টীকা বর্তমানে শুধুমাত্র ইংরেজিতে উপলব্ধ। বাংলা অনুবাদ চলছে।
1 Peter 4 — The End of All Things Is at Hand
Since Christ suffered in the flesh, believers are to arm themselves with the same mind, no longer living for fleshly lusts as the Gentiles do. The end of all things is at hand, so be sober, watchful in prayer, fervent in love, hospitable, and use your gifts to serve one another. Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial; rejoice in sharing Christ's sufferings. If reproached for His name, you are blessed. Commit your soul to a faithful Creator.
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you... But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings.”
— 1 Peter 4:12-13
- v.1-6 Done with sin, living for God
- v.7-11 Love and serve one another
- v.12-19 Rejoice in sharing Christ's sufferings
As every man hath received the gift. Every believer has received some gift — there are no giftless Christians. And the gift is given to minister... one to another, for the good of others, not self.
Good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Gifts are a stewardship, entrusted to be used for others. Manifold (many-colored) grace — God's grace is diverse, distributed in varied gifts across the body so that together they display its fullness. To hoard or neglect a gift is poor stewardship.
Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial. Suffering should not surprise the believer as though something abnormal were occurring. Trials are the expected, normal experience of following Christ in a hostile world.
Much distress in suffering comes from the assumption that it should not be happening. Peter removes that assumption — the fiery trial is to be expected, not regarded as strange. Forewarned, the believer can meet it with steadiness rather than shock.
Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings. Suffering for Christ is reframed as participation in His sufferings — a fellowship, even a privilege. The believer shares what Christ endured.
The present sharing in His sufferings is linked to future sharing in His glory — that... ye may be glad also with exceeding joy when His glory is revealed. The path of suffering with Christ leads to glory with Christ. Present pain, future exceeding joy.
Commit the keeping of their souls to him. In suffering, the believer entrusts his soul to God for safekeeping — the same word Christ used on the cross (into thy hands I commend my spirit). The soul is deposited with God for protection.
As unto a faithful Creator. God is trusted as both faithful and Creator — He keeps His word and He has the power, as Maker of all, to guard what is committed to Him. The suffering believer rests in the character and power of the One who made and keeps him, continuing in well doing meanwhile.
Peter strips away a false expectation that causes much spiritual pain: that the Christian life should be free of trouble. Do not think it strange when the fire comes — it is normal, expected, even a sharing in Christ's own sufferings. The next time hardship strikes for your faith, resist the thought "this shouldn't be happening to me." Instead, commit your soul to your faithful Creator, keep doing good, and rejoice that you share in what Christ endured — for His glory, and your exceeding joy, are coming.
The believer's suffering is woven into Christ's throughout the chapter — arming oneself with the mind of the Christ who suffered in the flesh (v.1), being partakers of Christ's sufferings (v.13), being reproached for the name of Christ (v.14). And the model for entrusting one's soul to a faithful Creator (v.19) is Christ Himself, who on the cross committed His spirit into the Father's hands. To suffer as a Christian is to walk the road Christ walked, toward the glory He has secured.
Above all things... fervent charity. Love is given the highest priority among believers. Fervent means stretched, strained, at full intensity — not a casual affection but earnest, effortful love.
Charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Love overlooks and forgives many offenses rather than exposing them. Where love is fervent, it does not keep score or broadcast faults but covers them in grace (Proverbs 10:12).