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“search the scriptures” John 5:39
First Peter can be summarized under four general headings:
Chapter 4 falls into the book’s final section under the main heading of suffering. Peter speaks of suffering in each chapter of his letter. He learned the lesson of Luke chapter 17 verse 25 that the Lord Jesus must first ‘suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation’, and chapter 24 verse 26, that Christ ought ‘to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory’. He did not always see this as clearly as he does now.
From chapter 3 verse 13 to the end of chapter 5, Peter talks a lot about the believer’s suffering. I have divided chapter 4 up as follows:
We will work our way through the chapter section by section.
In verse 1, Christ’s suffering for us ended in His death. His death dealt the final blow to sin. Sin was judged and no longer has legal rights or power over the believer. Peter is teaching that the followers of Christ should think clearly about sin and death, as this will equip them to live as believers. Understanding that death breaks the power of sin means that we realize that we are finished with sin. Romans chapter 6 verses 11 and 12 present the same truth.
Verse 2 describes the outcome of this way of thinking. From now on, we live the rest of our lives fulfilling God’s will rather than our human desires.
Verse 3 calls us to look back. In the past, says Peter, you pleased yourself and your sinful desires. From now on, do not live a Gentile, pagan lifestyle [a sordid list of examples of how godless people live follows] but live to please God by doing His will.
As a result, people you used to share your life with will find it hard to take it in, v. 4. They will be surprised that you do not continue to join them in their reckless and wild lifestyle. They will be inclined to slander you rather than praise you. We should not be surprised or offended by snide remarks and insulting comments from those we used to party with.
But please do not lose heart. The people who are laughing at you now will one day stand before God, v. 5. They will ‘give account’ - their ‘payback’ day will come! It literally means that by their insults and unbelief they are amassing a debt that God will require them to pay back on the future day of judgement. All of humanity will stand before God - both the living and the dead. The living are those who are alive when Messiah returns to Israel. Matthew chapter 25 explains this; it is called the judgement of the living. The dead are those who have died but are brought back to life to stand before God at the great white throne, Rev. 20.
The first section ends with a verse that is difficult to explain. It starts with the phrase ‘for this cause’, which makes us look back at the statement in verse 5. Whatever verse 6 means, it explains that what happened in life was so that the judgement mentioned in verse 5 would be just and right. It explains how those who have died will be judged in the future. The gospel is definitely not preached to people after they have died because scripture makes it clear that it is only during our lives on earth that we can hear and receive the gospel. For instance, the Bible says, ‘the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins’, Mark 2. 10. So, there would be no point in preaching to people who have left this world through death as God can only forgive their sins while they live on earth. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 27 states that after death comes the judgement. The offer of salvation is made to all people while alive on earth. So, I conclude that Peter is saying that the gospel was preached to people who are dead now but heard it when they were alive. When they were living, they listened to the gospel and were saved. Because of their salvation, men judged them and persecuted them, and some of them even lost their lives for their faith in Christ. However, the fact that they suffered in the flesh, v. 1, and live now for the will of God, v. 2, means that they are those who live according to God in the spirit. Whether they are still on earth or now in heaven, they lived to do the will of God.
Most people need an incentive to help them focus their minds. Peter reminds his readers that time is running out, ‘the end of all things is at hand’, v. 7. So, as a result, Christians should behave thoughtfully. A list of good behaviours is given that result from the awareness of this:
If we behave in these ways, it will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.
Peter makes two main points in this section. First, he says you should expect to suffer as a follower of Christ. Second, learn to rejoice in your trials, as your suffering is evidence that ‘the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you’.
Through harrowing experience, he has discovered that tough, fiery trials are part and parcel of life as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. However, rather than accepting this as annoyingly inevitable, he calls the believer to rejoice that they share in the sufferings of Christ. The New Testament makes this same point many times:
The Lord Jesus said, ‘Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also’, John 15. 20.
James wrote, ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations’, Jas. 1. 2.
Paul writes that he will ‘rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church’, Col. 1. 24, and, ‘If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us’, 2 Tim. 2. 12.
The final section brings a warning to the believer. While it is a good thing to suffer for doing good, it is totally out of order for a believer to suffer for bad behaviour. Note the range of examples that Peter gives - murdering, stealing, causing trouble, or being a person who meddles in other people’s affairs - at a basic level, just nosey but possibly with the intent to defraud. This bad behaviour is also highlighted elsewhere and it does not please God.1 Be warned.
In verse 16, Peter teaches that believers should not feel ashamed for suffering for Christ. Their reactions and behaviour should glorify God. It is a great testimony when we behave well under persecution and pressure. The apostles are a great example of rejoicing in their sufferings for Christ, ‘And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name’, Acts 5. 41. No doubt Peter is reflecting on his own shame when he denied Christ, Luke 22. 54-62. He learned a hard lesson that day, which he shared with the saints.
Verses 17 and 18 teach a sobering lesson. Peter contrasts the judgement of the believer with that of the ungodly. We know that the believer is in view as Peter says that judgement begins at the ‘house of God’. The church of the living God is described as ‘house of God’, 1 Tim. 3. 15. The purpose of judgement for the believer is to make them more disciplined, refined, and mature.
For the unbeliever, it is to censure them and enforce eternal separation from God. Peter questions, if God sends the ‘fiery trial’ to His people and they are being saved with difficulty (through testing times and circumstances), what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner when they face the judgement of God? It will be irreversible and devastating.
In verse 19, we are reminded that suffering could be according to God’s will. We often assume that God only brings good times and that all suffering is from an evil source. This is not borne out by scripture. Job suffered according to God’s will. Suffering can be a direct result of your service for God, as Paul explains in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verses 11 and 12.
The big lesson of the verse is about how we react when we suffer. Some translations say we must do what is right or keep doing what is right. The second instruction is to commit the keeping of our souls to the faithful creator. Peter says that living in the face of suffering demonstrates our trust in the faithful creator. I do not think Peter is talking about God as the world’s creator but as the source of our new creation.2 The one who created us knows what He is doing. We can trust Him and commit ourselves to Him for our well-being.
In other words, we should follow the example of the Lord Jesus when we suffer for Him. We must entrust ourselves to God. Peter has already taught us that this is what the Lord Jesus did when He was reviled and threatened, 1 Pet. 2. 23. They accused the Lord Jesus of this, ‘He trusted in God’, Matt. 27. 43, and it is how we should react to suffering.
No one would choose to suffer, but if it is God’s will that we suffer, we can rest in the fact that He knows what He is doing and that everything is for our best interests and His glory.
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