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Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 4:1-11
In the foregoing message we considered 1 Pet. 4:1-4. Verse 1 says, “Christ, therefore, having suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same mind, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” Peter’s word concerning arming ourselves indicates fighting, warfare. In 1 Pet. 2:11 Peter also speaks of war, the war between the fleshly lusts and the soul: “Beloved, I entreat you as sojourners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” Both 1 Pet. 2:11 and 1 Pet. 4:1 refer to the same kind of fighting, to the warfare between the lusts and our soul. According to Peter’s word in 4:1, we need to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ in order to fight against the flesh with its lusts.
If we would arm ourselves with the mind of Christ, we must have Christ as our life. If we try to arm ourselves with the same mind without having Christ as our life, we shall merely be imitating Christ in an outward way. As we have pointed out in a previous message, this kind of imitation can be compared to that of a monkey who has been trained to imitate a human being.
In 4:2 Peter says that we should no longer live in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God. Then in verses 3 and 4 he presents a picture of the vain manner of life. In particular, in verse 4 he points out that the unbelievers think it strange that we do not run together with them into the same flood of dissipation. In many cases, the unbelievers blaspheme the believers, speak injuriously of them.
In verse 5 Peter goes on to say, “Who shall render an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” The relative pronoun “who” in this verse refers to the nations (v. 3), who are astonished at the believers’ different manner of life and speak evil of them (v. 4).
In verse 5 Peter says that the unbelievers will render an account to the One who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For anyone to render an account to God is to relate to Him all that he has done and spoken in his entire life. This reveals the government of God over all men. He is ready to judge all, both the living and the dead. His judgment is His governmental administration to deal with the situation among men.
Christ will judge the living and the dead. First, at His throne of glory before the millennium He will judge those who are living of the nations (Matt. 25:31-46). Then He will judge the dead at the great white throne after the millennium (Rev. 20:11-15). This will also be the judgment of God’s government, but it differs from the judgment on the believers in verse 6, which begins from the house of God in this age (v. 17).
In Acts 10:42 Peter says that God has ordained Christ to be the Judge of the living and the dead. In 2 Timothy 4:1 Paul says to Timothy, “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is about to judge the living and the dead....” God has given all judgment to Christ because He is a man (John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42; 17:31; Rom. 2:16). As the righteous Judge (2 Tim. 4:8), He will judge the living at the time of His second appearing, and He will judge the dead after the millennium. Therefore, the Lord will exercise God’s judgment over all men, over the living and the dead.
Verse 6 says, “For unto this end the gospel was preached also to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” For centuries, the meaning of this verse has been debated. What does it mean to say that the “gospel was preached also to the dead”? The dead refers to the dead believers in Christ, who suffered persecution because of their Christian testimony, as referred to in 1 Pet. 1:6; 2:18-21; 3:16-17 and 4:12-19. This kind of persecution is considered by Peter in this book as God’s judgment, according to the government of God, which begins from the house of God (v. 17). The gospel was preached to these dead believers while they were living, in order that they might on one hand be judged, dealt with, by God through the opposers’ persecution according to men in the flesh, but, on the other hand, live by believing in Christ according to God in the spirit. This shows how strict and serious is the judgment of God in His governmental administration. If the believers, who have been obedient to the gospel, are dealt with by God’s governmental judgment, how much more will those who oppose the gospel and blaspheme the believers be judged by God’s dealing!
In verse 6 “spirit” denotes the believers’ spirit, regenerated and indwelt by the Spirit of God (John 3:6; Rom. 8:10-11). In this way the believers’ spirit becomes a mingled spirit, in which they should live and walk (Rom. 8:4).
The word “dead” is used in both verse 5 and verse 6. In verse 5 the dead refers to all those unbelievers who have died and who will be judged by the Lord at the white throne after the millennium. In verse 6 the same word refers to dead believers. By the time Peter wrote this Epistle, a good number of the Jewish believers had died. The gospel had been preached to these believers while they were alive. Therefore, “the gospel was preached also to the dead” means that it was preached to certain believers who had died before this Epistle was written.
Peter says that the gospel was preached to the dead so that they might be judged according to men in the flesh. These believers were judged after they were saved. They were judged in the flesh while they were still living.
If we would understand what Peter says concerning judgment in verse 6, we need to have a full view of the entire Epistle. The whole book of 1 Peter is on God’s government, and God’s government is carried out mainly by His judgment. God’s judgment began from the rebellious angels (2 Pet. 2:3-4) in Genesis 6. Then it passed through the generations of man in the Old Testament (2 Pet. 2:5-9). For example, God’s judgment was exercised upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The judgment of God was also exercised a number of times upon the children of Israel in the wilderness. Nearly two million Israelites died in the wilderness under God’s judgment. In a sense, even Moses died under God’s judgment. Aaron, Miriam, and Moses all died under the judgment of God, for they all had done certain things that were wrong, against God’s government. It is a serious matter that even a man of God like Moses could die under God’s judgment. The two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, were judged by God and died (Lev. 10:1-2). Furthermore, in one day more than twenty thousand Israelites were slain because of God’s judgment. Eventually, of all those who came out of Egypt at the time of the exodus, only two persons, Joshua and Caleb, entered into the good land. Because they had been faithful throughout the journey, they did not come under judgment but rather were allowed to enter into the land of Canaan. But all the others, those who experienced the Passover, drank of the living water from the cleft rock, witnessed the miracles of God, and ate manna, became disobedient and died under God’s judgment. Even a small degree of disobedience shown by Moses caused him to suffer God’s judgment. All these instances should cause us to realize how serious God’s judgment is.
In the New Testament age God’s judgment begins from the house of God (1 Pet. 1:17; 4:17) and will continue until the coming of the day of the Lord (2 Pet. 3:10), which will be a day of judgment on the Jews, the believers, and the Gentiles before the millennium. After the millennium, all the dead, including men and demons, will be judged and will perish (1 Pet. 4:5; 2 Pet. 3:7), and the heavens and the earth will be burned up (2 Pet. 3:10, 12).
Many Christians hold the concept that to be judged by God is to suffer eternal perdition. This is a traditional understanding of God’s judgment. Actually, in the Bible there are varied judgments, and the results of these different judgments are not the same. Some judgments result in a disciplinary dealing, some in a dispensational punishment, and some in eternal perdition. By all these judgments the Lord God will clear up the entire universe and purify it so that He may have a new heaven and new earth for a new universe filled with His righteousness (2 Pet. 3:13) for His delight.
According to 4:6, even persecution is regarded as a part of God’s judgment. Verses 14 through 17 of this chapter indicate that persecution is the beginning of God’s judgment. In verses 15 and 16 Peter says that we should not suffer as wrongdoers or as those who meddle into others’ affairs. Instead, we should suffer as Christians. Then in verse 17 he goes on to say that it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God. This indicates that, according to Peter’s understanding, even the persecution suffered by the believers was God’s judgment.
Not many Christians realize that the persecutions suffered by the believers may be God’s judgment upon them. I did not have this understanding of verse 6 until my recent study of this Epistle. As a result of my study, I came to see that the judgment spoken of in verse 6 refers to the persecutions assigned by God to His chosen people. In order to keep us from sin or cause us to cease from indulging in our lusts, God may assign a certain kind of persecution to us. This assignment of persecution is God’s governmental judgment; it is His judgment in His dispensational discipline. Therefore, persecution may be a dispensational discipline exercised by God over His chosen people. The judgment in verse 6 definitely is not a judgment related to eternal perdition, to eternal condemnation, but rather a dispensational discipline.
We have seen that God’s governmental dealing is exercised through different kinds of judgment. He judged the rebellious angels, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the children of Israel in the wilderness. God also judges the New Testament saints. Persecution may come to believers because they are wrong in certain things. God may use persecution as a dispensational discipline. This dispensational discipline is God’s governmental judgment exercised upon us to perfect us. The purpose of this judgment is that we may live according to God in the spirit.
In 4:7-11 Peter goes on to speak about ministering as good stewards of the varied grace of God. Verse 7 says, “But the end of all things has drawn near; therefore, be soberminded and be sober unto prayers.” All things on which the flesh rests will pass away, and the end of them, the apostle tells us here, has drawn near. This warns us that a life lived in the flesh in the lusts of men (v. 2) will soon be ended, for it is related to all things which will shortly pass away. Therefore, we should be soberminded and be sober unto prayers. Literally, to be soberminded is to be of a sound mind; it is to have a mind of sobriety, able to understand things properly and thoroughly without being disturbed. Furthermore, to be sober unto prayers is to be sober to watch; hence, vigilant. This is to be on guard; hence, sober unto prayer. This equals the Lord’s word, “Watch and pray” (Matt. 26:41; Luke 21:36).
We need to realize that all things will come to an end. Peter says that the end of all things has drawn near. Therefore, instead of loving material things, we should be soberminded and be sober unto prayers. Do not set your mind on a better home, a better car, or a better education. The end of all such things has drawn near.
Verse 8 continues, “Before all things having fervent love among yourselves, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Love must be first.
In verse 9 Peter says, “Be hospitable to one another without murmuring.” Peter wrote this verse according to his experience. He knew that hospitality can be troublesome. Because the saints love the Lord, the church, and the ministry, they are willing to extend hospitality to those visiting from other localities. However, the saints who show hospitality may be hospitable with murmuring. Some may complain about how a saint who once stayed with them conducted himself. This is murmuring. I hope that our hospitality will be without murmuring.
Verse 10 continues, “Each one according as he has received a gift, ministering it among yourselves as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” The varied grace of God, as the all grace in 5:10, is the rich supply of life, which is the Triune God ministered into us in many aspects (2 Cor. 13:14; 12:9). As good stewards, by the gift we have received we should minister to the church and the saints such grace, not merely doctrine or any vain thing.
The fact that verse 10 is the direct continuation of verse 9 indicates that even showing hospitality is a gift. Showing hospitality to others gives us an excellent opportunity to minister to them the varied grace of God. You need grace to prepare food for your guests, to provide transportation for them, and to help them with special needs. It takes patience to wait for them if they are late. By this we see that in our hospitality we need to minister the varied grace of God to others. Of course, in verse 10 Peter does not mean that we minister grace only in hospitality. He means that we minister grace according to whatever gift we have received.
In verse 11 Peter says, “If anyone speaks — as oracles of God; if anyone ministers — as out of the strength which God supplies; that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the might unto the ages of the ages. Amen.” The “oracles” here are the divine speakings or utterances as revelations. In the ministry of grace, as mentioned in verse 10, our speaking should be God’s speaking, God’s utterance, that conveys divine revelation.
In verse 11 Peter mentions the strength which God supplies. God supplies to us the serving strength of Christ’s resurrection life through the Spirit of Christ (Phil. 1:19; 4:13).
The goal of speaking as oracles of God and ministering in the strength that God supplies is that “in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” This indicates that all our ministry of grace, whether in speaking or in serving, should be full of Christ, so that God may be glorified through Christ in all things.
Peter concludes verse 11 with the words, “To whom is the glory and the might unto the ages of the ages. Amen.” The relative pronoun “whom” refers to God. The glory and the might belong to God. Glory is without, and might is within. Might supplies the strength within us; glory is God glorified upon us. Hence, “glory” corresponds to “glorified,” and “might” to “strength.”
