_Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered … in the flesh_ The thoughts of the Apostle go back, somewhat after the manner of St Paul after a dogmatic digression, to the point from which he had started. Christ had suffered in the flesh. If those who had been baptized in His name were called so to suffer... [ Continue Reading ]
_that he no longer should live the rest of his time_ The Greek form of the sentence points rather to the result than to the purpose of sufferings so borne, but the result in this case was one which implied a divine purpose. The "lusts" or "desires" of men are pointedly contrasted with "the will of G... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the time past of our life may suffice_ The language is that of grave irony. Enough time, and more than enough, had been already given to the world. Was it not well to give some time now to God? The general line of thought runs parallel to that of Romans 13:11-12. _to have wrought the will of th... [ Continue Reading ]
_wherein they think it strange_ It may be worth noting that the same word is used to express (1) coming as a stranger (Acts 10:6; Acts 10:18; Acts 21:16) and (2) as here, in 1 Peter 4:12 and Acts 17:20, counting a person or thing strange. The "wherein" points to the change of life implied in the pre... [ Continue Reading ]
_who shall give account_ The phrase is one of the many echoes in this Epistle of our Lord's teaching (Luke 16:2). The thought of the Final Judgment from which there will be no appeal is made here, as in 1 Corinthians 4:5, a motive for patience and courage under the false accusations and unjust judgm... [ Continue Reading ]
_For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead_ The thought that Christ was ready to judge the great company of the dead, as well as those who were living when the Gospel was preached by His messengers, leads the Apostle back to the truth which had been partially uttered when... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the end of all things is at hand_ The words are spoken, as are nearly all the eschatological utterances of the New Testament, within the horizon of the Apostle's knowledge, and it had not been given to him to know the "times and the seasons" (Acts 1:7). His language was the natural inference fr... [ Continue Reading ]
_And above all things have fervent charity_ It is to be regretted that the unintelligent desire for variation which the translators of 1611 took almost as their guiding principle, and in this instance, perhaps, their fondness for current theological terms, should have led them to obscure the unity o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Use hospitality one to another without grudging_ Literally, BE HOSPITABLE. The stress laid on this virtue in the New Testament, as in 1 Timothy 3:2; Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2, brings before us some of the more striking features of the social life of the Christians of the first three centuries. The... [ Continue Reading ]
_As every man hath received the gift_ The two verses remind us of the like precepts in Romans 12:6; 1Co 12:4; 1 Corinthians 12:28. The tense of the Greek verb ("as every man _received_the gift") implies the thought that the gift came at a definite moment, probably at that of the laying on of hands.... [ Continue Reading ]
_If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God_ The words cover the gifts of tongues, prophecy, teaching, knowledge, counsel, in St Paul's fuller classification (Romans 12:6-8; Romans 1 Corinthians 12-14.). These gifts, St Peter teaches, were only used rightly when the speaker's utterances w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you_ More literally, BE NOT AMAZED (see, for the word, notes on 1 Peter 4:4) AT THE BURNING FIRE AMONG YOU THAT COMES TO YOU AS A TEST. The "burning fire" (the word is used literally in Revelation 18:9; Revelation 18:18) is, o... [ Continue Reading ]
_but rejoice_ The words of the beatitude of Matthew 5:12 come back upon the Apostle's mind, and are reproduced as from his own personal experience. When he had first heard them, he may well have counted them a strange thing. Now he has tried and proved their truth. _inasmuch as ye are partakers of C... [ Continue Reading ]
_If ye be reproached for the name of Christ_ Literally, IN THE NAME OF CHRIST. As in chap. 1 Peter 3:14, "If ye suffer for righteousness" sake," we found an echo of one beatitude (Matthew 5:10), so in this we have the counterpart of the more personal "for my sake" of Matthew 5:11. It would be better... [ Continue Reading ]
_But let none of you suffer as a murderer_ Literally, FOR LET NONE OF YOU SUFFER. The implied sequence of thought would seem to be this: "I bid you suffer for the name of Christ and remind you of the blessing which attaches to such suffering, for the last thing I should wish is that you should think... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yet if any man suffer as a Christian_ The occurrence of a name which has played so prominent a part in the history of mankind requires a few words of notice. It did not originate with the followers of Christ themselves. They spoke of themselves as the "brethren" (Acts 14:2; Acts 15:1; Acts 15:3; Ac... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the time is come that judgment must begin_ Literally, IT IS THE SEASON OF THE BEGINNING OF THE JUDGMENT. The words of the Apostle stand in close connexion with his belief that he was living in the last age of the world, that "the end of all things was at hand." (See note on 1 Peter 4:7.) He saw... [ Continue Reading ]
_And if the righteous scarcely be saved_ Once more we have a passage from the Old Testament (Proverbs 11:31) without any formula of quotation. In this instance the Apostle quotes from the LXX. version, though it is hardly more than an inaccurate paraphrase of the Hebrew, which runs "the righteous sh... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God_ In the acceptance of sufferings as being according to the will of God, much more is meant than the mere submission to an inevitable destiny. If we really think of pain and persecution as working out God's will, permitted and controlled by... [ Continue Reading ]