NOTES for Pe1 4:15

¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

Speaking about persecutions and harassments, Peter distinguishes clearly and absolutely the harassment according to the law for faith and the same harassment according to the law for criminal offenses. There is nothing surprising here: indeed, the way of the Christian is the way of the righteous, conscious sin and Christianity are incompatible things. But why it was necessary for the apostle to speak about things it would seem completely obvious? It was maybe the fact that in this time in the Jewish environment, the relation towards the laws of the Roman Empire, quite as in the heathen laws, was with discretion (and sometimes very violently) negative. Militants messianists like the "zealots" mentioned in the Gospel, for example, denied in general all heathen laws, being sure that a Jew can and should be guided only with one law: the law of the Torah. Perhaps there were among Christians people who found that life in the Kingdom if it is compatible with any law, then would be with the laws given by God, and not written by men for the governments of this world.

Peter, as seen, does not reject totally the laws written by men, but limits their action with defined frames. Such an approach, obviously, is connected to the Christian representations of the Kingdom, which, on one hand, lives according to the laws distinguishing itself from the laws of the non-transformed world, and on the other hand - is called to transform the same not yet transformed world. Certainly, the non transformed world lies in evil and does not accept the Kingdom, but, if all the same it still had in him something good, it is necessary to accept that good. The same goes for the earthly laws written by people: all which in them corresponds to the Torah, Peter, as seen, accepts: because all these crimes, that he writes, are also such from the point of view of the Torah, those who commit them, violate the commandments of the Decalogue, and if the ground law punishes them for such a violation, it does not manage to condemn the representatives of this ground law.

It is another thing, if a Christian suffers as Christian, for faithfulness to Christ or for righteousness in its traditional understanding, as faithfulness to God and to the Torah. If the human law punishes the Christians for something like that, such a punishment should not disturb: because it is the manifestation of this evil, in which the world lies. So the apostle solves the question about human laws and about the power of earthly governments. He solves from the view of the Kingdom and the way of righteousness.

Other notes

For Pe1 4:12-19

¹²Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

¹³But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

¹⁴If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

¹⁶Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

¹⁷For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

¹⁸And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

¹⁹Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Today the Apostle Peter calls us to accept persecution, slander, and abuse because in this way we follow our Teacher and Lord... Read more

Today the Apostle Peter calls us to accept persecution, slander, and abuse because in this way we follow our Teacher and Lord. Only let none of you suffer for an actual crime, the apostle says. But if you suffer as Christians, you are blessed. What do his words mean for us today, when there is no visible persecution?

First, let us not forget that our brothers and sisters in a number of countries are subjected to persecution and restrictions. Even if they are “separated” brethren and we have no ecclesial communion with them, their suffering is nevertheless the suffering of the whole Church. Prayer and support for our suffering non-Orthodox brothers and sisters would therefore be so important. All through those dark years of Bolshevism, others prayed for us! And today, before any debate, we can pray for the Christians of China and Taiwan, Iran, Sudan, and Indonesia, despite the fact that they are not Orthodox.

Second, anyone who has ever refused to take part in “drinking bouts, revelries, and carousings” (these are the Apostle Peter’s words; the Synodal text smooths them over and says “drunkenness and excess in food and drink”), anyone who has avoided this even once can testify that people look at you as if you were abnormal. “Life is passing you by!” the pagans tell you. And when Christians testify that one must not kill, lie, or steal, that these things are wrong, it provokes undisguised irritation in any society. If our life causes no surprise by its moral character, that is most likely a reason for confession.

For Pe1 4:1-19

¹Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

²That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

³For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

⁴Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

⁵Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

⁶For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

⁷But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

⁸And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

⁹Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

¹⁰As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

¹¹If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.