Commentary on First Peter (32)

Peter writes in verse 17, "Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear." The context is the command, "Be holy, because I am holy," as well as the fact that the elect have been redeemed from their previous empty way of life at a great cost, that is, the precious blood of Christ. In light of this, and in light of the fact that we call on a Father who "judges each man's work impartially," we are to, first, "live as strangers," and second, to do so "in reverent fear."

The word translated "impartially" is rendered "without respect of persons" in the KJV. The KJV is closer to the literal meaning (the word literally means, "does not receive face"), and preserves a significant nuance. A better modern translation might be something like "without regard for persons." But we still have to know what it means, and as it is, some people have misunderstood it or inferred the wrong things from it.

The most obvious error is to think that this means God does not respect anybody, or that he disrespects everybody. A translation like "impartial" would prevent this interpretation, but this allows a different error, and that is to think that God treats everybody the same way. Of course, this is a widespread theological error that comes from imposing on God what is supposedly a righteous standard when it comes to human relationships. However, it is not even true that we must treat everybody exactly the same way in our human relationships in order to deal righteously.

God certainly does not treat everyone the same way. Some are born in poor families, while others are born into comfort and luxury. Some are born under abusive parents and relatives, while others are born into families that exhibit all the semblance of love and care that the beastly nature of unconverted people can produce. Some are born into idolatrous countries, while others are born under the light of the gospel.

More significantly, no matter what situation one is born into, and no matter what circumstances one subsequently encounters, some are chosen for salvation and to believe the gospel, while others are chosen for damnation, so that either they never hear the gospel, or they are made to reject it by divine power even if it is preached to them.

Another false inference from the idea that God is "impartial" is that, not only does God treat everybody the same way, but he treats everybody in a good way and with the same measure of kindness. This is certainly not the case, as he does not provide even the same natural benefits to everyone, and regarding salvation, he is most unkind and ungracious to the reprobates.

When Paul writes in Romans 2:11, "For God does not show favoritism," he is not talking about something pleasant at all. Rather, we read from verse 12, "All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law." He is not saying that God treats everybody the same way, with the same measure of goodness, or that everybody is subject to the same blessing. But he is saying that, whether Jew or Gentile, every person is subject to condemnation! In other words, God does not care who you are – whether you are Jew or Gentile, whether you are a king or a beggar – he will damn you just the same, for "there is no respect of persons with God" (KJV).

If you are someone great with men, God is greater than you; if you are someone who has been cheated and abused by society, God will still hold you responsible for your sins, and you cannot play the victim before him. Just because you are rich and powerful does not mean that God will save you or have any regard for you; on the other hand, just because all men think that you are a "nobody" does not mean that God thinks that way about you as well. Of course God discriminates between persons, but he does not discriminate according to the way that men discriminate. He discriminates according to his own sovereign plans and purposes, and not according to what is in the person that he is looking at.

So the Bible does not teach that God treats everybody the same way – he does not treat everybody the same way, but he does measure everyone by the same righteous standard, so that everyone appears guilty before him. Then, he redeems some and condemns the rest – not giving everyone the same treatment, but he sovereignly chooses without regard for the stature, the position, or any condition or merit in the individuals. The difference rests in his sovereign will, and not in the individuals themselves. Regardless of whom he is dealing with, he judges according to his own righteous standard, and he treats people in different ways according to his own sovereign will. In this way, he is "no respecter of persons."

As you can see, the errors under consideration are not inherent in translations like "impartial," "favoritism," or "play favorites," for these are in fact acceptable. Instead, they come from people's prejudices about what is good and just, and about what God must be like in order to be good and just. And then a word like "impartial" triggers in them thoughts about what the Bible must mean, when it might be talking about something quite different.