Session 9
1 Peter 4:12-19
Memory Verse: 1 Peter 4:16
Much in this world surprises us when it should not. Often, if we are simply paying attention or doing a little bit of sleuthing, we can set reasonable expectations about what might happen in our near future. We can see trends forming. We can predict human behavior. In the same way we see a few moves ahead in a chess match, we can see a few moves ahead in life. Not perfectly, but reasonably.
This, as we will see, is true when it comes to what we can expect if we are called to follow Jesus. Those who follow Jesus can expect the same as Jesus experienced-namely, suffering for righteousness’ sake. Indeed, we should rejoice that it happens, for it affirms our place in Christ’s kingdom. As you prepare for this session, reflect on opposition you have faced related to your faith. How has it shaped you? How have you used it to encourage others?
Children sometimes engage in name-calling. Often, it’s not meant to be personal, they want to have things their way. It’s a form of manipulation. But children are not the only ones who play those games. Believers can expect to face opposition for following Christ. It may come in the form of verbal abuse-name-calling or ridicule and scorn. We should realize that this is not an indication that our views are wrong but is a form of manipulation. (PSG, p. 82)
First Peter is addressed to Christians in many churches over a wide region of Asia Minor. The book of Acts and other pastoral epistles testify to the sometimes violent opposition that Christians faced for practicing their faith. This background allows us to reasonably conclude that some form of persecution actually existed in every church.
Peter wrote the letter during the reign of Emperor Nero (AD 54-68), which became increasingly hostile toward Christians. The first part of his reign was called the five good years, a time when the young Nero acquiesced to his advisors, as he began his reign at 16. From that point forward, Nero’s reign grew more self-indulgent and crueler. In the great fire of Rome in AD 64, Nero blamed Christians, whom he now saw as distinct from Jews. Shortly after that, tradition states that Nero was responsible for the martyrdom of both Peter and Paul in Rome. The deterioration of relationships between Christians and Rome is well-documented, but what were conditions like in Asia Minor?
Nero did not have a policy of empire-wide persecution, but no doubt any hostility against believers started in Rome. It spread through localized persecution in areas of Asia Minor. Peter wrote to churches in this area-towns like Ephesus, Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, Pergamum, Smyrna, and others. In all likelihood, the persecution faced in Asia Minor was a combination of Jewish and Roman persecution.
Regardless, Peter made it clear that suffering was no mere possibility. It was not theory, but reality. This truth is reinforced by 1 Peter 4:17, “For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?” This direct statement about persecution is universal in scope. Tied with Jesus’s statements and the experiences of those in Acts (to say nothing of other New Testament epistles), Peter’s message affirms that persecution should be an expectation for those who identify themselves as part of the Christian church.
Indeed, there is a sense in which this is the very point Peter made in 1 Peter 4:12-19. This section, which continues the long discussion on living as a Christian in a hostile world, reinforces that believers should be ready for the suffering that gives them every opportunity to live righteously, for it gives them assurance that their faith is genuine.
Read 1 Peter 4:12-19 and circle all the ways that Christians should respond in the face of opposition. How can these responses help the believer? How could these responses help the unbeliever? (PSG, p. 83)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
(v. 12) Dear friends: The doxology in verse 11 and the reference to dear friends in verse 12 signal a new section of Peter’s letter. He affirmed their close and personal relationship to emphasize the upcoming command. Peter had talked about suffering and persecution already, but he was preparing to approach it from another angle. He was going to remind them that suffering was not an unusual event in the life of a Christ follower. Rather, it should be an expected part of one’s spiritual journey with Jesus
(v. 12) Surprised when the fiery ordeal comes: Many surprises in our lives need not have been surprises if we were only paying closer attention. Such is the case with suffering for righteousness’ sake in Asia Minor. Anticipating such hostility would reduce, if not eliminate, any wrong thinking that might otherwise come. In addition, it would help the believers in Peter’s audience to endure in faithfulness.
Anticipation does not technically reduce the severity of such suffering-Peter does call it a fiery ordeal after all-but the phrase is best interpreted as a metaphor, not a direct reference to physical violence, torture, or martyrdom (see commentary for v. 14). The primary reason such suffering should not be a surprise is that it is a primary tool for spiritual growth. God uses the test of suffering to strengthen the character of His people and to make them more like His Son.
(v. 13) Rejoice: Not only should believers not be surprised at such suffering, but they should rejoice (chairete) at the opportunity to suffer for righteousness. Participating in the sufferings of Christ is cause for rejoicing because it affirms our position in Christ.
The idea is best illustrated by Peter and the other apostles in Acts 5:41. After being threatened and abused for their courageous stand toward Jesus, they celebrated the privilege of suffering for the Name. So, Peter was not asking his readers to do anything he had not already done.
Note that the verb is in the imperative. Rejoicing is mandated so that believers will have joy when Jesus returns. Peter strongly implies that should believers complain about suffering for righteousness’ sake now, they might not rejoice when Jesus returns.
The word ridiculed (oneidizesthe) helps us understand the nature of the persecution in verse 12. At this stage, Christians were experiencing verbal abuse and shaming. Such insults from men are to be understood as blessings from God. Peter’s words call to mind Jesus’s teachings from the Sermon on the Mount.
In that setting, Jesus clearly told His followers they would be insulted and persecuted. Their enemies would slander them and the gospel they served. Yet, they would be blessed and receive a reward in heaven (Matt. 5:11-12).
(v. 14) The Spirit of glory and of God: The key to experiencing true joy during seasons of persecution or hostility is to realize that the Spirit of glory and of God is at work in your life. This is not a reference to two Spirits but one, the third member of the Trinity. It is a reference to the glorious Spirit of God mentioned in Isaiah 11:1-2 resting upon David and on the Messiah that would follow him.
God sent His Spirit as a down payment or pledge that He would finish His work and keep believers to the end (Eph. 1:13). Not only are we called to share in the sufferings of Christ, but at salvation we also will share in His Spirit. That is the hope and blessing we have in suffering.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. 16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name.
(v. 15) Let none of you suffer: The first churches, not unlike churches today, were a holy mess in many ways. Believers then, like believers today, were strongly tempted to sin, and needed exhortations like Peter’s in verse 15. He was using this to begin drawing a contrast between reasons people suffer. Again, the implication is that Christ followers are bound to face hostility in one way or another. Peter’s concern was making sure they suffered for the right reasons.
(v. 15) Murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler: The terms Peter used were intended to warn and encourage believers to pursue Christlikeness, to suffer for the right reasons instead of the wrong ones. The obvious sins of murder, stealing, and criminal behavior are rhetorically powerful. However, the term meddler (allotriepiskopos) is a very challenging word.
In fact, the word was not known to exist in Greek literature before the apostle coined it in 1 Peter. Given the severity of the other sins listed, some scholars believe Peter described a more severe type of “meddling” such as inciting riots or embezzling money. Others see “meddling” as an alternative to the other more severe sins. This could include actions that appear more subtle, but are still dangerous, such as being nosy or a busybody.
(v. 16) Christian: Some people in Asia Minor were suffering because they had brought punishment upon themselves. They had committed evil, so they were justifiably judged. However, Peter put his Christian readers in another category.
While commonly used to describe followers of Christ today, “Christian” was rarely used in the first century, including by many believers, who preferred “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 22:4; 24:14,22). The name first appeared as a term of derision by outsiders in Antioch (11:26). Agrippa also used the word as Paul defended his faith against the king (26:28). Apparently the term was a derisive way of labeling Christians as “little followers” of Christ. Today, many have embraced the term with joy, knowing that our aim is to have the mind of Christ and to imitate Him fully (Phil. 2:5-11).
(v. 16) Not be ashamed: By nature, faith is a public affair. It would be a shame to claim to be a follower of Christ, yet deny Jesus when persecuted for it. No one understood this better than Peter who had denied Jesus three times.
Believers are called to make much of God in public confession. Paul affirms this in Romans 1:16, where he affirmed that the cross of Jesus was not cause for shame. Rather, it remains the standard for true glory.
Spend time praying Scripture using 1 Peter 4:16. Read the verse, then respond to these questions:
During the session, invite adults to pray this Scripture, as well. You and the adults in your group can also take advantage of the Explore the Bible Prayer Guide.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? 18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? 19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.
(v. 17) Time . . . judgment: Peter referenced the final judgment that had begun in this final age. This has also been called “the church age” and was initiated after Christ’s death and resurrection. This was the test he noted in verse 12.
The apostle noted that the time had arrived for the believers in Asia Minor to take that test. The Greek language has two words for “time.” One (chronos) relates to the passings of seconds, minutes, and years. It is what we measure with a clock on the wall. The second word (kairos) refers to an era or special moment in time. This is the word Peter chose in verse 17. This was the appointed time for God’s people to endure and to point others toward the Savior-even through suffering, if necessary.
(v. 17) God’s household: Such judgment starts with Christians within God’s household. Rather than punishment or chastening, the suffering Christians endure for the sake of righteousness is a purifying judgment. It disciplines them and conforms them to the image of Jesus.
Even though the Christians in Asia Minor were part of God’s family, that did not make them immune from persecution. Suffering has always purified the people of God, and in doing so separated those who genuinely believed in Jesus from those who falsely professed faith in Him and fell away. For this to happen, judgment had to begin not with those who were persecuting Christians but with the Christians themselves.
(v. 18) Saved with difficulty: This phrase does not mean that God has trouble saving people. Instead, it likely pointed to the persecution and suffering that those in Peter’s audience had endured for the sake of the gospel. It does not mean that God barely saved Christians, but that He saved them through great difficulty, through the tremendous suffering they had endured.
God is saving believers by purifying them and making them like Jesus. This refers to the doctrine of sanctification, which is a present tense expression of salvation. God saved us (justification), is saving us (sanctification), and will save us (glorification). Even then, the righteous are saved only by the work of God. In that sense, they were saved with difficulty. God did the difficult work of redeeming sinners.
(v. 18) What will become of the ungodly and the sinner: As noted, God’s judgment against the wicked will be judicial, not refining. They will experience eternal separation from God (Matt. 25:41). He will throw them into the lake of fire, where they will suffer forever (Rev. 20:11-15). Christians, on the other hand, will suffer no more in the presence of God in heaven (21:1-7).
(v. 19) Suffer according to God’s will: Verse 19 is the drawn conclusion of verses 12-18. Those who suffer according to God’s will suffer through ridicule because of their love for Jesus. Peter reinforces that such suffering passes through-if not from-God’s sovereign hands. Therefore, Christ followers can lean into God during such times, just as Jesus did.
Note also the relationship between God’s sovereignty and His title as faithful Creator. He who made the world can be trusted with the experiences we have in it.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 90 of the Personal Study Guide:
The memory verse for this session is 1 Peter 4:16. Recite it for the group and then invite them to repeat it with you. Suggest that each person writes the verse on a card and carries it throughout the week. Lead adults to continue using the prayer prompts for 1 Peter 4:16.
Guide the group to discuss the first set of questions on page 90 of the PSG. Encourage the group to be specific in their answers and leave the conversation with practical ways they can minister to suffering believers.
Lead the group in prayer. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who provides encouragement and direction during times of suffering for Christ.
Reinforce the session by sending the group an email or text sharing a personal story about a recent experience you had when confronted with opposition to your faith in Christ. Share what you felt and how you responded. Reflect on the impact the experience had on your faith and your impression of how it might have affected the opposition. Encourage the group to reflect on Peter’s words and counsel to be prepared when suffering
for Christ.
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. (See Deuteronomy 32:6; Jeremiah 10:10.)
Dig deeper into the background and usage of key words or phrases.
Make note of words and phrases related to suffering in 1 Peter 4:12-19. Compare how these terms are rendered in several Bible translations. Use a concordance to find other uses of these terms in the Bible. Scan the passages and make notes of any findings that help you better understand the terms. Then read the entry for the terms in a Bible dictionary, adding to your notes.