Читать книгу 1, 2 Peter and Jude Through the Centuries - Rebecca Skaggs - Страница 34

A number of early writers understand Peter’s idea about the meaning and purpose of suffering in terms of purification for believers and punishment for sinners. For example, John Chrysostom (c. 349–407) distinguishes between the refinement of believers and the punishment of sinners: “The righteous suffer so that they may be crowned [with glory], but sinners suffer in order to bring their sins to full judgment” (Catena, CEC 44: my tr.).

Other early thinkers understand suffering as “grief,” which ultimately brings about a good result. Origen says, “Read ‘grieve’ in this verse in the sense of ‘suffer’ as in ‘in grief you shall bring forth children’ [Gen 3:16]” (Exhortation to Martyrdom, 39 CWS: 70). Similarly, Didymus the Blind comments that there are two kinds of grief: “one leads to death and another leads to repentance” (2 Cor. 7:10) (Comm. on 1 Peter, PG 39: 17: my tr.).

Hilary of Arles conceives of suffering in a different way; that is, in relation to undergoing temptation: “The glory of the redeemed will never fade after they have been raised from the dead, for it will have withstood the fire of temptation” (Intro. Comm. on 1 Peter, PLSupp 3: 85: ACC). Bede concurs (Comm., 1985: 78).