1 Peter 4:8, NLT: "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins." Or it may be joined with the counsel ‘arm yourselves,’ the intervening clause being then regarded as a parenthesis. 10:12: “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” It is also something James appealed to: “remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20). 2. The Canaanites were renowned for their homosexual practices. John Piper This is why 4:8 calls not merely for love but for an earnest love that persistently continues to cover, to suppress, the potential for the destruction of the community. Thanks Bill. In the United States, the American Dream is often proclaimed as if it were gospel: anyone who works hard and makes good choices can be happy and successful. I contend that we are probably better off understanding the saying to be a social one by Peter. The ‘lusts of men’ and the ‘will of God’ are contrasted as two opposite services to which one’s life may be dedicated (as in 1 Peter 2:24. Peter also wants his readers to understand the *grac… God is love. 4:8,9, and 10). My flesh wanted to let others know how this person hurt me and what they did, but the Spirit that dwells within me said, “Do not tell anyone what they did. Clearly, living in community with other believers for a sustained period of time – especially in a hostile society – gives plenty of opportunity for such “sins” to occur that hurt members of the community, sow seeds of bad feelings, and fuel ongoing cycles of evil, deceit, hypocrisies, jealousies, and backbiting. Lesson Plans for 1 Peter Bible Study. It offers reflection and commentary drawing upon the wealth of wisdom found in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Sin remains sin, even when doing the right thing might mean forfeiting your life (Revelation 2:10). I Peter 4:7-8 “The end of all things is near. ". And, he had special advice for the church leaders (1 Peter 5:1-4). You must state your full name to have your comments posted. . ‘Rather, such times grant to us opportunity for spiritual growth and development. 1 Peter: Trials, Holy Living & The Lord's Coming Click chart to enlarge Chart from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Another Chart from Charles Swindoll - click chart on right side. – Cultural Background for 1 Peter. He did not stand on the bank and say “you’re drowning. (1 Peter 4:8 ESV) A few years back, I had a friend that hurt me really badly. Lusts of men—Making, not the base desires of ungodly men their law, but the will of God, and his will alone, for the rest of their earthly life. This understanding that love covers sins by not responding in kind to behaviour that destroys community is consistent with the exhortation of 1 Pet. Start Here! Their duty is to their new Father.— ’ gives the result of . We might suffer because we are Christians. The community that loves one another is able to forgive one another more rapidly when minor issues arise.”. 11.(1.) Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Instead of reading the word of God and understanding it in its plain sense – as is mostly determined by context – they will read into it their own spin on things. The author of 1 Peter understands the gospel and its consequences quite differently. 1:22; 3:8). In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. It was painful. And the speedy approach of death and judgment concerns all, to which these words naturally lead our minds. 1 Peter 4:8. When a verse is so twisted and so distorted to serve evil ends, then you know that not just horrible hermeneutics but diabolical deception is at work. Analogous phrases occur in Acts 15:1, ‘circumcised after the manner of Moses,’ and Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:25, ‘Walk in the Spirit,’ ‘live in (i.e according to) the Spirit.’ This also makes it probable that the ‘lusts of men’ here are not the lusts of human nature in the readers themselves (or in the man described as suffering), but the lusts indulged by the heathen around the readers. Observe that person who has learned how to keep a strong grip on the Savior in time of great stress and difficulty…’ (Oberst p. 195). ‘There is nothing wrong with sleeping around, after all, love covers all sins!’. See 1 Peter 4:8 (printed below) Above all else, maintain a fervent love for each other, because love covers a multitude of sins. John Piper Oct 11, 2016 573 Shares Look at the Book. Account #: 613094 CultureWatch is a faith ministry and I get no salary. “Your baptism was a promise (1 Peter 3:21)to God! In verse 3 he said this: “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.”. Deception ran real deep in that poor gal, and we need to keep her in prayer. If you love your brother, you will want them to be more and more like Christ, and less and less bound by sin. This will not always be possible, and ‘open rebuke is better than secret love’ as Prov. Love is our priority: it is “above all things” or, more literally, “before all things” ( pro pantōn) (1 Pet. One day they willlive with God in heaven and share God’s *glory. ‘no longer for the lusts of men’-Which presents no middle ground between ‘lusts’ and the ‘will of God’. Readers are welcome to post comments on the material posted here, but some simple rules apply: If you are happy to abide by these rules, then by all means, send in your comments. But if we attach 1 Peter 4:2 to the clause “arm yourselves,” it runs, without any confusion, thus: “As Christ suffered to the flesh without shrinking, take for your protection and support the same thought which proved. Oct 13, 2016. 1 Peter 4:18 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] 1 Peter 4:18, NIV: "And, 'If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?'" * Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever – Matthew 8:14,15. [3] Peter continually presents Jesus as an example for the Christians in Asia Minor to follow. Peter advised these Christians to love each other (1 Peter 4:8). Love covers a multitude of sins through tears and repentance. 6 For in Scripture it says: In this case it becomes part of the genera proposition as to the end put to one’s relation to sin by the suffering of death, explaining the moral intention of the change of relation. Sin, 1 Peter 4:1, shows itself in the desires [lusts], and suffering in the flesh reminds the man that the rest of his time in the flesh is at length about to have an end.— ἀνθρώπων, of men) those of yourselves and others.— ἐπιθυμίαις, lusts or desires) of various kinds: but the will of God is perfect. bioo. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. a protection and support to Him—viz., that to be rid of sin for ever was the greatest of all possible blessings, and that this is only attainable through the bodily death; and the result of embracing this thought will be, that for the rest of your lives on earth (so soon, perhaps, to be cut violently short.) That Peter could never have thought of verse 8 as in any way excusing or condoning sin is simply ludicrous if we read a few verses earlier. But if this passage is NOT about condoning sin, justifying sin, making excuses for sin, or letting sinners easily off the hook, then what exactly does it mean? It offers reflective and incisive commentary on a wide range of issues, helping to sort through the maze of competing opinions, worldviews, ideologies and value systems. It is about Christian community and how believers can live together as Christ would have them to. But to use this text as a justification for what the Bible clearly condemns as sin is a terrible case of Scripture twisting. Points to Note: 1. Purchase from Bill Muehlenberg Scripture: 1 Peter 4:9. Name: W J and A A Muehlenberg. Therefore BE alert and OF sober mind SO that you may pray. 1 Peter: Trials, Holy Living & The Lord's Coming Click chart to enlarge Chart from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Another Chart from Charles Swindoll - click chart on right side. Only here. Love exists “above all,” … When Jesus first refused the request of the Canaanite woman to heal her daughter, he referred to the Canaanits as “dogs”. To illustrate’ The ‘right’ to choose to be ‘offended’ seems to mean that one’s choice becomes sacrosanct; the right’ to refuse medical treatment is expanded to a ‘right’ to be killed. Commentary on 1 Peter 4:7-11 (Read 1 Peter 4:7-11) The destruction of the Jewish church and nation, foretold by our Saviour, was very near. When he says, the rest of time in the flesh, the word flesh means the present life, as in Hebrews 5:7. so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. Comments which are simply attacks on myself, or are done in bad taste, or use rude language, or are possibly defamatory will not be posted. 1:22: “From your heart love one another earnestly, for you have been born again.” The requirements of such love are further explained in 2:1 as “putting off all evil and all deceit and hypocrisies and jealousies, and all backbiting.” And in 3:9 Peter further commands that blessing is to be returned for insult. Breaking Down the Key Parts of 1 Peter 4:8 #1 “Above all,” Love is the greatest commandment. The latter idea is more consistent with the longer formula, ‘live the remaining time in the flesh;’ with which compare 1 Peter 1:17. Scot McKnight puts it this way: “We have all probably heard this statement bandied about to justify many kinds of behaviours, but what does this saying mean for Peter? Heaven is their real home. practice, habit, lifestyle, daily living. And as always, context is king. , and his will alone, for the rest of their earthly life. Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind: The commitment God calls us to have is nothing greater than the commitment Jesus had in enduring suffering for our salvation. He continued to love us as we dragged him under to be drowned Himself. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, That he no longer should live - in the flesh -, не по человеческим похотям. We should tell them gently about Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). How the covering of righteousness works is as outlined by precisely and beautifully by Isaiah in chapter 61. We ought further to notice the contrast between God’s will and the covetings or lusts of men We hence understand how great is our depravity, and how we ought to strive to become obedient to God. So perhaps Jesus did say something about homosexuality. It hence follows, that nothing is right and well ordered in man’s life as soon as he wanders from this rule. Two connections are possible, between which it is difficult to decide. Let me spend the rest of this article seeking to do just that: offer a much more obvious and biblical meaning. . 1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, (NASB: Lockman) you may no longer live to men’s lusts, but to God’s will.”. [Note: Davids, p150. ‘the rest of the time in the flesh’-Thus the statement, ‘suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin’, does not refer to when a Christian dies. Yes we are to be forgiving, patient and tolerant with one another, since we are all works in progress when it comes to sanctification. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Read 1 Peter through in one sitting. The ability of people to distort and manipulate Scripture for their own purposes knows no bounds. Compare App-170. What Grumbling Says About God 1 Peter 4:9. Loving our brother means being willing to overlook or ignore a whole range of things that might otherwise bother us, offend us, or weary us. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. [Note: Wiersbe, 2:420. That serving God becomes stronger than the will for momentary comfort or the will to live on in the flesh. . Compare Paul’s contrast between the ‘works of the flesh’ which are discordant and make life itself a discord, and the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit which is a unity, and makes life a unity (Galatians 5:19; Galatians 5:22). Purchase at Koorong.com. Nor is he saying that sin in the church should be ignored or denied (“covered up”). 27:5 says. ], 1 Peter 4:2. to the end, no longer according to men’s lasts but according to God’s will, to live the remaining time in the flesh. General Principles of Biblical Interpretation. To the lusts of men; controlled by sinful inclinations. Don’t be surprised, he says, at the fiery trial that you are experiencing. ‘lusts of men’-‘guided not by human passions’ (TCNT). Purchase at Amazon.com Breaking from the bondage of sin means so identifying with the will of God, that God’s desire comes your desire. Optional: Complete our How to Study a Book of The Bible lessons with 1 Peter. ', (2) That he no longer.—The Greek admits at least equally of the translation, That ye no longer, Thus, this second verse will attach itself, not to the clause “that he that hath suffered,” but to the clause “arm yourselves.” And unless this be understood, we become involved in the difficulty that whereas, up to this very point, St. Peter has been urging the future martyrs, by the example of Christ, to face the death of the body bravely, he would now be sliding confusedly into treating of the baptismal death to sin, and indeed actually saying that a martyr’s death was a step to leading the rest of the life on earth becomingly! "for one another" Notice the threefold use of "one another" (cf. Truth isn’t situational or cultural. 1 Peter 4:1. —Making, not the base desires of ungodly men their law, but. John Piper @JohnPiper. Not as Alford, 'Arm yourselves ... with a view no longer to live the rest of your time. It is quite evident that the sins spoken of here are not our own sins, but the sins of other persons, and that the intention is to say that as hatred brings causes of quarrel to the surface, so love puts the faults of other people down out of sight. I have a whole section of my book Strained Relations devoted to that topic. If 1 Peter was written later still, as many Bible scholars suggest, then the Temple would have already been destroyed at the time of writing, and the words in 1 Peter 2:4-10 would have had even greater significance to the original recipients. The course of good living is thus to begin with the former, but we are to advance to the latter. While the sin is meant to cause us to weep and repent, we are then meant to receive God’s absolution and rejoice and celebrate the fact that, through Jesus, our repentance has created righteousness, victory over sin and glory to God. Purchase at Amazon.com Bengel notices the contrast between the ‘lusts’ which are various, and the ‘will of God’ which is one. 2. But the icing on the cake (or the poison on the pill) was this incredible exchange: Someone came to her post and said simply, “fornication is a sin”. To the improvement of talents, v. Our body isn’t our worst enemy, rather sin is something that starts in our thoughts (Mark 7:20-23). 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. I. 1 Pet. From now on. This continues the thoughts of the preceding verse. How to Be More Hospitable 1 Peter 4:9. Study 1 Peter 4 using Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete) to better understand Scripture with full outline and verse meaning. Compare App-124. BSB #: 733349 XHTML: You can use these tags:

. "Flesh" refers to one"s mortal lifetime on earth, not to carnal living (cf. Jesus came to save the lost. Sermon Bible Commentary. This site is meant to express my point of view. ‘This gal’ confuses ‘love’ & sexual activity; which seems related to the fact that every principle is expanded to the limit of its logic. And this overlooking or covering over is not about winking at sin and pretending it does not matter, but seeking to be a peacemaker. That he ... 'That he (the believer, who has once for all obtained cessation from sin by suffering, in the person of Christ, namely, in virtue of his union with the crucified Christ) should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God,' 'Rest of his time in the flesh' (the Greek has 'in' here, not in 1 Peter 4:1 as to Christ) proves that the reference is not to Christ, but to the believer, whose remaining time in the flesh for glorifying God is short (1 Peter 4:3). 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