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彼得前书生命读经 · 第29篇

基督徒的生活及其苦难（十一）

Christian Life and its Sufferings (11)
1读经：彼得前书四章十七至十九节。在前面的信息中，我们开始说到彼前四章十二至十九节这一段。在本篇信息中，我们要继续说到四章十七至十九节。
1Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 4:17-19 In the previous message we began to cover the section from 4:12-19. In this message we shall continue with verses 17 through 19 of chapter four
JUDGMENT BEGINNING
审判从神的家起首
FROM THE HOUSE OF GOD
2十七节说，『因为时候到了，审判要从神的家起首。若是先从我们起首，那不信从神福音的人，将有何等的结局？』我们看过，本书特别在神对祂所拣选之人的对付上，指出神的行政。他们在火炼的逼迫中所经历的苦难，是神审判他们的凭藉，使他们受管教、被炼净，从不信的人中圣别出来，不和他们有一样的定命。因此，这种管教的审判，要从神自己的家起首，不是一次两次就作完的，乃是一直不断的直到主来。十七节的家也是家人的意思。这里是指由信徒组成的召会。（二5，来三6，提前三15，弗二19。）神从这家，就是祂自己的家起首，藉著对自己儿女管教的审判，施行祂行政的管理，使祂有坚定的立场，在祂宇宙的国里，审判那些不信从祂福音，以及背叛祂行政的人。这是为了建立祂的国，乃是彼得后书所论到的。（一11。）不信从神福音的人
2First Peter 4:17 says, “Because it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if first from us, what will be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?” We have seen that this Epistle shows the government of God especially in His dealings with His chosen people. The sufferings they undergo in fiery persecution are used by Him as a means to judge them that they may be disciplined, purified, and separated from the unbelievers and not have the same destiny as unbelievers. Such disciplinary judgment begins from the house of God. The Greek word rendered “house” in verse 17 also means household. Here the house, or household, refers to the church composed of the believers (2:5; Heb. 3:6; 1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 2:19). From this house, as His own house, God begins His governmental administration by His disciplinary judgment over His own children so that He may have strong ground to judge, in His universal kingdom, those who are disobedient to His gospel and rebellious to His government. This is for the establishment of His kingdom, which is covered in the second book (2 Pet. 1:11). THOSE WHO DISOBEY THE GOSPEL OF GOD
3在彼前四章十七节彼得问，神的审判若是先从我们起首，那不信从神福音的人，将有何等的结局。这问题指明不信从神福音的不信者，将来要受比信徒所受更严厉的审判。
3In 4:17 Peter asks what will be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God if God’s judgment first begins from us. This question indicates that the unbelievers, who disobey the gospel of God, will undergo a judgment more severe than that which the believers have undergone
4十七节的『不信从』一辞有特别、特殊的意义。然而，许多基督徒不领悟这点。在十七节这里用『不信从』，主要的是指不信之犹太人，不是指不信的外邦人。犹太人是神的子民，领受了摩西的律法，也领受了旧约的典章和仪式。但写本书信的时候，时代转变了。旧约是旧的时代，新约是神新的时代。时代的转变首先开始于施浸者约翰的来临。当然，随著主耶稣的来临，时代转变得更多。
4In verse 17 the word “disobey” has a particular and specific meaning. Many Christians, however, do not realize this. Here in 4:17 “disobey” is used with regard to the unbelieving Jews mainly, not to the unbelieving Gentiles. As God’s people, the Jews had received the Mosaic law and also the ordinances and rituals of the Old Testament. But by the time this Epistle was written, the dispensation had changed. The Old Testament was the old dispensation, and the New Testament is the new dispensation of God. The dispensation first began to change at the coming of John the Baptist. Of course, it changed even the more with the coming of the Lord Jesus.
5施浸者约翰是祭司的儿子。（路一5，13。）这就是说，他也该是在殿里，藉著献祭、点灯、并在香坛上烧香而事奉的祭司。那是祭司照著旧经纶安排事奉神的方式。然而，这祭司的儿子没有住在殿里；反之，他出到旷野。不但如此，身为祭司，他应当穿祭司袍，这袍子主要是用细麻作的。（出二八4，40～41，利六10，结四四17～18。）但在旷野里，他身穿『骆驼毛的衣服，腰束皮带』。（太三4。）约翰应当吃祭司的食物，这食物主要是百姓献给神的细面和祭肉。（利二1～3，六16～18，25～26，七31～34。）然而，约翰吃蝗虫野蜜。祭司竟穿骆驼毛的衣服，这对宗教的头脑特别是个重击，因为按照利未记的规条，骆驼是不洁净的。（十一4。）这一切都指明约翰完全弃绝旧约的经纶安排。约翰没有献祭，没有在殿里点灯，也没有在香坛上烧香。反之，他往旷野去，并呼召神的百姓悔改。他将悔改的人浸在水里。从犹太教的观点看，约翰所作的是异端。照著马太三章二节，约翰在旷野传道说，『你们要悔改，因为诸天的国已经临近了。』施浸者约翰的传道，是神新约经纶的起始。他不在圣城的圣殿里传道，那里是宗教徒和文化人照著圣经条例敬拜神的地方；他乃在旷野用『野』的方法传道，不守一切的老规条。这指明照著旧约敬拜神的老路已经废弃，一条新路即将引进。事实上，福音的传讲不是开始于主耶稣，乃是开始于施浸者约翰。约翰对那些来受他浸的人说，『我是将你们浸在水里，叫你们悔改；但那在我以后来的，能力比我更大，我就是给祂提鞋也不配，祂要将你们浸在圣灵与火里。祂手里拿著扬场的簸箕，要扬净祂的禾场，把祂的麦子收在仓里，把糠秕用不灭的火烧尽了。』（太三11～12。）这里约翰似乎说，『那在我以后来的要将你们浸在灵里，或浸在火里。祂要将你们放在那灵里，或放在火湖里。惟有祂有能力作这些事。所以，你们必须真正悔改。』
5John the Baptist was the son of the priest (Luke 1:5,13). This means that he also should have been a priest serving in the temple by offering the sacrifices, lighting the lamps, and burning the incense on the incense altar. That was the way the priests served God according to the old dispensation. However, this son of a priest did not stay in the temple. Instead, he went out to the wilderness. Furthermore, as a priest, he should have worn the priestly garment, which was mainly made of fine linen (Exo. 28:4, 40-41; Lev. 6:10; Ezek. 44:17-18). But in the wilderness, he wore a “garment of camel’s hair and a leather girdle” (Matt. 3:4). John should have eaten priestly food, which was composed mainly of fine flour and the meat of the sacrifices offered to God by His people (Lev. 2:1-3; 6:16-18, 25-26; 7:31-34). However, John ate locusts and wild honey. For a priestly person to wear camel’s hair was an especially drastic blow to the religious mind, for the camel was considered unclean under the Levitical regulations (Lev. 11:4). All this indicates that John had altogether abandoned the Old Testament dispensation. John did not offer sacrifices, he did not light the lamps in the temple, and he did not burn the incense on the incense altar. Instead, he went to the wilderness and called upon God’sp eople to repent. Those who repented he baptized in water. From the point of view of Judaism, what John did was heretical. According to Matthew 3:2, John preached in the wilderness, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.” John the Baptist’sp reaching was the initiation of God’s New Testament economy. He did this preaching not in the holy temple within the holy city, where the religious and cultured people worshipped God according to their scriptural ordinances, but in the wilderness, not keeping any regulations of the old dispensation. This indicates that the old way of the worship of God according to the Old Testament was repudiated, and a new way was about to be brought in. Actually, the preaching of the gospel began not with the Lord Jesus but with John the Baptist. John said to those who came to be baptized by him, “I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance; but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to bear; He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire; whose winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor and will gather His wheat into His barn, but He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:11-12). Here John seems to be saying, “The One who comes after me will baptize you either in the Spirit or in fire. He will put you either into the Spirit or into the lake of fire. Only He has the power to do these things. Therefore, you must genuinely repent.”
6犹太人中间的法利赛人、撒都该人、经学家、长老和祭司长，不信从施浸者约翰或主耶稣的传讲。这在福音书和使徒行传里说得很清楚。五旬节那天，彼得和十一位使徒向犹太人传福音。信的人多半是分散的犹太人，他们是为著五旬节回到耶路撒冷的。但当地的人，尤其是法利赛人、撒都该人、和百姓的首领，却不愿意信。这就是说，他们不愿信从福音。不但如此，保罗被主兴起，就前往外邦城市传扬福音。他无论往那里去，都遭受犹太人的逼迫、搅扰和反对。所以，使徒们在他们的著作里用『不信从』指不信的犹太人，他们不信从福音。我们已经指出，彼得前书是写给犹太信徒的。这封书信特别是写给『分散…的寄居者』。（一1。）『分散』这辞是一切分散在列国中的犹太人所熟悉的。这辞清楚指明本书信是写给犹太信徒的。这些分散在外邦世界的信徒正遭受逼迫。这逼迫主要的不是来自外邦人，多半乃是来自反对的犹太人，不信从福音的犹太人；我们领悟这点是很重要的。一章一节的『分散』和四章十七节的『不信从』这样的辞，指明彼得的著作有很强的时代的一面。彼得清楚指明，他写信给分散的寄居者。『分散』是犹太人的用辞。写本书信的时候，许多犹太人分开离散。外邦信徒住在自己的城市，而犹太信徒是分散的，因为他们分开、离散在外邦人中，离开自己的祖国。因此，这些分开的犹太人是分散的寄居者。
6The Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, elders, and chief priests among the Jewish people did not obey the preaching of John the Baptist or that of the Lord Jesus. This is made clear both in the Gospels and in the book of Acts. On the day of Pentecost, Peter and the eleven preached the gospel to the Jewish people. Most of those who believed were scattered Jews who had returned to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. But the local ones, in particular the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the leaders of the people, were not willing to believe. This means that they would not obey the gospel. Furthermore, when Paul was raised up by the Lord, he went forth to preach the gospel in the Gentile cities. Wherever he went, he was persecuted, troubled, and opposed by the Jews. Therefore, in their writings the apostles used the word “disobey” with respect to the unbelieving Jews who did not obey the gospel. We have pointed out that the book of 1 Peter was written to Jewish believers. In particular, this Epistle was written to the “chosen pilgrims of the dispersion” (1:1). The word “dispersion” was a term familiar to all the scattered Jews among the nations. This term clearly indicates that this Epistle was written to Jewish believers. These believers, who had been scattered throughout the Gentile world, were suffering persecution. It is important for us to realize that this persecution did not come mainly from the Gentiles; most of it came from the opposing Jews, the Jews who did not obey the gospel. Words such as “dispersion” in 1:1 and “disobey” in 4:17 indicate that Peter’s writing has a strongly dispensational aspect. Peter indicated clearly that he was writing to the chosen pilgrims of the dispersion. The word “dispersion” is a Jewish term. At the time this Epistle was written, many Jews were scattered in dispersion. Whereas the Gentile believers lived in their own cities, the Jewish believers were in dispersion, for they had been scattered, dispersed, among the Gentiles, separated from their fatherland. Hence, these scattered Jews were pilgrims in dispersion.
7本书所用犹太人的辞，指明这卷书是写给犹太信徒的。这些辞当中的一个是『蒙…血所洒』。（一2。）在豫表里，洒了遮罪的血，就把被洒的人引进旧约里。（出二四6～8。）照样，洒了基督救赎的血，也把被洒的信徒带进新约的福分，就是对三一神完满的享受里。（来九13～14。）『分散…的寄居者』，以及『蒙祂血所洒』这样的说法，表明本书信是写给犹太信徒的。在彼前四章十七节，『那不信从神福音的人，』主要的是指不信的犹太人。在神看来，不信的犹太人是不信从的。神曾藉著摩西赐给他们律法，他们也接受了。但神的时代转变了，神要赐给他们福音，犹太人却不信从福音，并且悖逆福音。我们若要领会十七节，就需要领悟，『不信从福音』主要的是指不信之犹太人的不信从。达秘在他的圣经略解中多次指出，彼得前书是写给犹太信徒之时代的书。因著彼得前书有这时代的一面，有些经文就不能完全适用于外邦信徒。
7The Judaistic terms used in this book are an indication that it was written to Jewish believers. One of these terms is the “sprinkling of the blood” (1:2). In typology, the sprinkling of the atoning blood ushered the sprinkled people into the old covenant (Exo. 24:6-8). Likewise, the sprinkling of Christ’s redeeming blood brings the sprinkled believers into the blessing of the new covenant, that is, into the full participation of the Triune God (Heb. 9:13-14). Expressions such as “chosen pilgrims of the dispersion” and “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” show that this Epistle was written to Jewish believers. In 4:17 “those who disobey the gospel of God” refers mainly to unbelieving Jews. In the sight of God, the unbelieving Jews were disobedient. God gave them the law through Moses, and they accepted it. But when God’s dispensation changed and He wanted to give them the gospel, the Jews disobeyed the gospel and rebelled against it. If we would understand verse 17, we need to realize that “disobey the gospel” refers mainly to the disobedience of the unbelieving Jews. In his synopsis J. N. Darby points out a number of times that 1 Peter is a dispensational book written to Jewish believers. Because of this dispensational aspect of 1 Peter, certain verses are not fully applicable to Gentile believers.
8义人得救尚且如此艰难在十八节彼得接著说，『若是义人得救尚且如此艰难，那不敬虔和犯罪的人，将有何地可站？』这里的义人指信徒，他们因著本于信基督得称义，（罗五1，）并在基督里过义的生活，（腓三9，林后五21，启十九8，）而成为义人。
8THE RIGHTEOUS SAVED WITH DIFFICULTY In verse 18 Peter goes on to say, “And if the righteous is saved with difficulty, where will the ungodly and sinner appear?” Here “the righteous” refers to the believers, who became righteous by being justified through their faith in Christ (Rom. 5:1) and by living a righteous life in Christ (Phil. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rev. 19:8
9彼前四章十八节正确的繙译该作『得救尚且如此艰难』。和合本译为『仅仅得救』。那个繙译不正确，事实上是改了意思。仅仅得救是甚么意思？原文真正的意思是得救尚且如此艰难。艰难指逼迫、苦难，主要的是指神的管教。神藉著许多管教，藉著许多审判、苦难和逼迫，如此艰难的拯救祂所拣选的寄居者。若是神的儿女，祂自己的家人，得救尚且如此艰难，你以为那些不相信，不信从神福音的犹太人会逃脱神的审判么？当然他们不会逃脱。若是神所拣选的寄居者受神管教，受祂审判，不敬虔的人更要受怎样的审判？我们可将十八节一般的应用到所有的罪人和不敬虔的人身上。但照著彼得的观念，本节特别是应用在不信的犹太人身上。若是接受本书信，相信的犹太人得救尚且如此艰难，就是要经过神时代的管教和刑罚，那么，不信的犹太人，不信从神福音的人更要怎样受苦？当然神审判不敬虔的人会比审判信徒严厉得多。神审判不敬虔的人和罪人时，他们将有何地可站？
9The correct translation of verse 18 should say “saved with difficulty.” The King James Version has the rendering “scarcely be saved.” That translation is not correct, and it actually changes the meaning. What does it mean to be scarcely saved? The Greek really means saved with difficulty. The difficulty refers to persecution, suffering, and, mainly, to God’s discipline. God saved His chosen pilgrims with difficulty through much discipline and through many judgments, sufferings, and persecutions. If God’s children, the members of His own household, are saved with difficulty, do you think that those Jews who do not believe but who disobey God’s gospel will escape God’s judgment? Certainly they will not escape. If God’s chosen pilgrims are disciplined by God and judged by Him, how much more will the ungodly be judged? We may apply verse 18 in a general way to all sinners and ungodly people. But according to Peter’s concept, this verse applied particularly to the unbelieving Jews. If the believing Jews, to whom this Epistle was written, are saved with difficulty, that is, through God’s dispensational discipline and punishment, how much more will the unbelieving Jews, those who disobey the gospel of God, suffer? Certainly God will judge the ungodly much more severely than the believers. Where will the ungodly and sinners appear when God judges them?
10十八节的『得救』，意思不是藉著主的死，得救脱离永远的沉沦，乃是藉著逼迫的试炼作神管教的审判，得救脱离要来的毁灭。（帖前五3，8。）信徒藉著逼迫的苦难受神管教，生命得了炼净，就因著逼迫的艰难而得救，免得遭受神对世界，特别是对不信之犹太人的忿怒所带来的毁灭，以及要来之耶路撒冷的毁灭。早期的使徒坚信，主耶稣不久就要回来审判那些不信的罪人，就是那些不敬虔且不信从祂福音的人。（帖后一6～10。）彼得在这里的话该是指这事说的。在神的行政里，倘若那些信从祂福音，并在祂面前过义的生活的义人，得救尚且如此艰难，要遭受逼迫作神管教刑罚的凭藉，以炼净他们的生命；当祂忿怒的毁灭来临时，那些不信从祂福音，并过著犯罪生活，抵挡祂行政，不敬虔的人，将有何地可站？
10In verse 18 “saved” does not mean saved from eternal perdition through the Lord’s death, but saved from the coming destruction (1 Thes. 5:3, 8) through the trials of persecution as God’s disciplinary judgment. The believer, who has been disciplined by God through the sufferings of persecution to purify his life, is saved with the difficulty of persecution from the destruction of God’s wrath toward the world, especially toward the unbelieving Jews, with the coming destruction of Jerusalem in view. Among the early apostles there was a strong belief that the Lord Jesus would come back soon to judge the unbelieving sinners, who are ungodly and disobey His gospel (2 Thes. 1:6-9). Peter’sword here should refer to this. In God’s government, if the righteous, who has obeyed His gospel and lives a righteous life before Him, is saved with difficulty, suffering persecution as the means of His disciplinary punishment to purify his life, where will the ungodly, who disobeys His gospel and lives a sinful life against His government, stand when the destruction of His wrath comes
11我们可将五旬节那天那灵的浇灌，以及主的回来，当作使徒们所看见两座巨大的山峰。在五旬节那天，神为著救恩将祂的灵浇灌下来，主就为所有的罪人打开得救的门。门首先为犹太人打开，然后为外邦人打开。使徒们期待主耶稣快回来，他们没有清楚领悟，在五旬节的『高峰』和主回来的第二座高峰之间有个鸿沟。我们若读保罗的著作，就会看见他也期待主耶稣快回来。在五旬节和主来临之间的鸿沟，没有向早期的使徒指明。他们问主耶稣，祂来临将在甚么时候；主告诉他们，1:6-这事惟有父知道。（徒一6～7。）父将这事当作秘密保守在祂里面。所以，甚至主耶稣也没有自由向门徒启示这事。如我们所指出的，使徒们只能看见两座高峰。
11We may regard the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the Lord’s coming back as two great mountain peaks seen by the apostles. On the day of Pentecost, when God poured out His Spirit for salvation, the Lord opened the door for all sinners to be saved. First, the door was opened for the Jews and then, for the Gentiles. Expecting the Lord Jesus to come back soon, the apostles did not realize clearly that there was a gap between the “peak” of Pentecost and the second peak of the Lord’s coming back. If we read Paul’s writings, we shall see that he also expected the Lord Jesus to come back soon. The gap between Pentecost and the Lord’s coming was not made clear to the early apostles. When they asked the Lord Jesus about the time of His coming, He told them that this was something known only by the Father (Acts 7). The Father kept this matter as a secret within Him. Therefore, not even the Lord Jesus was free to reveal this to the disciples. As we have pointed out, the apostles could see only the two peaks.
12可能你有过从远处眺望两座山峰的经历。你起先不知道，在这两座高峰之间，事实上还有很大的鸿沟；两座山峰看来似乎互相邻接。也许你后来才领悟，那两座山峰其实不在同样的山脉上。我要用这事作为在五旬节那天和主回来那天之间鸿沟的例证。主耶稣受死之前，豫言耶路撒冷的毁灭。门徒对祂说到殿的建筑，祂就回答说，『你们不是看见这一切么？我实在告诉你们，将来在这里，绝没有一块石头留在石头上，不被拆毁的。』（太二四。）此外，在路加二十一章二十节祂说，『你们看见耶路撒冷被军队围困，就可知道她的荒凉近了。』主说耶路撒冷要被毁灭，这豫言应验在主后七十年，罗马帝国太子提多率领军队毁灭耶路撒冷城的时候。我信彼得写本书时，正想著主论到耶路撒冷毁灭的豫言。所以，彼得似乎说，『所有的犹太人需要谨慎。神在审判，在施行祂行政的管理。我们知道，耶路撒冷城不久以后就要被毁灭，神就要审判不信者。』因为彼得有这种思想，他就能对相信的犹太人，就是那些正在遭受逼迫，遭受神管教刑罚的人说，他们会得救脱离要来的毁灭。然后他接著问，那毁灭来临时，不信从的犹太人会在那里？
12Perhaps you have had the experience of seeing two mountain peaks from a distance. You did not realize at first that between these two peaks there was actually a large gap. It seemed that the two mountain peaks were next to each other. Later you may have realized that these two mountain peaks were not in the same mountain range. I would use this as an illustration of the gap between the day of Pentecost and the day of the Lord’s coming back. Before the Lord Jesus died, He predicted the destruction of Jerusalem. When the disciples spoke to Him concerning the buildings of the temple, He answered, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, A stone shall by no means be left upon a stone which shall not be thrown down” (Matt. 24:2). Moreover, in Luke 2 1:2 0 He said, “When you see2 Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that her desolation has drawn near.” The Lord was saying that Jerusalem would be destroyed, a prophecy that was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Titus, the prince of the Roman Empire, led an army to destroy the city of Jerusalem. I believe that as Peter was writing this book, he had in mind the Lord’s prophecy regarding the destruction of Jerusalem. Therefore, Peter seemed to be saying, “All the Jews need to be careful. God is judging, exercising His governmental administration. We know that in not too long a time the city of Jerusalem will be destroyed, and God will judge the unbelievers.” Because Peter had this thought, he could say to the believing Jews, who were suffering persecution as a disciplinary punishment from God, that they would be saved from the coming destruction. Then he goes on to ask where the disobedient Jews will be when that destruction comes.
将我们的魂
COMMITTING OUR SOULS
交与那信实的创造主
TO A FAITHFUL CREATOR
13在彼前四章十九节彼得总结说，『所以那照神旨意受苦的人，也要在善行上，将他们的魂交与那信实的创造主。』这里神的旨意，乃是要我们，且已经派定我们，为基督的缘故受苦。（三17，二15，帖前三3。）
13In verse 19 Peter concludes by saying, “Wherefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in welldoing to a faithful Creator.” The will of God here is that He wants us to suffer for Christ’ss ake and has appointed us to this (3:17; 2:15; 1 Thes. 3:3).
14这里的交与，原文意交托；像存款一样托人看管，与路加十二章四十八节，行传二十章三十二节，提前一章十八节，提后二章二节者同。信徒在身体上遭受逼迫，特别在殉道时，该将他们的魂像存款一样交与神，就是那信实的创造主，正如主将祂的灵交与父一样。（路二三46。）逼迫只能伤害受苦信徒的身体，不能伤害他们的魂。（太十28。）他们的魂蒙那是信实创造主的主保守。他们该凭著他们信心的交托与主合作。照著彼前四章十九节，信徒应当在善行上，将他们的魂交与那信实的创造主。善行这辞指明正当、良善、高尚的行为。十九节的创造主，不是指新生中新造的创造主，乃是指旧造的创造主。逼迫是在旧造里的苦难。神是我们的创造主，能保全祂为我们所造的魂。连我们的头发祂都数过了。（太十。）祂既慈爱又信实。祂慈爱信实的照顾，（彼前五7，）随同著祂在行政管理中的公平。当祂在行政上审判我们这些家人时，祂的爱仍然信实的照顾我们。我们在身体上遭受祂公平管教的审判时，该把自己的魂交与祂信实的照顾。
14Literally “commit” here means to give in charge as a deposit, as in Luke 12:48; Acts 20:32; 1 Timothy 1:18; and 2 Timothy 2:2. When the believers suffer persecution in their body, especially as in martyrdom, they should commit their souls as a deposit to God, the faithful Creator, as the Lord did with His spirit to the Father (Luke 23:46). The persecution could damage only the body of the suffering believers, not their souls (Matt. 10:28). Their souls are kept by the Lord as the faithful Creator. They should cooperate with the Lord by their faithful commitment. According to verse 19, the believers should commit their souls in welldoing to the faithful Creator. The word “welldoing” indicates doing right, good, and noble deeds. The Creator in verse 19 does not refer to the Creator of the new creation in the new birth, but to the Creator of the old creation. Persecution is a suffering in the old creation. God as our Creator can preserve our soul, which He created for us. He has even numbered our hairs (Matt. 10:30). He is loving and faithful. His 30 loving and faithful care (1 Pet. 5:7) accompanies His justice in His governmental administration. While He is judging us, as His household, in His government, in His love He cares for us faithfully. In suffering His just disciplinary judgment in our body, we should commit our souls to His faithful care.