1 Peter 4

1 Peter 4:1-19

Teacher’ s Notes for FIRST PETER Chapter FOUR 1. How are we to respond to the suffering of Christ? (Verse 1). We are to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ. a. How can one arm himself or herself with the same mind as Christ had while He was in the flesh? For one thing, we must be willing to suffer physical hardships if necessary. i. One problem I have seen through the years is that far too many “ church members” are unwilling to suffer for their Christian beliefs. They are willing to do things as long as it doesn’ t force them to change their usual routine. ii. I have heard brethren ask others if they need them to help in some way, then, turn right around and say, “ Well, I can’ t do it Monday because I have _______ going on.” Then name other things they plan on other days of the week to the point that they end up not helping at all because they are unwilling to change anything in their schedule in order to help a brother or sister in Christ. iii. In other words, “ I will help if it doesn’ t inconvenience me in any way.” iv. How can one say they are doing the will of God when they have opportunity to help “especially those who are of the household of faith” and do not? WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? v. This mentality spills over into almost any work in the church. vi. Just as an example: When the congregation plans a gospel meeting, we plan months in advance, send out invitations to sister congregations and throughout the surrounding com-munity and when the time for the event arrives half of the local members won’ t attend. I see this at almost every congregation where I have held gospel meetings. vii. After all the advertising, announcing and encouraging, we have even heard some say, “ I just forgot!” Where is the mind of Christ in such circumstances? viii. Can we remind ourselves too often of Paul’ s admonition to “ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). ix. I am not speaking of those who, for health reasons, or other legitimate reasons cannot do things; but I am very, very disappointed when I see those whose only excuse for not sup-porting local works of the church is that they just do not wish to do so. I am still convinced that “ to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). 2. “That he NO LONGER should LIVE the REST of his TIME in the FLESH for the LUSTS of MEN, but for the WILL of GOD.” (1 Peter 4:2). a. What are the lusts of men? One might turn to Galatians five and quote the lusts of the flesh mentioned there, and you would be right in so doing. Yet, in the context of Peter’ s writing this speaks of the willingness to suffer as Christ suffered. b. Don’ t live the rest of your life unwilling to suffer as He suffered. It was no picnic for the Son of God to go to the cross and suffer as He did. He even prayed that if there be any other way, for God not to let Him die on that cross. “ O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me,” (Matthew 26:39). IT WAS NOT ! And so, how did He end his prayer? “Not as I will, but as You will.” c.

And Peter tells us not to spend the rest of our lives just doing our own thing, or fulfilling our own will or desire, but spend your time in the flesh seeking the will of God (verse 2). 3. How do non-Christians work (wrought K.J.V.) the will of the Gentiles? (Verse 3 from the King James Version). “ For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in , LUSTS, EXCESS OF WINE, , , and .” 4. The King James Version uses the word “ ” in verse 4. Define the word Lascivious-ness. The English dictionary has: Having, manifesting, or arousing sensual desires; lustful - Lascivious, lustful. (Funk & Wagnall’ s Standard Desk Dictionary, page 364). a. Vines `Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, page 310 has the following: “ , . Denotes excess, licentiousness, absence of restraint, indecency, wantonness . . . The prominent idea is shameless conduct. b. David Lipscomb says the following in his commentary on Galatians 5:19 : “ , Any kind of unchastity. There may be lascivious eyes and lascivious desires. Jesus said, “For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: these are the things that defile a man” (Matthew 15:19-20). c. If I were looking for an activity which would best suit Lasciviousness in our society I would be-gin with the modern dance which is filled with “ Indecent body movements” which arouse lusts from the opposite sex. d. We should teach our children the sinfulness of dancing. 5. Why do those in the world think true Christians are strange? (Verse 4). Because we will not run with them to the same flood of dissipation. (King James has the same excess of riot). a. And when a Christian refuses to go along with the worldly minded, what often happens? They speak evil of you. 6. What must those who speak evil of Christians do? (Verse 5). Give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. a. Do you ever listen to your own conversations when speaking about other people? Listen to these words spoken by a man much wiser than Solomon: “ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. … But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. … For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:35-37). b. Who said that? Jesus! And Peter said He is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Be very careful what you say! 7. What in this passage shows the dead of whom Peter speaks to be spiritually dead and not physically dead? (Verse 6). The gospel was preached to them “ that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” a. When one hears the gospel and comes to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Acts 8:37), repents of all sins (Luke 13:3), he is then ready to put to death the old sinful man (Romans 6:6) and bury him with Christ into baptism, buried into His death to be raised out of the grave of water to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). b. 2 Corinthians 5:10 warns, “ We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body, … whether it be good or bad.” WHETHER IT IS GOOD or BAD; WHETHER IT IS or ; and that determines whether we are ALIVE or DEAD. Those of whom Peter speaks were spiritually dead, but upon hearing and obeying the gospel they would be spiritually alive living according to God in the spirit. 8. Why is it important that we be sober minded and prayerful? (Verse 7). Because the end of all things is at hand. a. We have said many times that the end of all things may not necessarily mean the end of the world. It could simply mean that your life in this world has come to an end. Either way, all that remains for your earthly existence is judgment. You will continue to exist but what you do while here determines where you continue to exist. 9. When one preaches or teaches how are they to speak? (Verse 11). As the oracles of God. 10. Define the word “ ORACLE.” (Verse 11). Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, page 143-144 says: ORACLE (Greek word LOGION) A diminutive of logos, a word, narrative, statement, denotes a Divine response or utterance, an oracle; … the utterances of God through Christian teachers, 1 Peter 4:11. a. Thus, Peter is saying if any speaks anything in religion he is to be absolutely certain it comes from God, and the only way one can be certain of that is to speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent, and do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names. 11. Why should Christians be happy if they suffer reproach? (Verse 14). Peter says the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. a. What, or who is the Spirit of glory? This is the Holy Spirit. Also called Spirit of God in this verse. The Spirit of Glory and the Spirit of God are one and the same. The third member of the God-head (1 John 5:7). b. It would be good to look at the names by which the Holy Spirit is called in Scripture. He is usually called the Holy Spirit, or simply the Spirit. However, when the context shows his relationship to God the Father He is called the Spirit of God as here in 1 Peter 4:14. Where the con-text is in relationship to Christ He is called the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9; 1 Peter 1:11). Where it shows the relationship of the Spirit to the Word of God He is called the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). c. When does the Holy Spirit begin to rest upon an individual? When one repents and is baptized into the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. d. Now look at the little word “ IF” at the beginning of verse 14. As it is used here it corresponds to the word “ when.” “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). And Peter echoes Paul’ s statement. It is not “ if a Christian suffers,” but “ when.” And also notice verses nine and thirteen. “ Knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. … And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good.” And again, Jesus, in Matthew 10:28, tells us not to be afraid of those who can kill the body but can’ t touch your soul, but to fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 12. In what should a person be ashamed? (Verses 15-16). It is not shameful to suffer wrongfully, but Peter implies that to suffer “ as a murder, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’ s matters” is shameful. a. We know what a murderer and a thief is, but what would the thought of “ an evildoer” cover? Guy N. Woods says an evildoer is “a term equivalent to law-violator, or criminal, sums up all infractions of law;” (Gospel Advocate Commentary on First Peter, page 118). Therefore one could look at any and all the lists of sins given in Scripture (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-21 etc.) and determine those guilty are evildoers. b. What is a busybody? Two other passages come to mind concerning “ busybodies.” i. 2 Thessalonians 3:11 : “ For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.” Notice this is in context of withdrawing fellowship from those who walk disorderly (2 Thessalonians 3:6). The inspired writer says that a busybody is one of those who are disorderly in their conduct and they are unacceptable to God and should be withdrawn from is they do not change their ways. ii. The second Isaiah 1 Timothy 5:1-25, where the apostle Paul speaks of widows. He begins by stating that widows should be cared for by their own family if possible (verses 3-8). He then gives qualifications for a widow who is to be cared for by the Lord’ s church (verses 9-10). Then moves to the thought of younger widows who remain single having a tendency to become idle and this leads them into the role of a busybody (verses 11-13). He then says that younger widows, that is a woman whose husband has died, should “ marry, bear children, manage the house, giving the adversary no opportunity to speak reproachfully” (verse 14). 13.

Where must God’ s judgment begin? (Verse 17). At the house of God. 14. What is Peter saying in verse 18 concerning our salvation? In order for one to get the true meaning of this verse one must look at the entire context, especially verses 17 and 18. a. Speaking of judgment in verse seventeen, what is the tense with which Peter speaks? “ The time HAS COME.” The King James will have “ The time IS COME.” b. Is that a couple thousand years into the future? I again rely on Guy N. Woods to tell us the meaning: i. “ For the time” is translated from a phrase which means “ it is the season.” Thus the period designated by the apostles was upon his readers. “ Judgment” (krima), as used here, de-notes severe trial. The house of God is the family of God, the church (1 Timothy 3:15). The meaning is that the time when severe trial would fall upon the church was at hand. That the “ judgment” here contemplated is not the day when all the nations shall be gathered before the judgment bar of God (2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46), follows from the fact that this day was at least 1,900 years distant when Peter wrote; (The lord had not come when Brother woods wrote in the mid-1900s) whereas the “ judgment” to which he alludes was at hand and impending.”

Brother Woods continues in his comments on verse 18: “ What, then, was the “ judgment” (verse 17) soon to begin? Not the general judgment, for (a) it was then (and may still be) in the distant future; (b) in it the “ righteous” will scarcely (with great difficulty) be saved; whereas deliverance of the righteous in the last day and their entrance into the heavenly kingdom will be to make their calling and election sure:… (2 Peter 1:10-11). Inasmuch as it was the same apostle who declared that the “ righteous shall scarcely be saved” and the faithful shall be “ richly supplied” with an entrance, it must follow that he does not refer in these passages to the same salvation.” ii. So to answer our question, unless we are in eminent danger of severe persecution as were our brethren to whom Peter originally wrote, he isn’ t speaking of our final salvation at all. iii. Our Savior and Lord does not do things haphazardly or half way. When it comes to our in-heritance of that home in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-4), we are either 100% included in our Father’ s will, or not included at all. There is no such thing as “ barely getting to heaven.” One is either fully forgiven or lost. 15. How do we commit our souls to God? (Verse 19). In doing good, as to a faithful creator. a. By doing good can we save ourselves? NO! One cannot do enough good to save themselves. However, we must commit our souls to God through obedience to the gospel of Christ. b. The context will show that the doing good in verse nineteen would be those righteous works such as Peter mentioned to Cornelius (Acts 10:35). “ In every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” It would also be that which shows one to have saving faith (James 2:19-26). i. Although every faithful child of God will be using their abilities in the work of the Lord’ s church, it remains that “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, … not of works, lest anyone should boast. … For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10). ii. Thus Peter said, Christians remain faithful as they commit their souls to Him by walking in those works God prepared beforehand.