Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church Manhattan KS, 25 Oct 2015
Omitting the Greyed-out text keeps the sermon delivery under 45 minutes.
12 Loved ones, don’t keep being wierded out by the fire coming among y’all to test you,
as though it were something strange coming among y’all,
13 but rather, just as y’all have fellowship with the sufferings of Christ,
keep rejoicing,
in order that also in the unveiling of His glory, y’all may rejoice while jumping for joy .
14 When y’all are being taunted using the name of Christ, you are [happily] blessed
because the Spirit of glory – even the [Spirit] of God is resting upon y’all.
[According to them He is being blasphemed, but according to y’all He is being glorified!]
15 But don’t let any of y’all suffer for being a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or for being a snoop,
16 but if it’s for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but
let him keep glorifying God by this name,
17 for [it is] time to begin the judgment at the household of God, and
if [it comes] first at us, what [will be] the end for those who are unpersuaded by God’s good news?
18 “And if it’s hard for the righteous man to be saved,
what kind of showing will the ungodly and sinful man make?”
19 Thus even those who are suffering according to the will of God must
present their souls to [the] Faithful Creator by doing good.
· Suffering is a theme that recurs in every chapter of the book of 1 Peter, and so now that we’re at that point in chapter four – sermon number four on how to handle persecution from 1 Peter!
· In verses 12-19 I count three “dos” and three “don’ts,” plus two truths to remember:
· Seven points is a great Biblical number, but it’s kind of a lot for a sermon. However, it all seems to hang together so tightly, and so much is review of principles previously presented in First Peter, that I think we can make it work.
· So, point one, when you feel the fire of persecution, is don’t be surprised by it:
· Back in verse 4, what alienates the non-Christians from the Christians is the Christian’s refusal to participate in sin. But here, what threatens to alienate Christians from God and from other Christians is suffering.
o How many times has it been that someone warms up to Christianity and then stumbles over the problem of suffering and comes short of putting their faith in Jesus?
o I was just listening to some of my children share their faith with an atheist who was guest at our house a couple of weeks ago, and, sure enough, that guest brought it up: “If God is like you say He is, how can there be pain and suffering? Don’t you have to believe that God is either not powerful enough to stop the suffering or that God is not good enough to care that people suffer?” That question is based on a whole tangle of false assumptions, including:
§ the assumption that people are good and don’t deserve to suffer,
§ the assumption that the absence of suffering would be good for sinful humans,
§ and the assumption that what we humans find comfortable is God’s definition of what is good.
§ It is a man-centered worldview which asks such questions and tries to reduce God to some kind of lackey.
· God says, “Look, suffering is normal. Expect it.” Resist the urge to say, “Why is this happening to me?” Suffering happens to everybody; it’s just different for different people so it’s easy to think you’re getting singled out for special suffering when what you’re experiencing is not any harder than what anybody else has to go through.
· As we move through the rest of this passage, we will see some reasons why we should not be surprised by suffering or wierded out in our relationship with God over it, so let’s move on to the second point, this time a positive command:
· The participle agalliwmenoi literally means to “leap up” with joy.
· Peter has already introduced this hyper joy in the first chapter, verses 5-9: “y’all who are protected by God’s power through faith for the purpose of a prepared salvation to be revealed during the final time. In this y’all are leaping for joy a little now since it is vitally necessary to be grieved by various trials so that the refining of y’all’s faith – a bunch more valuable than gold which perishes though it is refined through fire– might result in praise and glory and value during Jesus Christ’s unveiling.” (NAW)
· Finding joy in Christ now is the key to being happy later on Judgement Day. When Jesus returns and unleashes God’s wrath against sin, those of you who have already been practicing rejoicing in Christ (even while suffering) are going to find new heights of joy when He is revealed.
· Notice also that there is a comparative, “just as/inasmuch as/to the extent that/insofar as/to the degree that” WHAT? “to the degree that you share/partake/participate/have fellowship with the sufferings of Christ.”
· The “sufferings of Christ” are not us being punished for our own stupidity, but rather the suffering that comes with living in a sinful world and the suffering that comes from shouldering the consequences of other people’s sins like Jesus did.
· I’m not saying that you can replace Christ in the role of appeasing God’s wrath and making anybody right with God, what I’m saying is that suffering because you did something wrong is not what’s in view here. Peter is talking about the “sufferings of Christ.”
· And the sufferings are plural, so I don’t think we’re merely talking about what Jesus suffered on the cross.
o I submit to you that when you suffer sickness (which is a natural consequence of living in a world broken by sin, and not necessarily a result of your particular sin) – whether it be mental illness, or the decay of old age, or viral or bacterial infections, or genetic malfunctions – these can be a form of participating in the sufferings of Christ who took on human flesh and endured the brokenness of a human body in a sinful world.
§ If we can live with infirmities while in fellowship with Jesus, thinking of how He experienced some of the same brokenness because He became one of us, and realizing that He knows what we’re going through and sympathizes with us, then when He cracks the sky open and rides down on His white horse, it will be the most natural thing in the world to run towards Him rather than away from Him in terror like everybody else. To you there will be no fear of His judgment because you know His arrival will inaugurate closer levels of fellowship with Him than you’ve ever known before.
o In a similar way, the sufferings of Christ came upon Him not only passively (because He was a human in a sinful world) but also actively – especially on the cross – because He was intentionally accepting punishments due to other people for their sins.
§ Again, I’m not saying that you can atone for sins, but I am saying that the Bible tells us to bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:1), and when you shoulder someone else’s problems in order to ease their suffering, you are acting in a way like Christ.
§ I realize that sometimes it is an important part of a child’s training to let them suffer the consequences of their own sin,
§ but when you have to stoop to the indignity of cleaning human waste off the floor because your toddler didn’t obey you and go to the potty when you told them to, you are participating in the consequences of their sin – consequences that they are powerless to clean up all by themselves.
§ That’s often the way it is with sin; there’s a mess to clean up somewhere. Maybe not a physical mess – maybe it’s a mess made of relationships between people.
§ And if you get stuck holding the bag, how easy it is to stew over resentment towards that person who created the problem that you’re having to clean up.
§ Instead, Peter says here that you can see it as taking fellowship in the sufferings of Christ. Say, “Jesus, You suffered far more on the cross to clean up my sin; I choose to enter into the discomfort of the consequences of this person’s sin as an intentional way to have fellowship with You.”
· Turn suffering into fellowship by thinking of how Jesus did the same kind of things, and talk to Him about it. To the extent that you do that, you will increase your joy in the world to come.
· What is it that brings you close to other people? Isn’t it often going through something difficult together? Guys form great friendships in the trenches of battle. Think of it: if you have a ton of experiences of suffering which you consciously shared with Jesus, then you’re going to have a ton of inside jokes cementing your relationship with Him into eternity!
· After our first prohibitive (don’t be surprised) and our first imperative (rejoice), we are given a principle to keep in mind when we experience suffering:
· Peter has already made mention of this kind of verbal persecution using synonymous words in chapter 2:21-23, “Christ suffered on our behalf... ‘Who never committed a sin...,’ Who, while being insulted [loido-] was not insulting back, [and] while suffering was not threatening, but He was giving [it] over to the One who judges justly,”
· and in chapter 3 verse 16, Peter wrote, “maintain a good conscience, so that in what you are talked down [katalalew] about, the abusers [epereazw] of your good conduct in Christ might be put down.”
· Here in chapter 4, the Greek word ὀνειδίζ- is the same one used:
o to describe Goliath’s taunts directed at the people of Israel and at God, in the Greek translation of 1Samuel 17:10&45;
o It is the word David used in Psalm 42:10, to describe when his enemies were saying, “Where is your God now, huh?”
o It is how King Hezekiah described the taunts of the Assyrian warlord who laid siege to Jerusalem and who said, “Jehovah-God can’t save you from my army! I have conquered every other city in Palestine, and their gods were powerless against us. I’m coming after you next, so you might as well just surrender!” (2 Kings 18-19).
o It’s the word Nehemiah used to describe Sanballat and Tobias’s intentions to taunt him once they had frightened Nehemiah into giving up on rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 6:13).
· Isaiah’s prophecy should cause anyone to take heart who has heard this kind of reproach or insult: “Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes from on high? Against the Holy One of Israel! By the hand of your servants you have mocked the Lord... I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in... Because you have agitated against me... I will put my hook in your nose and my bit within your lips, and I will cause you to turn back by the way which you came...” (Isa. 37: 23-29, NAW)
· Peter is just repeating what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Y’all are being blessed whenever liars reproach you and hunt [you] down and speak every evil against you for my sake. Keep rejoicing and leaping for joy, because your reward is bountiful in heaven...” (Matt. 5:11-12, NAW)
· In speaking of the Holy Spirit resting on us, Peter also appears to be alluding to Isaiah 11, the Greek version of which uses the same words “Spirit” and “rests,” along with synonyms for “glory” and “God”: “There will come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of Yahweh will rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah. He will delight in the fear of Jehovah and He will judge...” (Isaiah 11:1-3, NAW).
o When people saw the Spirit descend like a dove upon Jesus at his baptism, they were able to see with their eyes the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, but we who are in “fellowship/ partnership /participation” with Christ have that same Spirit resting upon us too.
o Peter says, “You are blessed because the Spirit... is resting upon you.” The Holy Spirit “blesses” us and makes us “happy” and “refreshes” us because He brings “wisdom... understanding... counsel and might.” He makes you stronger and smarter by bringing wisdom and might to you from God!
o It is in this reality that we can “jump for joy” and consider ourselves “blessed”! The glorious Holy Spirit of God has “stopped by” me to “refresh” me with wisdom and might!
· The final clause, “According to them He is being blasphemed, but according to y’all He is being glorified,” is in the majority of Greek manuscripts, but it is not found in modern critical editions of the Greek New Testament (and therefore not in the NAS or NIV or ESV) because no known Greek manuscript dated earlier than the 8th century contains this phrase, making it suspect of not being in the original epistle.
o However, the text is found in ancient Syrian, Coptic and Latin translations of this verse, as well as in the writings of Cyprian’s dating back to the 3rd Century, so it has been accepted within at least parts of the church from antiquity and doesn’t contradict anything else in the Bible.
o In fact, it fits well with what Peter had said back in v.4 “... they are uttering hurtful epithets [βλασφημουντες] when y’all do not run together into the same flood of dissolute behavior.”
o They are “blaspheming/speaking evil,” but it will result in greater “glory” to Christ when you show that your relationship with Jesus is so valuable to you in comparison with your own temporal comfort that you will endure abuse and suffering for His sake.
o It will also bring glory to Christ when He eventually brings the wicked to judgment for their abusive speech. Everyone will say, “What a fair and just judge He is!”
· This is what we have to remember when we are enduring suffering. Even when people make fun of us and talk bad about Jesus, we are blessed, and Jesus is being glorified when you consider the grand scheme of things.
· Now it’s time for another prohibition:
· The last word in the list is an interesting one in Greek, painting a picture of someone who is always looking into other peoples’ business and doesn’t mind their own. They poke their nose in where it doesn’t belong and spy and snoop and even try to take over when they don’t have jurisdiction. They’re meddlers.
· The other sins in the list are pretty obvious things that land you in jail.
· What jumps out to me is the third-party nature of this command.
o Peter is not merely saying, Don’t you be a murder or a thief;” he is saying “Don’t let anybody in your church be a murder or a thief or any kind of criminal evil-doer... and don’t let them be busybodies either.”
o So, how do you “make sure” that nobody in your church will be punished for a crime like murder or theft?
§ You could make sure that arguments get resolved peaceably to prevent anybody from getting mad enough to murder.
§ And you could make sure that everybody has enough food and clothing and shelter so that they won’t be tempted to steal.
§ Hebrews 12:14-15 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (NKJV).
o Do you see how much bigger this command is than simply to keep your nose clean? How can you engage with the rest of the body of Christ to help them keep their noses clean too?
· And how do you keep people from being meddlers and busybodies?
o One way is to employ them so that they don’t become freeloaders.
o It’s good to give food to the poor (Proverbs 22:9; 28:27; 31:20), but there is a balancing principle in the Bible, namely that a man has got to work if he wants to eat (Gen. 3:17-19, 2 Thess. 3:10).
o Paul employed a similar principle in his advice to Timothy about responding to the needs of widows. He said, “If they’re under 60, tell ‘em to get married again so they can fill their time with good things to do in a family, rather than putting them on the church welfare list.” (1 Timothy 5:11-14 “But refuse the younger widows; for... [among other things] they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.”)
· Teaching God’s wise ways, offering employment, extending financial aid, making peace, and even setting people up in marriage – these are all ways to keep the church out of trouble.
o God doesn’t want His people to have the reputation of being criminals,
o and He doesn’t want to have to punish us for more sins any more than you like it when your children sin and you have to discipline them.
· Let’s look out for each other and pre-empt criminal behavior... but there is one “crime” that if Christians are convicted of it, they should actually be proud:
· If the powers-that-be start punishing people for being Christians, that’s o.k.
· Every day, Christians around the world are still being thrown in jail and killed just for being Christians, so it is a real problem, and God speaks to it in this verse.
· In God’s opinion (and His opinion is the ultimate standard of right and wrong), it is no crime to worship Jesus and obey His word – even if your civil magistrates believe it is a crime.
· Because you are aligned with Christ and accept the label of Christian, you are therefore aligned with Christ’s opinions, and therefore you feel good about trusting and obeying Him. You don’t feel any shame whatsoever about that, even though people all around you with other worldviews are trying their best to make you feel ashamed of the truth:
o “How Byzantine and intolerant you are to say that people will go to hell if they don’t convert to Christianity.”
o “How dare you resort to the barbaric practice of using a rod to discipline a child!”
o “And when you spew forth your hate-speech that people cannot do as they please sexually but must conform to old-fashioned laws in the Bible, you religious extremists are on the wrong side of history!”
o “You bigots are oppressing free people with your narrow-minded religiosity. It is your religion that is the root of all the problems in this world!”
o Don’t give in to shame when you hear that kind of junk!
· It doesn’t matter what other people think; it only matters what Jesus thinks, and He is thrilled to own you as His brothers and sisters (Heb. 2:11) and for you to wear His name: “Christ-ian.”
· Wear that name proudly. Glorify the name of Christ
o by acting like He really is going to come and judge the living and the dead,
o by acting like He really is the King,
o and by obeying Him yourself.
· So when persecution comes, don’t be surprised, do rejoice, believe that you are blessed, don’t commit crimes, don’t be ashamed of being called a Christian, and now, another principle to remember - verses 17-18:
· Keep in mind that God’s judgment will eventually come upon those who are persecuting you. Peter makes two points regarding this coming judgment.
· First in verse 17, he makes the point that when God brings judgment, He starts by first disciplining His own people and then later punishing those who are not His people.
o We see this most clearly in the Bible in the books of the major prophets, where there are warnings directed first at the Jews who were in a covenant relationship with God. God threatened to chastise them with exile if they kept worshipping idols and not trusting Him... and God made good on His threats. Only afterwards do we see God say, “Oh by the way, all those Gentiles that I allowed to whup up on you, I’m going to punish them now.” “Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, ‘Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!’ O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (Psalm 137:7-9, ESV). That day will come.
· The “house of God”
o was used to denote the physical temple in the Old Testament, but
o in the New Testament, the “house of God” changes to mean “Christians.”
o For instance, in 1 Timothy 3:15, the Apostle Paul says, “...I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (NKJV)
o But, “Judgment begins at the house of God.” That means it begins with you.
o You’re going to be the first ones to feel the heat of God’s fiery trials before the non-Christians really feel it. Later on, God will get around to punishing the people that are persecuting you.
o So don’t let it shake you if it looks like the only people who are suffering are the Christians.
§ That doesn’t mean we’re on the losing side;
§ it doesn’t mean God has abandoned you;
§ and it doesn’t mean that God is upset at you;
§ this is just the way He does things.
· In the heat of the moment of suffering, remember the big picture: God starts by turning up the heat on believers to purify and save them, and then He destroys the wicked.
· So when people who hate the Bible are causing you to suffer, don’t give up on trusting God; remember that He is doing something special with you first, and in due time He will punish the people who are hurting you. They’re not going to get away with it forever.
· With this perspective, you can even have the grace to pity those who are persecuting you, realizing that the outlook for their future is bleak, and you can redouble your efforts to “persuade” them to believe and “obey” the “Gospel” – “God’s good news” that Jesus can deliver us from God’s wrath in the coming judgment.
· Verse 18 introduces a second point regarding the coming judgment which must be borne in mind if and when you encounter suffering: People who do evil things to you will not get away with it. Don’t get tied up in knots over the injustice of it all; Justice will be served.
· Peter proves this with a quote from the Septuagint Greek version of Proverbs 11:31:
· The grammar of this Greek sentence (ei + Present Indicative verb in the protasis) indicates that the condition is indeed true. It is not easy to make a person safe from the fierce wrath of God against sin. Only God’s own love is fierce enough to insure the salvation of those He loves.
o Paul expressed a similar sentiment using some of the same words in Romans 5:7-9, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
o This parallel text in Romans 5 makes it clear that it is not the hard work of the justified man which saves him, but the hardship which Christ endured on the cross that saves the ones He loves and makes them righteous.
· But Peter takes us a step further: if that’s what it takes for salvation, then the ungodly and sinful people don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.
o There’s no way they can ever “make a good showing” in God’s presence.
o They’re going to “appear” as offenders and rebels before “the judge of all the earth,” and they will be cast out of the blessings of the presence of God forever into the lake of fire.
o That’s “what will become” of them.
· So when they persecute you in the here and now, you must keep these points in mind: God will punish them for the wrong they are doing, but it won’t be until after God has turned up the heat on you first.
· Peter’s final command to those who are suffering according to the will of God is to align themselves with the faithful Creator by doing what is right:
· It would be wrong to take revenge on your persecutors, and it would be wrong to defect and join those who hate God in order to get out of suffering, so the only course is to keep trusting and obeying God – “commit/entrust your soul” to Him.
· Peter has already mentioned in chapter 2 that doing good, agathapoiia is key to being aligned with God: “v.15 ...the will of God is thus: to silence the ignorance of mindless men through y’all doing good... 20b if, when you do good you also endure suffering, this is gracefulness alongside God...”
· The main verb in this verse, paratithemi (translated “present/commit/entrust”) is used in the Greek Bible to describe laying something before someone else for that other person to use;
o about 60% of the time it describes serving a meal for someone else to eat.
o This colors in my mind the interpretation of what it means to “present” your soul to God. I think it connotes placing yourself in His power to use you or consume as He wishes.
o It means a willingness to suffer and even to be destroyed by suffering like a sacrifice.
o The figurative use of this verb here in 1 Peter 4, is consistent with David’s poetic use of the word in Psalm 31, “...thou, O Lord, art my defender. Into thine hands I will commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” (Psalm 31:3-5, Brenton)
· Making yourself that vulnerable to a God who does not promise to prevent suffering in your life takes a lot of trust, which is why it is so important that God is characterized as a “faithful creator.”
o The Bible tells us that God created everything (Gen. 1:1, Isa. 45:12, Eph. 3:9, Col. 1:16, Rev. 4:11),
o that He is faithful (Deut. 7:9, Hosea 11:12, 1 Cor. 10:13, 1 Thess. 5:24, 1 John 1:9),
o and that He is a doer of what is good and right (Numbers 10:32; Zephaniah 1:12).
o If God is “faithful,” then He will not change His mind; He will not start doing bad things; and He will consistently and fairly administrate justice.
o If He is the “Creator,” then, not only does He have the right to do what He wants with you – and everything else He made, He also has the power to re-create your body after your current body has been used up – whether by old age or by the stress of persecution. You will receive a new body (1 Cor. 15:42), so you don’t have to be afraid of what’s going to happen to the body you’ve got now.
o The only other place that this Greek word for “creator” appears in the Greek Bible is in 2 Samuel 22. David’s words there fit well with Peter’s message and share many of the same key words (which I have underlined): “As for the Mighty One, his way is blameless: the word of the Lord is strong and tried in the fire: he is a protector [faithful one] to all that put their trust in [are persuaded to] him. Who is strong, but the Lord? and who will be a Creator except our God? It is the Mighty One who strengthens me with might, and has prepared my way without fault. He makes my feet like hart's feet, and sets me upon the high places.” (2 Samuel 22:31-34, Brenton)
So there you have it, Peter’s fourth set of instructions on what Christians should do when persecuted:
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DON’T |
DO |
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TRUTH#1: You are blessed (v.14) |
TRUTH#2: The wicked will be judged later. |
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Patristic GNT |
NAW |
KJV |
NKJV |
ESV |
NASB |
NIV |
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12 ᾿ΑγαπητοίVPM, μὴ ξενίζεσθεPPM τῃ ἐν ὑμῖν [ii]πυρώσει DSF πρὸς πειρασμὸνASM ὑμῖν γινομένῃPNP-DSF, ὡς ξένουGSN ὑμῖν συμβαίνοντοςPAP-GSN, |
12 Loved ones, don’t keep being wierded out[iii] by the fire coming among y’all to test you, as though it were something strange coming among y’all, |
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial X X which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: |
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial X X which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; |
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. |
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for [your] testing, as though [some] strange thing were happening to you; |
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial X you are X |
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13 ἀλλὰ [iv]καθὸ κοινωνεῖτεPAI-2P τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθήμασιDPN, χαίρετεPAM, ἵνα καὶ ἐν τῃ ἀποκαλύψειDSF τῆς δόξηςGSF αὐτοῦ χαρῆτεAOS ἀγαλλιώμενοιPNP-NPM. |
13 but rather, just as y’all have fellowship with the sufferings of Christ, keep rejoicing, in order that also in the unveiling of His glory, y’all may rejoice while jumping for joy[v]. |
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when X his
glory |
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when X His
glory |
13 But rejoice insofar as you share X Christ's sufferings, that you may also
rejoice [and] be glad when
X his glory |
13 but to the degree that you share X the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. |
13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may
be overjoyed
when X his glory |
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14 εἰ ὀνειδίζεσθεPPI ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ, μακάριοι, ὅτι τὸ τῆς δόξηςGSF καὶ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ[vi] ΠνεῦμαNSN ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς ἀναπαύεταιPMI-3S [κατὰ μὲν αὐτοὺς βλασφημεῖταιPPI, κατὰ δὲ ὑμᾶς δοξάζεταιPPI.] |
14 When[vii] y’all are being taunted[viii] using the name of Christ, you are [happily] blessed because the Spirit of glory – even the [Spirit] of God is resting[ix] upon y’all. [According to them He is being blasphemed, but according to y’all He is being glorified! [x]] |
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. |
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed but on your part He is glorified. |
14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. |
14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. |
14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. |
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15 μὴ [xi]γάρ τις ὑμῶν πασχέτωPAM-3S ὡς φονεὺςNSM ἢ κλέπτηςNSM ἢ κακοποιὸς ἢ ὡς ἀλλοτρι[xii]επίσκοπος· |
15 But don’t let any of y’all suffer for being a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or for being a snoop,[xiii] |
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. |
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. |
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. |
15 X |
15 |
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16 εἰ δὲ ὡς [xiv]Χριστιανός, μὴ αἰσχυνέσθωPPM-3S, δοξαζέτωPAM-3S δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τῳ [xv]μέρει τούτῳ. |
16 but if it’s for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him keep glorifying God by this name[xvi], |
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. |
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. |
16 Yet if [anyone suffers] as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in |
16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. |
16 However, if [ |
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17 ὅτι ὁ καιρὸς [xvii]τοῦ ἄρξασθαιAMN τὸ κρῖμαASN ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἰ δὲ πρῶτον ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν, τί τὸ τέλοςNSN τῶν ἀπειθούντωνPAP-GPM τῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐαγγελίῳDSN; |
17 [xviii]for [it is] time to begin the judgment at the household of God[xix], and if [it comes] first at us, what [will be] the end for those who are unpersuaded by God’s good news? |
17 For the time is come that judgment [must] begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? |
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? |
17 For it is time for judgment to begin
at the household of God; and if [it] |
17 For it is time for
judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it |
17 For it is time for judgment to begin
with the family of God; and if [it] |
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18 καὶ εἰ ὁ δίκαιος [xx]μόλις σῴζεταιPPI-3S, ὁ ἀσεβὴςNSM καὶ ἁμαρτωλὸς ποῦ φανεῖταιFDI-3S ; |
18 “And if[xxi] it’s hard for the righteous man to be saved, what kind of showing will the ungodly and sinful man make?” |
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? |
18 Now "IF THE RIGHTEOUS ONE IS SCARCELY SAVED, WHERE WILL THE UNGODLY AND THE SINNER APPEAR?" |
18 And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" |
18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER? |
18 And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" |
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Prov. 11:31 LXX εἰ ὁ μὲν δίκαιος μόλις σῴζεται, ὁ ἀσεβὴς καὶ ἁμαρτωλὸς ποῦ φανεῖται; |
Prov. 11:31 הֵן צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ יְשֻׁלָּם אַף כִּי-רָשָׁע וְחוֹטֵא: |
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19 ὥστε καὶ οἱ πάσχοντεςPAP-NPM κατὰ τὸ θέλημαASN τοῦ Θεοῦ, [xxii]πιστῳDSM κτίστῃDSM [xxiii]παρατιθέσθωσανPPM-3P τὰς ψυχὰςAPF [xxiv]αὐτῶν ἐν ἀγαθοποιΐᾳ.DSF |
19 Thus even those who are suffering according to the will of God must present[xxv] their souls to [the] Faithful Creator[xxvi] by doing good[xxvii]. |
19 Wherefore let X them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. |
19 Therefore let X those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. |
19 Therefore let X those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. |
19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. |
19 So |
[i] Where the traditional Patriarchal
edition of the Greek Bible is challenged by the Textus Receptus or by the modern critical editions, I note
that. When an English translation adds words not in the Greek text, but does
not indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text), I put
the added words in [square brackets]. When one English version chooses a
wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline
it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs
too far from the root meaning of the Greek word or departs too far from the
grammar form of the original Greek word, I use strikeout. And when an
English version omits a word which is in the Greek text, I insert an X.
(Sometimes I will place the X at the end of a word if the Greek word is plural
but the English translation is singular.) I have also tried to use colors to
help the reader see correlations between the Greek original and the various
translations.
[ii] I find it interesting that the order in which this word is used follows the pattern of first literal fire (Prov. 27:21), then figurative fiery trials which hit Israel (Amos 4:9) and the church (1 Peter 4:12), and then firey judgment that comes upon the wicked in Babylon (Rev. 18:9&18). These are the only other occurrences of this word in the Greek Bible.
[iii] cf. the same passive use of this verb in v. 4 “...they are alienated, uttering hurtful [epithets] when y’all do not run together...” What alienates the non-Christians from the Christians is the Christian’s refusal to participate in sin. What threatens to alienate Christians from God and from other Christians is suffering.
[iv] This Greek word only occurs in the Greek Bible here, Lev. 9:5, Rom.8:26, and 2 Cor. 8:12, all apparently meaning “according to.”
[v] The participle agalliwmenoi literally means to “leap up.” Sometimes Greek participles are translated as separate verbs happening in time related to the main verb as the ESV and I have done, or sometimes they are translated like adjectives or adverbs kind of like the NIV did with “over”+joyed, and sometimes Greek participles are translated as substantive nouns like the KJV and NAS did “with exceeding joy.” Peter has already introduced this in the first chapter, verses 5-9. The sufferings are plural, so I don’t think we’re merely talking about what Jesus suffered on the cross. Turn suffering into fellowship by thinking of how Jesus did the same kind of things, and talk to Him about it. To the extent that you do that you will increase your joy in the world to come.
[vi] The Nestle-Aland 23rd Critical Edition of the Greek New Testament lists over a dozen Greek manuscripts throughout history which add “and the power,” but this addition is not considered part of Peter’s original letter.
[vii] The grammar (ei + Present Indicative verb in the protasis) indicates that the condition is indeed true.
[viii] cf. 2: 21-23 “Christ suffered on our behalf,” 3:16 “...the abusers [epereazw] of your good conduct in Christ...,” 1Sam. 17:10&45 (Goliath’s taunts, which may also have been quoted in Psalm 42:10), 2 Kings 18-19 (Rabshaqah’s taunts), and Neh. 6:13 (Sanballat and Tobias’ fearmongering). Isaiah answered such taunts with reminders of God’s sovereignty (Isa. 37: 23), and Jesus did much the same in Matthew 5:11.
[ix] Peter appears to be alluding to Isaiah 11, the Greek version of which uses the same words “Spirit” and “rests” along with synonyms for “glory” and “God” – fulfilled visually at Jesus’ baptism. We who are in fellowship/partnership/participation with Christ have that same Spirit resting upon us too.
[x] This final clause, “According to them He is being blasphemed, but according to y’all He is being glorified!” is in the majority of Greek manuscripts, but it is not found in modern critical editions of the Greek New Testament (and therefore not in the NAS or NIV or ESV) because no known Greek manuscript dated earlier than the 8th century contains this phrase, making it suspect of not being in the original epistle. However, the text is found in ancient Syrian, Coptic and Latin translations of this verse, as well as the writings of Cyprian’s dating back to the 3rd Century, so it has been accepted within at least parts of the church from antiquity and does not contradict anything else in the Bible. In fact, it fits with what Peter had said back in verse 4 “... they are uttering hurtful epithets [βλασφημουντες] ...”
[xi] Although an uncommon use of gar, the translation “but,” found in the KJV and ESV, follows semantic domain #89.124a in Smith, Lander, and Gordon’s Supplement to the Louw and Nida Greek-English Lexicon.
[xii] Hapex legomenon. The majority of Greek manuscripts spell this word with an additional letter (omicron) here. The Ancient Papyrus #72 and the Alexandrinus keep the omicron and divide the word in two (however, these two words do not occur together in any other verse of Scripture in the Greek Bible). The modern critical editions went with the Patristic edition because the spelling without the omicron is supported by both the Vaticanus and the Siniaticus. However, this is merely a spelling variation and makes no difference in the word itself – akin to the difference between American and British spellings of words like foetus/fetus. (The majority also add another comparative hws before kleptes, but again, it doesn’t change the meaning at all, seeing as “thief” is already listed in a sequence of four criminal roles marked out by the conjunction “or.”)
[xiii] What jumps out to me is the third-party nature of this command. How can you engage with the rest of the body of Christ to help them keep their noses clean too? Hebrews 12:14-15. On keeping people from being meddlers and busybodies, see 2 Thess. 3:10 and 1 Timothy 5:11-14.
[xiv] Only here, Acts 11:26, and Acts 26:28 in the Greek Bible.
[xv] Although the majority of Greek manuscripts read merei (“part” – thus the KJV reading “matter/behalf”), there is no known manuscript or version dated earlier than the 9th Century which reads thus, making it suspect of being a late edit. All the oldest manuscripts, as well as all the ancient translations read ονοματι (“name”), thus the reading of the modern critical editions followed by the NAS, NIV, and ESV (cf. Hanna “by virtue of bearing the name”). Whether it is saying that glorifying God is the sufferer’s part (or role), or that the sufferer is to glorify God by calling himself a Christian, or that we are to keep glorifying God even when others are mockingly calling us Christians, it doesn’t change Peter’s imperative to keep glorifying God, and none of the readings create any unique theology.
[xvi] If you get convicted of the so-called crime of being a Christian, that’s o.k. It doesn’t matter what other people think; it only matters what Jesus thinks, and He is thrilled to own you as His brothers and sisters (Heb. 2:11) and for you to wear His name: “Christ-ian.”
[xvii] “The articular infinitive to ˆrxasqai modifies the noun kairçv, “the time is come.” Hanna
[xviii] The first thing to keep in mind while suffering is that you are blessed because the Holy Spirit rests on you. Now a second thing to keep in mind is introduced in verses 17-18, and that is God’s coming judgment on those who are currently persecuting you. He makes two points regarding this coming judgment. First in verse 17, he makes the point that when God brings judgment, He starts by first disciplining His own people and then later punishing those who are not His people (eg. Psalm 137:7-9). In the heat of the moment of suffering, remember the big picture: God starts by turning up the heat on believers to purify and save them, and then He destroys the wicked. With this perspective, you can even have the grace to pity those who are persecuting you, realizing that the outlook for their future is bleak, and you can redouble your efforts to “persuade” them to believe and “obey” the “Gospel” – “God’s good news” that Jesus can deliver us from God’s wrath in the coming judgment.
[xix] The “house of God” was used to denote the physical temple in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, the “house of God” changes to mean “Christians” (1 Timothy 3:15).
[xx] Molis only occurs half a dozen times outside of Prov. 11:31 and 1 Pet 4:18 - Acts 14:18; 27:7,8,16, Romans 5:7 (which seems to express a similar sentiment Pauline-fashion), and Luke 9:39, where some manuscripts contain the textual variant μογις (toil).
[xxi] Verse 18 introduces a second point regarding the coming judgment which must be borne in mind if and when you encounter suffering: People who do evil things to you will not get away with it. Peter proves this with a quote from the Septuagint Greek version of Proverbs 11:31 (not the Masoritic Hebrew of it – which is about 50% different). The grammar of this Greek sentence (ei + Present Indicative verb in the protasis) indicates that the condition is indeed true. It is not easy to make a person safe from the fierce wrath of God against sin. Paul expressed a similar sentiment using some of the same words in Romans 5:7-9, making it clear that it is not the hard work of the justified man which saves him, but the hardship which Christ endured on the cross that saves the ones He loves and makes them righteous. But Peter takes us a step further: if that’s what it takes for salvation, then the ungodly and sinful people will never make a good showing in God’s presence.
[xxii] The majority of Greek manuscripts add a comparative adverb here (ως “as”), which is preserved in the Textus Receptus and in the KJV, but it’s not in my Patristic edition and not in the modern critical editions either. Nestle-Aland had no comment in their critical apparatus as to why.
[xxiii] Compare with Christ’s action of entrustment [παρεδίδου] to Him Who judges justly in 2:23.
[xxiv] Due apparently to a half dozen known Greek manuscripts which have this variant (the oldest of which is the 9th century Ψ), the Textus Receptus adds the letter epsilon to the front of the word to give it a more reflexive meaning (“themselves/their own”), but that sense is already present due to the use of the word in this sentence, so it makes no real difference in meaning.
[xxv] The main verb in this verse, paratithemi (translated “present/commit/entrust”) is used in the Greek Bible to describe laying something before someone else for that other person to use; about 60% of the time it describes serving a meal for someone else to eat. Here I think it connotes placing yourself in His power to use you or consume as He wishes. It is consistent with David’s poetic use of the word in Psalm 31:3-5.
[xxvi] God is “creator” (Gen. 1:1, Isa. 45:12, Eph. 3:9, Col. 1:16, Rev. 4:11), God is “faithful” (Deut. 7:9, Hosea 11:12, 1 Cor. 10:13, 1 Thess. 5:24, 1 John 1:9), and God is doer of what is good and right (Numbers 10:32; Zephaniah 1:12). The creator has the right to do what He wants with His creation; He also has the power to re-create, removing fear of persecution so that it can be properly placed upon God. The only other place this Greek word for “creator” appears in the Greek Bible is in 2 Samuel 22:31-34.
[xxvii] Peter’s final command to those who are suffering according to the will of God is to align themselves with the faithful Creator by doing what is right. Peter has already harped on “doing good” in 2:15 & 20 (cf. Luke 6:35a & 3 John 1:11b).