1 Peter 4:14

1 Peter 4:14 ‘If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.'

‘If you are reviled' -‘suffering abuse' (Wms); ‘denounced' (Mof). ‘A specific example of suffering as. Christian is now given…..Again the verbs suggest continuation over time: “If you are being reproached…you are blessed…”' (Grudem p. 179)

‘for the name of Christ' -‘because you bear the name of Christ' (Wms). Because you are. Christian. (Matthew 5:11; Acts 5:41; Acts 9:16; Acts 21:13).

‘you are blessed' -‘count yourselves blessed' (TCNT) (Matthew 5:11). Instead of viewing ourselves as helpless victims, in reality our lot is. happy one, even when we are suffering for righteousness. When the world persecutes the Christian, the Christian is only helped and not hindered.

‘because' -The reason for the previous statement concerning our blessedness during trials.

‘the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you' -‘the glorious Spirit of God' (Gspd). ‘Lit., the “spirit of glory and that of God”. The repetition of the article identifies the spirit of God with the spirit of glory.' (Vincent p. 663) “Rests”-‘the verb “resteth” is of special significance here, being translated from the same word as thus used in the Greek version of the O.T. of the abiding presence of the Lord. (Isaiah 2:2).' (Woods p. 117)

Points to Note: 1. Here is. promise that during trial and hardship, we will not be forsaken (John 14:18; Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20). God is always very near when the child of God is being attacked. 2. This is another way of saying that when Christians are suffering for righteousness, that God's approval rests upon them. 3. When Christians are suffering for doing right, God is also being glorified. 4. Notice what the text doesn't say. It doesn't say that the God removes the suffering and neither does it say that God overrides the freewill of the person who is suffering.