Bible Commentaries
1 Peter 4

Verses 1-19

IV 1-6 Risen with Christ to a New Life —1. Christ accepted suffering; so must the good Christian. If he suffers for, and with Christ, he is armed against sin. This demands a continual practice of virtue, which strengthens the will, and makes it able to resist temptation and avoid sin.

2. Such a sufferer will not live ’after the desires of men’; being united with Christ in his sufferings, he lives ’according to the will of God’.

3. St Peter’s readers had in time past ’fulfilled the will of the Gentiles’ by taking part in their licentiousness and idolatry.

4. But now that they have kept away from such sinful habits, they are subjected to scornful criticism.

5. Why should they mind this, since they know that these critics are subject to the judgement of him, ’who is ready to judge the living and the dead’, cf.Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1.6. Because all men are to undergo judgement, ’the gospel was preached also to the dead’. This may refer back to 3:19 f., where sinners who paid for their unbelief by suffering temporal death in the deluge were ’judged according to men in the flesh’, but the purpose of that judgement was to save them from eternal condemnation, that they ’may live according to God, in the spirit’. To these souls Christ appeared, and announced to them the good news of their salvation. St Augustine has a different explanation: ’Nothing forces us to understand that the Gospel was preached in the other world; but in this life the Gospel was preached to the dead, that is, to infidels and sinners, that when they believe ’they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh’, that is, might be subjected to various trials in the flesh, and even to death, ’but may live according to God, in the spirit’, Ep. 164, 7, 21; PL 33, 717 f.

7-11 The Duty of Charity —The thought of judgement should never be far from a Christian’s mind. For the NT teaching on the second coming cf. §§ 670-1, 914g-e. Its wholesome influence should help them to be circumspect and sober so as to be disposed for prayer. 8. Fraternal charity should never be wanting, and such ’charity covereth a multitude of sins’, i.e. if they have true love for their neighbour, they will be willing to cover their sins in silence, not speak about them, forget them, cf.Proverbs 10:12; James 5:20. Moreover, a strong and active love will blot out their own sins as well. 9. ’Using hospitality ’which would be exercised chiefly towards fellow Christians, and missionaries coming from abroad. It might also have reference to ’housechurches’ as Selwyn suggests, i.e. ’to the ordinary social life of Christian communities’, 218. Let them dispense this hospitality cheerfully, ’without murmuring’.

10. Whatever ’grace’, ????sµa, any Christian has should be used for the good of others. 11. Two kinds of charisms are mentioned, speaking and ministering. A fuller list occurs in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12-14. The doxology here refers to God, not to Christ.

12-19 The Duty of Suffering for Christ —The severe trial, which threatened to affect them, should not cause surprise, but joy, since it will associate them more closely with Christ. 12. ’The burning heat’ is the symbol of the afflictions and persecutions that await them. This may perhaps refer to the calumnies, annoyances and petty persecutions which the first Christians had to put up with everywhere; or it may refer to something more definite. Persecutions are not something new for Christians to experience. 13. They are to rejoice in proportion as they share in the sufferings of Christ, for this shall redound to their joy ’when his glory shall be revealed’.

14. Reproaches endured for the name of Christ brings the Holy Spirit upon them.

15. Whereas it would be most shameful to suffer just punishment for crimes committed,

16, to suffer as a Christian is no disgrace; by bearing the name they glorify God. The name ’Christian’ was first given to the followers of Christ at Antioch, Acts 11:26, and was later used by King Agrippa, Acts 26:28, with a touch of irony.

17. These sufferings are the beginning of God’s judgement in his own household. They will sift the virtuous from the lax Christian. And if this is thought severe, what will happen to those who disregard the Gospel? 18. Owing to the severity of the trials and sufferings, even a just man may be saved with difficulty. What then of the godless sinners? 91. But God will faithfully support those who ’suffer according to his will’.