Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Peter 2:15
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
15. For so is the will of God ] Better, for thus it is the will of God. This was to be the chief, if not the only, apologia of Christians to the charges brought against them. They were accused of being evil-doers. They were to be conspicuous for well-doing. In the Greek for “put to silence” we have the word used in Mat 22:12; Mat 22:34, Mar 1:25; Mar 4:39, the primary meaning of which was “to enforce silence by a gag or muzzle.” The word “ignorance,” used elsewhere in the New Testament only in 1Co 15:34, implies something more than a mere ignorance of facts. One might almost describe it as a settled incapacity for knowing and judging rightly. The “foolish men” are the accusers and slanderers of 1Pe 2:12 rather than the official authorities of 1Pe 2:13-14.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For so is the will of God – That is, it is in accordance with the divine will that in this way you should put them to silence.
That with well doing – By a life of uprightness and benevolence.
Ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men – See the notes at Tit 2:8. The reference here is to men who brought charges against Christians, by accusing them of being inimical to the government, or insubordinate, or guilty of crimes. Such charges, it is well known, were often brought against them by their enemies in the early ages of Christianity. Peter says they were brought by foolish men, perhaps using the word foolish in the sense of evil-disposed, or wicked, as it is often used in the Bible. Yet, though there might be malice at the bottom, the charges were really based on ignorance. They were not thoroughly acquainted with the principles of the Christian religion; and the way to meet those charges was to act in every way as became good citizens, and so as to live them down. One of the best ways of meeting the accusations of our enemies is to lead a life of strict integrity. It is not easy for the wicked to reply to this argument.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. For so is the will of God] God, as their supreme governor, shows them that it is his will that they should act uprightly and obediently at all times, and thus confound the ignorance of foolish men, who were ready enough to assert that their religion made them bad subjects. The word , which we translate put to silence, signifies to muzzle, i.e., stop their mouths, leave them nothing to say; let them assert, but ever be unable to bring proof to support it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For so is the will of God; his command.
That with well-doing; all manner of offices of humanity, whereof obedience to magistrates is a principal one.
Ye may put to silence; Greek, muzzle, stop the mouths, Tit 1:11; viz. by taking away all occasion of evil-speaking.
The ignorance; either their ignorance of the state and conversation of believers, which may be the occasion of their speaking evil of them; or their ignorance of God and his ways, to which Christ imputes the fury of persecutors, Joh 16:3. They that know not God themselves, are most ready to reproach and slander those that do.
Of foolish men; true wisdom consisting in the knowledge of God, they that are destitute of that knowledge, as unbelievers are, are called foolish.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. Ground of his directing themto submit themselves (1Pe2:13).
put to silenceliterally,”to muzzle,” “to stop the mouth.”
ignorancespiritual nothaving “the knowledge of God,” and therefore ignorant ofthe children of God, and misconstruing their acts; influenced by mereappearances, and ever ready to open their mouths, rather than theireyes and ears. Their ignorance should move the believer’spity, not his anger. They judge of things which they are incapable ofjudging through unbelief (compare 1Pe2:12). Maintain such a walk that they shall have no chargeagainst you, except touching your faith; and so their minds shall befavorably disposed towards Christianity.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For so is the will of God,…. Which refers not so much to what goes before; though it is a truth, that it is the will of God that men should be subject to magistrates, and that magistrates should encourage virtue, and discourage vice, reward the obedient, and punish delinquents; but to what follows:
that with well doing; by doing good works, and those well; by living soberly, righteously, and godly; by having the conversation honest among the Gentiles, agreeably to the law of God, and as becomes the Gospel of Christ; particularly, by living according to the laws of civil society, so far as is consistent with, and not contrary to the commands of God; and by being subject to every civil magistrate, and ordinance of man:
ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: or, as the Syriac version renders it, “that ye may stop the mouths of those foolish men who know not God”; or, as the Ethiopic version has it, “who know not these things”; who are ignorant of God, of his righteousness, of his law, his Gospel, and ordinances. The Gentiles were very ignorant of these things, and very foolish in their imaginations about religious affairs; and from this their ignorance and folly arose calumnies, reflections, and censures upon the people of God; they neither knew God, nor them, nor true religion, and reproached what they understood not, and for want of knowing it: now the apostle signified, that it was the declared will of God that his people should so behave in civil life, that their enemies should be entirely confounded, and silenced, and have nothing to say against them; the word signifies to be muzzled, to have the mouth shut up, as with a bit or bridle; it is used in Mt 22:12.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
By well-doing (). Present active participle of , only in LXX and N.T. (Mr 3:4). In accusative case agreeing with understood, accusative of general reference with , present active infinitive (epexegetic infinitive after , the will of God), late and rare verb (from muzzle), as in Mt 22:12.
The ignorance of foolish men ( ). is late and rare word (in the papyri) from alpha privative and (knowledge), in N.T. only here and 1Co 15:24 (disgraceful ignorance in both instances). Note alliteration.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Put to silence [] . A very graphic word, meaning to muzzle or gag. Compare 1Co 9:9; 1Ti 5:18. See on Mt 22:12. Ignorance [] . In classical Greek it is an ignorance arising from not coming into contact with the person or thing to be known. It occurs only once again in the New Testament, 1Co 14:34. Here is signifies not want of acquaintance, but of understanding; a state of ignorance.
Of foolish men [ ] . Of the foolish men; the article referring to those just mentioned, who speak against them as evil – doers.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For so is the will of God.” To submit (in the absolute sense on civil matters) to duly elected or appointed rulers is asserted to be the will (Gk. thelema) — Holy will — of God. To disobey civil rulers and civil laws duly established is to act in direct rebellion against and disobedience to God and the Bible, Rom 13:1-2.
2) “That with well doing, ‘ Good Christian conduct and obedience to civil laws that concern civil and moral matters enables Christians to offer testimony and Divine right or redress of grievance, when or if, a ruler acts or laws are enacted that attempt or seriously restrict one’s right to pray and worship. Dan 1:8-21; Act 5:28-29.
3) “Ye may put to silence.” One may strictly obey the word of God in relationship to both civil and spiritual matters without conflict or contradiction -our Lord did, Mat 22:21.
4) “The ignorance of foolish men.” Many able Bible students believe that the “ignorance of foolish men” was never more glaring in the history of the USA than during the 1960’s when John F. Kennedy, President of the USA, “his brother Robert Kennedy, Attorney General of the U.S.A.,” and Martin Luther King, prominent black orator in the USA publicly advocated that citizens join in marching street demonstrations, sit-in demonstrations, openly defying and breaking civil and state laws in order to try to effect revolutionary law changes. That the three met assassination is believed by many to have been an act of Divine permissive judgment,
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
15 For so is the will of God He returns to his former doctrine, lest an occasion should be given to the unbelieving to speak evil, though he expresses less than what he had said before; for he says only that the mouths of the foolish ought to be stopped. The phrase which he adopts, “to stop up ignorance,” though it may seem harsh on account of its novelty, does not yet obscure the sense. (28) For he not only calls the unbelieving foolish, but also points out the reason why they slandered, even because they were ignorant of God. But inasmuch as he makes the unbelieving to be without understanding and reason, we hence conclude, that a right understanding cannot exist without the knowledge of God. How much soever, then, the unbelieving may boast of their own acuteness, and may seem to themselves to be wise and prudent, yet the Spirit of God charges them with folly, in order that we may know that, apart from God, we cannot be really wise, as without him there is nothing perfect.
But he prescribes the way in which the evil-speaking of the unbelieving is to be restrained, even by well-doing, or, by doing good. In this expression he includes all the duties of humanity and kindness which we ought to perform towards our neighbors. And in these is included obedience to magistrates, without which concord among men cannot be cultivated. Were any one to object and say, that the faithful can never be so careful to do good, but that they will be evil-spoken of by the unbelieving: to this the obvious answer is, that the Apostle here does not in any degree exempt them from calumnies and reproaches; but he means that no occasion of slandering ought to be given to the unbelieving, however much they may desire it. And lest any one should further object and say, that the unbelieving are by no means worthy of so much regard that God’s children should form their life to please them, Peter expressly reminds us that we are bound by God’s command to shut up their mouths.
(28) The word properly means to muzzle; “that ye, by doing good, should muzzle the ignorance of foolish men;” according to what is done to savage animals, in order to prevent them to do harm. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(15) For so is the will of God.This refers to the command contained in the last two verses, which then is further explained by the clause which follows, that with well-doing. See a very similar construction in 1Th. 4:3. The well-doing of this and the last verse bears the most general sense of good conduct, not the special sense noticed on the fair works and fair life of 1Pe. 2:12.
Put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.A very contemptuous expression, the word for put to silence being the same as in 1Co. 9:9; 1Ti. 5:18, to muzzle or gag, implying that there is something of the animal about these foolish men. The same contempt appears in each word of the clause, even down to men, which might be rendered people or creatures. The word for ignorance implies a stolid and wilful ignorance, and is so used by heathen authors, as well as very markedly in the only other place in the New Testament, 1Co. 15:34. Foolish, too, contains moral reprobation, Luk. 11:40; Luk. 12:20; 1Co. 15:36. suggesting thoughtlessness rather than senselessness. The definite article is also used in the Greek (as in 2Th. 3:2), and again seems to indicate that St. Peter had some particular enemies in view who had brought the charges. This accusation was evidently one of a political nature; and, indeed, history shows us that the hostility of the empire to the faith was entirely based on the corporate nature of the Christian religion. They would not have minded the cultus, but they could not tolerate the Church. Pliny distinctly says in his letter to Trajan, that it was in consequence of Trajans issuing an order against hetri or societies, that he was led to contend with the Christians in Bithynia.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. The will of God Namely, this subjection to rulers.
Put to silence Literally, muzzle, so as to stop their mouths.
Ignorance Habitual and general, as Wiesinger says, “having ever its mouth open rather than its eyes.”
Foolish men With the article, the foolish men who slanderously babble about them as evil doers.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘For so is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men,’
And one good reason for behaving in this way is because by doing what is seen to be right evil tongues will be silenced. This indeed is God’s will. And the point is that God’s will is that no one should be able honestly to accuse Christ and His followers of wrongdoing or of flouting the law. This is partly in order to aid the spreading of the Gospel, and partly because God is indeed against wrongdoing. They are thus to use discretion and wisdom. By this means foolish men will be silenced. The foolish man is the man who opposes God and His ways, and is thus basically ignorant (guilty of folly), however clever he might be in other matters. So he is best countered by righteous living with the result that he will have no charges that he can make.
(Had Nero already begun his persecutions such a statement would have been hazardous indeed if the letter fell into the wrong hands, which as a circular letter it surely would. Indeed it might have been construed as high treason against the Emperor who would not like being linked with ‘foolish men’).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
1Pe 2:15. Ye may put to silence Ye may bridle-in. The original , is used for putting on a muzzle, as the ancients used to do upon oxen, horses, and mules, as well as upon dogs. Fierce calumniators and zealous prosecutors, who were unacquainted with the Christian doctrine, and not possessed of the meek and benign Spirit of Christ, were not improperly considered as animals, which upon some occasions required to be muzzled. By the foolish men here spoken of, Whitby understands the Heathen; who might be ready foolishly to judge of Christians by the behaviour of the turbulent Jews; and so might represent them as a people naturally averse from subjection to kings, as Josephus says of his own nation.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Pe 2:15 . ] gives the ground of the exhortation: . . .
] with ; cf. Winer, p. 434 [E. T. 584]; Buttm. p. 115: “ of such a nature is the will of God .” Schott gives the sense correctly: “In this wise is it with the will of God.” The position of the words is opposed to a connection of with (Wiesinger, Hofmann).
] sc . ; , in Mar 3:4 ; Act 14:17 the word has reference to deeds of benevolence. Here, on the other hand, it is used in a general sense: to do good, with special reference to the fulfilment of the duties towards those in authority.
] (cf. 1Ti 5:18 ) here in the cognate sense of: “ to put to silence ,” Wiesinger; “the is here conceived of as speaking; cf. v. 12: . .”
(except here, only in 1Co 15:34 ) is the self-caused lack of any comprehension of the Christian life. Because they are without this, they in their foolishness (hence ) imagine that its characteristic is not , but . Beda incorrectly limits to those persons in authority; but the reference is rather quite general to the , 1Pe 2:12 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
Ver. 15. Ye may put to silence ] Gr. , muzzle, or halter up, button up their mouths, as we say. See Trapp on “ Mat 22:34 “ It is an old fetch of the devil to persuade the world that faithful people are anti-magistratical; these must be powerfully confuted by our contrary practice.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
15 .] For (ground of ; correlative with, but not going so for as, the purpose announced in 1Pe 2:12 ) so (after this manner, in this direction and wise: viz. as follows, . . .) is (‘ se trouve ,’ ) the will (thing willed, concrete result of the will) of God, that doing good (the anarthrous participle carries the reason with it: by doing good: “ with well-doing ,” E. V.) ye (necessarily understood) put to silence the ignorance (“Locutio quam usurpat, ‘obstruere ignorantiam,’ quamvis per novitatem dura sit, sensum tamen non obscurat.” Calv. On the word , see reff.; and Palm and Rost’s Lex.
, see the instructive parallel, ref. 1 Cor., is not simply ignorance of this or that fact, but a state of lack of knowledge or understanding, habitual ignorance. This state is here introduced as speaking, “having (as Wiesinger) ever its mouth open rather than its eyes,” ready to cry out upon any mere appearance of things as misunderstood by it) of the foolish men (above designated: those viz. who ; not, “ of foolish men ” in general, as E. V.).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
will. App-102.
well doing. Greek. agathopoieo. See Act 14:17.
put to silence . Same as “muzzle”, 1Co 9:9.
ignorance. Greek. agnosia. See 1Co 15:34.
foolish. See Luk 11:40.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
15.] For (ground of ; correlative with, but not going so for as, the purpose announced in 1Pe 2:12) so (after this manner, in this direction and wise: viz. as follows, …) is (se trouve, ) the will (thing willed, concrete result of the will) of God, that doing good (the anarthrous participle carries the reason with it: by doing good: with well-doing, E. V.) ye (necessarily understood) put to silence the ignorance (Locutio quam usurpat, obstruere ignorantiam, quamvis per novitatem dura sit, sensum tamen non obscurat. Calv. On the word , see reff.; and Palm and Rosts Lex.
, see the instructive parallel, ref. 1 Cor., is not simply ignorance of this or that fact, but a state of lack of knowledge or understanding, habitual ignorance. This state is here introduced as speaking, having (as Wiesinger) ever its mouth open rather than its eyes, ready to cry out upon any mere appearance of things as misunderstood by it) of the foolish men (above designated: those viz. who ; not, of foolish men in general, as E. V.).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
1Pe 2:15. , to stop) to put to silence.-, the ignorance) for instance, respecting the integrity of Christians. This word contains the reason why Christians ought to pity the heathen.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
so: 1Pe 4:2, Eph 6:6, Eph 6:7, 1Th 4:3, 1Th 5:18
with: 1Pe 2:12, Job 5:16, Psa 107:42, Tit 2:8
the ignorance: 1Ti 1:13, 2Pe 2:12, Jud 1:10
foolish: Deu 32:6, Job 2:10, Psa 5:5, Pro 9:6, Jer 4:22, Mat 7:26, Mat 25:2, Rom 1:21, Gal 3:1, Tit 3:3
Reciprocal: Gen 30:29 – General Isa 5:16 – sanctified Mat 6:10 – Thy will Mat 7:21 – that Mar 7:22 – foolishness Act 17:7 – and these Gal 6:9 – well Col 1:9 – of his Col 3:23 – as 1Pe 4:19 – in
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
FOOLISH MEN SILENCED
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
1Pe 2:15
Christs disciples need not expect to fare better than their Master. Men will say all manner of evil against them falsely for His sake, misunderstand their principles and motives, misrepresent their actions and words, exaggerate their infirmities, and magnify their inconsistencies.
I. They who speak against them are ignorant and foolish men.That is one comfort. Such talkers do not understand the Christian in his difficulties and conflicts, and aspirations and aims, and successes and failures. They have never felt the like, so as to sympathise and hold their tongues. They are foolish in having no such aims, in judging Christians by their own ignorance, in speaking against the excellent of the earth, in being themselves destitute of saving wisdom. Still the Christian may be irritated by the very fact that he has to suffer from ignorance, and that, too, of foolish men; yet he should pity rather than be irritated.
II. The ignorance of foolish men may be silenced.This ignorance, the worst, the most pertinacious and hopeless. They may not be convinced, but they can be silenced, as if theirs were the unreason and ignorance of brute beasts.
III. Not by word, or pen, or argument, or retort.Answer not a fool according to his folly. Well doing alone silences them; in all the relations of life, especially in those that are most public, as citizens and subjects to the monarchy and the magistracy, in the discharge of political duty and the enjoyment of political privilege, in the exercise of our Christian liberty, acting in all things as servants of God and for mens good, as members of society honouring all, respecting what is good in all, as members of one church, loving the brethren, fearing God. Deeds are stubborn things. Even ignorant and foolish men cannot get over well doing.
IV. It is Gods will that this should be done.It is not a matter of policy or worldly prudence for personal comfort. We dare not be indifferent for our own sakes, or for theirs, or for Christs. Not only our comfort and usefulness, but their salvation and Christs honour are involved. It may not be to our liking to employ well doing. That it is Gods will should be enough.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
1Pe 2:15. It was sometimes charged that the disciples of Christ were opposed to the rulers of the land. Such an accusation was made against Christ and Paul (Luk 23:2; Joh 19:12; Act 17:7). Such charges were foolish and showed the ignorance of those who made them, for there was nothing in the conduct of the accused that even hinted at rebellion against the laws of the land. Our verse means that such ignorance may be exposed if the disciples will practice well doing, showing that they are good and law-abiding citizens of the community.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
1Pe 2:15. for so is the will of God, i.e the will of God is to the following effect (cf. Mat 1:18, where the same word is rendered on this wise ), namely, that by well doing ye silence the ignorance of the foolish men. The well-doing, which might mean doing deeds of kindness or mercy (Mar 3:4; Act 14:17), has here the more general sense of rectitude or dutifulness of conduct. The verb silence means literally to muzzle, and might be rendered gag. But it has the secondary sense in its other New Testament occurrences, with the single exception of the two passages (1Co 9:9; 1Ti 5:18) in which the Old Testament prohibition of the muzzling of the ox that treadeth out the corn is quoted; and, therefore, that sense should be retained here. Those other occurrences are all of picturesque interestviz., Mat 22:12; Mat 22:34, in reference to the speechlessness of the man without the wedding garment, and the silencing of the Sadducees; Mar 1:25, Luk 4:35, of Christs word to the unclean spirit, Hold thy peace; Mar 4:39, of Christs word to the raging sea, Be still. The noun used for ignorance here conveys the idea (which it also has in its only other New Testament occurrence, 1Co 15:34, and not unfrequently in the Classics) of wilful, habitual ignorance. There is a similar ethical sense in the foolish, which here (as in Luk 11:40; Luk 12:20) has the idea of culpable senselessness, which appears in such Old Testament passages as Psa 14:1-2, and which is expressed by a different adjective in Rom 1:21. Peters phrase, too, may mean not merely of foolish men generally (as the A. V. and R. V. both put it), but of the foolish men, with particular reference to those already mentioned as speaking against them as evil-doers. The fact, therefore, that it was Gods purpose to make the good lives of His servants a means of silencing the oppositions of their enemies, was a further reason for proving themselves loyal citizens and submissive subjects.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
2:15 {19} For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
(19) He declares the first argument more amply, showing that Christian liberty does among all things least or not at all consist in this, that is, to cast off the bridle of laws (as at that time some altogether unskilful in the kingdom of God reported) but rather in this, that living holy lives according to the will of God, we should reveal to all men, that the gospel is not a cloak for sin and wickedness, seeing we are free of this sort, that yet we are still the servants of God, and not of sin.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
In the context Peter meant that by obeying the law we can obviate unnecessary and illegitimate criticism. Jesus did this by faithfully paying his taxes (Mat 17:24-27; Mat 22:21). Note that Jesus also told His disciples to pay their taxes even though Rome used their tax money for purposes contrary to God’s will. Paul taught that Christians should pay their taxes, too (Rom 13:6-7). Peter had learned that physical retaliation was not best since he had tried to defend Jesus by attacking the high priest’s servant in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mat 26:50-54; Mar 14:47; Luk 22:50-51; Joh 18:10-11).