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John Gill Commentary:
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Sincere Milk of the Word |
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1
Peter 2:2-3
As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may
grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the
Lord is gracious. |
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As new born babes,....
The Syriac version renders it, "be ye simple as
infants"; and as if it was a distinct exhortation of itself,
and from that which follows; though it seems rather to be
descriptive of the persons spoken to, and a character of them,
under which the apostle addresses them; which carries in it a
reason strengthening the exhortation after given: he takes it for
granted that they were begotten again, according to the abundant
mercy of God, and born of incorruptible seed, by the word of God,
and that they were just, or lately born; and which is to be
understood of them all in general, and not of younger converts
among them, who might be called little children with respect to
others who were young men or fathers; but that, comparatively
speaking, those that had been of the longest standing were but as
it were newly born, it being at most but a few years since they
were called by grace: and they were as "babes," not on
account of their want of knowledge, or unskilfulness in the word
of righteousness; or of nonproficiency in the learning of divine
truths, and their great dulness, backwardness, and imperfection;
or because of their incapacity in taking in, and digesting the
strong meat and sublimer doctrines of the Gospel; or for their
instability and simplicity, being easily deceived and beguiled;
nor for their weakness in faith, not being able to walk alone, and
their insufficiency to defend, or provide for themselves; but
because of their harmlessness and innocence, meekness and
humility; and for the sincerity of their faith and love, obedience
and profession. The proselytes to the Jews' religion are often
said {m} to be "as an infant just born," or a new born
babe; to which the allusion may here be made: Desire
the sincere milk of the word; this is not a declaration
that these new born souls did do so, though that might be true,
but an exhortation to them so to do, as it became them: by
"the sincere milk of the word" is meant the Gospel, even
the whole of it, and not, as elsewhere, the more plain and easy
truths of it; which is compared to milk for its purity in itself,
for every word of God is pure and for its purifying nature, as
used by the Spirit of God; and for its sweetness and agreeable
taste to a regenerate man; and because easy of digestion to a
spiritual one; and because it is nutritive to him, by it he is
nourished up unto eternal life; and because, as milk is of a
cooling nature, so the Gospel is a means, in the hand of the
Spirit of God, of assuaging those inflammations, and of allaying
that wrath and fiery indignation, raised in the conscience of a
sinner by the law; and because as milk, medicinally used, is a
restorative in consumptive disorders, so the Gospel is not only
the means of helping a declining person, and who is wasted and
consumed by sin, but even of quickening such as are dead in sin;
it is the savour of life unto life. The Jewish writers speak of
"the milk of the law" {n}, of which they generally
interpret {o} the passage in Isaiah
55:1 but it is much better applied to the Gospel, which is the
milk of the word, or "rational milk": not that the
Gospel is a scheme according to the carnal reason of men; it is
contrary to that, and above sound reason, though not repugnant to
it; but it is what is calculated for faith, the spiritual reason
of men, and for such who have their spiritual senses exercised, to
discern between good and evil; it is a spiritual drink, and is
made up of spiritual things, and suited to the spiritual man; it
is milk, not in a natural, but in a mystic and spiritual sense:
the Syriac version renders it, "the word which is as milk,
pure and spiritual": and it is "sincere"; without
mixture, unadulterated with the inventions and doctrines of men,
Jews or heretics: or "without deceit"; being neither
deceitfully handled by the faithful ministers of it, nor causing
deceit, or deceiving those that cordially receive it. Now, this it
becomes regenerate person, to "desire"; and vehemently
long after, as a new born babe does after its mother's milk; for
the Gospel is that to one that is born again, as the breast is to
a babe: desire after it supposes knowledge of it; and where there
is an experimental knowledge, there will be a value and esteem for
it, even above necessary food, and, at times, an hungering and
thirsting after it, an impatient longing for, and desire of it;
when such souls will labour after it, and diligently observe and
attend every opportunity of enjoying it, and think long ere the
seasons of meeting with it return; for it is suitable food for
them, savoury food, such as their souls love, and which indeed
they cannot live without: now the end of this exhortation, and of
such a desire, and of feeding on the words of faith and sound
doctrine, is, that ye may grow thereby:
regenerate persons are not at their full growth at once; they are
first children, then young men, and then fathers in Christ; the
Gospel is appointed as a means of their spiritual growth, and by
the blessing of God becomes so, and which they find to be so by
good experience; and therefore this milk of the word is desirable
on this account, for the increase of faith, and the furtherance of
the joy of it; for their growth in grace, and in the knowledge of
Jesus Christ, and in an experience of spiritual strength from him,
and unto him, as their head in all things; not merely in the
leaves of a profession, but in the fruits of grace, righteousness,
and holiness. The Alexandrian copy, and several others, and also
the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, add, "unto
salvation": that is, until they come to a perfect knowledge
of Christ, and to be perfect men with him, being arrived to the
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, and in the
possession of that salvation he has obtained for them.
{m} T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 22. 1. & 48. 2. & 62. 1. &
97. 2. Maimon. Hilch. Issure Bia, c. 14. sect. 11. & Eduth, c.
13. sect. 2. {n} Jarchi in Cant. 5. 12. {o} Jarchi, Aben Ezra,
& Kimchi, in Isa. lv. 1. Abarbinel, Mashmia Jeshua, fol. 26.
1.
Verse 3. If
so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Reference
is had to Psalm
34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good"; and
the Syriac version here adds, "if ye have seen": by the
Lord is meant, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the following words show,
who is gracious and amiable, and lovely in his person; who has a
fulness of grace in him for his people; has displayed his grace
towards them, in engaging for them as a surety, in assuming their
nature, obeying, suffering, and dying in their stead; he is
gracious in his word and promises, truths and ordinances, and in
all his offices and relations; and regenerate persons have tasted
that he is so: an unregenerate man has no spiritual taste; his
taste is vitiated by sin, and not being changed, sin is a sweet
morsel in his mouth, and he disrelishes everything that is
spiritual; but one that is born again savours the things of the
Spirit of God; sin is exceeding sinful to him, and Christ
exceeding precious; he, and his fruit, his promises, and blessings
of grace, his word and ordinances, are sweet unto his taste: and
the taste he has is not a mere superficial one, such as hypocrites
may have of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to
come; but such a taste of Christ, and of his grace, as, by a true
faith, to eat his flesh, and drink his blood, and so have
everlasting life; such have a saving and experimental knowledge of
Christ, an application of him, and his saving benefits to them, a
revelation of him in them, so that they find and feel that he
dwells in them, and they in him; such receive out of Christ's
fulness, and grace for grace, and live by faith upon him, and
receive nourishment from him; and of this the apostle made no
doubt concerning these persons, but took it for granted that they
had had such tastes of Christ, and therefore could not but desire
the Gospel, which is a revelation of Christ, and sets forth the
glory of his person, and the riches of his grace: and whereas,
such as have truly tasted of his grace cannot but desire to have
more, and fresh tastes of it; where should they have them, but in
his word and ordinances? and therefore, would they grow in grace,
and know more of Christ, and taste more of his goodness, it is
their interest, as it is their spiritual nature, to desire the
Gospel, in the purity and sincerity of it.
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