your faith the salvation of souls.
With these words, the apostle indicates the reason why the righteous here endure evil, and partly consoles them with the fact that they become more glorious through tribulation, and partly encourages them with the addition in the appearance of Jesus Christ, that it was then that He, through the discovery of labors, would bring great glory to the ascetics. He also adds something else that entices us to endure sorrows. What is it? following: Which, without having seen, you love. If, he says, without seeing Him with your bodily eyes, you love Him by hearing alone, then what kind of love will you feel when you see Him, and moreover, appearing in glory? If His sufferings so tied you to Him, then what kind of attachment should His appearance in unbearable splendor produce on you, when the salvation of souls is given to you as a reward? If you are about to appear before Him and be worthy of such glory, then now show the patience corresponding to it, and you will fully achieve your intended goal.
To this end, salvation, were the researches and studies of the prophets, who predicted the grace appointed for you.
Since the apostle mentioned the salvation of the soul, and it is unknown and strange to the ear, it is testified by the prophets who sought and investigated about it. They sought the future, like, for example, Daniel, whom the angel who appeared to him called for this husband of desires(Dan. 10, 11). They examined what and at what time the Spirit who was in them pointed. To which, that is, the execution time, for what, that is, when the Jews, through various captivities, reach perfect reverence for God and become capable of receiving the sacrament of Christ. Note that, having named the Spirit Christ's, the apostle confesses Christ as God. This Spirit pointed to the sufferings of Christ, saying through Isaiah: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter(Isa. 53:7), and through Jeremiah: let us put a poisonous tree for his food(11, 19), and at the resurrection through Hosea, who said: He will revive us in two days; on the third day He will raise us up, and we will live before Him.(Hos. 6, 3). To them, says the apostle, it was revealed not for themselves, but for us. With these words, the apostle accomplishes a double task: he proves both the foreknowledge of the prophets and the fact that those who are now called to the faith of Christ were known to God before the creation of the world. With a word about the foreknowledge of the prophets, he inspires them to accept with faith what was foretold to them by the prophets, because even prudent children do not neglect the labors of their fathers. If the prophets, who had nothing to use, searched and examined, and, having found it, put it in books and handed it over to us as an inheritance, then we would be unfair if we began to treat their works with contempt. Therefore, when we proclaim this to you, do not despise it, and do not leave our gospel in vain. Such a lesson from the foreknowledge of the prophets! And by the fact that believers are foreknown by God, the apostle frightens them so that they do not show themselves unworthy of the foreknowledge of God and the calling from Him, but encourage each other to become worthy of the gift of God.
Investigating to which and at what time the Spirit of Christ within them pointed, when He foreshadowed Christ's suffering and the glory that would follow, it was revealed to them that it was not for themselves, but for us.
If both the apostles and prophets acted by the Holy Spirit, proclaiming some prophecies and others the Gospel, then obviously there is no difference between them. So, you must, says the apostle, have the same attention to us as their contemporaries had to the prophets, so as not to be subject to the punishment that befell those who disobeyed the prophets. It should also be noted that in these words the Apostle Peter reveals the mystery of the Trinity. When he said: Spirit of Christ, he pointed to the Son and the Spirit, and he pointed to the Father when he said: from the sky. For the word from the sky should understand not about a place, but mainly about God sending the Son and Spirit into the world.
What has now been preached to you by those who preached the gospel through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, into which the angels desire to penetrate.
An exhortation is here offered, derived from the high dignity of the subject. The research of the prophets about our salvation served us, and the work of our salvation is so wonderful that it became desirable for the angels. And that our salvation is pleasing to the angels is evident from the joy they expressed at the Nativity of Christ. They sang then: Gloria(Luke 2:14). Having said this, the apostle gives the reason for this and says: since this salvation of ours is dear to everyone, not only to people, but also to angels, then you do not treat it with neglect, but concentrate and take courage. This is indicated by the words: having girded your loins(v. 13), which God commanded Job to do (Job 38:3; 40:2). What loins? your mind, says the apostle further. Prepare yourself thus, watch, and have full hope for the joy that is coming to you, the joy of the second coming of the Lord, about which he spoke a little before (v. 7).
Therefore, (beloved), having girded the loins of your mind, being watchful, have complete hope in the grace given to you at the appearing of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not conform to your former lusts that were in your ignorance, but, following the example of the Holy One who called you, be holy in all your actions. For it is written: Be holy, for I am holy.
The apostle calls the educated one being carried away by present circumstances. For even now some madmen say that one must adapt to circumstances. But since it is frivolous to surrender oneself to the will of circumstances, the apostle commands that they, whether in knowledge or ignorance, adhere to this hitherto, but from now on conform to Him who called them, Who is truly Holy, and they themselves become holy.
And if you call Father the One who impartially judges everyone according to their deeds, then spend the time of your pilgrimage with fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible silver or gold from the vain life handed down to you from your fathers, but with the precious Blood of Christ, as immaculate and pure Lamb.
Scripture distinguishes two types of fear, one is initial, the other is perfect. Initial fear, which is also the main one, is when someone turns to an honest life out of fear of responsibility for their deeds, and perfect fear is when someone, in order to perfect love for a friend, for jealousy of a loved one, is afraid not to stay I owe him nothing that strong love requires. An example of the first, that is, initial fear, is found in the words of the psalm: let all the earth fear the Lord(Ps. 32:8), that is, those who do not care at all about heavenly things, but only fuss about earthly things. For what will they have to endure when The Lord will rise to crush the earth(Isa. 2, 19; 21)? An example of the second, that is, perfect, fear can also be found in David, for example in the following words: fear the Lord, all you His saints, for there is no poverty for those who fear Him(Ps. 33:10), and also in the words: the fear of the Lord is pure and endures forever(Ps. 18:10). The Apostle Peter convinces those who listen to him to live in such perfect fear and says: by the ineffable mercy of the Creator God, you have been accepted as one of His children; Therefore, let this fear always be with you, since you became such by the love of your Creator, and not by your own deeds. The apostle uses many arguments when persuading. He convinces, firstly, by the fact that angels take a sincere and living part in our salvation; secondly, by the sayings of Holy Scripture; thirdly, by necessity: for whoever calls God Father, in order to retain the right of adoption, must necessarily create something worthy of this Father; and fourthly, by the fact that they received countless benefits through the price paid for them, that is, the Blood of Christ, shed as a ransom for the sins of people. Therefore, he commands them to have this perfect fear as a companion throughout their lives. For people who strive for perfection are always afraid, lest they be left without some kind of perfection. Take note. Christ said that the Father judges no one, but gave all judgment to the Son(John 5:22). But the Apostle Peter now says that the Father judges. How is this possible? We also answer this with the words of Christ: The Son cannot do anything on His own if He does not see the Father doing(John 5:19). From this one can see the consubstantiality of the Holy Trinity, the perfect identity in It, and the peaceful and undisturbed harmony. Father judges- it is said indifferently, because everything that anyone says about One of the Three Persons must apply generally to all of them. On the other hand, since the Lord also calls the apostles children(John 13:33), And he says to the paralytic: child! your sins are forgiven you(Mark 2:5); then there is no inconsistency in the fact that He is also called the Father of those whom He revived, imparting holiness to them.
Predestined before the foundation of the world, but who appeared in the last times for you, who through Him believed in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory.
Having spoken about the death of Christ, the apostle added to this the word about the resurrection. For he fears that the converts will not again bow down to unbelief due to the fact that the sufferings of Christ are humiliating. He also adds that the sacrament of Christ is not new (because even this outrages the foolish), but from the beginning, before the creation of the world, it was hidden until its proper time. However, it was also revealed to the prophets who sought it out, as I said a little above. And now he says that what was intended before the creation of the world has now been revealed or accomplished. And for whom did it happen? for you. For for you, he says, God raised Him from the dead. What is it for you? so that, having purified yourselves by obedience to the truth through the Spirit, you may have faith and trust in God. Why having cleared? Because by believing in Him who laid the foundation for your incorruptible life through the resurrection from the dead, you yourself must walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4), following the example of Him who called you to incorruption. Do not be embarrassed by the fact that here the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul repeatedly say that the Father raised the Lord (Acts 13:37; 17:31). This is what he says, using the usual image of teaching. But listen to how Christ says that He raised Himself. He said: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up(John 2:19). And elsewhere: I have the pleasure to lay down my life, and I have the power to take it up again(John 10, 18). It is not without purpose that the resurrection of the Son is assimilated to the Father; for this shows the united action of the Father and the Son.
So that you have faith and trust in God. By obedience to the truth through the Spirit, having purified your souls to unfeigned brotherly love, constantly love one another with a pure heart, as those born again, not from corruptible seed, but from incorruptible, from the word of God, which lives and abides forever, for all flesh is like grass, and all glory human is like the color on the grass: the grass dried up and its color faded; but the word of the Lord endures forever; and this is the word that was preached to you.
Having said that Christians are reborn not from corruptible seed, but from incorruptible, by the word of God that lives and abides forever, the apostle exposes the insignificance and extreme fragility of human glory, thereby encouraging the listener to adhere more strongly to the previously taught teaching, since it is constant and extends forever, and earthly things soon decay in their very essence. To confirm this, grass and a color on the grass are given here, weaker in being than grass; David likens our lives to them (Ps. 102:15). Having shown the little value of our glory, the apostle again returns to explaining what exactly revived them by the word of God, living and abiding forever, and says: this is the word that was preached to you. He affirms about this word that it endures forever, because the Lord Himself said: heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away(Matt. 24, 35). Should know that words to unhypocritical brotherly love you need to read in this order: from the bottom of your heart, love each other constantly, to unfeigned brotherly love. For the end of a matter usually follows what was done for it. And how constant love for each other from a pure heart is followed by unhypocritical brotherly love; then it is fair that the words from the heart and others stood in front, and the words unfeigned brotherly love after them. It should also be noted that the preposition To(είς) should take instead of a preposition for a reason, for (διά).
The apostle showed the advantage of spiritual rebirth over carnal birth, and exposed the low value of mortal glory, namely, that birth is associated with corruption and uncleanness, and glory does not differ in anything from spring plants, while the word of the Lord experiences nothing of the kind. For all human opinion soon ceases, but the word of God is not so, it has eternal abiding. For this purpose he added: the word that was preached to you.
Both the evidence of the most ancient Christian tradition and the internal signs contained in the message itself undeniably prove that it belongs to St. to the supreme apostle Peter. The apostolic husband and disciple of St. uses this message in his writings. John the Evangelist St. Polycarp; St. knew it and used it. Papias of Hierapolis. We find references to this message in St. Irenaeus of Lyons, in Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and Origen. It is also found in the Syriac translation of Peshito.
The tone of speech in many places in the epistle fully corresponds to the fervent temperament of the Apostle Peter, known to us from the Gospel; the clarity and accuracy of the speech, its similarity with the speeches of the Apostle Peter in the book of Acts also eloquently testify to the undoubted authorship of St. Petra.
The Holy Apostle Peter, formerly called Simon, was the son of the fisherman Jonah from Bethsaida of Galilee (John 1:42, 45) and the brother of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, who led him to Christ. St. Peter was married and had a House in Capernaum (Matt. 8:14). Called by Christ the Savior to fish on Lake Gennesaret (Luke 5:8), he, on every occasion, expressed his special devotion and zeal to Him, for which he was awarded a special approach to the Lord together with the sons of Zebedee (Luke 9:28) . Strong, fiery in spirit and decisive, he naturally took first place in the ranks of Christ's apostles. He was the first to decisively confess the Lord Jesus Christ as the Christ, that is, the Messiah (Matthew 16:16), and for this he was awarded the name Stone (Peter); on this stone of Peter’s faith, the Lord promised to create His Church, which even the gates of hell will not overcome (Matthew 16:18). His threefold renunciation of the Lord by St. Peter was washed with bitter tears of repentance, as a result of which, after His Resurrection, the Lord again restored him to apostolic dignity, three times, according to the number of denials, entrusting him with tending His lambs and sheep (John 21:15-17). He was the first to promote the spread and establishment of the Church of Christ after the descent of the Holy Spirit, making a strong speech before the people on the day of Pentecost and converting 3,000 souls to Christ, and some time later, with another strong speech, on the occasion of the healing of a lame man from birth in the temple, he converted another 5,000 ( Acts chapters 2-4). The first part of the book of Acts (chap. 1-12) talks mainly about his apostolic activity. But from the time when he, miraculously freed by an Angel from prison, went to another place (Acts 12:17), he is mentioned only once more in the book of Acts, in the story of the Apostolic Council (chapter 15). All other information about him was preserved only in church traditions, which are not very complete and not completely defined and consistent with each other. In any case, it is known that he traveled to preach the Gospel along the Palestinian, Phoenician and Syrian shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and was in Antioch, where he ordained the first bishop Euodia. Then he preached in the regions of Asia Minor to Jews and proselytes, then in Egypt, where he ordained Mark as the first bishop for the Church of Alexandria. From here he moved to Greece (Achaia) and preached in Corinth, as can be seen from 1 Cor. 1:12, According to legend, St. Peter from Greece went to Italy and was in Rome, then visited Spain, Carthage and Britain. Towards the end of his life, St. Peter again arrived in Rome, where he suffered martyrdom along with St. Apostle Paul in 67, being crucified upside down.
Initial purpose of the message, reason for writing and purpose
The original purpose of the message is clear from its very inscription: it is addressed to “the strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” (1:1) - the provinces of Asia Minor. By these “aliens” we must understand mainly the believing Jews, for St. Peter was primarily “the apostle of the circumcision” (Gal. 2:7), but, as can be seen from some places in the epistle (2:10; 4:3, 4), this also refers to the pagans, who, of course, were also part of the Christian communities of Asia Minor, as can be seen from the book of Acts and some of the letters of St. Apostle Paul.
What motives could St. Apostle Peter to write to the Christians of Asia Minor, whose communities were founded, as we know from the book of Acts, by St. the apostle Paul?
The internal reason, of course, was for the Apostle Peter the command of the Lord to “strengthen his brothers” (Luke 22:32). The external reason was the disorder that appeared in these communities, and especially the persecution that befell them from the enemies of the Cross of Christ (as can be seen from 1 Pet. 1:6-7 and 4:12, 13, 19; 5:9). In addition to external enemies, even more subtle enemies appeared - internal ones, in the person of false teachers. Taking advantage of the absence of St. Apostle Paul, they began to distort his teaching about Christian freedom and patronize all moral laxity (1 Pet. 2:16; 2 Pet. 1:9; 2:1). There is reason to believe that information about the trials that befell the communities of Asia Minor was delivered by St. to the Apostle Peter Silouan, who was a constant companion of the Apostle Paul, but after the imprisonment of the Apostle Paul, he passed on to St. Petru.
The purpose of the message, therefore, is to encourage, console the Christians of Asia Minor in their sorrows and confirm them in the faith. The last goal of St. Peter himself means: “I wrote these things briefly to you through Silvanus, your faithful brother, as I think, to assure you, comforting and testifying, that this is the true grace of God in which you stand” (5:12).
Place and time of writing the message
The place where St. Peter wrote his first letter, Babylon is indicated (5:13). Roman Catholics who claim that St. The Apostle Peter was the bishop of the city of Rome for 25 years; they want to see in this “Babylon” an allegorical name for Rome. Such an allegory is hardly appropriate in a farewell greeting. It is more natural to see this as the real name of the city. There is no need to assume that this was Babylon of Ephrata, of which we have no news of St. Peter’s visit. In Egypt there was a small town on the banks of the Nile, founded by settlers from Babylon, who also called it Babylon. In the history of the Christian Church, the Babylonian Church in Egypt is known (Chet.-Min. for June 4. Life of St. Zosimas). St. Peter was in Egypt and installed St. Mark as a bishop, and therefore it is quite natural that he could write from there and at the same time convey greetings from St. Brand.
It is impossible to determine with certainty when this message was written. Assumptions about the time of its writing are based on the fact that during St. Silouan and Mark were then present in Peter, on whose behalf the apostle sends greetings to Asia Minor (1 Pet. 5:12, 13). Both of these persons accompanied St. Apostle Paul and were well known to the Christians of Asia Minor. They could probably leave him only after St. the apostle Paul was taken into bonds and sent to Rome for the judgment of the Caesars (Acts ch. 26 - 27). It was natural for Peter, precisely after taking Paul into custody, to take care of his flock. And since the first letter was written shortly before the second, which, undoubtedly, was written before the martyrdom of St. Peter, which followed in 67, then the date of writing the first letter is determined between 62 and 64 AD.
The first letter of St. The Apostle Peter consists of only five chapters. Their content is as follows:
First chapter: Inscription and greeting (1 -2). Praise to God for the grace of rebirth (3-5), for which we should rejoice in tribulations (6-9) and to which the research of the prophets related (10-12). An exhortation to holiness of life (13-21) and mutual love (22-25).
Second chapter: Instructions on spiritual growth (1-3) and dispensation (4-10), on a virtuous life (11-12), on obedience to authorities (13-17), on the obedience of servants to masters (18-20). An example of the sufferings of the Lord (21-25).
Chapter Three: Moral instructions for wives (1-6), husbands (7) and all Christians (8-17). Christ suffered, descended into hell, rose again and ascended (18-22).
Chapter four: Instructions for Christians regarding various moral qualities and virtues (1-11), especially about innocent suffering (12-19).
Fifth chapter: Instructions to shepherds and flocks (1-9). Blessing of Adostol (10-11). News and greetings (12-14).
Exegetical analysis of the first letter of St. Apostle Peter
St. begins his first conciliar letter. Apostle Peter with the words: “Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ” - one cannot help but see that St. The apostle deliberately displays his apostolic dignity, for the churches to which he wrote were not founded by him and did not have personal acquaintance with him. Having then listed to whom his message was addressed, St. Throughout his epistle, Peter tries to reinforce and elevate the moral life of the oppressed Christians of Asia Minor with various inspired edifications. In the first two chapters he reveals the "greatness and glory of the salvation that is given to us in Jesus Christ," which gives the whole section a dogmatic cast. In the remaining chapters, exclusively moral instructions predominate.
Christians of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia St. the apostle calls them “aliens” in a double sense: they live outside their homeland - Palestine; For Christians, life on earth is a pilgrimage and sojourn, for a Christian’s own fatherland is another world, a spiritual world. The Apostle calls them “elect” in the sense that in the New Testament all Christians constitute the new chosen people of God, just as the Jews were in the Old Testament (1:1). They were chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, with sanctification from the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ” - all three Persons of the Holy Trinity took part in the work of saving people: God the Father, according to His foreknowledge, knowing which of the people would use the free gift given to him. will, predestines people to salvation; The Son of God, by His death on the cross, accomplished the very work of salvation, and the Holy Spirit, through His grace, sanctifies the elect, appropriating to them the work of salvation accomplished by Christ (v. 2). From the depths of his heart, filled with gratitude to God for the redemption of the world, the apostle then exalts praise to God, who has given people an “incorruptible inheritance,” as opposed to the sensual, earthly inheritance that the Jews expected from the Messiah (vv. 3-4). Having further said that the power of God “through faith” preserves them “to salvation,” the apostle suggests that this salvation will be revealed in all its power only in the “last time”; now it is necessary to grieve “a little” so that faith, tested by the fire of temptation, will be more precious than the most refined gold “at the appearing of Jesus Christ,” that is, at His second coming (vv. 5-7). St. ends his doxology. the apostle, pointing out the great importance of the economy of our salvation, to which all the research and research of the prophets related; and which is so deep that “angels desire to penetrate” (vv. 8-12). Based on all of the above, the apostle offers a series of moral instructions, supporting them with high dogmatic contemplations. The first general instruction is about perfection. full trust in the grace of Christ with childlike obedience to God as the Father and the desire to become like Him by holiness of life: “be holy, because I am holy” (vv. 13-16). This should be prompted by a high consciousness of the price at which Christians were redeemed: “not with silver or gold,” “but with the precious Blood of Christ” (vv. 17-20). This is a high motive - to keep the faith of Christ and hold fast to it, despite any temptations (vv. 21-25).
In the second chapter of St. Peter inspires Christians that, living among hostile pagans, they must show by their holy, virtuous lives that they are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that they might proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light.” ". Then the pagans, seeing the virtuous life of a Christian, will themselves turn to Christ and glorify God for what they previously maligned believers for.
Here, in refutation of the false teaching of the Roman Catholics that the rock on which the Church is founded is the person of the Apostle Peter, it is important to note that St. The Apostle Peter does not call himself a “stone,” but the Lord Jesus Christ, as can be seen from verse 4. The foundation of the Church, its cornerstone is Christ Himself, and all believers, members of the Church - “living stones” - must build themselves on this stone “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God” (v. 5) - just as God in the Old Testament had His temple and His priests who served Him by making sacrifices, so in the New Testament the entire community of Christians in the spiritual sense should be both a temple and priests. This, of course, is figurative speech, and this does not abolish the priesthood as a special class of persons appointed in the Church for teaching, performing sacraments and governing. All believers are called the “holy priesthood” because they must “offer spiritual sacrifices” to God, that is, sacrifices of virtue. Virtues are called “sacrifices” because their accomplishment is associated with the feat of suppressing one’s passions and lusts. In verses 6-8 St. The apostle again calls the Lord Jesus Christ "the chief cornerstone," citing the prophecy of Isaiah 28:16, the words of which undoubtedly refer to the Messiah. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself attributed this prophecy to Himself (Matthew 21:42). In verse 9 St. the apostle again calls Christians “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people taken as an inheritance” - all these features are borrowed from the Old Testament names of the Jewish people and are applied to Christians, since in Christians what these names originally meant was finally fulfilled as applied to the Jewish people (cf. Ex. 19:5-6). And St. John the Theologian in his Apocalypse says that in the spiritual sense the Lord Jesus Christ made all of us Christians kings and priests to His God and Father (1:6). These figurative expressions, indicating only the high dignity of the Christian title, of course, cannot be taken literally, as they do, these are sectarians who, on the basis of these words of the Apostle, reject the priesthood and royal authority legally established in the Church. “Formerly not a people, but now the people of God” (v. 10) - these words are borrowed from the prophet
Hosea (2:23), where God, calling the Jewish people of that time not His people, since they were unworthy due to their sinful lifestyle, promises that at the time of the Messiah the people will become worthy of God saying to them: “You are My people.” ". This promise was fulfilled when the best part of the Jewish people accepted the teachings of Christ1. This saying can all the more apply to Christians from former pagans. From verse 11 the apostle begins purely moral instructions concerning the internal and personal life of Christians. Here he seems to reveal in detail what exactly this royal priesthood of Christians should be expressed in, what spiritual sacrifices they should make and how they should behave, so that the pagans, seeing their virtuous life, glorify them for what they are now slandering. The persecutors of Christians were led by pagan authorities and the upper classes of pagan society, and Christianity initially spread mainly among slaves. The powerless situation of these slaves worsened even more with their acceptance of the persecuted faith of Christ. The awareness of the injustice of the persecution could motivate Christians who had not yet strengthened their faith to grumble and resist. To prevent this, the apostle in verses 13-19 teaches submission to every human authority “for the Lord.” This obedience and Christian freedom are by no means mutually exclusive, but, on the contrary, freedom, understood in the true sense, imposes the duty of obedience and the duties associated with it. Christian freedom is spiritual freedom, not external: it consists in freedom from slavery to sin, the sinful world and the devil, but at the same time it is slavery to God and therefore imposes the duties required by the Word of God. Christian freedom can be abused by reinterpreting the concept of with it and covering up with it all unbridledness, which is what Christians should be afraid of. Warning against such abuse of the concept of Christian freedom, the apostle may have in mind the false Gnostic teachers who appeared at that time. Calling for patient enduring of unjust suffering, the apostle points to the example of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (vv. 20-25) and urges Christians “so that we follow in His footsteps,” that is, imitate Him in patiently enduring suffering.
In the third chapter of St. the apostle gives moral instructions to wives, husbands and all Christians. The apostle commands wives to submit to their husbands. This refers especially to Christian wives who were married to Jewish or pagan husbands who did not accept the faith of Christ. The position of such wives was, of course, very difficult. Naturally, they could have a temptation - to be under the special leadership of persons already enlightened by the Christian faith, that is, other people's husbands, to enter into a special relationship of obedience to other people's husbands, through which misunderstandings and disorder in family life could arise. The Apostle, with special care, warns such wives against such temptation and inspires them to obey their own husbands, even if they are unbelievers, indicating the high purpose of this: “so that those of them who do not obey the word may be won without a word by the life of their wives.” The Apostle inspires that the true adornment of a Christian woman does not consist in external attire, but in the inner beauty of “a meek and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (v. 4). As an example, the apostle cites Sarah, who obeyed her husband Abraham.
The difficult position of women, both in the ancient pagan world and among the Jews, prompts the apostle to give instructions to the husband regarding his wife, so that the instruction on the wife’s obedience would not give the husband a reason to abuse this obedience. The husband must treat his wife with care, as with “the weakest vessel” (vv. 5-7).
Further, the apostle gives moral instructions to all Christians in general, inspiring them to rejoice if they suffer for the truth, for “Christ also... suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unjust, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, by which He also was in prison He went down and preached to the spirits" (vv. 18-19). By this “prison,” as the Greek word used here shows, we must understand Hell, or “Sheol” - the place where, according to the beliefs of the Jews, all the souls of people who died before the coming of the Messiah went; it is a place in the underworld, that is, underground or inside the earth. This is not hell in our sense of the word, as a place of eternal torment for sinners, but still a place, as its name shows, embarrassing for the human spirit, unpleasant, undesirable. This was the place before the coming of Christ for all the people who died in the Old Testament, although, apparently, there were still different degrees, depending on the wickedness or righteousness of the dead. The Lord came to this “prison” to preach about the salvation of mankind accomplished by Him. This was the calling of all souls who died before Christ and were in Sheol to enter the Kingdom of Christ, and those who repented and believed were without a doubt freed from the place of their imprisonment and brought into the paradise opened by the Resurrection of Christ - the place of bliss of the righteous. According to church tradition, this sermon of Christ Himself in hell was preceded there by a sermon about Christ by St. John the Baptist (see his troparion). “Disobedient” means that the preaching of Christ the Savior was also addressed to the most stubborn sinners, as an example of which the apostle sets up Noah’s contemporaries who died from the flood. From verse 6 of chapter 4 we can conclude that some of these were also saved by the preaching of Christ in hell: “For for this purpose the gospel was preached even to the dead, that they, having been judged according to man in the flesh, might live according to God in the spirit.” By this, the apostle also emphasizes that the preaching of Christ was addressed to all people without exception, not excluding the pagans, and, moreover, the most sinful of them (vv. 19-20). From the thought of the flood and those saved in the ark in verse 20, the apostle moves on to the sacrament of baptism, typified by the flood water. In verse 21 the apostle defines the essence of baptism. It is not “the washing away of fleshly uncleanness,” similar, for example, to the numerous and varied Jewish ablutions, which, while cleansing only the body, did not in any way touch spiritual uncleanness: it is “a promise to God of a good conscience.” These words do not mean, of course, that a good conscience, or cleansing from spiritual defilements, is not given in baptism, for it is further said that “baptism saves by the resurrection of Christ” (v. 21). The Apostle points here only to the need for the baptized to decide to begin a new life according to his conscience.
The fourth chapter is entirely devoted to moral instructions. These moral instructions are based on the thought of Christ’s suffering: “since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself with the same thought: for he who suffers in the flesh ceases to sin” (v. 1). This entire chapter is permeated with the thought of patiently enduring persecution for the faith and the need to overcome the evil attitude of the enemies of the faith through a virtuous life. “He who suffers in the flesh ceases to sin” - bodily suffering, whether from a voluntary act of self-mortification or from violent oppression from the outside, weakens the power and effect of human sinfulness. At the same time, the same thought is expressed here as in chapter 6 of the letter of St. Apostle Paul to the Romans: that he who was crucified with Christ and died with Him dies to sin, must consider himself dead to sin, and alive to God. The Apostle urges Christians not to be embarrassed by the fact that the pagans slander them for the radical change that has taken place in their lives, reminding them that they too will be judged by God for their debauchery (vv. 2-6). “The end of everything is near” - in the sense that Christians must always be ready for the coming of Christ. From this the apostle deduces the need for a moral life for Christians and gives a number of instructions, putting love at the head of everything, because “love covers a multitude of sins” (v. 8), as St. Apostle James. Chapter 4 ends with an instruction to the martyrs: “do not shun the fiery temptation... do not shun” (v. 12). Christians should fearlessly confess their faith, not fearing slander and suffering, but glorifying God for their fate (vv. 13-19).
The fifth chapter contains instructions to pastors and flocks, an apostolic blessing and final greetings. The apostle exhorts the shepherds to shepherd the flock of God, overseeing it not under compulsion, but willingly, not for vile gain, but out of zeal, and not lording it over the inheritance of God, but setting an example for the flock. He edifies the flock, so that they, while obeying their shepherds and humbly surrendering to the guidance of the strong hand of God, should themselves, however, be sober and watchful, for the enemy the devil, like a lion, walks around, looking for someone to devour. Three main features of true shepherding are indicated here by St. Peter: 1) “Shepherd God’s flock, overseeing it not under compulsion, but willingly and pleasing to God” - here it is said that the shepherd himself must be filled with love for his great work, must feel an inner calling to it, so as not to be a mercenary instead of a true shepherd (5:2); 2) “not for vile gain, but out of zeal” - this is the second feature of good shepherding, which can be called selflessness. This does not mean that the shepherd should not use anything from his flock (see 1 Cor. 9:7, 13, 14), but only that the shepherd does not dare to put his personal benefits and material profit at the forefront of his pastoral activity ; 3) “not ruling... but setting an example” - the shepherd cannot but have power over his flock, but this power should not be of the nature of worldly domination with violence, oppression and oppression, in which elements of self-love would be reflected; a true shepherd must himself set a good example for his flock - then he will easily, without coercion, acquire the necessary authority and spiritual power over them (5:3). For such good shepherding of St. the apostle promises an “unfading crown” from the Chief Shepherd - Christ (5:4). “Likewise the younger ones,” that is, all not the elders, not the elders, but those who are junior in position in church society, that is, the flock, “obey the shepherds,” “yet, in submitting to one another, clothe yourself with humility, because God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble" - "submit to each other" means that everyone in his position must submit to his elders, those in authority over him, and thereby show humility, which alone attracts the grace of God to a person (5:5-7). The Apostle calls for sobriety and spiritual vigilance, pointing out that the enemy of human salvation, the devil, “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” - like a hungry lion, the devil, always spiritually hungry and always angry against those whom he cannot devour, is terrifying them like a lion with its roar, its malice and seeks to cause them any harm. One must first of all resist it with “steadfast faith,” for faith unites one with Christ, the Conqueror of the devil (5:8-9). St. ends his first letter. Peter with the good wishes from God - to be firm, unshakable in the faith, conveys greetings from the church in Babylon and from “his son Mark”, and teaching “peace in Christ Jesus” (5:10-14).
