Some of the early thinkers like Clement of Rome understand this in a general sense, “Since we are a holy portion, let all our actions accord with holiness” (Epistle, xxx. I: FC: ccel.org). Didymus the Blind concurs (Comm. on 1 Peter: PG 39: 1759). Andreas also agrees, “God insists that we become like him, for in His [God’s] holiness lies our salvation.” (Catena, CEC 46: my tr.). Bede is concerned about the life which embraces this hope. He comments: “The greater is the grace promised you, the more greatly take care that you are worthy to receive it” (Comm., 1985: 77). He goes further and relates this to Jesus’ message about being “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 9:2). He also reads this passage in a baptismal context:
Just as the gift of the Lord’s passion … is imperishable, so also is the sacrament of the sacred font by which we were reborn. These are so interrelated to each other that the one without the other cannot confer salvation. (Comm., 1985; 79)
Theophylact (1050–1108), like some of the earlier writers, reads this in a more general sense: “To be conformed to the things of this world means to be surrounded by them. We are to abandon this world and be conformed to the One who alone is truly holy” (Comm. on 1 Peter, PG 125: 1201. my tr.).
Reformation
At a later time, Luther emphasizes Peter’s message about alertness and being prepared; he reads this as a double metaphor about ascribing loins to the mind (literally, “gird up your mind,” v.13), that our minds are held entangled by the cares of the world and by vain desires, so that they do not rise up against God. Therefore, anyone who really wants to have this hope must learn in the first place to disentangle himself from the world, and gird up his mind like a person in ancient times used to tie up his long garments “so that he does not turn aside to vain affections” (Luther, Comm. on 1 Peter, 1990: 243). For him, redemption from the past empty life and the anticipation of a new kind of existence is characterized in two ways by Peter: a life of reverence and holiness before God and recognition of redemption by a sacrifice without “blemish” or “defect” (vv.18–19).
Characteristically, Luther is concerned by Peter’s statement about works (v.17). He explains the interaction of faith and works:
although God judges us according to our works, still it remains true that works are only the fruits of faith, by which we perceive when there is faith or unbelief. (Comm.: ccel.org)
Holiness is an important theme for Luther. He exhorts on it in a “Sermon on 1 Peter,” written in 1522 and preached after he had been condemned as an outlaw by King Charles V for his opposition to the Catholic Church. This sermon is an important presentation of Luther’s theory of the holy life and the role of good works in the holiness. It is significant that he is using 1 Peter here. He explains that being “sober” (1 Peter 1:13) means fasting in moderation, that overdoing it results in poor health and even the inability to relate to people in social situations. He agrees that restraint in gluttony, sexuality, and other lusts are valuable expressions of good works as long as one realizes this is an affirmation of one’s faith, not an achievement of merit. The key is reasonableness and sensibility, moderation. This, of course, may differ from person to person, so cannot be adhered to merely as a set of rules without consideration.
On the other hand, the acknowledgment of restraint cannot be abandoned; the point is that faith and knowledge of Christ are needed to live a life in which one understands right and wrong in a moderate way, always seeking to never return to the past life of ignorance and wickedness (Bielfeldt, 2015).
Luther accuses his adversaries of misunderstanding Peter’s words that the prophet is holy because of his special revelation from God; Luther argues that every Christian has the revelation within himself – indeed this is the participation in God’s “goods.” He proceeds to describe how one lives the holy life: when you give yourself to God, you become his. We do not do holy things to become holy, we live a life acceptable to God because we belong to him who is holy (Bielfeldt, 2015, vol. 1: 101). Luther admonishes that this does not mean that we can live however we please: this is “stupid, changing Christian life into carnal liberty” (ibid.: 102). On the other hand, works do not bring salvation; faith liberates from sin. Good works and a holy life merely follow as an example to others. Works of service will automatically follow from this holy life. It must be remembered that it is God alone who transforms (ibid.: 98–102).
Other Interpretations
Many current scholars also focus on the phrase “gird for action” (or be prepared). The second participle “be alert” or “be sober” underscores the sense of intensity in the exhortation. It is not clear whether the adjective “perfect” is modifying “sober” (live in “perfect alertness,” extending to all aspects of behavior, akin to “pay attention”, e.g., Hort, 1898; Michaels, 1988: 55; Bauer et al., 1957: 810) or to “hope” (“perfectly set your hope,” suggesting “set your hope without hesitation or faltering”. See Kelly, 1969: 66; Selwyn, 1958: 140). The admonition “be sober” usually refers to moderation in the use of alcohol, but many modern scholars understand it in its broader sense of self‐control and clarity of mind (e.g. Kelly, 1969: 66). These qualities are needed in order to enter into the fulfillment of anticipated hope. Others follow some of the early thinkers, such as Bede, and read it as a baptismal challenge – as baptized Christians we are now obligated to live a certain kind of life before God, free from the pagan past and now living an existence characterized by holiness. Kelly makes the point that holiness here is not just ritual purity as in the Old Testament, but is “the freedom from sin and absolute moral integrity which fellowship with God makes imperative” (Kelly, 1969: 69). Peter provides practical applications – avoidance of slander, impure associations, drunkenness, violence, abominable pride, and so on (Kelly, 1969: 69; Selwyn, 1958: 141).
From his perspective as a writer, Emerson is impressed with Peter’s emphasis on holiness and applies his exhortation to the church of all time. On the occasion of the dedication of the Second Church Vestry in Boston, Mass. on February 28, 1831, Emerson speaks about the purposes for the erection of the hall and cited 1 Peter 1:16 in particular, that the hall should be used to contribute to holy living, “we should be holy as he is holy” (Emerson, 1992: 270).
The Message Bible, an idiomatic translation, expresses an interesting dynamic sense of the whole passage:
So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then, you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy, you be holy.” (MSG)
The Heidelberg Catechism (l563), primarily interested in Christ’s work of redemption through his blood, omits the reference to the readers’ redemption from their “past futile existence” (Pelikan II, IV: 435). The Dordrecht Confession (1632), reflecting the later radical Reformation era, is similar: “The church of the living God he bought and redeemed with his own precious blood” (ibid.: 778). In contrast, the earlier Catechesis and Confession of Polish Brethren (1574) includes even more of the ideas of the verse
(Pelikan II, IV: 727).
This passage has influenced