1 Peter 1:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

An example of the second, that is, perfect fear, may also be found in David, for example in these words: "Fear the Lord, all you His saints, for there is no want to those who fear Him" (Ps 33:10). And again: "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever" (Ps 18:10). The Apostle Peter persuades those who listen to him to live in this perfect fear. He says: by the ineffable mercy of God the Creator, you have been received among His children. Therefore let this fear always be with you, since you became such by the love of your Creator, not by your own works. The Apostle uses many arguments in his persuasion. First, he persuades by the fact that the Angels take sincere and living part in our salvation. Second, he persuades by the sayings of Holy Scripture. Third, he persuades by necessity. For whoever calls God Father must necessarily do what is worthy of that Father, in order to retain the right of adoption. Fourth, he persuades by the fact that they have received countless good things through the price paid for them, namely the Blood of Christ, poured out as a ransom for the sins of men. Therefore he commands them to have this perfect fear as a companion throughout the whole time of life. For those who strive for perfection always fear lest they lack some perfection. Note. Christ said that the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son (Jn 5:22). But the Apostle Peter now says that the Father judges. How is this? We answer with the words of Christ Himself: "The Son can do nothing of Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it" (Jn 5:19). From this is also seen the consubstantiality of the Holy Trinity, the perfect identity within Her, and Her peaceful and undisturbed harmony. "The Father judges" is said without distinction, because everything that someone says about one of the three Persons must be referred in common to all of Them. On the other hand, since the Lord also calls the Apostles children (Jn 13:33), and says to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven you" (Mk 2:5), there is no inconsistency if He too is called the Father of those whom He has regenerated by communicating holiness to them. "There are two fears: one initial, and the other perfect. One belongs, so to speak, to those beginning to be pious. The other is the fear of the perfect saints, who have attained to the measure of perfect love." Abba Dorotheus, Soul-Profiting Instructions and Letters, 4.

In the Apostle's expression one hears an echo both of the Old Testament prophetic saying about God as Father (Mal 1:6 and following), and of the New Testament Lord's Prayer (Mt 6:9).

"Who without partiality judges each according to his works": the loving heavenly Father is also the Judge, and a Judge without partiality.

To judge without partiality means to judge according to the substance of the matter, paying no attention to external relations or to the position of the accused, such as wealth, gifts, honors, kinship, and the like.

Human judgment is often partial, but God's judgment is not so. God judges according to the substance of a person's intentions and actions, taking no account of anything external. Therefore He judges according to righteousness and truth.

"According to works": in works a person's whole inner disposition is expressed, whether his faith, unbelief, or weak faith.

That judgment is based on works is the common teaching of the New Testament (cf. Mt 7:19; Mt 16:27; Mt 25:31 and following; Jas 2:13; 1 Pet 2:12; Rom 2:6; Rom 8:13, and others).

Judgment is here ascribed to the Father, while the Lord Jesus ascribes it to Himself (Jn 5:22; cf. note). This must be understood in the same sense in which creation of the world is attributed to the Father, though it is accomplished through the Son (Jn 1:1 and following).

That is, the Father judges through the Son (cf. Theophylact).

"Conduct the time in fear": this expression corresponds to the expression in the preceding instruction, "be holy" (v. 15).

God is the all-loving Father, but also the impartial Judge. The Christian, conscious of God's love for him, poured into his heart (Rom 5:5), and of his sonship to God, must not forget that God punishes evil.

He punishes evil in everyone, therefore also in the Christian, despite his sonship. God's love for him is a holy love. His sonship obliges him to obedience (v. 14), and with it to holiness.

If this is so, then one must conduct the time in fear. This is not the servile fear that drives love for the feared object from the heart and is incompatible with it (1 Jn 4:18; 2 Tim 1:7; Rom 8:15).

It is a holy and pure filial fear before the loving Father and His infinite majesty. Such fear must necessarily exist even in the children of God, since the angels themselves stand before God's throne in fear.

In the children of God, called and predestined to salvation, this fear arises from consciousness of God's immeasurable majesty, holiness, and righteousness. It also arises from the thought of the possibility of falling away from God (cf. Phil 2:12).

It comes from fear of grieving in anything the highest love of God, of provoking God, and of doing what is displeasing to Him. This possibility exists in the most perfect people, because of their sinful disposition while they remain in the flesh and in the world.

They are in constant struggle with these and with the prince of the world.

"Scripture distinguishes two kinds of fear, one initial and the other perfect. Initial fear, which is also foundational, is when someone turns to an honorable life from fear of accountability for his deeds.

Perfect fear is when, for the perfection of love toward a friend loved with zeal, one fears lest he remain in debt before him in anything required by strong love.

According to this perfect fear the Apostle Peter persuades those who hear him to live. He says: by the ineffable mercy of God the Creator you have been received among 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 works" (Theophylact).

The expression "the time of your sojourning" points to this. You are not yet at home. You are in a foreign land, still only on the way to the house of the heavenly Father (Jn 14:2).

You are in the world like sailors on a stormy sea, surrounded on all sides by dangers. Therefore conduct your time in fear, until you have reached the heavenly inheritance (v. 4).

Further, we must firmly remember why the Blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb, was poured out for us (cf. Jn 1:29-36; 19:34-36). It was so that we might not live according to the flesh, according to sinful customs inherited from our fathers and infectious evil examples, but blamelessly and in holiness. Christ was foreordained for this from the beginning (see Jn 17:24; Eph 1:4). He appeared after ages of preparing mankind to meet Him worthily. He lived with men, suffered, and rose again. Thereby He made it possible for our faith and hope to be firm, undoubted, constant, and altogether perfect. Before the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Apostles were weak. After the Resurrection they were strengthened in hope in the Risen One, so that they undertook great labors and endured death. The Apostle stirs all Christians to the same thing. He especially encourages them by hope that our Redeemer has ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father (cf. Acts 2:32). Therefore He can give eternal glory to us also (cf. Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 6:14).