1 Peter 4

Notes

Ver. 1, 2. Now, since Jesus Christ has thus patiently and extremely suffered in his manhood for us unjust sinners, to bring us to God, let his noble and endearing example arm you against all impatience and fainting under what ye suffer for his sake; for if, in the virtue of his death in our stead, we have crucified our inward corruptions, and have cheerfully and patiently endured outward sufferings for his sake, and in conformity to him, we shall be disposed to renounce all our former sinful principles and practices, and with grief and hatred to turn from them to God with full purpose of heart, that we may not spend the remaining part of our time in the exercise of carnal and sinful lusts, after the example of evil men, but in holy dispositions and practices, which God commands and delights in, as tending to his glory; 3-5. For we have already spent too much of our time, like heathens, in diversified forms of uncleanness, drunkenness, gluttony, and the most shameful and detestable idolatries.—On account of your unexpected withdrawment from which dissolute lewdness, luxury, and intemperance, ye and your religion are vilified by your wicked neighbours, as if it had made you quite unsociable, stiff, precise, and humoursome; but quickly must they answer for all these reproaches to the Lord Jesus himself, upon whom they ultimately fall, and who is authorized to, and will, ere long, judge all that have ever lived on the earth, to the great joy of his saints and terror of his enemies. 6. For to this end was the gospel preached to those who are now dead in Christ, as well as to them who now live on the earth—that through divine influences attending it, their inward corruptions being thoroughly mortified and subdued, and they, being condemned and censured by carnal men, might in their souls, quickened and animated by the Holy Ghost, live after a spiritual and joyful manner, according to the command and pattern of God, and in fellowship with him, and to his glory; and be at last raised to an eternal and full enjoyment of him. 7. But consider, for your encouragement and caution under your present trials, that your Jewish nation must quickly be altogether destroyed, and your death, and even the dissolution of this lower world, take place; be therefore always wise, sober, and temperate, constantly watching against temptations and the workings of indwelling corruption, and for opportunities of and spiritual assistances in prayer, for whatever blessings, deliverances, graces, or comforts you need. 8. And influenced by the transcendent love of God in Christ to you, earnestly cultivate a warm, cordial, and brotherly affection one towards another in these perilous times; for as he, in his infinite kindness and mercy, has freely forgiven you all your innumerable transgressions, so your fervent love to one another, for his sake, after his example, and in obedience to his command, will make you readily forgive and conceal the numerous failings of each other. 9. And be always ready with cheerfulness to entertain and lodge religious strangers, especially such as go about preaching the gospel, or are, by persecutors, deprived of their property, and driven from their homes. 10, 11. Let all such as have gifts and offices in the church carefully, faithfully, and prudently employ those graciously bestowed gifts, and execute those offices, for the edification of others, as stewards accountable to God for their trusts.—If some be called to preach the gospel, let them, in a becoming, serious, solemn, reverential, fervent, faithful, spiritual, and holy manner, declare the mind of God, and nothing else, according to his Word. If others be called to collect, take care of, and distribute the church's stock, for the relief of the poor, the maintenance of ministers, and defraying the necessary expense of divine ordinances, let them attend to their work with all fidelity, prudence, tenderness, and diligence, as they have ability and opportunity—that all the spiritual and temporal affairs of the church may be so conducted as to promote the glory, praise, and adoration of God, through the merit and mediation of Christ, our ever-exalted, praised, and adored Redeemer. 12. My dear brethren, fellow-sufferers for Christ's cause, while you reflect on the imperfection of your present state, and the depravity of mankind, which fills them with enmity against everything good, and on the warnings of our blessed Saviour, ye ought never to be discouraged nor surprised at the severest troubles and persecutions wherewith God exercises you—not to destroy, but to refine you, try and purify your graces, and purge away your sinful corruptions, as if they were unexpected, uncommon, and foreign to the methods of his love to his children; 13. But rather think of and stand prepared to meet them with holy joy, as therein ye have Christ's sympathy and comforts promised and secured to you, and are, in suffering for him, conformed to him—that, when he appears in all his glory at the last day, ye also may rejoice and triumph in and together with him. 14. If with patience, courage, and joy, ye endure reproaches and abuse for his and the gospel's sake, this manifests your union to and fellowship with him; and will, through his merit and gracious influence, issue in your unspeakable advantage; for the glorious Spirit of God, who bestows all grace and glory on men, is with you, to support, deliver, and reward you.—By your persecutors, he and our Redeemer are blasphemously reproached; but by your faith and patience, and courageous confession of the truth, they are honoured and glorified. 15. Nevertheless, I beseech you to beware of bringing any trouble on yourselves by any criminal conduct of your own—as murder, dishonesty, sedition, injuring of neighbours, neglect of your own affairs, or intermeddling with those of other men. 16. But if any of you be enabled, with faith, patience, and courage, to suffer indignities, reproaches, and cruelties, merely for your profession of Christ and his gospel, look not on it as a disgrace, but as a real honour conferred upon you, on account of which ye ought to praise and glorify God. 17. For the time is at hand when not only Jerusalem and your Jewish nation shall be fearfully destroyed by the just judgments of God, but even the New Testament church shall be visited with terrible persecutions and troubles. Now, if his severe judgments be first inflicted on his ancient and long peculiar people, and on us real believers, in whom he dwells by his Holy Spirit, what extremity of wrath must fall upon obstinate unbelievers who disregard and reject his gospel? 18. And if, in the general ruin of our nation, or other public calamities, they who are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and are renewed and sanctified by his Spirit unto all holy obedience, have but a narrow though sure escape by his providence and grace, what dreadful, unavoidable, insupportable, inexpressible, and everlasting misery must come upon those impenitent unbelievers who obstinately persist in their sins! 19. Reflecting upon these awful events, which carry so much encouragement to you and terror to your enemies, do you who, in a Christian manner, by the assistance of God's Spirit, endure persecutions and afflictions, as appointed for you by him, believingly commit your lives, your souls, and all your concerns, in time or eternity, to him—in a course of holy walking with him, and of doing good to all around you, friends or foes; trusting in him, that he, as your almighty Creator and Preserver, will, through Christ, perform his promise, in protecting, supporting, comforting, and delivering you in the worst of times.

Ver. 1. 'Arm yourselves with the same mind (of self-sacrifice, out of love to him); for he that hath suffered in the flesh (hath reckoned himself dead with Christ, Ro. 6. 6-11) hath ceased from sin.' C.

Ver. 6. To them that are dead for the gospel's sake, ch. 2. 20, 21; 3. 14, 17, 18. The word 'dead' cannot be understood of 'the dead in trespasses and sins,' but must be taken in the same sense in which it appears in the preceding verse. So suddenly to change the meaning from natural to spiritual death, without any evident intimation of change, would overturn every principle of legitimate interpretation.—That they might be judged (μὲν) indeed, &c. Judged as guilty of 'strange' irrational conduct, and subjected to every form of 'evil speaking,' ver. 4.—In the spirit. In their own spirit, having 'the same mind' that was in Christ, ver. 1, by the renewal of the Spirit of God. C.

Ver. 7. This epistle was written about A.D. 67, shortly after the war with the Romans commenced, which ended in the burning of the temple, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the total ruin of the Jewish state. But there is another and universal sense in which 'the end of all things is at hand' to every man—the hour of death—that separates him for ever from all he loves, or hates, or fears, or possesses, or hopes for in time, and brings him into immediate contact with the unchanging realities of eternity. C.

Ver. 18. And if the righteous scarcely (rather, hardly, with difficulty) be saved. This difficulty arises from many sources, but mainly, (1) From the necessity of 'cutting off the right hand' and 'plucking out the right eye'—'mortifying the deeds of the body,' that they may live. (2) From the constant watchfulness to be maintained, and the tendency to slumber to be resisted. (3) From the hopes to be sacrificed, and the fears to be overcome. (4) From the deceitfulness of sin itself, which, like Satan its author, is always transforming itself 'into an angel of light.' (5) From the many persecutions inflicted by an evil world. (6) And specially, and above all, from the contentions of sense with faith. C.

Reflections.—Nothing so effectually mortifies sin as believing views of Christ's sufferings for it. And the will of God, not our vile affections, must be our guide in all our conduct. An affecting remembrance of former sinfulness powerfully dissuades from a return to it. And not men's thoughts, but Christ's judgment, ought to determine our practice. If we live according to God in the Spirit, no matter what sufferings from carnal men we undergo for his sake.—Our views of approaching calamities, and especially of the last judgment, should produce in us great sobriety, and watching unto prayer, fervent charity, cheerful hospitality, and a ready and proper use of our gifts. Faithfully should believers, under the impression of it, regard the glory of God; endure with patience, boldness, and joy, in suffering for Christ; and be careful to give their enemies no proper ground of offence, seriously committing themselves to God in well-doing. Abundant is the comfort that all sufferings for Christ shall be richly rewarded in an eternal enjoyment of him, and that his blessed Spirit abides on and shares with us in all such afflictions. But if saints thus suffer on earth, how miserable must sinners be in time or eternity! If they who strive to enter in at the strait gate be saved with difficulty, how impossible is it for careless sinners to escape the reward of their doings!