“Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12 HCSB).
Our look at this passage now brings us to the valuable insights offered by the following group of commentators…
“All of us want to be liked, but Jesus tells us that Christians sometimes will be hated. When I hear this I think of the prophet Jeremiah. Every time he spoke God’s Word he was drowned out by a chorus of false prophets. The difference between Jeremiah and the false prophets was that they only told the people what they wanted to hear, while Jeremiah told them what they needed to hear. Jeremiah’s message heralded doom, so the false prophets won all the popularity contests. Bear in mind that Jeremiah was a human being. He was indeed anointed by the Holy Spirit to his task, but the hatred of his fellow citizens wounded him deeply.” (1)
“The natural attitude for a Christian is to look on persecution as strange and abnormal. We are surprised when we have to suffer. But Peter tells us that we should consider it as normal Christian experience. We have no right to expect better treatment from the world than our Savior received. All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2Ti 3:12).” (2)
“Some Christians feel ‘surprised’ when other people misunderstand, dislike, insult, and treat them harshly as they seek to carry out God’s will. Peter reminded his readers that this reaction against them is not a ‘strange thing,’ but normal Christian experience. Their persecutions were ‘fiery (burning) ordeals,’ in the sense that they were part of God’s refining process and were uncomfortable (cf. 2:11). It was for their ‘testing’ (Gr. pairasmos, proving), to manifest their faith, that God allowed their sufferings (cf. James 1:2-4).” (3)
Since it is always easier to “go with the flow” of a world that holds little interest in God, a person who seeks to follow Christ is bound to meet with resistance to that decision. As our final commentator observes…
“Christians should not be surprised when they suffer. It is the nature of Christian life that it leads to conflict with the non-Christian world (1:6). The suffering that ensues, however, has redemptive value (see 1:6-7) and for that reason becomes a cause for joy. Such suffering confirms that Christians are in the succession of Christ and will receive glory as Christ did (4:13-14).” (4)
(1) Sproul, R. C. (1993). Before the face of God: Book 2: A daily guide for living from the Gospel of Luke (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries.
(2) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers. Pg 2278.
(3) Constable, Thomas. DD, Notes on 1 Peter 2023 Edition “Suffering and glory 4:12-14” [4:12] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/1peter/1peter.htm
(4) Kendall, David W. “1. In response to hostilities (4:12-19)” In Asbury Bible Commentary. 1195. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 1992.