Then Simon Peter answered him
Who was strong in the faith of Christ, and full of zeal for him,
and love to him; and who was the mouth of the apostles, and
always forward to speak out of the abundance and sincerity of his
heart, in their name; believing, that they all of them, for he
had now no suspicion of Judas, no more than of the rest, had the
same faith in Christ, love to him, and esteem of him, as he
himself had; wherefore out of a good opinion of them, and love to
Christ, he thus addressed him:
Lord;
or "my Lord"; as the Syriac version renders it; which was either
a title of respect, and the same with "Sir" with us; or else, as
acknowledging the dominion and authority of Christ, as Lord of
all, and especially of the saints, and as claiming his interest
in him; and which carries in it a reason, why he should abide by
him:
to whom shall we go?
as a teacher, whose ministry we can attend upon, to greater
profit and advantage? not to the Scribes and Pharisees, whose
leaven, or doctrine, Christ had bid them beware of; who taught
for doctrines the commandments of men, and were blind leaders of
the blind; nor to John the Baptist, who had declared he was not
the Messiah; but had pointed him out to them in his person, as
the son of God; and in his office as the Lamb of God, that takes
away the sins of men; and perhaps, he might not be now living;
and if he was, he would have encouraged them not to follow him,
but abide with their master; so that there was no other, that was
"better", as Nonnus expresses it, that they could go unto; and
therefore it would be folly and madness in them to leave him: and
as it was with Peter and the rest of the disciples, so it is with
all sensible sinners, and true believers, who see there is no
other to go to for life and salvation, but Christ; not to the law
of Moses, which accuses, curses, and condemns, and by which there
is neither life nor righteousness; nor to any creature, or
creature performance, for there is a curse on him that trusts in
man, and makes flesh his arm; nor to their own righteousness,
which is impure and imperfect, and cannot justify before God, nor
answer for them in a time to come; nor to their tears of
repentance, which will not satisfy the law, atone for sins, or
wash them away; nor to carnal descent, birth privileges, a
religious education, sobriety, and civility, to trust to which,
is to have confidence in the flesh, which will be of no avail;
nor to ceremonial services, or moral duties, or even evangelical
ordinances, neither of which can take away sin. There is no other
Saviour, but Christ, to look to; no other Mediator between God
and man, to make use of; no other physician of value, for
diseased and sin sick souls to apply unto; no other fountain but
his blood, for polluted souls to wash in, and be cleansed; no
other city of refuge, or strong hold, for souls sensible of
danger, to flee unto and be safe; no other to come to as the
bread of life, where hungry souls may be fed; no other place of
rest, for those that are weary and heavy laden; nor is there any
other, where there is plenty of all grace, and security from
every enemy, as in him: and therefore, to whom can they have
recourse, but unto him? and that for the following reason,
thou hast the words of eternal life:
meaning, either the promises of eternal life, which were made
before the world began, and were put into Christ's hands, for his
people, and are yea and amen in him; or the doctrines of eternal
life; for so the Gospel, and the truths of it, are called, (
Acts 5:20 ) ;
and that because the Gospel brings life and immortality to light,
gives an account of eternal life; of the nature of it, that it is
a glorious life, a life free from all the sorrows of the present
one; a life of pleasure, and of perfect knowledge and holiness,
and which will last for ever: and because it points out the way
to it, that it is not by the works of the law, but by the grace
of God; that it is his free gift, through Christ; and that Christ
is the way, the truth, and the life, or the true way to eternal
life: and because it is a means of quickening dead sinners, and
of reviving true believers, and of nourishing them up unto
everlasting life: or this phrase may design the power and
authority which Christ has, to dispose of, and dispense eternal
life; for he has the firing itself in his hands, and a power to
give it to as many as the father has given him; and to them he
does give it: and each of these senses carry in them a reason why
souls should go to Christ, and to him only, for life and
salvation.