1 Peter
Chapter 4
vs 1
One of the many comments in the epistles that suggest the ability to be through with sin. I won't repeat my comments about 1 Peter 1:14. Sufficed to say that Peter intimates that there is a link between your physical suffering and your ability to ward off sin. This shouldn't be thought of as contradictory to Paul's statement in Colossians about the heretics (proto-gnostics?) who tried to use harsh treatment of the body to distract them from sensual indulgence. Peter is not suggesting that you should flagellate yourself or anything. I can prove it, because he says to have Jesus' attitude, which was not one of self-harm - he let other people harm him.
vs 2
The "he" here is not Christ - it's a hypothetical "he", because the wording suggests that there was a time beforehand where the "he" did live for evil human desires, and of course Christ never did that.
Besides that wordplay, it's worth noting that this is a continuance of Peter's thought on suffering here - that the result of persecution and suffering is a focus on the will of God, to the exclusion of evil desires. Almost makes you wish you could buy suffering-in-a-can... almost.
vs 3
Remember, Peter is talking to a whole bunch of Christians here, so when he says "enough time", he really means "any time at all spent living that life is too much". For people as dumb as me, here's what these words mean:
Debauchery: the greek word means a whole bunch of bad things - basically it's the overindulgence of sensual desires.
Carousing: the word literally means drinking in greek, but considering that "drunkenness" comes just before it, I think an adequate modern translation would be "partying" or perhaps "excessive merrymaking".
Lust: of course does not limit to physical - a lust is an emotional desire of any sort.
vs 4
Yes, here is yet more evidence that Christians need to be different from the mob, and it is that difference that will cause the abuse. It's not because we harass them constantly telling them that drinking = hell for all eternity. It's because we just don't do it - we let their stupid actions judge themselves. Yes, that includes partying. Parties are stupid. Now I have biblical proof. Thank you Peter ;)
vs 5
As I said above, but now it's not just their stupid actions that will make them feel judged - it's Jesus who will judge them.
vs 6
There was still a bit of confusion in the churches about what happened to dead people. (1 &2 Thessalonians are good examples). Remember, the greeks found the whole concept of resurrection a bit difficult to deal with. There was also widespread (although at this time waning) belief that Jesus was really coming back "any day now".
So I don't think that Peter is saying that those who are dead are being preached to. Rather I think he's talking about those who were preached to, and have since died. Makes much more sense that way. Regarding the being judged according to the body but living according to the spirit... well... I'm not sure there. Whatever it is, it's not any sort of gnostic dualism. If it were, there'd be no point judging the body - it would just be automatically guilty.
vs 7
Here's the end of the world like I was saying before. How near is it? Near enough, says Peter. Our response to the end of the world is to pray - and to make sure we can, we need to be clear-minded and self-controlled. If you've ever wondered why prayer is so hard, it's because prayer requires discipline.
vs 8
I always think it's worthwhile acknowledging how much the epistles and even Jesus focus on the necessity for Christians to love one another. I'm not trying to take away from the need for world mission, but I think non-Christians would be heavily impacted if they saw us loving one another a whole lot more. Peter expands on this now.
vs 9
Does this need explanation?
vs 10
The serving of others has been quite deep on my heart recently. I think if we had slaves we would be a whole lot more aware of what this means. Slaves have to put other people before themselves out of necessity. We don't have that kind of role model in our world, nothing like what they had then.
The other thing we can learn from this verse is that God's grace takes various forms. It's not just about salvation. All those things that Christians do for each other, and for the rest of the world, are various forms that God's grace can take. I think we look too much to God's salvation, and perhaps too little at all the other blessings he has given us. There's a lot of them.
2 comments:
v6 - I'm wondering if this was a clarification regarding physical death. Perhaps there was some confusion about "eternal life" being literal in a worldly sense, so that the reality of their fellow Christians physically might have been messing up their heads. If so, Peter's just setting them straight that we still suffer the consequence of sin of the body's death, but not the spirit's death. Just a thought... not sure, but it seems to make sense.
Something else I was thinking, though, was about the terms "debauchery, lust, carousing" etc in v3 - these words are implicitly about excess. I think they are used in contrast with "clear mind" and "self control" in v7. So it's not saying that drinking alcohol or desiring something or whatever are bad in themselves, but when they begin to impact your judgement and actions, and of course prayer.
Although I suspect you knew that... you just wanted to say Peter says you can't party - nothing like making the inerrant word of God fit your own personal agenda! Way to go!
Another commentator thinks that vs 6 is a reference to martyrs and martyrdom - they were judged in the flesh by their oppressors, and now live as disembodied spirits with God.
I think your idea about a clarification of "eternal life" is a good one, but I haven't actually heard about that as a difficulty which was being corrected by the apostles in the churches without relating to the timing of the return of Christ. Not saying you're wrong, just that I've never heard it.
While I agree that some of those things are "sins of excess" if you like, I don't think that's a commonality - orgies, for example, or idolatory, are not things which any Apostle would say should be done "in moderation".
I think the commonality between the terms is their commonness in pagan circles and lifestyle, and the fact that you won't be doing any of these things anymore (vs 4).
The greek term for lust is actually used by Paul to describe an evil and non-Christian desire, and again it's not because of an excess. It's because emotional desires are not godly desires when you are trying to fulfil them outside of God. The need for attention, or comfort, or security or love should not be sought anywhere but God.
I preached on this when I was doing Colossians, why weren't you listening? And don't say "Oh, I live in Sydney"...
And Penny tells me that "partying" at the time consisted of getting drunk and taking to the streets, destroying things and beating people up. I guess if I compare what the term "partying" means for our age group and younger in Australia (getting drunk, listening to bad music, hitching up with some stranger, vomiting on other people's property, and not being able to remember what you did the night before) I'd equally say that carousing in moderation is not suggestible.
So still no parties. In fact, I'd say, like Peter did, that any amount of these things is too much.
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