Lesson 62
Study of
First Peter Chapter 4
4:4 in regard to which (failure to return to a
previous pattern of life) they consider it strange that you do not run
together toward the same excess of riotous living and they blaspheme you.
Observations:
1. Once again we have here the basis of Peter's writing
to these believer's in
- 2:12;
2. As we have seen in the previous context these believers have
done nothing to warrant such an attack therefore what they are undergoing here
is UNDSF.
3. What has happened here is that their pagan neighbors
and friends have
judged the life of these believers and found them to be out of
line with their own standards and respond by blaspheming them.
4. A changed life often invokes hostility from the
cosmos, that is those you deal with out in the culture because it is an
indictment of them and their rejection of the gospel as unbelievers or their
negative volition to truth as a reversionistic believer.
5. Peter now reminds these believers that those who
pagans who are blaspheming them will themselves be judged (vs:5)
so let God handle it.
Peter viewed those who slander
Christians for their lifestyles as really slandering God who called us out of
darkness into the light.
4:5 The judgment of the
blasphemers
but
they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and
the dead.
-
future tense of the verb tells them and us that all
unbelievers these pagans will give an account
to Him who is ready to judge
- Peter's words in Acts 10:42, and Paul's statement in 2
Timothy 4:1, leave no reasonable doubt that the judge is Jesus Christ.
- know that His judgment whether at
the JSC or GWTJ or any other is not arbitrary, but is according to integrity;
established by His +R/J
Who is
judged?
- the
living and the dead. zw/ntaj kai.
nekrou,jÅ no definite
article with either therefore is qualitative,
those who are living and such as are dead
Peter's
point here is that whether these unbelievers, the ones blaspheming them,
persecuting them are living or are dead they are not going to escape judgment.
When are the living to be
judged?
4:5 but they will give
account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
4:6 For the gospel has
for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are
judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
Peter
was reminding his readers of the Christians who had already died and some
martyred for their faith.
What
must be recognized here is that those described as "dead" were
members of the Christian churches addressed but had died before the writing of
1 Peter.
The
death of those members, whether from natural causes or martyrdom, would
naturally bring a matter of some spiritual perplexity and concern in the churches.
The
true purpose of that preaching of the gospel is stated in a twofold balanced
way: " they may live in the spirit according to the will of God."
There
is a clear contrast in the two main verbs used: the aorist subjunctive "might
be judged"
(kri,nw) denotes a definite occurrence of
judgment, and the present subjunctive tense, "may live" (za,w), which pictures the continuity
of the spiritual life they had received.
Here
first its "According to men" (kata. avnqrw,pouj) indicates that the judgment that they endured was in harmony with
the standards that characterize human behavior.
(persecution by the pagans)
"According
to God" (kata. qeo.n) indicates that the life they had
received was a life in harmony with the nature of God, or a life in harmony
with His will.
Their
death also did not terminate their life in Christ; their union with Him, they
continue to live even as He lives. Now face to face!
In
the eyes of their pagan opponents, they seemed to have gained nothing.
Peter
is assuring them that though the other believers had died, they would fully
share in the life brought by the Savior.
The realization of coming judgment should be a motivating
force in the lives of believers now, prompting them to appropriate the
necessary provision for living a life honoring Christ.
The believer's anticipation of Christ's return should have
an impact on present Christian conduct.
4:7 The end of
all things is near;
- "of all things" (panton),
standing emphatically forward, underlines the comprehensive nature of the end
in view.
- "the end" (to te,loj), the consummation of the present
course of history, the Church age, implies not merely cessation of, but also
the goal toward which the present age moves.
What's
the first order of business on God's timetable at the end of the Church
age?
- is
near perfect active indicative
of evggi,zw means to be near, to be at hand, to draw near
- this
is a proleptic perfect - used in anticipation of a future event, one that is sure
- it expresses a state of
completion in the future that is so real to the individual with a F/O/R of
truth it is viewed as if already having taken place.
Examples where this type of
construction with the verb evggi,zw
Matt 3:2 Have here the message of John the
Baptist, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
We noted this construction
in James 5:8 with a similar thrust as here in 1 Pet 4
5:8
You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is
at hand.
Because of the close parallels
between James 5:8 and our passage lets review what is here, believe it is
important. Will give
us some insight into our passage in 1 Pet 4:7f.
Both contexts the believers are
dealing with UNDSF and were being given the DOA's and
encouragement to press on and handle the tests to the glory of God.
1. James
here marks the importance of the application of patience in the lives of his
readers.
2. Even in the midst of their own experiences of
oppression and injustice they must cultivate a mental attitude of patience.
3. They
must always keep before them the fact that God cannot deal with them unfairly.
4. Certainly God has the ability to
remove their sufferings and judge their oppressors.
5. But
God desires divine good and the maturation of every believer, this will only
come with the refining of ones faith through tests - CHP's etc. which would be
negated if the heat was lifted.
6. The 2nd imp - "to strengthen your hearts" -
calls for them to put iron in their souls.
7. Rather
than allowing themselves to slip into reacting to the circumstances and soul fainting they need to adopt a mental
attitude of tenacity and toughness.
8. The
single most important thing that they can do is to be consistent in face to
face teaching. God's means of providing the DOA's.
9. The inner life is strengthened by
BD known coupled with your willingness to apply it.
10. The
BD of the parousia - the sure return of Christ should
be a major factor in the ph-2 motivation of the Believer.