Deeper Commentary
CHAPTER 4
4:1- see on Phil. 2:9.
Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh-
That He suffered “in the flesh” could be seen as
stating the obvious until it is realized that Peter is referring to the
way in which he actually saw the flesh of Christ really suffering.
Arm yourselves also with the same mind- The height of this calling is colossal. To think
and feel as He did as He hung upon the cross. The very extremity of the
calling is what binds us together; we who at least attempt to rise up to
it. The appeal is just as in Phil. 2:5- to take on the mind of Christ
which He had in His time of dying. The principle of being 'of the same
mind' should beg the question 'Of whose mind?'. The answer of course is
the Lord. The real basis for unity in practice is not an on paper
agreement about theological points, but a sober dedication by each person
in Christ to take on the mind of the Master. And moreso, His mind whilst
impaled on the stake. The mind that propelled Him, braver and more
determined than any man has been, to death itself and beyond.
For he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin-
A dead person doesn't
sin. And we are in the dead Christ. See on 3:10 Let him restrain.
4:2 You should no longer live the rest of your time in the flesh-
The idea is "So that you...". Reflection upon the cross must have a
distinct mental impact upon us, if we reflect upon it in sincerity and
truth. There is what I would call a crucifixion compulsion; a transforming
power in the cross. His sacrifice must have an effect upon those
who believe it: “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the
flesh, arm yourselves with the same mind... that he no longer
should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to
the will of God" (1 Pet. 4:1,2). So often the will of God is associated
with the Lord’s death (e.g. Acts 2:23; Lk. 22:22; Mt. 26:42; Jn. 4:34;
5:30; Heb. 10:9,10; Gal. 1:4; 1 Pet. 3:17,18). As the Lord’s life and
death was devoted to the fulfilment of God’s will and not His own, so we
too will have that stamp upon us "forasmuch..." as our Lord did and died
as He did.
To the lusts of men, but to the will of God- Lusts and will are effectively parallel in :3 and
also in Eph. 2:3 and 1 Jn. 2:17. If we don't do the will of God, we are
doing the will of men. And we all like to think that we are somehow
different from "men" generally. But we are actually controlled by their
will and lusts, unless we do God's will. There is no other choice; we are
slaves either to God or men. Paul plays on this logic strongly in Romans
6, presenting baptism as a change of master, just as Israel's Red Sea
baptism was a change of master from men to God.
4:3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime doing the will of the
Gentiles- Peter, himself a Jew, was writing to believers who had once
been very religious Jews, whom he had baptized at Pentecost. He says that
their life before conversion to Christ was living as Gentiles do. Indeed,
the life of legalism was associated with serious immorality and moral
failure. The connection between serious moral failure and legalistic
obedience is true to life; we can probably think of many such examples in
our own experience. Paul likewise admits to a life of lust before
conversion to Christ. See on Tit. 3:3.
When we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking
parties and abominable idolatries-
It's possible that
sometimes "fornication" refers to a way of life and thinking rather than
just the specific physical actions. Thus 1 Pet. 4:3 speaks of how before
conversion "we walked (lived day by day) in lasciviousness, lusts,
excess of wine...". It doesn't mean that all day every day Peter and those
brethren had committed fornication; but it was a way of life that got a
grip on their personality. And so it is today, although made much worse by
the ingenuity of man. That sexual impurity is a state of mind was of
course taught by the Lord Himself (Mt. 5:28).
Here Peter, in a
rare autobiographical comment on his life before conversion, admits that
he “walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine… running with them
(the Gentiles) to the same excess of riot” (1 Peter 4:3,4). He uses the
same Greek word as in Lk. 15:13 regarding the riotous behaviour of the
prodigal. He saw himself in that younger son, rejected by the Judaistic
elder brother, who would not sit at meat in table fellowship with him.
According to other NT allusion, we are to see the prodigal as a symbol of
all of us who will ultimately sit at meat with the Father in His house.
And yet Peter makes the link plain for all to see.
4:4
In regard to these, they think it strange
that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, and so
speak evil of you- you-
The slanderers accused
the Christians of doing exactly what they were doing. A Christian didn't
join in some perversion- and those who did then falsely claimed that the
Christian had done it. This is psychologically understandable. They wanted
others to commit their sins so that they would feel better about them. And
when the Christians refused, they still tried to bring them down to their
level by falsely stating that in fact, they had done them. And from
elsewhere in the letter we know that they were seeking to then get the
Christians legally punished for doing the things which they themselves
did. This is a psychological classic- transference of guilt from a guilty
person to another through slander, realizing that the sin deserves
punishment, and therefore demanding that the slandered person be heavily
punished.
4:5- see on Lk. 20:25.
Who shall give account-
The same term is used of our giving a logos, an expression of our
innermost intentions, at judgment day (Mt. 12:36; Lk. 16:2; Heb. 13:17).
This is enough emphasis for us to conclude that we will indeed say
something at judgment. The purpose of judgment is not for the Lord's
benefit, but for the sake of our own self knowledge. And our memories will
surely be empowered to be able to remember...
To him that is ready to judge the living and the dead-
Again Peter implies he
expects the Lord's imminent return. The living would be those who are
alive at His coming; and the dead would be those responsible to judgment
who shall be raised to give an account. Those who urge us to sin are
unaware, or forget, that we are not judged by them, but by God at the last
day.
4:6 For to this end was the gospel preached to those now dead- The
dead are those in :5; those who died and will be resurrected to judgment.
Several times Peter appeals to the example of those who had gone before
and were now dead; Noah, Lot, Abraham, Sarah, the prophets. They were all
judged by men as foolish because they refused to act as they did, or
slandered them.
That they might be judged according to men in the flesh-
The context is of the
men of :3 judging the believers who refused to sin along with them. They
judged them by slandering them and trying to get them in trouble with the
law- for doing the very things they themselves were doing. This happened
to the believers of old time.
But live according to God in the spirit-
They were judged as good as dead by their
contemporaries, who were angry that they refused to sin along with them.
But they were spiritually alive to God. And Peter wishes his slandered
brethren to realize they were simply going through the experience of so
many.
4:7 But the end of all things is at hand- Again we see Peter's
expectation of the Lord's coming in his generation. The fact this
expectation has been preserved by the inspiration process is perhaps to
teach us to likewise live in the expectation of the Lord's imminent
return; this is indeed part of the Christian faith, to continually live in
expectation of His soon coming.
Therefore, be of sound mind and sober in prayer-
Literally, 'watching in prayer'. Passover night was
to be "a night of watching" (Ex. 12:42 RV mg.), strongly suggesting
"watching in prayer" (Eph. 6:18; 1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Cor.
11:27?). Similarly those who are found "watching" at the Lord's midnight
coming (cp. that of the Passover angel) will be found acceptable (Lk.
12:37).
4:8 Above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves-
Love within the Christian community is what is most urgently called for by
an awareness that the Lord could come at any time. Why love? Surely
because this will be the prime issue which will factor in the outcome of
our judgment.
For love covers a multitude of sins-
It cannot really be just that by loving, we get
covering for our sins. The letters of James and Peter are clearly
connected, and the parallel in James is in James 5:20 [see note there]:
"He who turns back a sinner from the error of his way, he shall save a
soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins". Our love for others
can lead to their sins being covered. This has huge implications;
our efforts for others in this regard should consume our lives if indeed
we can play a role, account for a certain percentage, in the final
equation of human salvation. The Lord is of course the Saviour and not us,
but in His wisdom, He has delegated some elements of His scheme to us and
our freewill. Thus the faith of a man's friends led to his forgiveness in
Mk. 2:5.
4:9 Be hospitable to each other without complaining- Peter speaks
of the need to use hospitality without grudging (1 Pet. 4:9); he
foresaw how brotherly love could be shown physically, but with an
underlying grudge that in fact we somehow must show such love. This
is not the "love unfeigned" of which the Scriptures speak. But the context
is of :9, about our efforts for others leading to their forgiveness. The
hospitality in view may therefore be more than simply giving folk a bed
for the night. And :10 goes on to say that such hospitality is part of
using the gifts of God's grace for others.
4:10 According as each has received a gift- The parable of the
talents is clear that each believer is given a gift or talent to use in
the Lord's service. This is part of the gift of the Spirit received at
baptism. Church structure often leaves individuals with the impression
that they are intended to do no more than attend meetings. But we each
called to some form of ministry- ministry is not just for those believers
who 'choose to go into ministry'. That phrase and concept is very damaging
and unhelpful to the mass of believers.
Minister it-
We have all been given some gift, and that is to be used in the
servanthood / slavery of our Lord Jesus (1 Pet. 4:10). We can mindlessly
say that yes, Jesus is Lord, quite forgetting that it implies we are His
serving slaves. The magnitude of the ‘slave’ concept in the ecclesia of
Christ is easily overlooked, and it was this which made it so different
from others.
Among yourselves-
The gifts given are specifically intended for usage within the body of
Christ. This is why separation from the body is not at all what God
intends- for then how can we minister what God has given us "among
yourselves". We cannot be true Christians in isolation from others, just
internally assenting to the truths of the Gospel.
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God-
The grace of God is “manifold”, using a Greek word
which means multi-faceted, many coloured, light split into its various
components through a prism (1 Pet. 4:10).
4:11- see on Rom. 9:17.
If anyone speaks-
We have just been told that each man / person has been given a gift and is
to minister it. Now we read "If anyone speaks... if anyone ministers". But
we are all called to minister. For we have all been given gifts to
minister to others. So I do not read this as meaning that one may be
called to speak, and another to minister. We are all called to minister,
so we are all called to "speak". But laleo means just 'to speak'
and is at times used about preaching; it doesn't refer to platform
speaking specifically.
Let him speak as if it were oracles of God- This is the language of the Old Testament
prophets. Those men were not to be looked at as icons from afar, on some
level of spirituality far above our own. In all our speaking, which is an
integral part of ministering to others with the gifts we have been given
(:10), we are to do so as if we are each none less than about prophetic
work. This doesn't mean that all that comes from our mouths will be
Divinely inspired [hence "as if it were oracles of God"], but we
are to speak and serve / minister with the same gravity and seriousness
the prophets had.
If anyone ministers-
Verse 10 is clear that we have each been given gifts which we are to
minister.
Let him do it as with the ability which God supplies,
that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ-
The supply of the Spirit is to be used; we are not to seek to serve /
minister to others in our own strength. This is so that God and not
us will be glorified- as this verse continues to say explicitly.
To whom belongs the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen-
A clear allusion to the
closing phrases of the Lord's prayer. Those words however are about God,
but Peter here applies them to the Lord Jesus; because as he has just
written, God is glorified through Christ.
4:12 Beloved, do not think it strange- Perhaps some thought that
Peter's warning of a coming holocaust, based as it was on Old Testament
precedent, was "strange" [Greek: 'foreign, an intrusion']. And how many
will react to similar warnings made in our last days in just the same way?
The Greek word translated "strange" here often refers to the Gentiles- as
if Peter is correcting any feeling they may have had that the tribulation
predicted would only affect the Gentiles. 'Think it not strange, a
Gentile thing only- it will affect both you believers and the Gentile
world at large'. This is a highly relevant warning to those today who
state with such dogmatism that believers will not experience any of the
tribulations which are to come upon the surrounding world. A suggestion
worth testing is that the sufferings of natural Israel have always been
matched simultaneously by difficulties for Israel after the spirit.
Concerning the fiery trial which is to test you,
as though some strange thing happened to you-
Peter initially had in mind the coming persecution
under Nero. It seems the Spirit of prophecy informed him about this. He
seems to reason in :13 that if the believers would endure that fiery
trial, then they would be glorified at the Lord's coming, as if he
imagined the second coming as coming immediately once the tribulation had
been endured. The Olivet Prophecy speaks similarly. But there was a
deferment until our last days. The trial by fire, or literally, by
smelting / melting, is referenced in Peter's earlier mention of how faith
is like gold tested in fire (1:7). Although the immediate context of
Nero's persecution is not ours, we can still take the general principles.
Not just in that we too are set to pass through a tribulation of fiery
proportions; but in that all our sufferings connect us with the Lord's
sufferings, and thereby relate us to His resurrection glory.
4:13 But insomuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings,
rejoice!- The purpose of the tribulations of the last days, as well as
all our sufferings in whatever generation, will be to make us truly
fellowship our Lord's agonizing, to make us know for ourselves that "if we
suffer with him, we shall also reign with him". It is fair to assume that
those who really try to shoulder their Lord's cross now will not need to
go through such an experience in the tribulation of the last days. There
are many connections between the experiences of the latter day saints, and
the sufferings of Christ. Peter's letters were written to strengthen the
faithful in the problems of the AD70 'last days', as well as our own. They
are full of reference to Christ's sufferings (e.g. 1 Pet.1:11,19,21-24;
3:18; 4:1). "The fiery trial which is to try you (is cause for rejoicing
because it makes you) partakers of Christ's sufferings" (4:13). See on Mk.
13:13 for more evidence that the last generation of believers will
particularly fellowship the Lord's sufferings through their experiences in
the final tribulation.
That at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding
joy- We have shown that our
sufferings in the tribulation will associate us with Christ's sufferings-
so that the joy on his return will be "exceeding" ! "The time [AD70] is
come that judgment must begin at the house of God" [4:17]. Going through
the tribulation will effectively be our judgment seat. "The righteous
[will] scarcely be saved" [4:18]- spiritual survival during this time will
be by the skin of our teeth; as was our Lord's spiritual survival on the
cross which we will then fellowship.
4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed-
"Reproach" is the word used for how the Lord on the cross was reproached.
He there is us today in our sufferings. He had such a wide range of
sufferings so that none of us need ever feel alone, without anyone who
understands or has trodden the path before.
This uses ‘the name of Christ’ as meaning ‘living in or preaching the name
of Christ’. The two ideas are so closely related. In the course of this
witness, men will ‘speak evil’ of us, and yet in doing so they are
speaking evil of the Christ we are so identified with (:4,14). “For his
name’s sake they went forth” in obedience to the preaching commission (3
Jn. 7). Because we bear the Lord’s Name by baptism into it, we are
Christ to this world. Likewise, those in covenant relationship in the Old
Testament bore Yahweh’s Name, and were therefore in all ways to act
appropriately lest their behaviour “profane My holy name” (Lev. 22:32).
The allusion is to the beatitude that we should rejoice and be blessed /
happy if we are reproached [s.w.] for Christ's sake (Mt. 5:11). The Lord
said that this identified us with the prophets (Mt. 5:12). And Peter has
just made the point that we are as those prophets (see on :11 As
oracles of God).
Because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God rests upon you-
We have just read that
we shall share the Lord's glory if we suffer with Him (:13). There is only
one Spirit; the Spirit of Christ and that of God are all the same Spirit.
The present tense suggests that just as the Spirit of glory shall rest
upon us at the last day, when the Lord's glorious resurrection becomes
ours, so even now it rests upon us. The activity of the Spirit in our
lives now is a foretaste of the future glorification by the Spirit at the
last day. In this sense Paul argues that the possession of the Spirit is
an earnest, a guarantee, of future salvation (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph.
1:14). The 'resting upon us' recalls the cloud of glory resting upon the
Israelites after their Red Sea baptism and as they travelled through the
wilderness. Its presence was the guarantee that they were being led on a
journey which would climax in entry to the promised land. The allusion to
the resting of that cloud is appropriate; because Peter's point is that
the Spirit which shall glorify us at the last day is active in our lives
right now. They were now the true tabernacle; the temple cult was already
obsolete.
4:15 For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an
evil-doer- That this needed to be said is an indicator of how
seriously low they had fallen- these one time 'righteous' Orthodox Jews,
now Christian converts. But as in all the pastoral letters, it is
noteworthy that Peter doesn't demand the disfellowship of such persons.
Rather he seeks their reformation, and urges the eldership to teach
soundly and truly care for the flock.
Or as a meddler in other men's matters-
We shouldn’t suffer as murderers or thieves… nor as
meddlers in others’ matters. Meddling in others’ matters is put on the
same level as murder and theft! Time and again, we expect there to be a
dichotomy made by the Lord between the sinners and the righteous, the good
guys and the bad guys. But before Him, we are all sinners. Thus to the
prostitute kneeling before Him, He assures her that her sins are forgiven;
but He turns to the ‘righteous’ Simon and severely rebukes him for a lack
of love and for being too judgmental (Lk. 7:36-50).
4:16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian- Peter has just spoken of how our
sufferings are those of the Lord (:13). The idea is that we suffer as
Christ suffered, as one of the Christ people, the people who are focused
upon Him, whose lives are bound up in His life.
Let him not be ashamed-
This is rather like Timothy being told to not let anyone despise his
youth. It is we ourselves who control whether or not we are 'successfully'
despised or ashamed.
But let him glorify God in this name- "This name" is a rather odd construction, until we
recall that Peter was told not to "preach in this name" (Acts 4:17; 5:28).
Constantly, Peter is making his pastoral appeals based on his own
experience of the Lord, both in His life, and also in the way He had
worked with Peter after His ascension. We should do likewise, with words
and actions shot through with reference to our own personal experience of
the Lord Jesus.
4:17 For
the time of judgment begins at the house of God- Another
reference to Peter's persuasion that the Lord's return in judgment was
imminent, and was even beginning in the form of the Neronian persecution.
See on :12. Peter has earlier laboured the point that the believers are
the house / temple of God. He is saying that the AD70 judgments upon the
temple are about to come- but the "first" or most important thing to God
is our judgment, since we are His people and Orthodox Judaism were
not.
And if we are judged first-
The Greek proton doesn't have to mean 'first' in a chronological
sense. And "first begin" in the AV is wrong; for there is no Greek word
here corresponding to "begin". I have just suggested that the emphasis is
on the fact that judgment is beginning; not that it begins first with the
believers and then with the world. Indeed the Biblical pictures of the
time around the Lord's coming would suggest that the world is judged
first, and then the believers; with the unworthy being sent back into a
world which is then already experiencing judgment. Most importantly, from
God's point of view, proton, is the judgment of His people; the
punishment of the unbelievers is not something He takes pleasure in nor is
unduly eager about.
What shall be the outcome of those that do not obey the gospel of God?-
The word for "obey not"
is used nearly all 16 times it occurs of those Jews who refused to
accept the Gospel. And Peter has used it in this way in 2:7,8. The Jewish
temple and the Judaist system associated with it was to be judged, but
more important than that, "first", would be God's judgment of His people-
the true house of God.
4:18- see on Mt. 14:30; 2 Pet. 3:15.
And if the righteous are scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and
sinner appear?
- The judgment of their persecutors was not to make these Jewish
converts feel that they were justified just because their persecutors were
evil. Those who enter the Kingdom will genuinely, from the very depth of
their being, feel that they shouldn't be there. Indeed, they shouldn't be.
For Christian believers aren't good people. We are saved by grace alone.
The righteous are "scarcely saved" (1 Pet. 4:18). The righteous remnant
who spoke often to one another about Yahweh will only be "spared" by God's
grace (Mal. 3:17). The accepted will feel so certain of this that they
will almost argue with the Lord Jesus at the day of judgment that He
hasn't made the right decision concerning them (Mt. 25:37-40). It's only a
highly convicted man who would dare do that. Thus the Father will have to
comfort the faithful in the aftermath of the judgment, wiping away the
tears which will then (see context) be in our eyes, and give us
special help to realize that our sinful past has now finally been overcome
(Rev. 21:4). We will be like the labourers in the parable who walk away
clutching their penny, thinking "I really shouldn't have this. I didn't
work for a day, and this is a day's pay".
Peter is here quoting, liberally and mixing quotation with interpretation,
from the LXX of Prov. 11:31. Peter never introduces his quotations as Paul
does, with an "It is written...". And he always quotes from the LXX, and
often in a rather loose way. Peter was illiterate, and would know the LXX
quotations by memory, recollecting how they had been read to him, rather
than having read them with his own eyes and memorized them. And this shows
in the way he quotes the OT- although the whole process and final product
was Divinely inspired.
4:19 Therefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God- Peter
writes so often of suffering, because he had personally seen the Lord's
final sufferings (5:1), and was for ever under the indelible impression of
His death. Those who suffer according to God's will are those who suffer
with Christ there (:13). No suffering is outside the will of God; there is
no cosmic satan who has some 'will' in our suffering. And this is a great
comfort.
Commit their souls in doing well- Throughout this letter, Peter alludes to various details of the
physical crucifixion. He has alluded to the wheals / "stripes", the
lifting up on the tree stake, and other details. Here the allusion is to
the Lord's outbreathing His Spirit, His last breath, to the Father;
commending His spirit into the Father's hands. And Peter is saying we
should do even that, in lives of "doing well".
To a faithful creator-
Because Yahweh God was Israel’s creator, therefore He ought to have been
their King (Is. 43:15). If we really believe His creative authority over
us, then He will rule in every aspect of our lives. Realizing that God is
a "faithful creator" should inspire us to commit the keeping of our lives
to Him in time of suffering (1 Pet. 4:19).
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