“How you live matters.”
Download discussion questions: 1 Peter 4:12-19
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I encourage you to look at the passage in 1 Peter before you read this Blog entry. What do you see in the text yourself? What questions come to your mind? How would you interpret what the writer says? After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.
English teachers sometimes describe good writing as three parts: Say what you are going to say. Say it. Say what you said. Introduction, Content, Summary. Peter uses a similar approach as he nears the end of his letter, hitting the high points once again in a short summary.
Where We Have Been
In a short paragraph, Peter manages to mention every major theme from earlier in his letter: suffering, doing good, blessing, rejoicing, glory. Circling those familiar phrases or words was helpful to see how Peter concentrated all those topics in this passage. (Visual clues, like circles, are often helpful as part of the mechanics of inductive study.)
We noted numerous ideas that we have seen previously in 1 Peter. The following list offers some examples:
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you,
4:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire,
which comes upon you for your testing,
1:6byou have been distressed by various trials,
as though some strange thing were happening to you;
13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ,
1:11b the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ
5:1b fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ
keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
1:6a In this you greatly rejoice
1:8b you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ,
3:14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.
you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
3:9bfor you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;
2:16do not use your freedom as a covering for evil,
2:20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?
16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.
2:12they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
17 For it is time for judgment to begin
4:7 The end of all things is near;
4:5 Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
with the household of God; and if it begins with us first,
2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house
what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
2:8for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
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
2:15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
3:17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
4:2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
2:23bbut kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Why did Peter provide this summary here? One member of our group suggested that the review is important preparation for “changing gears.”
Changing Gears
We noted that the end of that paragraph (vv. 17-19) includes some subjects that are new, or at least that are not as prevalent earlier in the letter.
Judgment of the Household of God
Peter describes believers as (among other images) a “spiritual house” (2:5), but he says nothing there about judgment. Indeed, the context earlier in the letter is consistently confident.
a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who once were not a people, but now are the people of God, the ones who were not shown mercy, but now are shown mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Someone pointed out that believers, like all persons, will be judged by God. The difference is that the judgment of Christians is accompanied by the “sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ” (1:2) in which there will be “no condemnation” (Romans 8:1).
Capacity for Joy
Another suggestion was the “judgment of works” (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). That person shared from one of Jonathan Edwards’s “Seventy Resolutions for Living the Christian Life.”
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- Resolved: To endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness in the world to come as I possibly can. To accomplish this I will use all the strength, power, vigor, and vehemence – even violence – I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.[1]
Edwards’s twenty-second resolution sounds like Peter’s exhortation to those sharing in the sufferings of Christ in verse 13.[2]
rejoice, so that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice and be glad. (LEB)
Here the NASB1995 is even more helpful.
keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. (NASB1995; emphasis added)
The NASB1995 communicates the continuous aspect of the present tense imperative (“keep on rejoicing”) to describe our present activity. That translation also conveys the intensity of our future joy (“so that you may rejoice with exultation”). Peter uses multiple words for joy (ἀγαλλιάω, agalliaō, rejoice; χαρά, chara, with joy). He also used those multiple words in 1 Peter 1:8 to express what is inexpressible (ἀνεκλάλητος, aneklalētos, unspeakable). We have talked before about the eternally increasing joy of paradise. This verse links that future joy to the present.
The promise of future joy, in fact, energizes joy now.[3]
In our discussion, a question came up about degrees of joy in eternity. Will some of us be disappointed with a lesser experience for all eternity? The response centered on our individual unique “capacity for joy.” The illustration of different cups was helpful. One person has a six-ounce cup, another person has an eight-ounce cup. But both cups are full. Both have reached their full capacity. There is no lack for either person.
That contentment in joy in paradise is beautifully expressed in Dante’s Divine Comedy. As the pilgrim ascends through the heavens he encounters a woman, Piccarda, [4] in the lowest sphere. He wonders that she is not dissatisfied and wishing for a higher position, nearer to the divine center. But (in our illustration), her cup, her capacity for joy, is full. Her joyful response to Dante’s curiosity is profound.
in His will is our peace[5]
She experiences her full capacity for joy. No more is imaginable.
To return to the Edwards quotation that started this part of our discussion, “To endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness in the world to come as I possibly can” and Peter’s instruction “keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation,” what does that mean for us now? How do we increase our present capacity for joy that will be fully realized in eternity?
A person commented that “the way to joy is through trust.” Trusting God who is all powerful, all wise, and all loving enables us to endure even painful circumstances without despair. Trust builds hope (another repeated theme; 1:3, 13, 21; 3:5, 15), and hope makes joy possible. Apart from hope in our eternal inheritance, “joy” tends to be superficial or even artificial. Increasing trust in God through every circumstance increases our capacity for joy now and in eternity.
Arm Yourselves, Entrust Their Souls
Peter had used a similar phrase earlier describing Jesus’ response to abuse.
He kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23)
In the present passage, he applies that imagery to believers facing suffering “according to the will of God.” In a previous passage we discussed Peter’s instruction to “arm yourselves” (4:1). A question that came up this week asked about the relationship between those two imperatives, “arm yourselves” and “entrust their souls.”[6] (While chapter divisions were not part of the original text of Scripture, this “chapter,” between the “therefore” of 4:1 and the “therefore” of 5:1, is a major division of Peter’s thinking. The sentences beginning and ending the section use those two phrases.)
We had a fairly lengthy discussion about the meaning of “arm yourselves.” To use an expression from a discussion on a different passage, that phrase is sometimes used as a “drive-by verse,” with an assumed acceptable meaning. “Arm yourselves” combined with “always being prepared to make a defense” (3:15) encourage efforts to explain the faith and provide answers to critic’s question. Christian apologetics is an important ministry, but the context is critical to correct interpretation of the two exhortations. As one person expressed, they are both relational commands more about display than explanation.
“Arm yourself” does not mean learning answers to the challenges of skeptics: arguments for the existence of God, creation versus evolution, the reliability of Scripture, the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. All those are important topics, and any Christian can benefit from that kind of study. But (as always) the context illuminates more than the “drive-by” approach.
arm yourselves also with the same attitude (NIV, NLT)
arm yourselves with the same way of thinking (ESV, LEB)
arm yourselves also with the same purpose (NASB)
Arming yourselves is about attitude not about answers. Knowing answers to questions that arise from believers or unbelievers is commendable, but that is not Peter’s point. The attitude or way of thinking or purpose in the verse refers back to “since Christ has suffered in the flesh” and even earlier in the letter, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (3:15)
Arming yourselves is about our attitude toward suffering “because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (2:21). How we respond to suffering or even to discomfort or inconvenience is about the attitude we have armed ourselves with. Remember that “arm yourselves” was a single command surrounded by descriptions of four principles that mark that attitude:
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- Christ is victorious over a hostile world.
- Like Noah, we have deliverance from the lifestyle of the hostile world.
- Suffering in a hostile world is evidence of our progress against sin.
- We have eternal hope during our “temporary residence” in a hostile world.
Those truths arm us to face difficult circumstances with the same attitude that Jesus displayed during His Incarnation. The defense we are to be prepared to make (3:15) is not about evolution or the existence of God. Our preparation is to be about “the hope that is in you,” a hope rooted in the same attitude displayed by Christ, who “kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (2:23).
And that connection in the text takes us back to the question about arming and entrusting. We are to arm ourselves with the same attitude that Christ had, and we are to entrust ourselves to the faithful Creator. Our attitude (about Christ’s victory, our deliverance, suffering, and hope) prepares us for suffering. Entrusting our souls to God is our response to the experience of suffering.
Armed with the same attitude and entrusting our souls affects how we communicate the gospel to a hostile world. As several persons said, detailed, precise answers by a Christian apologist are not always the most effective approach. The entrusting attitude is more about display than about explaining. A wise person once said, “Never answer a question that your life had not prompted someone to ask.”[7] What questions do our lives prompt?
Peter’s instruction about being prepared to make a defense is in the context of suffering. How do people see us respond to hardships or difficulties? Do our reactions confuse them because we act differently? Is our hope that obvious? Do they see attractive fruit in our attitude and our character? What kind of fruit to those around us see when we get “bumped into” by suffering?
[Jesus] said you look at the fruit. That’s what falls out of the tree when you bump into it. … Bump into a tree, and see what falls. Sometimes it’s love and gentleness. Now you see what kind of tree it is. … Bump into a tree, and see what falls. Sometimes it’s jealousy, anger, and power plays. Now you see what kind of tree it is.[8]
Without trust we won’t be able to display God’s character to others no matter how good we can explain our theology. A display of hope based on trust in God is a more powerful apologetic than precise explanations.
A Faithful Creator
Another new aspect in this portion of Peter’s letter is his reference to “a faithful Creator” (v. 19). We noted the fact that Peter had not previously described God as “Creator.” In fact, this is the only occurrence of the noun “Creator” (κτίστης, ktistēs) in the New Testament.[9] Various translations render the verb form of the word as Creator (Romans 1:25, Colossians 3:10) or “He who created” (Matthew 19:4, Ephesians 3:9).[10]
The description of him as Creator (ktistēs) is noteworthy. Though frequent in the LXX, Apocrypha, Philo, etc., … this is its sole appearance in the NT.[11]
Why would Peter focus on God’s attribute as Creator specifically in response to suffering? Several people responded. As Creator, He knows what He is doing, and He knows us intimately. Remembering that He is Creator reminds us that we are creatures dependent on Him. And as Creator, He is like the potter who does what he wants with the clay, shaping it into the form He knows will be best. Someone else commented that the potter works with soft, pliable clay. Clay that is too stiff or brittle breaks. Trust makes us more flexible and malleable to any circumstances of the will of God. The faithful Creator is trustworthy.
God is here depicted as πιστῷ κτίστῃ (“faithful Creator”), which highlights God’s character of faithfulness thereby providing the rationale for entrusting oneself to him. God as Creator affirms his sovereignty over all things including human suffering, and may also be intended to underline his authority to judge.[12]
All of the incentives that Peter describes in the beginning of his letter (the imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance, salvation, hope, etc.) are undergirded by the faithfulness of the Creator. He is the One to whom we can entrust our souls to.
And looking again at the idea of “entrusting” our souls to Him,
[Peter] does not use the usual word for “trusting” God, but a verb (paratithēmi) which means “to give to someone for safekeeping, to turn over to someone to care for.[13]
The same word was used by Jesus on the cross at His greatest anguish.
Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. (Luke 23:46)
Jesus knew He could trust His Father in any circumstances. We can have that same trust in our faithful Creator. Peter saved the most powerful encouragement for the last.
Now What?
How do we respond? What does Peter call us to along with his original readers?
We began our discussion with his summary of major themes. In fact, one author thinks Peter was even more concise in recapping all he had to say.
Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
“In this one verse is summarized the teaching of the entire letter.”[14]
But is that verse a little anti-climactic? Don’t the translations[15] – “Doing what is right” (NASB, NLT), “Doing good” (ESV, LEB), “continue to do good” (NIV) – all sound a bit generic, almost cliché?
Taken in a vacuum (read, out of context) that might be true. But not nearing the close of Peter’s letter. Consider how many times has he mentioned the source of suffering, the unbelievers’ motivation for mistreating and maligning Christians.
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- “But if when you do good and suffer for it” (2:20)
- “being zealous for doing good” (3:13)
- “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, “(3:14)
- “those who revile your good behavior in Christ” (3:16)
- For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, “(3:17)
- they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, (4:4)
Good behavior, “doing right,” was the issue. Living a Christian lifestyle put them out of sync with the surrounding culture. A radically different world view resulted in new behavior that seemed odd. They abandoned old habits that were part of a “normal” life in a pagan environment. Suspicion, criticism, intimidation, ridicule resulted. All from “doing good.”
Peter’s advice on how to grow in trust in practical ways? Keep doing what you are doing.
How is this trust expressed when one is suffering? By continuing to do good (ἐν ἀγαθοποιΐᾳ, en agathopoiia). … the act of continuing to do the very thing that is causing suffering is itself an act of trust…[16]
The way believers will reveal that they are trusting in God is by continuing “to do good” (NIV; agathopoiiai).[17]
How we respond to difficult or uncomfortable circumstances is a measure of our trust in a faithful Creator. More importantly, how do we respond to people during those circumstances?
Our discussions often come back to persons we encounter: rude store clerks, obnoxious drivers, challenging coworkers, disagreeable neighbors, judgmental church members (the list goes on). How do we follow the explicit example Jesus left “for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Can we entrust ourselves to the faithful Creator by continuing to do good – to the clerk, the driver, the coworker, the neighbor, the church member?
What kind of fruit falls off when we get bumped?
[1] Matthew Everhard, Holy Living; Jonathan Edwards’s Seventy Resolutions for Living the Christian Life (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2022), 25; emphasis added.
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20pet%204%3A13&version=NASB1995,LEB
[3] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude, Christian Standard Commentary (Nashville: Holman, 2020), 253.
[4] https://www.goodnotsafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Piccarda-Paradiso-III.pdf
[5] Dante Alighieri, Paradiso iii.85; Translation by Robert Hollander & Jean Hollander, Paradiso (New York: Anchor Books, 2007), 71.
[6] “arm yourselves” is a second-person imperative; “entrust their souls” is a third-person imperative.
[7] Larry Crabb
[8] Brant Hansen, Blessed Are the Misfits: Great News for Believers who are Introverts, Spiritual Strugglers, or Just Feel Like They’re Missing Something (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2017), 51-53; Kindle edition location 1014-1035.
[9] https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/ktistes
[10] Κτίζω (ktizō, to create) used as a participle, “One who creates;”
https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/ktizo .
[11] J. N. D. Kelly, The Epistles of Peter and Jude, Black’s New Testament Commentary (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1969), 195.
[12] Greg W. Forbes, 1 Peter, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2014), 163.
[13] Wayne Grudem, 1 Peter, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 1988), 185.
[14] Wayne Grudem, 1 Peter, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 1988), 184.
[15] https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/1%20Peter%204%3A19
[16] Karen H. Jobes, 1 Peter, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2011), 294.
[17] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude, Christian Standard Commentary (Nashville: Holman, 2020), 265.