1 Peter 4:12-19
12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, and of God, rests upon you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? 19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God are to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”
Do not be surprised: Peter affirms that suffering is normal for the Christian. Because Christians are inherently opposed to the world, there is a natural predisposition to suffering and persecution. This does not mean that God is trying to break us or crush us in order to mature us. God is not the author of this suffering. He does, however, use it to mature us.
For your testing: God is not testing His children. External circumstances such as suffering, and persecution test our attitudes and responses to suffering. God uses these responses, as well as the circumstances themselves, for our good. He uses it to bring about a deeper understanding of Christ’s love. Our place is to make the decision to trust in Christ in the midst of the trials.
Keep on rejoicing: We can respond to sufferings in one of two ways. We can question God and become angry at God and become a victim. Or we could make a different choice despite our feelings and choose thankfulness. It is important to remember, however, that if we are God’s children, He produces joy within us. So, we are not called to conjure up the Christian life on our own in the midst of however the sufferings of Christ impact us. God’s glory is revealed within us in this way regardless of what sufferings we are encountering.
If you are insulted: Peter’s point is not that we ought to seek suffering in order that we may be blessed but rather that persecution proves that we belong to God. Because we belong to God, His Spirit rests upon us. The language of God’s Spirit resting on us speaks of what prophets and people like David longed for. Yet only in the New Covenant does God’s Spirit permanently rest upon us. Christians wear the Spirit of Christ in the midst of this world and all reviling that occurs because of the world’s antagonism towards us.
Glorify God in this name: The name Christian repelled people during the days of the early church and it does the very same thing today. We have tried to make the term more palatable to people but it has the name “Christ” in it and Christ is a stumbling block. All who suffer because of the name Christian ought to be proud that they have the best thing going on earth.
Time for judgement to begin: This is not speaking of divine judgement. Peter is equating judgment with the persecution being faced by Christians. Christians are being judged in this world however unbelievers will be judged in the next life by God. But believers will never be judged by God because they have obeyed the Gospel.
Entrust their souls: While God possesses every one of His children, we still need to make the conscious choice to trust in Him. This choice is often despite the feelings we are experiencing.
