1 Peter 4 is the fourth chapter of the

First Epistle of Peter The First Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament. The author presents himself as Peter the Apostle. The ending of the letter includes a statement that implies that it was written from "Babylon", which is possibly a reference to Rome. T ...

in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

of the

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

. The author identifies himself as "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ" and the epistle is traditionally attributed to

Peter the Apostle ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupatio ...

, but some writers argue that it is the work of Peter's followers in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

between 70 and 100 CE. This chapter focusses on Christ's suffering, Christian charity and advice to those who are

persecuted Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms ...

Text

The original text was written in

Koine Greek Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...

. This chapter is divided into 19 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: ;Greek *

Papyrus 72 Papyrus 72 (𝔓72, '' Papyrus Bodmer VII-VIII'') is the designation used by textual critics of the New Testament to describe portions of the so-called Bodmer Miscellaneous codex, namely the letters of Jude, 1 Peter, and 2 Peter. These books see ...

(3rd/4th century) *

Codex Vaticanus The Codex Vaticanus ( The Vatican, Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209), designated by siglum B or 03 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), δ 1 ( von Soden), is a fourth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Greek Old ...

(325-350) *

Codex Sinaiticus The Codex Sinaiticus (Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), designated by siglum [Aleph] or 01 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 2 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts) ...

(330–360) *

Codex Alexandrinus The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII), designated by the siglum A or 02 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 4 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a manu ...

(400–440) *

Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus The Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (Paris, National Library of France, Greek 9) designated by the siglum C or 04 {in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 3 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a ma ...

(c. 450; extant verses 1–4) ;Latin *

Codex Floriacensis The Codex Floriacensis, designated by h in traditional system or by 55 in the Beuron system, is a 6th-century Latin manuscript of the New Testament. The text, written on vellum, is a palimpsest. Another name of the manuscript is ''Fleury Palimpsest' ...

(6th century Old-Latin; extant verses 17–19)

Old Testament references

* : * :

Living a Christian Life (4:1–11)

Verse 1

:''Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. The same point has been made in : ''Christ also suffered for us'' (or "you"), ''leaving us'' (or "you")'' an example, that you should follow His steps''.

Verse 6

:''For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.'' * "Gospel": means "the good news", here concerning 'the incarnation, sufferings, and death of Christ', and the salvation through him'; this is basically 'the doctrines of grace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life'. * "preached": to proclaim it 'openly, freely, and boldly, with faithfulness and consistence'. *"To them that are dead": Theologian

John Gill John Gill may refer to: Sports *John Gill (cricketer) (1854–1888), New Zealand cricketer *John Gill (coach) (1898–1997), American football coach *John Gill (footballer, born 1903), English professional footballer *John Gill (American football) ...

regards "dead" here not in a figurative sense, but "dead in trespasses and sins", as is the case of all mankind or all nations, and is the means of 'quickening dead sinners'. The word "dead" is also used as in the preceding verse, got those who had been alive, but were now dead in a natural sense, whom Christ would judge together with those found alive when he comes; that the Gospel has been preached also to them that are already dead, as well as to those who are now alive. *"That they might be judged according to men in the flesh": may mean, either that such persons who receive and profess the Gospel, and suffer for it, are judged according to the judgment of men that are in the flesh, as in (), by the villains, hypocrites and deceivers; and this is the common effect of the Gospel being preached and coming with power to any (cf. ) or the sense is, that such persons, according to men, are judged of God, or have the judgments of God inflicted on them in their flesh or bodies, for some sins of theirs, chastened by the Lord in a fatherly way, that they might not be eternally condemned with the world, () or else to complete the sense, for all, who were formerly alive, but now dead, and had embraced and professed the Gospel preached to them, were judged and condemned, and put to death in the flesh by wicked men. *"Live according to God in the Spirit": Although believers were condemned by others while they were here on earth, the Gospel had such an effect upon them, as to cause them to live spiritually, to live by faith on Christ, to live according to the will of God, so though dead in their bodies, they live in their spirits or souls an eternal life of happiness with God, according to his 'eternal purpose, unchangeable covenant, promise, grace, and love'.''John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible'' – 1 Peter 4:6
/ref>

Submit to Suffering (4:12–19)

Christians may have to suffer, but they are blessed if it is purely due to their faith, not any criminal or antisocial behavior.

Verse 16

:''Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.'' *"

": This is the third mention of the term in the

—after the first use in

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...

( Acts 11:26) and second mention by

Herod Agrippa II Herod Agrippa II (; AD 27/28 – or 100), officially named Marcus Julius Agrippa and sometimes shortened to Agrippa, was the last ruler from the Herodian dynasty, reigning over territories outside of Judea as a Roman client. Agrippa II fled ...

( Acts 26:28)—where all three usages are considered to reflect a derisive element referring to the followers of Christ who did not acknowledge the emperor of Rome. Wuest 1973, p. 19. ''The word is used three times in the New Testament, and each time as a term of reproach or derision. ... in Antioch, the name ''Christianos'' was coined to distinguish the worshippers of the Christ from the ''Kaisarianos'', the worshippers of Caesar.''

References

Sources

* *

External links

* King James Bible - Wikisource
English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org
(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
Multiple bible versions at ''Bible Gateway''
(NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.) {{First Epistle of Peter 1 Peter 4