1 Peter 4:3

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: MAY SUFFICE - `is sufficient.' Peter takes the lowest ground: for not even the past time ought to have been wasted in lust; but since you cannot recall it, at least lay out the future to better account. US. Omitted in A B C, Vulgate; 'Aleph (') has 'you.' WROUGHT, [ kateirgasthai (G2716)] - 'wrought out.' GENTILES - pagan: which many of you were. WHEN ... [ perporeumenous (G4198)] - 'walking as ye have done in lasciviousness' (Alford) [ aselgeiais ...

3_For the time past of our life may suffice _Peter does not mean that we ought to be wearied with pleasures, as those are wont to be who are filled with them to satiety; but that on the contrary the memory of our past life ought to stimulate us to repentance. And doubtless it ought to be the sharpest goad to make us run on well, when we recollect that we have been wandering from the right way the greatest part of our life. And Peter reminds us, that it would be most unreasonable were we not to change the course of our life after having been enlightened by Christ. For he makes a distinction here between the time of ignorance and the time of faith, as though he had said that it was but right that they should become new and different men from the time that Christ had called them. But instead of the _lusts _or covetings of men, he now mentions _the will of the Gentiles, _by which he reproves...

1-6 The strongest and best arguments against sin, are taken from the sufferings of Christ. He died to destroy sin; and though he cheerfully submitted to the worst sufferings, yet he never gave way to the least sin. Temptations could not prevail, were it not for man's own corruption; but true Christians make the will of God, not their own lust or desires, the rule of their lives and actions. And true conversion makes a marvellous change in the heart and life. It alters the mind, judgment, affections, and conversation. When a man is truly converted, it is very grievous to him to think how the time past of his life has been spent. One sin draws on another. Six sins are here mentioned which have dependence one upon another. It is a Christian's duty, not only to keep from gross wickedness, but also from things that lead to sin, or appear evil. The gospel had been preached to those since dead...

Verse 1 Peter 4:3. _THE TIME PAST OF_ OUR _LIFE_] This is a complete epitome of the Gentile or heathen state, and a proof that those had been Gentiles to whom the apostle wrote. 1. They _walked in lasciviousness_, ενασελγειαις. every species of lechery, lewdness, and impurity. 2. In _lusts_, επιθυμιαις. strong irregular appetites, and desires of all kinds. 3. In _excess of wine_, οινοφλυγιαις. _wine_, and φλυω, _to be_ _hot_, or _to boil_; to be inflamed with wine; they were in continual debauches. 4. In _revellings_, κωμοις. lascivious feastings, with drunken songs, c. Romans 13:13. 5. In _banquetings_, ποτοις. _wine feasts, drinking matches_, c

FOR THE TIME PAST OF OUR LIFE MAY SUFFICE US - “We have spent sufficient time in indulging ourselves, and following our wicked propensities, and we should hereafter live in a different manner.” This does not mean that it was ever proper thus to live, but that, as we would say, “we have had enough of these things; we have tried them; there is no reason why we should indulge in them any more.” An expression quite similar to this occurs in Horace - Lusisti satis, edisti satis, atque bibisti. Tempus abire tibi est, etc. Epis. ii. 213. TO HAVE WROUGHT THE WILL OF THE GENTILES - This does not mean to be subservient to their will, but to have done what they willed to do; that is, to live as they did. That the Gentiles or pagan lived in the manner immediately specified, see demonstrated in the notes at Romans 1:21....

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

FOR THE TIME PAST OF OUR LIFE MAY SUFFICE US,.... The word "our" is left out in the Alexandrian copy, and in the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions. The Arabic version reads, "the time of your past life"; and to the same purpose the Ethiopic version; and which seems to be the more agreeable reading, since it can hardly be thought that the apostle would put himself among the Jews dispersed among the Gentiles, who had walked with them in their unregeneracy, in all the sins hereafter mentioned, and best agrees with the following verse: TO HAVE WROUGHT THE WILL OF THE GENTILES; or "when ye wrought", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions; WHEN WE WALKED, or "were walking in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries". These converted persons, in the past time of their life, before conversion, "walked" in sin; which denotes a series and co...

1 Peter 4:1. _Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin:_ Brethren, we have a Saviour who suffered for us. As the Head was, such must the members expect to be. Let us, then, be resolutely determined that, suffer as we may, we will never turn aside from our Lord; for, inasmuch as we suffered in him, yea, and died in him, we ought to reckon that we are henceforth dead to sin, and that we have ceased from it, and can no longer be drawn into it. «He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin:» 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._ The doctrine of substitution is

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

Our voluntary suffering in the way of righteousness denotes our fellowship with Christ, and our breaking with sin. Let there be therefore no return, on the part of converts, to the evil life of paganism, even when urged to it by old comrades. They too must face the Divine judgment, which is the same for all, and rules throughout the universe, so that none, alive or dead, can escape this standard, or find any way of salvation save through obedience. 1 PETER 4:1. MIND: better, thought (_mg.)._ 1 Peter 4:6. This verse has been termed the hardest to explain in the NT. In the light of our explanation of 1 Peter 3:19 it need not be so, for this is a natural sequence to that passage. These to whom Enoch preached a