1 Peter 4:14

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. FOR - `IN the name of Christ;' namely, Christians (1 Peter 4:16; 1 Peter 3:14, above; Mark 9:41), 'in my name, because ye belong to Christ.' 1 Peter 4:15, 'as a murderer, thief,' etc., stands in contrast. Let your suffering be on account of Christ, not on account of evil doing (1 Peter 2:20). REPROACHED. Repr...

14_If ye be reproached _He mentions reproaches, because there is often more bitterness in them than in the loss of goods, or in the torments or agonies of the body; there is therefore nothing which is more grievous to ingenuous minds. For we see that many who are strong to bear want, courageous in torments, nay, bold to meet death, do yet succumb under reproach. To obviate this evil, Peter pronounces those blessed, according to what Christ says, (Mark 8:35,) who are reproached for the sake of the Gospel. This is very contrary to what men commonly think and feel; but he gives a reason, _Because the Spirit of God, called also the Spirit of glory, rests on them_. Some read the words separately, “that which belongs to glory,” as though the words were, _“glory _and the Spirit of God.” But the former reading is more suitable as to the sense, and, as to language, more simple. Then

12-19 By patience and fortitude in suffering, by dependence on the promises of God, and keeping to the word the Holy Spirit hath revealed, the Holy Spirit is glorified; but by the contempt and reproaches cast upon believers, he is evil spoken of, and is blasphemed. One would think such cautions as these were needless to Christians. But their enemies falsely charged them with foul crimes. And even the best of men need to be warned against the worst of sins. There is no comfort in sufferings, when we bring them upon ourselves by our own sin and folly. A time of universal calamity was at hand, as foretold by our Saviour, Matthew 24:9; Matthew 24:10. And if such things befall in this life, how awful will the day of judgment be! It is true that the righteous are scarcely saved; even those who endeavour to walk uprigh...

Verse 14. _IF YE BE REPROACHED FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST_] To be reproached for the _name of Christ_ is to be reproached for being a _Christian_, that is, for being _like Christ_. This is the highest honour to which any man can arrive in this world, and therefore the apostle says to such? _Happy_ are ye. _THE SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD RESTETH UPON YOU_] As this Divine Spirit _rested_ upon Jesus, so does it rest upon his persecuted followers. There is a various reading here, και δυναμεως, _and of power_, which is found in some of the chief MSS., (the _Codex Alexandrinus_, and above twenty others,) the later _Syriac_, all the _Arabic, Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Vulgate_, some copies of the _Itala, Athanasius, Theophylact, Cyprian_, and _Cassiodorus_; and in them the whole verse reads thus: _If ye be_ _reproached for the name of Christ, happy_ are ye; _for the Spirit of_

IF YE BE REPROACHED FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST, HAPPY ARE YE - That is, in his cause, or on his account. See the notes at Matthew 5:11. The sense of the word “happy” here is the same as “blessed” in Matthew 5:3, etc. It means that they were to regard their condition or lot as a blessed one; not that they would find personal and positive enjoyment on being reproached and vilified. It would be a blessed condition, because it would be like that of their Saviour; would show that they were his friends; would be accompanied with rich spiritual influences in the present world; and would be followed by the rewards of heaven. FOR THE SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD RESTETH UPON YOU - The glorious and Divine Spirit. There is no doubt that there is referenc

EXPOSITIONS 1 PETER 4:1 FORASMUCH THEN AS CHRIST HATH SUFFERED FOR US IN THE FLESH. St. Peter returns, after the digression of 1 Peter 3:19, to the great subject of Christ's example. The words "for us" are omitted in some ancient manuscripts; they express a great truth already dwelt upon in 1 Peter 2:1. and 3. Here the apostle is insisting upon the example of Christ, not on the atoning efficacy of his death. Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. The word rendered "mind" (ἔννοια) is more exactly "thought" (comp. Hebrews 4:12, the only other place where it occurs in the New Testam

IF YE BE REPROACHED FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST,.... For being called by his name; for bearing the name of Christians; for believing in him, and professing him; and for the sake of his Gospel, which is sometimes called his name, Acts 9:15 not that the apostle makes any doubt of this, for nothing is more certain than that the saints shall be reproached, and all manner of evil spoken of them falsely for Christ's name sake; but he supposes it, and takes it for granted, that they are, and will be reproached, and yet pronounces them blessed persons: HAPPY ARE YE; some supply it, "shall ye be", as the Vulgate Latin version; that is, in the other world, because the kingdom of heaven, the crown of life and glory, belongs to such persons; they will be happy at death, in judgment, and to all eternity: others, with our translators, supply, "are ye", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions;

1 Peter 4:1. _Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:_ Accepting this great truth, that it is well that the flesh should die that the spirit may triumph, even as it was with Christ. 1 Peter 4:1. _For he that bath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;_ If he has indeed died with Christ, and the power of Christ's sufferings has made him dead to sin, he has ceased from it. 1 Peter 4:2. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the,will of God for the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness,

1 PETER 4:14 do,xhj kai. to. tou/ qeou/ {A} After do,xhj a considerable number of witnesses, some of them early, read kai. duna,mewj. The words are suitable to the context, but their absence in such diversified witnesses as î72 B K Y 049 330 Tertullian Ephraem Cyril Fulgentius _al,_ and the fact that those that have the addition present it in somewhat different forms, sufficiently condemn all of them as homiletic supplements to the original text....

IV. THE COMFORT IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS AND SUFFERING CHAPTER 3:10-4:19 _ 1. The comfort in suffering (1 Peter 3:10)_ 2. Few saved as illustrated by Noah's preaching (1 Peter 3:18) 3. The new life in its transforming power (1 Peter 4:1) 4. Suffering and glory (1 Peter 4:12) 1 Peter 3:10 The words which stand in the beginning of this section are quoted from Psalms 34:12. It is interesting to note that the Spirit of