赛九6 因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们；政权必担在祂的肩头上……。

　　彼前一17 你们既称那不偏待人，按各人行为审判的为父，就当在你们寄居的时日中，凭着敬畏行事为人。

　　彼得……两封书信的主题乃是神宇宙的行政。这两卷书说到神宇宙的行政。如我们所知道的，马太福音说到国度。不要以为行政与国度是相同的。不，国度是一件事，行政是另一件事。国家有政府（行政）。然而，政府不是国家；政府乃是国家的行政中心。例如，在华盛顿的政府是美国的行政中心。虽然马太福音陈明国度，那卷书里却找不着行政。神的行政是在彼得的著作里。

　　神借着审判来管理。这是神施行祂行政的路。我是年长的人，借着研读和观察，对世界历史有一点认识，我能见证我常在神面前低头敬拜。祂是管理者，祂借着审判来管理。神审判了希特勒、史达林和其他作恶的人（彼得前书生命读经，一一页）。

　　Isa. 9:6 For a child is born to us, a Son is given to us; and the government is upon His shoulder…

　　1 Pet. 1:17 And if you call as Father the One who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear.

　　In his two Epistles Peter is on the subject of God’s universal government. These two books speak concerning the universal government of God. As we know, Matthew is on the kingdom. Do not think that the government and the kingdom are identical. No, the kingdom is one thing and the government is another. A country or nation has a government. The government, however, is not the nation; rather, the government is the administrative center of the nation. For example, the government in Washington, D.C., is the administrative center of the United States. Although Matthew presents the kingdom, the government is not found in that book. The government of God is in the writings of Peter.

　　God governs by judging. This is the way God carries out His government. As an elderly man who has some knowledge of world history both by study and observation, I can testify that I bow before God. He is the governing One, and He governs by judging. God has judged Hitler, Stalin, and other evildoers. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 8-9)

　　我们不该以为神只审判希特勒和史达林这样作恶的人。神也审判祂自己的子民。照着彼前四章十七节，神行政的审判要从祂自己的家起首：“因为时候到了，审判要从神的家起首。若是先从我们起首，那不信从神福音的人，将有何等的结局？”这是神的行政。

　　神行政审判的目的是什么？神施行审判，是要清理祂的宇宙。宇宙是神为着积极的定旨所创造的，然而撒但却进来玷污它。

　　现今神正借着审判清理宇宙。祂在作彻底洁净整个宇宙的工作。至终，宇宙将是新的。你知道彼后三章所说新天新地的意义么？其意义乃是指明神宇宙的新。

　　神不愿居住或停留在不洁净的地方。因此，神在洁净、炼净宇宙。首先祂炼净我们，就是祂的家。我们现今是祂洁净工作的中心。有时候你岂不是对自己说，“为什么我越爱主耶稣，难处就越多？我的亲戚很发达；他们非常亨通。但我的情况似乎越来越糟。”有些圣徒的健康有问题；有些人对儿女失望。我们有难处，原因是神的审判从祂自己的家起首。你我都在神的审判之下。

　　彼得写这两封书信（尤其是第一封）的原因是，分散的犹太信徒在受逼迫。他们在经历火炼的试验。彼得将这逼迫比作熔炉的焚烧。因着信徒受困扰，并且可能在疑惑，彼得就写信教导他们，也安慰他们。在彼前五章十节他说，“但那全般恩典的神，就是那曾在基督耶稣里召你们进入祂永远荣耀的，等你们暂受苦难之后，必要亲自成全你们，坚固你们，加强你们，给你们立定根基。”这里彼得似乎在告诉信徒，他们不需要疑惑，因为神在成全他们。正如石头被切割，好适合摆在建筑物里；我们也需要被“切割”，好得着成全、坚固、加强，并立定根基。彼得写信安慰受苦、遭逼迫的圣徒，给他们看见，他们都在神的行政之下。神的行政乃是首先施行在祂自己的儿女身上（彼得前书生命读经，一二至一三页）。

　　参读：彼得前书生命读经，第一、二十一、三十至三十一篇。

　　We should not think that God judges only evildoers such as Hitler and Stalin. God also judges His own people. According to 1 Peter 4:17, God’s governing judgment begins from His own household: “For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if first from us, what will be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?” This is God’s government.

　　What is the purpose of God’s governing judgment? God judges in order to clear up His universe. The universe was created by God for a positive purpose, but Satan came in to defile it. Now God is cleansing the universe through judgment. He is doing a thorough work of cleaning the entire universe. Eventually, the universe will be new. Do you know the significance of the new heavens and the new earth mentioned in 2 Peter 3? The significance is that it indicates the newness of God’s universe.

　　God will not live or dwell in a place that is unclean. Thus, God is cleansing, purifying, the universe. First He purifies us, His household. We are now the center of His cleaning work. Do you not sometimes say to yourself, “Why is it that the more I love the Lord Jesus, the more difficulties I have? My relatives are flourishing; they are doing very well. But my situation seems to get worse and worse.” Some saints have problems with their health; others are disappointed with their children. The reason we have difficulties is that God’s judgment begins from His own household. You and I are under God’s judgment.

　　The reason the two Epistles of Peter were written, especially the first, was that the dispersed Jewish believers were suffering persecution. They were undergoing a fiery trial. Peter compares this persecution to the burning of a furnace. Because the believers were troubled and perhaps doubting, Peter wrote to instruct them and also to comfort them. In 1 Peter 5:10 he says, “But the God of all grace, He who has called you into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground you.” Here Peter seems to be telling the believers that there is no need for them to doubt, for God is perfecting them. Just as stones are cut in order to be fit together in a building, we also need to be “cut” in order to be perfected, established, strengthened, and grounded. Peter wrote to comfort the suffering, persecuted saints, showing them that all of them were under God’s government. The exercise of God’s government is first upon His own children. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 10-11)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msgs. 1, 21, 30-31