1 Peter 4:13

1 Peter 4:13. But in as far as ye partake in the sufferings of the Christ, rejoice. The article ‘the' is prefixed to ‘Christ' here, as if Peter had now in view His official character, or wished to call special attention to Christ's as the only sufferings of interest in the present connection. It is the simple ‘Christ' in the previous notices of His sufferings (chap. 1Pe 1:11; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 4:1). In any case it is not the sufferings of the mystical Christ, but those of the personal Christ that are meant. The fellowship intended is fellowship with Christ in the things which He Himself suffered. Peter is not referring apparently to the deep mystery of a fellowship of life between Christ and believers in all things, which is the theme which Paul expounds (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:10, etc.), but to the simple fact that the world hates Christians because it hates Christ in them, and they, therefore, have to endure the same contradiction of sinners which He had to endure. In this sense they share in His sufferings, and because this is the case their trials may well be a cause of joy to them, and not of amazement. ‘The point goes higher,' says Leighton. ‘Though we think not the sufferings strange, yet may we not well think that rule somewhat strange, to rejoice in them? No, it will be found as reasonable as the other, being duly considered; and it rests upon the same ground, which is well able to bear both.... But add we this, and truly it completes the reason of this way in our saddest sufferings, that in them we are partakers of the sufferings of Christ.' The term rendered ‘inasmuch as' by the A. V. means in 2 Corinthians 8:12, however, in proportion as; and in Romans 8:26 it seems to have the same sense (= we know not what we should pray for, in proportion to the need, to the propriety of the case). Here, therefore, the idea is probably that we should rejoice in our trials not merely because we are participants in what Christ suffered, but in so far as that is the case with us. The only sufferings which can bring us joy are those which we share with Him, sufferings like His. And the measure of the participation is the measure of the joy.

in order that also in the revelation of his glory ye may rejoice exultant. The particular expression, ‘the revelation of His glory,' is peculiar to this passage. The same idea, and in part the same phrase, have met us, however, already in chap. 1 Peter 1:8. Peter had listened no doubt to his Lord's own prophecies of the time when ‘the Son of man shall come in His glory' (Matthew 25:31, etc.). He speaks here, therefore, of two joys which are open to the Christian. He distinguishes between them, and at the same time indicates the relation in which the one stands to the other. There is a present joy, a ‘ light sown for the righteous, a gladness for the upright in heart' (Psalms 97:11), which suffering, instead of quenching it, should kindle. And there is the joy which the unveiling of the glory of the once suffering Christ shall bring with it, a joy ‘exultant' (on which term see chap. 1 Peter 1:8) surpassing this life's measure. When the former is enjoined in the ‘rejoice' of the first half of the verse, it is expressed in the present tense; what is meant being a disposition of joy which has to be maintained all through the burdened present. When the latter is presented in the ‘rejoice' (unfortunately changed by the A. V. into ‘be glad,' as if there had been a change in the term) of the second half it is given in a different tense, which points to a joy destined to enter once for all in connection with one great event, the revelation of Christ's glory. And the former is in order to the latter. The capacity for finding a softened, holy joy in the sufferings of the present, in so far as these are shared with Christ, is the condition of the capacity for entering into the radiant joy of the future glory.