He that doth not believe that there is a God, is more vile than a devil. To deny there is a God, is a sort of atheism that is not to be found in hell.
Thomas Brooks

The First Epistle General of Peter

The First Epistle General of Peter

{1:1} Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who aresojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, andBithynia, {1:2} according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, insanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of theblood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. {1:3}Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who accordingto his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by theresurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, {1:4} unto an inheritanceincorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved inheaven for you, {1:5} who by the power of God are guarded through faithunto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. {1:6} Whereinye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye havebeen put to grief in manifold trials, {1:7} that the proof of yourfaith, [being] more precious than gold that perisheth though it isproved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at therevelation of Jesus Christ: {1:8} whom not having seen ye love; onwhom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly withjoy unspeakable and full of glory: {1:9} receiving the end of yourfaith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls. {1:10} Concerning whichsalvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesiedof the grace that [should come] unto you: {1:11} searching what [time]or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did pointunto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and theglories that should follow them. {1:12} To whom it was revealed, thatnot unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things,which now have been announced unto you through them that preached thegospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which thingsangel desire to look into. {1:13} Wherefore girding up the loins ofyour mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is tobe brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; {1:14} aschildren of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to yourformer lusts in [the time of] your ignorance: {1:15} but like as he whocalled you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living;{1:16} because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy. {1:17}And if ye call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judgethaccording to each man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear:{1:18} knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, withsilver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from yourfathers; {1:19} but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot,[even the blood] of Christ: {1:20} who was foreknown indeed before thefoundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of times foryour sake, {1:21} who through him are believers in God, that raised himfrom the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might bein God. {1:22} Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience tothe truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another fromthe heart fervently: {1:23} having been begotten again, not ofcorruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, whichliveth and abideth. {1:24} For, All flesh is as grass, And all theglory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and theflower falleth: {1:25} But the word of the Lord abideth for ever. Andthis is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you.

{2:1} Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, andhypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, {2:2} as newbornbabes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye maygrow thereby unto salvation; {2:3} if ye have tasted that the Lord isgracious: {2:4} unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed ofmen, but with God elect, precious, {2:5} ye also, as living stones, arebuilt up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer upspiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. {2:6}Because it is contained in scripture,
Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.

{2:7} For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but forsuch as disbelieve,
The stone which the builders rejected,
The same was made the head of the corner;

{2:8} and,
A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence;

for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also theywere appointed. {2:9} But ye are a elect race, a royal priesthood, aholy nation, a people for [God’s] own possession, that ye may showforth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into hismarvellous light: {2:10} who in time past were no people, but now arethe people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtainedmercy. {2:11} Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, toabstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul; {2:12} havingyour behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speakagainst you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which theybehold, glorify God in the day of visitation. {2:13} Be subject toevery ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, assupreme; {2:14} or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance onevil-doers and for praise to them that do well. {2:15} For so is thewill of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignoranceof foolish men: {2:16} as free, and not using your freedom for a cloakof wickedness, but as bondservants of God. {2:17} Honor all men. Lovethe brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. {2:18} Servants, [be] insubjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good andgentle, but also to the froward. {2:19} For this is acceptable, if forconscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully.{2:20} For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted [forit], ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer[for it], ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.{2:21} For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered foryou, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: {2:22}who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: {2:23} who, whenhe was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; butcommitted [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: {2:24} who his ownself bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died untosins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.{2:25} For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned untothe Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

{3:1} In like manner, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your wonhusbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without theword be gained by the behavior of their wives; {3:2} beholding yourchaste behavior [coupled] with fear. {3:3} Whose [adorning] let it notbe the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels ofgold, or of putting on apparel; {3:4} but [let it be] the hidden man ofthe heart, in the incorruptible [apparel] of a meek and quiet spirit,which is in the sight of God of great price. {3:5} For after thismanner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adornedthemselves, being in subjection to their own husbands: {3:6} as Sarahobeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye dowell, and are not put in fear by any terror. {3:7} Ye husbands, in likemanner, dwell with [your wives] according to knowledge, giving honorunto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs ofthe grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered. {3:8}Finally, [be] ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren,tenderhearted, humbleminded: {3:9} not rendering evil for evil, orreviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were yecalled, that ye should inherit a blessing. {3:10} For,He that would love life,
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips that they speak no guile:
{3:11} And let him turn away from evil, and do good;Let him seek peace, and pursue it.
{3:12} For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,And his ears unto their supplication:
But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil.

{3:13} And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of thatwhich is good? {3:14} But even if ye should suffer for righteousness’sake, blessed [are ye:] and fear not their fear, neither be troubled;{3:15} but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: [being] ready alwaysto give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning thehope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear: {3:16} having a goodconscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put toshame who revile your good manner of life in Christ. {3:17} For it isbetter, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer forwell-doing than for evil-doing. {3:18} Because Christ also suffered forsins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us toGod; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;{3:19} in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison,{3:20} that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of Godwaited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few,that is, eight souls, were saved through water: {3:21} which also aftera true likeness doth now save you, [even] baptism, not the putting awayof the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good consciencetoward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; {3:22} who is onethe right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authoritiesand powers being made subject unto him.

{4:1} Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yeyourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in theflesh hath ceased from sin; {4:2} that ye no longer should live therest of your time in flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.{4:3} For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of theGentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings,revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries: {4:4} wherein theythink strange that ye run not with [them] into the same excess of riot,speaking evil of [of]: {4:5} who shall give account to him that isready to judge the living and the dead. {4:6} For unto this end was thegospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeedaccording to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.{4:7} But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of soundmind, and be sober unto prayer: {4:8} above all things being fervent inyour love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins:{4:9} using hospitality one to another without murmuring: {4:10}according as each hath received a gift, ministering it amongyourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; {4:11} ifany man speaketh, [speaking] as it were oracles of God; is any manministereth, [ministering] as of the strength which God supplieth: thatin all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is theglory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. {4:12} Beloved, thinkit not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh uponyou to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: {4:13}but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; thatat the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.{4:14} If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed [are ye];because the [Spirit] of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you.{4:15} For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or anevil-doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters: {4:16} but if [a mansuffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify Godin this name. {4:17} For the time [is come] for judgment to begin atthe house of God: and if [it begin] first at us, what [shall be] theend of them that obey not the gospel of God? {4:18} And if therighteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?{4:19} Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of Godcommit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.

{5:1} The elders among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and awitness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of theglory that shall be revealed: {5:2} Tend the flock of God which isamong you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly,according to [the will of] God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of aready mind; {5:3} neither as lording it over the charge allotted toyou, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. {5:4} And when thechief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glorythat fadeth not away. {5:5} Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto theelder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve oneanother: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.{5:6} Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that hemay exalt you in due time; {5:7} casting all your anxiety upon him,because he careth for you. {5:8} Be sober, be watchful: your adversarythe devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he maydevour, {5:9} whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that thesame sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.{5:10} And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal gloryin Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himselfperfect, establish, strengthen you. {5:11} To him [be] the dominion forever and ever. Amen. {5:12} By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as Iaccount [him], I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, andtestifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand ye fast therein.{5:13} She that is in Babylon, elect together with [you], saluteth you;and [so doth] Mark my son. {5:14} Salute one another with a kiss oflove. Peace be unto you all that are in Christ.

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