1 Peter 4:1-10

4:1 So, since Christ suffered ¹  in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same attitude, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin, ²  4:2 in that he spends the rest of his time ³  on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires. 4:3 For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians ⁴  desire. ⁵  You lived then ⁶  in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts, ⁷  and wanton idolatries. ⁸  4:4 So ⁹  they are astonished ¹⁰  when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you. ¹¹  4:5 They will face a reckoning before ¹²  Jesus Christ ¹³  who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. 4:6 Now it was for this very purpose ¹⁴  that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, ¹⁵  so that though ¹⁶  they were judged in the flesh ¹⁷  by human standards ¹⁸  they may live spiritually ¹⁹  by God’s standards. ²⁰ 

Service, Suffering, and Judgment

4:7 For the culmination of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer. ²¹  4:8 Above all keep ²²  your love for one another fervent, ²³  because love covers a multitude of sins. ²⁴  4:9 Show hospitality ²⁵  to one another without complaining. 4:10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another ²⁶  as good stewards of the varied grace of God.

[4:1]  ¹ tc Most mss (א² A P Ï) add ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν (Juper Jhmwn, “for us”); others (א* 69 1505 pc) add ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν (Juper Jumwn, “for you”), the first hand of א also has ἀποθανόντος (apoqanonto", “since he died”) instead of παθόντος (paqonto", “since he suffered”). But the reading without ὑπὲρ ἡ/ὑμῶν best explains the rise of the other readings, for not only is there confusion as to which pronoun belongs here, but the longer readings, being clarifications, are evidently motivated readings. The shortest reading is found in important and early Alexandrian and Western witnesses (Ì⁷² B C Ψ 0285 323 1739) and is strongly preferred.

[4:1]  ² sn Has finished with sin. The last sentence in v. 1 may refer to Christ as the one who suffered in the flesh (cf. 2:21, 23; 3:18; 4:1a) and the latter part would then mean, “he has finished dealing with sin.” But it is more likely that it refers to the Christian who suffers unjustly (cf. 2:19-20; 3:14, 17). This shows that he has made a break with sin as vs. 2 describes.

[4:2]  ³ tn This verse may give the purpose or result of their “arming” themselves as called for in v. 1b and then the translation would be: “so that you may spend the rest of your time…” But it is better to take it as explanatory of the last phrase in v. 1: what it means to be finished with sin.

[4:3]  ⁴ tn Grk “the Gentiles,” used here of those who are not God’s people.

[4:3]  ⁵ tn Grk “to accomplish the desire of the Gentiles.”

[4:3]  ⁶ tn Grk “having gone along,” referring to the readers’ behavior in time past.

[4:3]  ⁷ tn According to BDAG 857 s.v. πότος the term refers to a social gathering at which wine is served, hence “drinking parties” (cf. TEV, NASB). However, the collocation with the other terms in v. 4 suggests something less sophisticated and more along the lines of wild and frenzied drinking bouts.

[4:3]  ⁸ tn The Greek words here all occur in the plural to describe their common practice in the past.

[4:4]  ⁹ tn Grk “in/by which,” referring to the change of behavior described in v. 3. The unbelievers are astonished by the readers’ moral transformation. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[4:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “are surprised, are taken aback.” The same verb occurs in 4:12.

[4:4]  ¹¹ tn Grk “blaspheming,” giving the result of their astonishment. Here the target of their “blasphemy/vilification” is not God but the Christian.

[4:5]  ¹² tn Grk “give an account to.”

[4:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (Jesus Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:6]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “since for this purpose the gospel was preached even to the dead,” referring to the purpose described in the clause to follow in v. 6b.

[4:6]  ¹⁵ sn In context the phrase those who are dead refers to those now dead who had accepted the gospel while they were still living and had suffered persecution for their faith. Though they “suffered judgment” in this earthly life (i.e., they died, in the midst of physical abuse from the ungodly), they will enjoy life from God in the spiritual, heavenly realm because of the gospel (v. 6b). It clearly does not assume a second chance for conversion offered to unbelievers who had died; why would Peter urge people to suffer in this life for the sake of the gospel if he believed that mercy would be extended to all the dead in the hereafter (cf. 2:7-8; 4:1-5, 12-19)?

[4:6]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “so that they may be judged…but may live.” Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

[4:6]  ¹⁷ tn Or “in their earthly lives,” since “flesh” here denotes the physical, earthly life. The phrase “in the flesh” is retained to preserve the links with 3:18 and 4:1 which use the same wording.

[4:6]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “according to men.”

[4:6]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “in spirit,” referring to the heavenly, eternal realm of existence (cf. 3:18).

[4:6]  ²⁰ tn Grk “according to God.”

[4:7]  ²¹ tn Grk “for prayers.”

[4:8]  ²² tn The primary verb of v. 8 is a participle (“having”) but it continues the sense of command from v. 7.

[4:8]  ²³ tn Or “constant.”

[4:8]  ²⁴ sn The statement of v. 8b, love covers a multitude of sins, is proverbial: It is quoted from Prov 10:12 (cf. Jas 5:20). It speaks of the forbearance that comes with love: Christian love is patient and forgiving toward the offenses of a fellow Christian (Matt 18:21-22; 1 Cor 13:4-7).

[4:9]  ²⁵ tn There is no main verb in this verse (“showing hospitality” translates the adjective φιλόξενοι [filoxenoi]), but it continues the sense of command from v. 7.

[4:10]  ²⁶ tn Grk “serving it to one another.” The primary verb is a participle but it continues the sense of command from v. 7.