1 Peter 4:18

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? SCARCELY (cf. , end) - having to pass through trying chastisements, as David did for sin. "The righteous" man has trial, but the issue is certain, and the entrance into the kingdom abundant at last. The "scarcely" marks the severity of the ordeal, and the unlikelihood (in a human point of view) of the righteous sustaining it; but the righteousness of Christ, and God's everlasting covenant, make it sure. UNGODLY - without regard for God: negative. SINNER - loving sin: positive: the same man is at once God-forgetting and sin-loving. APPEAR - in judgment....

When the faithful see that it is well with the wicked, they are necessarily tempted to be envious; and this is a very dangerous trial; for present happiness is what all desire. Hence the Spirit of God carefully dwells on this, in many places, as well as in the thirty-seventh Psalm, lest the faithful should envy the prosperity of the ungodly. The same is what Peter speaks of, for he shews that afflictions ought to be calmly borne by the children of God, when they compare the lot of others with their own. But he takes it as granted that God is the judge of the world, and that, therefore, no one can escape his hand with impunity. He hence infers, that a dreadful vengeance will soon overtake those whose condition seems now favorable. The design of what he says, as I have already stated, is to shew that the children of God should not faint under the bitterness of present evils, but that they...

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 18. _AND IF THE RIGHTEOUS SCARCELY BE SAVED_] If it shall be with _extreme difficulty_ that the _Christians_ shall escape from Jerusalem, when the Roman armies shall come against it with the full commission to destroy it, _where shall the ungodly and the_ _sinner appear_? Where shall the proud _Pharisaic boaster_ in his own outside holiness, and the _profligate transgressor_ of the laws of God, _show themselves_, as having escaped the Divine vengeance? The Christians, though with difficulty, did escape, every man; but not one of the Jews escaped, whether found in Jerusalem or elsewhere. It is rather strange, but it is a fact, that this verse is the Septuagint translation of Proverbs 11:31: _Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; much more_ _the wicked and the sinner_. For this the Septuagin

AND IF THE RIGHTEOUS SCARCELY BE SAVED - If they are saved with difficulty. The word used here (μόλις molis) occurs in the following places: Acts 14:18, “scarce restrained they the people;” Acts 27:7, “and scarce were come over against Cnidus;” 1 Peter 4:8, “and hardly passing it;” 1 Peter 4:16, “we had much work to come by the boat” - literally, we were able with difficulty to get the boat; Romans 5:7, “scarcely for a righteous man will one die;” and in the passage before us. The word impli

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

AND IF THE RIGHTEOUS SCARCELY BE SAVED,.... Reference is had to Proverbs 11:31 where in the Septuagint version are the same words as here: the "righteous" are such, not who are so in their own opinion, or merely in the esteem of others, nor on account of their vility, morality, and external righteousness before men, or by the deeds of the law; but who are made righteous by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them: and such are "scarcely saved"; not as if they were but in part saved, for they are completely saved; Christ has wrought out and finished a complete salvation for them; and they are saved from all enemies, and everything that might hurt them; from sin, Satan, the law, the world, hell, and death; and they are completely justified, and have all their sins pardoned, and shall be perfectly saved: nor as if their salvation was doubtful; for though they are scarcely, yet certainly

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,

RIGHTEOUS Righteousness. (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 10:10). _ SAVED (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 1:16). _ SINNER SIN (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:23). _...

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