THEREFORE:
dio: (Click
for the 5 therefore's in 1 Peter)
Spurgeon...
This is Peter’s practical
application of the greet truths of which he had been writing.
“Look ahead, and expect great things. Live in the future.
Project your thoughts beyond the centuries that are passing away
into the ages which will never die.”
Pull yourself together; be
not mentally and spiritually in dishabille (state of being
dressed in a casual or careless style; deliberately careless or
casual manner) but, be girt ready for holy running or snored
wrestling: “Gird up the loins of your mind,”
Be ready to depart to your
inheritance. Do not let your garments flow carelessly and
loosely, as though you had no journey before you, but “gird up
the loins of your mind.”
Therefore
(1352) (dio)
for this reason, for this purpose, because of this thing: What
"thing" has Peter been taking about for 12 verses? Clearly
"salvation"... one that even the prophets didn't fully
understand (v10,11) & angels long to understand (v12) but
cannot. And so with this therefore we
see a change in emphasis. Peter has been dealing with the
glories of our salvation. At this point, he launches into a
series of exhortations based on the foregoing firm foundation.
Verse 13 serves as a hinge
to connect 1:1–12 (assurance of future glory through new birth
in Christ) with 1:14–5:11 (expectation of righteous behavior in
spite of unfair circumstances).
Therefore or because
you now have the foundational teaching about salvation, truths
so magnificent that even angels long to look into, Peter says
"turn that knowledge into 'shoe leather' and live it out before
the lost world". The renewing of one's mind by these incredible
truths should transform our walk (see notes
Romans 12:2). In the NT doctrine is
always inseparably linked with practice. What you believe should
manifest
itself in how you behave. And in the later
parts of this letter we see that Peter gets very specific
about the behavior and actions that adorn the transformed life
of a set apart one (a saint). Because you have been born again
to a living hope, because you have an imperishable inheritance
reserved for you in heaven, because you are protected by the
power of God, because you can rejoice in suffering knowing it
has a holy purpose in your life, etc...now do these things -
gird your mind, keep sober and fix your hope. Note how Peter first gives instructions on grace before he asks them to live it out. Grace
(God's transforming power that enables us to live a supernatural
life) must be
experienced before the behaviors called for can be put into
practice. The alternative is to place yourself under legalistic
constraints to do this or do that, and this self-effort approach
cannot produce a supernatural life.
C H Spurgeon
commenting on
the importance of "therefore" in this section writes
that
Doctrine may become dangerous if it be
not reduced to practice, and all the doctrines of God’s Word
may readily be turned to good and practical account if we are
willing so to employ them. Those who regard doctrine simply as a
subject for debate, an opportunity for displaying one’s
argumentative powers, miss the mark altogether, for we are
taught the truth in order that it may lead us to holiness of
life. This is the object of God in giving us more light,— that,
by that light, we may ourselves become more full of light, and
be the means of conveying light to others. Therefore, when your
mind is instructed concerning some grand truth, after you have
sucked the honey and joy out of it, always say to yourself,
“But what are the bearings of this doctrine upon my life? How
should it influence me? What would God have me to do as the
result of receiving such teaching as this?” From what Peter had
already said, like a true logician, he draws a wise inference,
and says, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be
sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought
unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Spurgeon, C
H:
Girded for the Work)
As an aside Peter is making it
very clear that our faith (and the obedience that emanates from
that faith) should be based not on our personal experiences but
on the sound doctrine of the Word of God.
GIRD YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION:
anazosamenoi (AMPMPN) tas osphuas (Loins = seat of strength of
body)
tes dianoias ~ what goes thru the mind = one's thought
processes ~ generally "mind") humon:
(Ex 12:11;
1 Ki 18:46;
2 Ki 4:29;
Job 38:3;
40:7;
Isa 11:5;
Jer 1:17;
Lu 12:35;
17:8;
Eph 6:14)
Therefore,
prepare your minds for action (NIV)
Turn
the robes of your mind into running shorts. Pull them up between
your legs and tuck them into your belt (Piper)
So
then, have your minds ready for action (TEV)
So
brace up your minds (Amp)
be serious and thoughtful rather than shallow
and flippant in attitude (Morris)
having
tied up at the waist the clothes of your mind
(ALT)
If you have never heard Dr
Martyn Lloyd-Jones preach,
click and sit quietly for
40+ minutes as he preaches a powerful message on "Trials and
Temptations", filled with numerous practical insights on what it
means to "Gird your mind for action". (Highly
recommended)
Spurgeon comments that
Peter
begins, as you notice, with
girding up the loins of your mind. These are days of great
looseness; everywhere I see great laxity of doctrinal belief,
and gross carelessness in religious practice. Christian people
are doing to-day what their forefathers would have loathed.
Multitudes of professors are but very little different from
worldlings. Men’s religion seems to hang loosely about them, as
if it did not fit them: the wonder is that it does not drop off
from them. Men are so little braced up as to conscientious
conviction and vigorous resolve, that they easily go to pieces
if assailed by error or temptation. The teaching necessary for
to-day is this: “Gird up the loins of your mind,” brace
yourselves up; pull yourselves together; be firm, compact,
consistent, determined. Do not be like quicksilver, which keeps
on dissolving and running into fractions; do not fritter away
life upon trifles, but live to purpose, with undivided heart,
and decided resolution." (Spurgeon, C H:
A Seasonable Exhortation)
Gird your minds for action
(328) (anazonnumi from ana = up
~stresses lifting up of long robe + zonnumi = bind
about especially with a belt) is used only here.
Anazonnumi
means to bind up, gird up, and was used literally that of a
robed man, tucking his skirts under the belt, so he can be free
to run (literally
Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah,
and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel."
1Ki 18:46;
Elisha
said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take
my staff in your hand, and go your way..."
2Ki 4:29,
Now
Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and
said to him, “Gird up your loins, and take this flask of
oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead."
2Ki 9:1).
This was apparently a well known Hebrew expression indicating
readiness of mind or preparedness. The Jews at Passover were
supposed to eat the Passover meal in haste, "with (their) loins
girded", ready to move
Now
you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded,
your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you
shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover
Ex 12:11
God
commanded Jeremiah
Now,
gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all which I
commanded you. Do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you
before them” (Jer 1:17).
Here the
phrase is used metaphorically to suggest needful preparation for
the fierce and intense conflict to come. This figurative use of
girding of the loins presents the picture of courage or resolve
that would be necessary, for the task he was called to do was
not a pleasant one and would bring persecution. How did Jeremiah
do? Jeremiah obeyed God's command and as a result became one of
the most unpopular prophets in Jewish history! Measured by human
standards, his ministry was a failure, but measured by the will
of God, he was a great success. Jeremiah was called to difficult
tasks to stand alone, to resist the crowd, and to be out of step
with the world view and values of his day, a "girding of his
mind" which Jeremiah maintained for over forty years!
God
challenges Job to gird up his loins
Now gird up your loins like a man; I
will ask you, and you instruct Me” (Job
38:3; cf
40:7)
This use
is figurative referring to Job's mental outlook and not to his
physical clothing. The point is that all of the uses constitute
preparation necessary to makes a person ready to take action and
move about freely without hindrance physically or figuratively.
To fail to do so is to invite trouble.
Paul using a
similar metaphor tells the Ephesian church to
Stand firm therefore, HAVING
GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH" (see note
Ephesians 6:14)
So the truth is what we are
gird our minds with. The Roman soldier. He would pull
his tunic through his belt so his garment wouldn’t be in his way
when he was in battle. Girding the loins was a mark of
preparedness, and the soldier who was serious about fighting was
sure to secure his tunic with his belt. Paul like Peter is
telling us that we must be prepared and committed for spiritual
battle.
A Jewish person
preparing for to run, to fight or to apply themselves to any
business requiring rapid motion, wouldn’t
leave with his garments loose but would put on a belt and pull
his garments through it. He was then ready to move. The same
thing was true of a Roman soldier. He would pull his tunic
through his belt so his garment wouldn’t be in his way when he
was in battle. The apostle Peter is telling us that we must be
prepared and committed for action.
The
aorist tense pictures a past
once-for-all completed action in preparation
for a course of activity, a strenuous life of obedience. They
were to have their minds in constant preparation to discharge
the duties, or to endure the trials of life - like those who
were prepared for labor, for a race, or for a conflict.
Middle voice indicates the action performed is for one's own
benefit and conveys a reflexive sense - "Gird up for YOURSELF the loins of your mind”.
The middle implies that the person does the girding in his own
interest. The mind ought to be free from any hindrance (for
example, fear or worry) to serve the Lord.
Jesus uses a
similar figure in Luke to call His listeners to preparedness
saying (KJV) "Let your loins be girded about"
NASB - Be dressed in readiness
NIV - Be ready for service (Lu 12:35)
Jesus like
Peter is saying let all hindrances be removed out of the way and
to be active, diligent, determined and ready to do business.
Peter calls us to the
mental discipline of right thinking and one of the best
passages to facilitate right thinking is to
let
your mind dwell on" "whatever is true, whatever is
honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence
and if anything worthy of praise". (see note
Philippians 4:8)
Don't
allow your thoughts to "roam about" and to harbor thoughts of
lust or worldliness. Don't allow thoughts that corrode and
corrupt our moral, godly fiber.
Pull your thoughts
together! "Roll up your sleeves".
Obedience and a life of holiness is not produced from
passivity but demands that we each individually make an active
choice to cultivate the attitude and initiate right thinking
(reading and
meditating on the Word) and
right actions that lead to
holy living. This charge is similar to Paul's call to
discipline ourselves for godliness (see notes
1Timothy 4:7;
4:8 cf
notes
2 Peter 3:11;
12;
14;
2Cor 7:1 see notes
Titus 2:11;
12;
13;
14). This is a
call to bring all of one's rational and reflective powers
under control by cutting off vague "loosely flowing" thoughts
& speculations that lead nowhere and only hamper
obedience. It is an essential preparatory action to the man
who would live a life of holiness and successfully
resist the dangers confronting the believer both then and
now.
Gather your thoughts
because "Loose thinking" will lead to "loose
living". Mental slovenliness issues in
moral disorder. (cp
Pr 29:18). A disciplined mind is vital to a
holy
life.
One way to "gird
your minds"
is to take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ"
(2Cor 10:5
). The believer is to grab
hold of his mind and take charge of his thought life. Is my mind
an open manhole into which anything can fall? Is it a drain that
indiscriminately sucks in everything? An “open mind” can be a
virtue—but a mind open to whatever a godless world has to dump
into it is not a mind under the lordship of Christ.
In Martin
Luther’s terms
You can’t keep the birds
from flying over your head, but you can keep them from making a
nest in your hair.
This is each
believer's responsibility and if we don't
carry it out we are in danger of becoming "dull of hearing"
(see note
Hebrews 5:11)
and forgetting that "solid food is for the mature, who
because of practice have their senses trained to discern good
and evil." (see note
Hebrews 5:14)
In order to "realize the full assurance of hope until the end"
(see note
Hebrews 6:11)
we need to maintain "diligence" (eagerness, zeal) so "that
(we) may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through
faith and patience inherit the promises." (see note
Hebrews 6:12)
So girding up your mind involves removing anything that would
hinder the free action of the mind in relationship to spiritual
growth or progress.
The recipients of this letter are
reminded by the apostle in
1 Peter 1:1 (note) that they are strangers,
those who have temporarily settled down alongside of a pagan
population and later as pilgrims (see note
1 Peter 2:11). As such they should always
be ready to move. As the traveler, the racer, the warrior, and
the laborer, gathered in their long and loose garments, that
they might be ready in their business, so Christians should do
in
their minds and affections. The image is one of preparing for
battle or rugged travel. The believer is to grab hold of his
mind and take charge of his thought life—to bring it under
obedience to Christ (2Cor 10:5). It is not physical exertion that Peter
has in mind here, but mental. If the purpose of girding up the
clothing was to put out of the way that which would impede the
physical progress of an individual, the girding up of the
loins of the mind would be the putting out of the mind all
that would impede the free action of the mind in connection
with the onward progress of the Christian experience, things
such as worry, fear, jealousy, hate, unforgiveness, impurity.
These things harbored in the mind prevent the Holy Spirit from
using the mental faculties of the Christian in the most
efficient manner, and impede growth
in the "grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
(see note
2 Peter 3:18)
Prior to
entering his public ministry Jesus had been fully prepared by
laying up the Scriptures as treasures in his heart. When tempted
(Mt 4:1), Jesus relied upon the authority of God’s Word to ward
off Satan’s attacks (Mt 4:4,). Your ability to withstand trials and
temptations also depends upon how well you appropriate the
Scriptures into your life. Have you, like Jesus, “girded your
minds for action”
(cf
Josh 1:8,
Ps 119:9,
11,
Job 23:12)
The mind that is girded
up and redirected by the Scriptures, will begin to think in a
new way. However threatening the present, the fully girded-up
mind will set its hope “perfectly” on God’s grace. The
redirected mind will focus on God’s priority, holiness.
KEEP SOBER IN SPIRIT: nephontes (PAPMPN): (1
Peter
4:7;
5:8;
Lu 21:34,35;
Ro 13:13;
1Thes 5:6,7) (See Torrey's Topic "Sobriety") "be self-controlled" (NIV), "be
sober (circumspect, morally alert)" (Amp)
The New Testament writers put heavy emphasis on using the mind as the principal
avenue to Christian growth.
Keep sober in spirit
(3525) (nepho) (Click study of
nepho)
literally meant free from drunkenness or the effects of
intoxicants and figuratively as used by Peter means an evenness
of mind especially under stress.
The idea is to “make sure
you keep all your faculties fully operational”. This trait
describes one who is free from every form of mental and
spiritual ‘drunkenness’, from excess, passion, rashness,
confusion, etc. be well-balanced, self-controlled. Peter gives
us an injunction to sane appraisal of the facts, without undue
emotion and panic.
He says that we are to continually (present
tense) make the
choice of our will (active
voice = volitional
choice) to be watchful, calm and collected in spirit, temperate,
dispassionate and circumspect in this present evil
age. It's image of not being drunk when it comes to spiritual
things and implies alertness and evaluating things correctly,
because you see clearly, and your mind isn't numb with
intoxicating influences. Such a person is able to
see things without the distortion caused by worry, fear, and
their related attitudes. He or she is well balanced and does not
"get drunk" on the intoxicating "liquor" that the
world so tantalizingly offers to the senses of our old flesh
nature.
Calvin says that "be sober" refers
not merely moderation in eating and drinking, but spiritual
sobriety rather, when we shut in all our senses, that they do
not intoxicate themselves with the unlawful things of this
world.
Why do we need to
keep sober? Our old nature continually desires to rule and
reign (see note
Romans 6:12) and our adversary prowls around
continually and "doth seek to work you woe" (see note
1 Peter 5:8). Without sobriety vigilance is
impossible.
Sobriety includes the ideas of steadfastness,
self-control, clarity of mind, and moral decisiveness. The
sober Christian sets his priorities and not intoxicated by the
allurements & snares of the world, like Internet, sporting
events, movies, the passing pleasures of sin (see note
Hebrews 11:25)!
Be sober,
be watchful against all spiritual dangers and enemies, and be
temperate in all behavior. Be sober-minded in opinion, as well
as in practice, and humble in your judgment of yourselves. Be
ready for the most strenuous mental endeavor. Never be content
with a "flabby faith". It may be that you will have to discard
some things and abstain from some others.
To be sober means
to be filled with spiritual and moral earnestness, being neither
overly excited on the one hand, nor indifferent on the other,
but calm, steady, and sane (see note
1 Peter 4:7),
doing one’s duty and fulfilling one’s ministry (see note
2 Timothy 4:5).
The sober
person lives deeply. Their pleasures are not primarily those of
the senses, like the pleasures of the drunkard for instance, but
those of the soul. They are by no means a Stoic. On the
contrary, with a full measure of joyful anticipation they look
forward to the return of the Lord. But the sober individual does
not run away from their task!
C H
Spurgeon comments that
These are equally days in which it is
necessary to say “be sober.” We are always having some
new fad or another brought out to infatuate the unstable. Very
good but very weak-minded people are apt to make marvellous
discoveries, and to cry them up as if they had found the
philosopher’s stone. In my short time I have heard, “Lo here!”
and I have listened; and “Lo there!” and I have listened: the
call has come from a third, fourth, fifth, sixth quarter in
quick succession, and after all there was nothing worth a
thought. The whole world had been going to be enlightened by
some new light which Peter and Paul never saw, something far
superior to anything known by any of the saints or sages of the
church: but the grand illumination has not yet come off. “Be
sober;” keep your feet; possess your souls; do not be
carried away with every wind of doctrine; do not be little
babies, to believe everything that is told you, whether it be a
ghost story or a fairy tale.
Be sober: quit yourselves
like men that have their wits about them. A very necessary word
this in times when everybody seems excited; and some are so
bewildered that they do not know their head from their heels.
Crowds are prepared to follow any kind of foolery, whatever it
may be, as long as it is advocated by clever men, and is made to
tickle their fancy. Do but shout loudly enough, and many will
answer: do but set open the door and beckon, and they will rush
in, whatever the entertainment may be. Brethren, “be sober,”
and judge for yourselves...
The second exhortation is — “Be
sober” And does not that mean, first, moderation in all
things? Do not be so excited with joy as to become childish. Do
not grow intoxicated and delirious with worldly gain or honor.
On the other hand, do not be too much depressed with passing
troubles. There are some who are so far from sobriety that, if a
little goes wrong with them, they are ready to cry, “Let me
die.” No, no"... To be sober means to have a
calm, clear head, to judge things after the rule of right, and
not according to the rule of mob. Be not influenced by those who
cry loudest in the street, or by those who beat the biggest
drum. Judge for yourselves as men of understanding. Judge as in
the sight of God with calm deliberation.
“Be sober,”
that is, be clear-headed. The man who drinks, and thus destroys
the sobriety of his body, is befogged, and muddled, and has lost
his way. Ceasing to be sober, he makes a fool of himself. Do not
commit this sin spiritually. Be specially clear-headed and calm
as to the things of God. Ask that the grace of God may so rule
in your heart that you may be peaceful and serene, and not
troubled with idle fear on one side or with foolish hope on the
other...
You know the word translated “be sober”
sometimes means “be watchful;” and indeed there is a great
kinship between the two things. Live with your eyes open; do not
go about the world half asleep. Many Christians are asleep.
Whole congregations are asleep. The minister snores theology,
and the people in the pews nod in chorus. Much sacred work is
done in a sleepy style. You can have a Sunday-school, and
teachers and children can be asleep. You can have a
tract-distributing society, with visitors going round to the
doors all asleep; you can do everything in a dreamy way if so it
pleases you. But says the apostle, — be watchful, be alive;
brethren, look alive; be so awakened up by these grand arguments
with which we have plied you already, that you shall brace
yourselves up, and throw your whole strength into the service of
your Lord and Master." (Spurgeon, C H:
A Seasonable Exhortation)
Gill adds that being
sober entails
not
only intemperance in eating and drinking, which greatly