John Calvin Commentary 1 Peter 1:18

"knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers;" — 1 Peter 1:18 (ASV)

Since you know, or, knowing. Here is another reason, drawn from the price of our redemption, which ought always to be remembered when our salvation is spoken of. For to him who repudiates or despises the grace of the gospel, not only his own salvation is worthless, but also the blood of Christ, by which God has manifested its value. But we know how dreadfully sacrilegious it is to regard as common the blood of the Son of God. Therefore, there is nothing which ought so greatly to stimulate us to the practice of holiness, as the memory of this price of our redemption.

Silver and gold. For the sake of amplifying, he mentions these things in contrast, so that we may know that the whole world, and all things deemed precious by men, are nothing compared to the excellence and value of this price.

But he says that they had been redeemed from their vain conversation, so that we may know that the whole life of man, until he is converted to Christ, is a ruinous labyrinth of wanderings. He also intimates that it is not through our merits that we are restored to the right way, but because it is God’s will that the price, offered for our salvation, should be effectual on our behalf. Then the blood of Christ is not only the pledge of our salvation, but also the cause of our calling.

Moreover, Peter warns us to beware lest our unbelief make this price void or of no effect. Since Paul boasts that he worshipped God with a pure conscience from his forefathers (2 Timothy 1:3), and as he also commends to Timothy for his imitation the piety of his grandmother Lois and of his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5), and as Christ also said of the Jews that they knew whom they worshipped (John 4:22), it may seem strange that Peter should assert that the Jews of his time learned nothing from their fathers but mere vanity.

To this I answer that Christ, when he declared that the way or the knowledge of true religion belonged to the Jews, referred to the law and the commandments of God rather than to the people. For the temple had not been built at Jerusalem to no purpose, nor was God worshipped there according to the fancies of men, but according to what was prescribed in the Law. He, therefore, said that the Jews were not going astray while observing the Law.

As to Paul’s forefathers, and as to Lois, Eunice, and similar cases, there is no doubt that God always had at least a small remnant among that people, in whom sincere piety continued, while the main body of the people had become wholly corrupt and had plunged themselves into all kinds of errors.

Innumerable superstitions were followed, hypocrisy prevailed, and the hope of salvation was built on the merest trifles. They were not only imbued with false opinions but also fascinated with the grossest delusions. Those who had been scattered to various parts of the world were implicated in still greater corruptions.

In short, the greater part of that nation had either wholly fallen away from true religion or had greatly degenerated. When, therefore, Peter condemned the doctrine of the fathers, he viewed it as unconnected with Christ, who is the soul and the truth of the Law.

But from this we learn that as soon as men depart from Christ, they go fatally astray. In this case, the authority of the Fathers or an ancient custom is claimed in vain. For the Prophet Ezekiel cried to the Jews:

“Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers” (Ezekiel 20:18).

This also ought to receive no less attention from us in the present day. For, so that the redemption of Christ may be effectual and useful to us, we must renounce our former life, even though it is derived from the teaching and practice of our fathers. Thrice foolish, then, are the Papists, who think that the name of Fathers is a sufficient defense for all their superstitions, so that they boldly reject whatever is brought forward from the Word of God.