“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14).
The second half of 1 Peter 4:14 references the concept of “blasphemy.” The word blasphemy is associated with “…those who speak contemptuously of God or of sacred things.” (1) It may also encompass an attitude of disrespect for God in our speech or behavior. Therefore, we can characterize a blasphemous person as someone who communicates disdain for God through his or her words and/or actions.
Unfortunately, blasphemy has become so widespread and ingrained within our contemporary culture that it often goes unrecognized or overlooked. For instance, one common form of blasphemy takes place whenever someone employs Jesus’ name as a profanity or an expletive. Another occurs whenever we casually refer to God in a thoughtless, flippant, irreverent, or frivolous manner. Some examples might include the term “ohmigod,” “OMG,” or other similar expressions.
These terms are blasphemous because they exhibit a lack of respect and reverence for God. They also reveal the presence of a presumptive mindset that assumes that God’s name is not worthy to be taken seriously. Furthermore, they disregard a clear directive from the Scripture: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7 NIV). Those who abuse the Lord’s name in such a manner will eventually be held to account for their behavior.
The specific form of blasphemy mentioned here in 1 Peter 4:14 means to “defame, revile, [or] slander.” (2) Slander refers to the act of intentionally spreading false information in order to harm someone’s reputation. Today, we might refer to such conduct as “character assassination.” This word thus conveys a contemptuous or disrespectful attitude towards toward someone else. It also recalls Jesus’ cautionary message from Matthew 5:21-22…
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell” (Matthew 5:21-22 NLT).
These warnings should prompt us to carefully consider our assessments of other human beings who are made in God’s image.
(1) G987 blasphemeo Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/b/blaspheme-blasphemy-blasphemer-blasphemous.html
(2) G987 blasphemeo Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/blasphemeo-0