1. Petrus 4:14

for--Greek, "IN the name of Christ," namely, as Christians (Pe1 4:16; Pe1 3:14, above); "in My name, because ye belong to Christ." The emphasis lies on this: Pe1 4:15, "as a murderer, thief," &c., stands in contrast. Let your suffering be on account of Christ, not on account of evil-doing (Pe1 2:20). reproached--Reproach affects noble minds more than loss of goods, or even bodily sufferings. the spirit . . . upon you--the same Spirit as rested on Christ (Luk 4:18). "The Spirit of glory" is His Spirit, for He is the "Lord of glory" (Jam 2:1). Believers may well overcome the "reproach" (compare Heb 11:26), seeing that "the Spirit of glory" rests upon them, as upon Him. It cannot prevent the happiness of the righteous, if they are reproached for Christ, because they retain before God their glory entire, as having the Spirit, with whom glory is inseparably joined [CALVIN]. and of God--Greek, "and the (Spirit) of God"; implying that the Spirit of glory (which is Christ's Spirit) is at the same time also the Spirit of God. on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified--omitted in the two oldest Greek manuscripts and Syriac and Coptic versions, but supported by one very old manuscript, Vulgate, Sahidic, CYPRIAN, &c. "Evil spoken of," literally, "blasphemed"; not merely do they "speak against you," as in Pe1 3:16, but blasphemously mock Christ and Christianity itself.

The work of a Christian is twofold - doing the will of God and suffering his pleasure. This chapter directs us in both. The duties we are here exhorted to employ ourselves in are the mortification of sin, living to God, sobriety, prayer, charity, hospitality, and the best improvement of our talents, which the apostle presses upon Christians from the consideration of the time they have lost in their sins, and the approaching end of all things (Pe1 4:1-11). The directions for sufferings are that we should not be surprised at them, but rejoice in them, only take care not to suffer as evil-doers. He intimates that their trials were near at hand, that their souls were in danger as well as their bodies, and that the best way to preserve their souls is to commit them to God in well-doing.

4:14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed (literally you are blessed when you are reproached): This verse reflects Jesus’ teaching in Matt 5:11-12.