Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(1 PETER #6 - 4:12-5:14)
III. 4:12-5:14 - MOTIVATION FOR ENDURANCE
A. 4:12-19 THE CHRISTIAN OUTLOOK ON TRIALS
a. 4:12-13 REJOICING: OUR ATTITUDE TO TRIALS
A-ga-peTOI, me xeNIzes-the [3579] te en huMIN puROsei [4451],
Beloved, think not strange the fiery trial among you,
pros pei-rasMON [3986] huMIN gi-noMEne, hos XEnou [3581]huMIN sumBAInon-tos [4819]:
which comes upon you to prove you, as though aught strange happened to you:
alLA kaTHO koi-noNEIte [2841] tois tou ChrisTOU
13 but insomuch as you are partakers of the sufferings
paTHEma-sin [3804], CHAIre-te [5463]: HIna kai en tea-po-kaLUpsei [602]
of :Christ, rejoice: that at the revelation
tes DOxes auTOU chaREte a-gal-liOme-noi [21].
of his :glory also you may rejoice with exceeding joy.
b. 4:14 THE BLESSING OF REPROACH: A PROOF OF SPIRIT ON US
ei o-neiDIzes-the [3679] en oNOma-ti ChrisTOU, maKAri-oi [3107];
If you are reproached in Christ's name, blessed you;
HOti to tes DOxes kai to tou TheOU PNEUma eph' huMAS a-naPAUe-tai [373].
because the Spirit of :glory and :of :God rests upon you.
c. 4:15-16 CHRISTIAN! SUFFER NOT FOR WRONGDOING, BUT FOR CHRIST
me gar tis huMON pasCHEto [3958] hos phoNEUS [5406], e KLEPtes [2812],
For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or thief,
eka-ko-poiOS [2555], e hos al-lo-tri-o-ePISko-pos [244]:
or evil-doer, or as an inspector of others:
ei de hos Chris-ti-aNOS [5546], me ais-chuNEStho[153]; do-xaZEto de ton TheON en tooNOma-ti TOUto.
16 but if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify :God in this :name.
d. 4:17 TRIAL OF JUDGMENT: FIRST FOR THE CHURCH
HOti ho kaiROS tou ARxas-thai [756] to KRImaaPO tou OIkou [3624] tou TheOU: ei de PROton aph' heMON,
For the season is come for the judgment to begin at the house of :God: and if first at us,
ti to TElos [5056]ton a-peiTHOUNton [544]to tou TheOU eu-ag-geLIo [2098]?
what the end of them that obey not the gospel of :God?
e. 4:18 And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where then shall the ungodly and sinner appear?
kai ei ho DIkai-os MOlis [3433]SOze-tai [4982], ho de a-seBES [765]kai ha-mar-toLOS [268]pou phaNEItai?
f. 4:19 WHEN PERSECUTED: COMMIT SELF TO YOUR CREATOR
HOSte kai hoi PASchon-tes [3958]kaTA to THEle-ma tou TheOU
Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of :God
pisTOKTISte [2939]pa-ra-tiTHEStho-san [3908]tas psuCHAS [5590]en a-ga-tho-poiIa [16].
commit their souls in well-doing to a faithful Creator.
B. 5:1-5 RESPONSIBILITY IN RELATIONSHIPS
a. 5:1-3 RESPONSIBILITY OF ELDERS TO FLOCK
pres-buTErous [4245] oun en huMIN pa-ra-kaLO [3870], ho sun-presBUte-ros [4850],
Theelders therefore among you I exhort, the fellow-elder,
kai MARtus [3144]ton tou ChrisTOU pa-theMAton,
and witness of the sufferings of the Christ,
ho kai tes melLOUses [3195]a-po-kaLUPtes-thai [601]DOxes koi-noNOS [2844]:
who am also partaker of the glory to be revealed:
poiMAna-te [4165]to en huMIN POIMni-on [4168]tou TheOU, mea-nag-kasTOS [317], alLA e-kouSIos [1596];
2 Tend the flock of :God which is among you, not of constraint, but willingly;
meDE ais-chro-kerDOS [147], alLA proTHUmos [4290];
nor yet for filthy lucre, but of ready mind;
med' hos ka-ta-ku-riEUon-tes [2634]ton KLEron [2819], alLA TUpoi [4179]giNOme-noi tou poimNIou.
3 neither as lording it over those allotted you, but being examples to the flock.
b. 5:4 THE REWARD OF CHRIST FOR FAITHFULNESS
kai pha-ne-roTHENtos [5319]tou ar-chiPOIme-nos [750],
And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested,
ko-miEISthe [2865]ton ha-maRANti-non [162]tes DOxes STEpha-non [4735].
you shall receive the unfading crown of :glory.
c. 5:5a Likewise, youyounger, be subject to elders.
HoMOIos, neOte-roi [3501], hu-poTAge-te [5293]pres-buTErois [4245].
d. 5:5b MUTUAL SUBJECTION: TO MERIT GOD'S GRACE
PANtes de, alLElois ten ta-pei-no-phroSUnen [5012]eg-komBOsas-the [1463]:
Yes, all gird yourselves with :humility toward one another:
HOti ho TheOS hu-pe-rePHAnois an-tiTASse-tai [498], ta-peiNOIS de DIdo-sin CHArin.
for :God resists theproud, but gives grace to thehumble.
C. 5:6-11 GOD'S METHOD OF STABLISHING US THROUGH TRIALS
a. 5:6-7 SUBJECTION TO GOD: A MEANS TO RECEIVE HIS CARE
Ta-peiNOthe-te [5013]oun huPO ten kra-taiAN [2900]CHEIra tou TheOU,
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of :God,
HIna huMAS huPSOse[5312]en kaiRO[2540];
that he might exalt you in season;
PAsan ten MErim-nan [3308]huMON e-piRIpsan-tes [1977]ep' auTON, HOti auTOMElei peRI huMON.
7 casting all your :anxiety upon him, because he cares for you.
b. 5:8-9 OUR STEADY STAND AGAINST THE DEVIL.
NEpsa-te [3525], gregoREsa-te [1127]: ho anTIdi-kos [476]huMON diAbo-los [1228],
Be sober, watch: the devil, your Adversary,
hos LEon [3023]o-ruOme-nos [5612], pe-ri-paTEI, zeTON [2212]ka-ta-piEIN [2666]:
as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking to gulp down:
hoanTIStete [436]ste-reOI [2731]tePIStei, eiDOtes ta auTA ton pa-theMAton
9 whom withstand stedfast in the faith, knowing thatthe same :sufferings are being accomplished
teen toKOSmohuMON a-delPHOte-ti [81]e-pi-teLEISthai [2005].
in your :brotherhood which isin the world.
c. 5:10 STABLISHMENT BY GOD COMES AFTER SUFFERING
Ho de TheOS PAses CHAri-tos, ho kaLEsas huMAS eis ten aiOni-on [166]auTOU DOxan en ChrisTO,
And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal :glory in Christ,
oLIgon paTHONtas [3958], auTOS ka-tarTIsei [2675], steRIxei [4741], stheNOsei [4599].
after you have suffered a little, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.
d. 5:11a To him the dominion unto the ages. auTOto KRAtos [2904] eis tous aiOnas [165].
e. 5:11b Amen. aMEN.
D. 5:12-14a. TESTIMONY AND GREETINGS.
a. 5:12 TESTIMONY TO THIS GOSPEL OF GRACE
DiA Si-lou-aNOU huMIN tou pisTOU a-delPHOU, hos loGIzo-mai, di' oLIgon Egra-psa, pa-ra-kaLON,
By Silvanus, as I account him, the faithful brother to you I have written briefly, exhorting,
kai e-pi-mar-tuRON [1957]tauTEN EInai a-leTHECHArin tou TheOU: eis hen STEte [2476].
and testifying that this is the true grace of :God: stand therein.
b. 5:13 She in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my :son.
AsPAze-tai [782]huMAS, heen Ba-buLOni su-ne-klekTE[4899]: kai MARkos ho huiOS mou.
c. 5:14a Greet one another with a kiss of love.
asPAsas-the alLElous en phiLEma-ti [5370]aGApes.
E. 5:14b Peace to you all thosein Christ. EiREnehuMIN PAsin tois en ChrisTO.
NOTE: Trials! Testings! We often think that we as individuals are the only ones sustaining such terrible difficulties. Not so! Allmembers of the human race are tested: Jesus the Son of man, Paul, Peter, all the apostles and all early believers. So - let us not think that we alone face these things!
And - persecution for Jesus' sake is a goodsign! He that chooses to live a godly life in Christ Jesus shallsuffer persecution! To let the Holy Spirit have His way in us will bring us into the same type of fiery trials as experienced by King David! There was a young man of Port Alberni BC who was working in the woods. When confronted with the above truth, he responded with surprise - “Why, I neversuffer persecution from my fellow-workers in the woods.” “Well, what do you tell them in your Christian testimony?” “Why, he said, “I never tell them I'm a Christian!”
In 4:17 Peter reveals to us that judgment willbegin with God's people, and thenwith the world. God wants His church to be in shape as a visible witness to the world both in life and word - and thenHe will use us along with His returned Son - to bring judgment on the world.
4:18 is a most sobertruth. God gave His all in giving His Son in death for our Redemption. ThenHe gives the Holy Spirit on the basis of Christ's Redemption to work out godliness in and through us. Such is a mightywork. In the light of this, consider the precarious position of sinners!
In 5:1-3 we see that apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors and evangelists are allfellow-elders. These five compose the Bible Eldership, a synonym for the term “Presbytery.” Do allbelong today in the Eldership Category? Paul in 1 Cor 12:29 says, No!” Only those called by Jesus and confirmed by an existing Eldership can qualify. And - all elders are - or should be - servants of the people, God's sheep.
And humility(5:5b) is the key test of true elders, members of the 5-fold ministries of Eph 4:11. By this test, it is easyto discern the frauds. By their fruitsyou shall know them.
5:8-9. Many professing believers today do not believe in a personal devil. Such are notin the camp of Jesus, Peter, Paul - and all who like Rees Howells have allowed themselves to be possessed by the Holy Spirit. Why should he make himself real to anyone who is not threatening his kingdom? But as soon as Rees Howells made this decision as a 2-year old believer - immediatelythe enemy attacked him, and the blinders fell off of Rees's eyes. Doctrine is understood by obedience, not by study or supposition.
5:10. This, like allScripture passages, is a richportion of the Word of God! Thank God for the Holy Spirit through Peter, who has left us such a marvelous inheritance! And remember, Jesus and the Word (LOgos) are one! John 1:1. - J.A.W.