Division of the chapter:
4:1-6 Suffering as Christ suffered
4:7-19 Suffering as a Christian
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; 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. 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: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 4:1-6
4:1-6 Suffering as Christ suffered
4:1-5 Their death with Christ:
- v.1 liberates them from the power of sin.
- v.2 enables them to do God’s will.
- vv.3-5 gives them a new perspective on sin.
4:6 The Christian martyrs:
- were judged (and slain) by men
- are alive unto God.
[1] ‘Since then Christ has suffered in the flesh’ looks back to 3:18 – ‘being put to death in the flesh’.
‘suffered’ – suffering can be taken as including death (Acts 17:3; Heb 13:12).
‘In the flesh’ – during this life on earth.
‘arm yourselves’ (hoplízō) This is a military term meaning to equip or furnish with arms. The Christian life is sometimes thought of as a war (Rom 6:13; 13:12; 2 Cor 6:7; 10:4; Eph 6:11-17; 1 Th 5:8).
‘with the same mind’ In light of Christ’s suffering Christians are to think as Christ thought about suffering. His mind was fixed and focused on the will of God (v. 2).
(énnoia) attitude of mind, thought, guiding conviction – that ‘death in the flesh’ results in ‘life in the spirit’ (3:18). They are to arm themselves with a willingness to suffer.
‘likewise’ and ‘the same’ – the experience of Christians is equated with that (death, resurrection, triumph) of Christ.
‘for’ (hóti) – if taken as explicative it introduces the explanation of ‘same mind’, if taken as causal (translate ‘because’) it is introducing the reason for the exhortation in verse 1a.
It is most likely causal, which also avoids any perception that ‘ceased from sin’ implies that Christ has been a sinner. Peter has already stated that Christ was sinless (2:22).
‘he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.’ The idea is possibly that in water baptism a believer identifies himself with Christ’s suffering and death.
paúsō stop, come to an end. To be finished with something does not necessarily imply participation in it.
If the singular ‘he’ is taken as referring to Christ as the one who has ‘suffered in the flesh and ceased from sin’ in what sense, therefore, has Christ ‘finished with sin’? One could say that he is finished with it in that he no longer has to reckon with the opposing powers and perhaps also in that it is no longer something that he has to bear for mankind. His bearing sin for mankind was finished at the cross and in his resurrection he was victorious over death and the evil powers. His death has removed him from sin’s sphere of influence.
Since this verse links back to 3:18, in which suffering and death seem to be equivalent, Peter could use the term ‘suffer’ here to speak of both the death of Christ and the suffering of Christians and draw an analogy between the two.
[2] By their willingness to suffer for righteousness’ sake the Christians demonstrate that they have made made a clean break with sin and have committed themselves to a new way of life.
‘The rest of…time in the flesh’ This refers not simply to the remainder of their earthly lives but also to the fact that the End is near (see v.7).
[3] ‘The time past of our life may suffice us’ Referring to their previous lifestyle Peter uses irony to tell them that they have wasted ‘more than enough’ time living in immorality. They were living ‘according to the wish of the Gentiles’. Peter uses ‘Gentiles’ here to refer to the local pagans – who are not Christians, rather than to people who are not Jews. Note the contrast between ‘the will of God’ (v.2) and the ‘will of the Gentiles’ (v.3).
Peter divides the Christian life into two parts. The first is ‘the time that has passed’ which is characterized by sinful practices (v.3 ff). The second part is the time that remains (v.2).
‘When we walked in’ is followed by a short list of vices (cp. Gal 5:19-21):
lasciviousness – asélgeia, sensuousness, no moral restraint.
lusts – epithumía, passions, cravings, sinful desires
excess of wine – oinophlugía, intoxications
revellings kṓmos, revelries, immoral parties
banquetings pótos, drinking bouts, drunken parties
abominable idolatries – athémitoi eidōlolatreíai, lawless idolatries, acts of idol worship
[4] ‘wherein’ refers to the content of v. 3. Contrast with the ‘wherein’ of 1:6. Non-Christians think it strange that the Christians no longer involve themselves in such social activities. The pagan neighbours ‘speak evil’ of the Christians because they do not rush with them (stampede) to the same ‘excess of riot’ (indulgence that is unrestrained).
The word for ‘speak evil’ is blasphēméō which, as well as meaning ‘ to blaspheme’ (Mt 9:3; Rom 2:24) can mean ‘to speak slanderously’ (Rom 3:8, 1 Cor 10:30; Tit 3:2).
[5] Those who vilify the Christians will be accountable to ‘him that is ready to judge the quick and the ‘dead’. The use of ‘ready’ implies that the judgement will be soon.
Who is the judge? Thus far in 1 Peter God the Father is viewed as the judge (1:17, 2:23). Generally, however, the New Testament teaches that God has committed this task to Christ (Mt 25:31-46; Lk 24:46; Acts 10:42, 17:31; Rom 14:10; 1 Cor 4:5; 2 Tim 4:1).
[6] Having mentioned the thought of judgement and its imminence Peter now makes a rather obscure statement: ‘For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.’
‘For’ links back to the mention of judgement and ‘this cause’ (this is why) refers forward to the day of judgement. The author is stating why the gospel was preached to dead people. Although there is no article here (it is not ‘the dead’) and thus the reference is to dead people in general Peter may be thinking of Christians who had already died (cp. 1 Thess 4:13-18) before the Day of Judgement. The early church expected a swift return by Christ. The Second Coming would involve judgement by Christ of the living and of those who were already dead (Acts 10:42; Rom 14:9-12; 2 Tim 4:1).
‘the gospel was preached’. Grammatically euaggelízō (to proclaim or tell) has no subject so we could read ‘it was preached’ or ‘he was preached’.
If taken as the impersonal ‘it was preached’ then Christ could have been the one who preached. In addition, the aorist tense refers to a definite occasion in the past when the preaching occurred.
It is unlikely, however, that this verse refers to the same preaching event as that of 3:19 as there the preaching was to spirits (pneúma) whereas here the preaching was to dead human beings (nekrós). ‘Dead’ refers to their present state but the ‘preaching’ occurred when they were alive. The gospel was preached to those who are dead.
Peter gives two reasons why the gospel was preached to these early believers:
a) that they might be judged according to men in the flesh.
b) that they might live according to God in the spirit.
The idea seems to be that these early Christians glorified God through martyrdom (see vv. 12-14). They were judged according to men (as men judge i.e. by appearances and unfairly) but once dead they leave the condemnation of men behind and enjoy eternal life. Jobes (2005, pp. 312-312) points out:
‘In the immediate context, Peter’s point is that death does not exempt a person from God’s coming judgment. Accountability after death was not widely taught in the pagan world. With such an assumption a pagan critic could reasonably question what good the gospel is, since it seems so restrictive of behavior in this life, and then the believer dies like everyone else. Peter, however, teaches that because people will be judged even after physical death, contra pagan expectation, the gospel message of forgiveness and judgment that has been preached to those who are now dead—whether they became believers or not—is still efficacious. Death does not invalidate either the promises or the warnings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter’s claim not only would warn the unbeliever but would also encourage Christians concerning believers who may have passed on. Peter reassures his readers that the efficacy of the gospel continues after physical death to be the basis for God’s judgment, and therefore a decision to live for Christ in this life is truly the right decision, even despite appearances to the contrary as judged by the world’s reasoning.’
1 PETER 3:18-22 THE SPIRITS IN PRISON
1 PETER 4:7-19 LIVING WITH ‘THE END’ IN VIEW
Written Exposition 