4 Christ had trouble and pain while he lived in his human body. So you should prepare yourselves to have trouble and pain too. Think about it in the same way that Christ did. If someone has trouble and pain in his body, he stops doing wrong things. 2 As a result, that person will want to do what God wants him to do. In his life in this world, he will not want to do the bad things that people think are good.
3 You have already had enough time in your life to do bad things. Those are the kinds of things that people who do not know God like to do. You did many evil things that your bodies wanted to do. You had sex in a wrong way. You often became drunk. You went to wild parties where you drank too much alcohol. You also worshipped useless idols. [ a ]
4 But now you no longer live in the same wicked way as those people do. They continue to enjoy those wrong things all the time. But you do not join with them. So they insult you. 5 But those people will have to explain to God what they have done. He is ready to judge every person, whether they are alive now or they have already died. 6 That is why even dead people needed to hear the good news about Christ. Their bodies had to die, as all people must die. But they heard the good news so that their spirits could live, as God wants them to live. [ b ]
7 All things in this world will soon come to an end. So you must think clearly. Then you will be able to pray in a serious way. 8 Continue to love each other very much. That is more important than anything else. If you love people, you will forgive them for any wrong things that they have done. 9 Always be happy to have other believers as visitors in your homes.
10 God has helped each of you in a certain way. Think carefully about how to use that gift from God well. Remember that God has given many different gifts to his people so that they can help each other. 11 Has God helped you to speak well? Then speak God's messages to people. Or has God helped you to serve other people? Then let God make you strong to do that. Do everything so that people will praise God. They will say that God is great, because of Jesus Christ. He is the one who has all authority and power for ever. Everyone should praise him! Amen! This is true!
12 My friends, I know that people are causing you to have bad trouble. It is like a fire that is burning you. Do not be surprised about that. These things are happening to you, to show whether you really trust God. Do not think that something strange is happening to you. 13 Instead, be happy when you have trouble. Remember that Christ also received much trouble and pain. If you have trouble like he did, then you will be happy when he returns. At that time, everyone will see how great Christ really is. Then you will be very happy with a great joy. 14 People may insult you because you belong to Christ. But God will bless you when that happens. It shows that the Holy Spirit is with you. He is God's great Spirit.
15 Do not murder anyone. Do not rob anyone. Do not do evil things. Do not try to cause trouble for other people. If you do those things, you deserve to have trouble. 16 But if you receive trouble because you are a Christian, do not be ashamed about that. Instead, you should praise God that you belong to Christ.
17 The time has come when God will start to judge people. He will first judge the people who belong to him. If he will start with his own people, what will happen to other people? They have refused to obey God's good news, so it will surely be very bad for them. 18 The Bible says:
‘When God saves righteous people, that is a difficult thing.
It will surely be much worse for people who turn away from God and who do bad things.’ [ c ]
19 So remember this. If you receive trouble because that is what God wants, you should continue to trust him. God made you and he always does what he has promised. So you should continue to do what is good.
4 Christ suffered while he was in his body. So you should strengthen yourselves with the same kind of thinking Christ had. The one who accepts suffering in this life has clearly decided to stop sinning. 2 Strengthen yourselves so that you will live your lives here on earth doing what God wants, not the evil things that people want to do. 3 In the past you wasted too much time doing what those who don’t know God like to do. You were living immoral lives, doing the evil things you wanted to do. You were always getting drunk, having wild drinking parties, and doing shameful things in your worship of idols.
4 Now those “friends” think it is strange that you no longer join them in all the wild and wasteful things they do. And so they say bad things about you. 5 But they will have to face God to explain what they have done. He is the one who will soon judge everyone—those who are still living and those who have died. 6 Some were told the Good News before they died. They were criticized by others in their life here on earth. But it was God’s plan that they hear the Good News so that they could have a new life through the Spirit. [ a ]
7 The time is near when all things will end. So keep your minds clear, and control yourselves. This will help you in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, love each other deeply, because love makes you willing to forgive many sins. 9 Open your homes to each other and share your food without complaining. 10 God has shown you his grace in many different ways. So be good servants and use whatever gift he has given you in a way that will best serve each other. 11 If your gift is speaking, your words should be like words from God. If your gift is serving, you should serve with the strength that God gives. Then it is God who will be praised in everything through Jesus Christ. Power and glory belong to him forever and ever. Amen.
12 My friends, don’t be surprised at the painful things that you are now suffering, which are testing your faith. Don’t think that something strange is happening to you. 13 But you should be happy that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings. You will be happy and full of joy when Christ shows his glory. 14 When people say bad things to you because you follow Christ, consider it a blessing. When that happens, it shows that God’s Spirit, the Spirit of glory, is with you. 15 You may suffer, but don’t let it be because you murder, steal, make trouble, or try to control other people’s lives. 16 But if you suffer because you are a “Christ-follower,” don’t be ashamed. You should praise God for that name. 17 It is time for judging to begin. That judging will begin with God’s family. If it begins with us, then what will happen to those who don’t accept the Good News of God?
18 “If it is hard for even a good person to be saved,
what will happen to the one who is against God and full of sin?” ( A )
19 So if God wants you to suffer, you should trust your lives to him. He is the one who made you, and you can trust him. So continue to do good.
4 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
4 Therefore, since ( A ) Christ has [ a ] suffered in the flesh, ( B ) arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because ( C ) the one who has [ b ] suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 ( D ) so as to live ( E ) the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the ( F ) will of God. 3 For ( G ) the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, [ c ] ( H ) having pursued a course of indecent behavior, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of ( I ) [ d ] debauchery, and they ( J ) slander you ; 5 but they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge ( K ) the living and the dead. 6 For ( L ) the gospel has for this purpose been [ e ] preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as people, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
7 ( M ) The end of all things [ f ] is near; therefore, ( N ) be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of [ g ] prayer. 8 Above all, ( O ) keep fervent in your love for one another, because ( P ) love covers a multitude of sins. 9 ( Q ) Be hospitable to one another without ( R ) complaint. 10 ( S ) As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good ( T ) stewards of the [ h ] multifaceted grace of God. 11 ( U ) Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking ( V ) actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving [ i ] ( W ) by the strength which God supplies; so that ( X ) in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, ( Y ) to whom belongs the glory and [ j ] dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12 ( Z ) Beloved, do not be surprised at the ( AA ) fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you ( AB ) share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the ( AC ) revelation of His glory ( AD ) you may also rejoice and be overjoyed. 14 If you are insulted [ k ] ( AE ) for the name of Christ, ( AF ) you are blessed, ( AG ) because the Spirit of glory, and of God, rests upon you. 15 Make sure that ( AH ) none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a [ l ] ( AI ) troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a ( AJ ) Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to ( AK ) glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment ( AL ) to begin [ m ] with ( AM ) the household of God; and if it ( AN ) begins [ n ] with us first, what will be the outcome for those ( AO ) who do not obey the ( AP ) gospel of God? 18 ( AQ ) And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved , [ o ] what will become of the ( AR ) godless man and the sinner ? 19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to ( AS ) the will of God are to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
4 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, ( A ) arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. ( B ) 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, ( C ) but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past ( D ) doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ( E ) 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. ( F ) 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ( G ) 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, ( H ) so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
7 The end of all things is near. ( I ) Therefore be alert and of sober mind ( J ) so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, ( K ) because love covers over a multitude of sins. ( L ) 9 Offer hospitality ( M ) to one another without grumbling. ( N ) 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, ( O ) as faithful ( P ) stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. ( Q ) If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, ( R ) so that in all things God may be praised ( S ) through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. ( T )
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you ( U ) to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice ( V ) inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, ( W ) so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ( X ) 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, ( Y ) you are blessed, ( Z ) for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. ( AA ) 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; ( AB ) and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? ( AC ) 18 And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” [ a ] ( AD )
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will ( AE ) should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
