Bible Class Notes on 1 Peter 4:14 | Notes on the Petrine Epistles

These Christians would be reproached for the name of Christ. To suffer reproach for the name of Christ means to suffer ridicule because one has pledged allegiance to Christ. What is probably meant by “ridicule” is verbal abuse. These Christians were probably being made fun of because of their allegiance to Jesus. These Christians were being abused for the “name of Christ.”

Those who are reproached for Jesus’s name are “blessed.” This would once more remind us of Matthew 5:11-12.

These Christians are blessed, because “the spirit of glory and of God rests upon” them. This terminology comes directly from Isaiah 11:2: “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” This text refers to the Messiah. Isaiah is saying God’s Spirit would rest upon the Messiah, and the Messiah would be wise, etc., because of God’s Spirit. Here, Peter applies this passage not to the Messiah, but to Christian believers who endure persecution.

That the spirit of glory and of God rests upon them shows that God approves of their endurance. The glory here looks forward to the eternal glory that shall be theirs. Glory belongs to God (cf. Acts 7:2; Eph 1:17).

This Bible class was originally taught by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at the Owingsville church of Christ in Owingsville, Kentucky.