1 Peter 4:12-19 (CSB)
“12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. 16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? 18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? 19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.”
Today we are looking at the second half of chapter four of 1 Peter. In the first half, Peter expanded on practical ways we are to love one another, and he stated that “love covers a multitude of sins.” Meaning that, as we love God and love one another, love keeps us from sinning; keeps us from harming ourselves or others. This way of living, though, will be counterculture. We won’t be spending our time doing the things the world does, and this will lead to us being judged by the world, which leads to us suffering as we battle our flesh and the attacks from those who judge us.
That is why Peter then moves from having just explained how we are to love another, to now saying in verses 12-13, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.”
Peter is referring to what he wrote at the beginning of this letter. In 1 Peter 1:6-7, he said, “You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
This “fiery ordeal” is the “various trails” we face which prove the character of our faith. These trials are testing our faith. It’s not so much that God causes these trials to happen to us, but rather when we experience trials, they test our faith. The fiery ordeals reveal the nature of our faith. If we face a trial and we crumble under the pressure, we find that our faith is not strong. If we endure the suffering and cling to the Lord, then we find that our faith is solid.
He also says that we should not be surprised that we face ordeals, nor should we think it unusual. Yet, I think that tends to be the reaction that most of us have to trials. Unless I’m unique in this, in the moment that we face trouble, don’t we usually feel like bad things only happen to us? Isn’t our reflex reaction usually one of “why me?” We tend to become self-focused when we are suffering. Peter says we shouldn’t do this. We shouldn’t think that our suffering is unique to us.
Not only that, but he says we should actually rejoice as we “share in the sufferings of Christ.” We should rejoice, because if we endure and keep our faith, then we “may also rejoice with great joy when His glory is revealed.”
It’s important we maintain this correct perspective, for this way of thinking moves us away from being self-focused to seeing the bigger picture. If our perspective is self-centered and focused on our comfort, then we will complain and crumble whenever we face any kind of suffering. If our perspective is that God can use suffering to mold us more into His character, and to serve and love others, then we will be more apt to submit and endure the suffering we face. If, in addition to that, we can do what Peter tells us to do and actually rejoice in the midst of suffering, then that would be proof that we finally understand how God uses suffering.
And that should be our goal: to get to the maturity in our walk with God that we rejoice in suffering and see that we are actually blessed by suffering, as verse 14 says, “If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
When Peter wrote this letter, there was horrible persecution against Christians. So, he’s not speaking in generalities or in future probable problems. It was happening then. They were facing prison and torture. They were slandered and abused. That persecution that they faced has never ceased and still happens in many countries around the world. As you may know, throughout history, no people group has been as persecuted as Christians have been.
I don’t know about you, but when I remember how much persecution believers around the world have endured by following Christ, then it makes me feel ashamed that I still struggle to be this person who Peter describes. It’s pretty easy to agree with what he is saying, but in reality, it is a different thing when faced with it. When ridiculed for being a Christian, it’s hard not to have our feelings hurt. When discrimination happens, when people judge us or exclude us because we are Christians, or when people speak slander against us and call us names, instead of being hurt by them, Peter says we should rejoice. Remembering what great trials other believers have endured can help us not to feel sorry for ourselves, and can help us have the correct perspective and to rejoice.
The reason we should rejoice is because when we are persecuted for Jesus’ name, we “are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests” on us. That sounds like a pretty profound thing that happens, doesn’t it? To have the “Spirit of glory and of God rest” on us sounds pretty amazing.
I think the Holy Spirit is resting on us, because God is with us in our suffering for His name. We see that in eyewitness testimonies of people who have been martyred for their faith. People have recorded the last words of believers as they went to their deaths and, rather than being afraid, so often they were rejoicing. In Ellicott’s commentary he says, “In the Acts of St. Probus (a Cappadocian), when, after many other tortures, the judge ordered them to heat some nails and run them through his hands, the martyr exclaims, ‘Glory to Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, who hast even deigned to let my hands be pierced for Thy name’s sake!’”
I don’t know anything about Probus’ life other than what we read in the quote, but he did exactly what Peter is describing. He rejoiced that he was blessed enough to suffer for Christ. That perspective is the same one that Jesus encourages us to have. In Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus says, “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
We see this same thought echoed by the Apostle James, in James 1:2-3 & 12, which says, “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. […]Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
How different might our lives be if we didn’t seek to avoid trials, but we considered them to be a way for God to build our endurance? If we are facing an ordeal or trials because of our faith in Jesus, then we don’t need to fear them or try to avoid them. We can rejoice that God is with us and His glory is resting on us.
Now, some suffering and trials happen to us as a result of our sin, and these trials are not what Peter is talking about. He explains this in verse 15, which says, “Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler.” He lists four different kinds of people: murderers, thieves, evildoers and meddlers. Those encompass a wide swath of activities, don’t they? Why those four designators? For starters, those are names we bring upon ourselves, though of course a person could be falsely accused. But baring that circumstance, these are all self-inflicted names.
Let’s look at them: first up, murderers and thieves. I think Peter is clarifying that, if we suffer, it should not be because we have committed a crime. Both of those crimes would be deserving of punishment. At that time, murder was a capital offense and the guilty would be killed. Thieves were punished severely. I think the same idea is being conveyed by his use of the world “evildoer.” It’s someone who is breaking the law and is deserving of punishment. But what about “meddlers”? Why would being a meddler lead to ordeals and trials?
It makes me think of the verse in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 in which believers are being instructed that they are, “to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” Why would Peter, and Paul in those verses, tell the believers to not be meddlesome and mind their own business? Why is it important to “lead a quiet life”?
Let’s think about the opposite of doing that. Someone who is meddling in other people’s affairs, not minding their own business, not aiming to lead a quiet life but is seeking attention and a spotlight, they are essentially sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. That person is being a “busybody” and in 2 Thessalonians 3:11, this is repeated as an example of what not to do. It says, “For we hear that there are some among you who are idle. They are not busy but busybodies.”
I’ve always maintained that Christians would be a lot more effective if we collectively simply worried about our own, and not society at large. I don’t mean that Christians shouldn’t vote or anything nonsensical like that. If we live in a country and have been given the right to vote, to not do so is to squander a God-given gift. I’m talking about minding our own business and not meddling with what other people outside the church are doing. When we try to change a culture by pointing out other peoples’ sins, but we do nothing about the rampant sin within our family of believers, the culture rightfully calls us hypocrites and judgmental.
In Ellicott’s Commentary he says, “It denotes those prying and self-important people who fancy they can set everything to rights, and that everybody they come across is under their personal jurisdiction. Such persons would tend to make Christianity unpopular among the unbelievers, and, in case of persecution, would be the first to ‘suffer’.”
I agree with that, wholeheartedly. Not only is that method of changing people highly ineffective, but it creates enemies. Simply living our lives, following Jesus as best we can, will cause the world to view us as enemies. We certainly don’t need to go out and try to speed along the process.
Then Peter, having clarified that important point, then restates in verse 16, his main point which is, “But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name.” Citing Ellicott again, the reason Peter says, “let him not be ashamed,” is because, “the name sounds worse to the world than murderer, or thief, or malefactor.” Ellicott also points out that, “St. Peter purposely uses the name which was a name of derision among the heathens. It is not, as yet, one by which the believers would usually describe themselves. It only occurs twice besides in the New Testament—in Acts 11:26, where we are told of the invention of the nickname, and in Acts 26:28,” where it is used in scorn.
In a lot of places around the world, the name Christian is still spoken of in that way. It’s ridiculed, scorned and spoken as a pejorative. A name that is glorious to us believers is so hated by so many others. It's easy to feel ashamed and want to keep it a secret. In some cultures, it is death if people find out. But what greater cause is there to rejoice than if we are deemed to be called a Christian? Is there any designation that is greater? And to identify with Christ’s suffering because of our faith in Him is pure honor.
So far, things have been pretty straightforward and easy to understand, even if difficult to put into practice. But now, Peter says a few things which might be a bit more complicated. He says in verse 17, “For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?”
I think Peter has in mind what we refer to as Judgement Day. From his perspective, Jesus was going to return any moment. In addition to that, the “judgment” that had already started happening was the judgment of those “fiery ordeals” and trials that they were facing because of their faith in Jesus. But it is also looking toward the end of time, when all people will stand before the judgement seat of Christ. Peter is saying that on that day, Jesus will start by judging the people of God. No one, not even those of the household of faith, will escape judgement.
But remember what he said, back in chapter 1:5-7? He said, “You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
At this judgment, all will be revealed. We will be judged, and if we are found to be in Christ, we will rejoice and the judgement will result in praise, glory and honor. But, look at what Peter says next in verse 18 of chapter 4. He gives some additional information to serve as a warning. He says, “And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
In Ellicott’s Commentary, he explains that, “This is a literal quotation, word for word, of Proverbs 11:31, according to the LXX.” Looking at Proverbs 11:31, which in the same CSB translation says, “If the righteous will be repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and sinful” we see it is very different from what Peter said, though. The reason for the difference is because Peter, like all early Christians, used the LXX, or what is known as the Septuagint. By 300 BC, Greek was the dominate language and so Jewish scholars had translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. Tradition says that each of the 12 tribes of Israel contributed six people to the work and so it became known as the Septuagint, which means 70 in Latin. I don’t know why the Septuagint translation and the other translations from Hebrew, like the CSB, differ so greatly. All we know is which Peter used.
Regardless of which translation we read, though, the point is much the same. Which is, if the righteous in Christ are judged and barely make it, how much more difficult and worse will the judgement be for unbelievers? If you are wondering why Peter would say, “a righteous person is saved with difficulty,” perhaps Peter is remembering the words of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 24:21-22 which say, “For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again. Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.”
Or, maybe he’s thinking along the same lines as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 3:13b-15, which says, “For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.”
Whatever Peter has in mind, Scripture is clear that God wants us to catch this truth: there will be a day of judgment, which starts with us believers, and all that is not of Him will be burned up. As Peter warns, we all will be “scarcely saved” as the KJV translates it. For unless we are covered by the blood of Jesus, we too would be judged guilty. In Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, he says, “The idea is not that of a man whose house is burnt over his head and who escapes through the flames, nor that of a man who is subjected to the pains and fires of purgatory; but that of a man who had been spending his time and strength to little purpose; who had built, indeed, on the true foundation, but who had reared so much on it which was unsound, and erroneous, and false, that he himself would be saved with great difficulty, and with the loss of much of that reward which he had expected, as if the fire had passed over him and his works. The simple idea, therefore, is, that that which is genuine and valuable in his doctrines and works, shall be rewarded, and the man shall be saved; that which is not sound and genuine, shall be removed, and he shall suffer loss.”
This is why Peter is emphasizing over and over again that as believers, we should not be spending our time doing things that will be burnt up. We should not be living as the unbelievers do. We should keep our mind on the proper perspective. If we are followers of Christ, we must behave like followers of Christ. We must be obedient and willing to suffer for Him. For one day, Jesus will return and we will be judged. But if we have faith in Christ, then we will rejoice and glorify Him.
For Jesus has done for us what is impossible for us to do. Remember, too, what the disciples asked Jesus after He had talked with them about following Him? In Matthew 19:24-26, Jesus said, “’Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’
When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, ‘Then who can be saved?’
Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
Jesus has done the impossible. He has made a way for our salvation. As Peter says as this chapter concludes in verse 19, “So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.” Yes and amen. Let us entrust ourselves to Jesus and give thanks to Him for what He has done by giving Him our lives in service to Him.
Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending us Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Please help us by Your Holy Spirit to entrust our lives to You. Help us to rejoice during any suffering or ordeals we face. We want to trust You in all things. We love You, and in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
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