Peter the
apostle told the “scattered” Christians they were
“partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be
revealed” they would “be glad also with exceeding joy”,
and in chapter four and verse fourteen of his letter, Peter told the
Christians they should be “happy”
“if they be reproached for the name of Christ”
where we read:
If
you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are
you; for the spirit of glory and of God
rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part
he is glorified.
The
verse begins, “If you be reproached
for the name of Christ, happy are you;”
Peter began
with the word, “If”
which means “whether or forasmuch” “you
be reproached”
or “upbraided, reviled and cast in one's teeth” “for
the name” which
refers to “that which is used for everything which the name covers
including thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by
mentioning, hearing, remembering, one's rank, authority, interests,
pleasure, command, excellences and deeds” “of
Christ”
who is “the anointed One, Messiah and Son of God” “happy
are you”
or “blessed, fortunate and well off are the Christians”. Peter
told the Christians they were “blessed and fortunate” if they
were “reviled and upbraided” for “Christ's name”.
The
verse goes on to say, “for the spirit of glory and of God
rests upon you:” Peter added,
“for the spirit”
which means “a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all
grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring,
deciding, acting and life giving being” “of glory”
or “opinion, judgment, view, estimate, splendor and brightness”
“and of God” which
refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God
the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “rests”
or “causes or permits one to cease from any movement or labour in
order to recover and collect his strength” “upon you”
which refers to the Christians who are “reproached”.
Finally
the verse says, “on their part he is evil spoken of, but
on your part he is glorified.” Peter
ended this verse by using the words, “on their part”
which means “among them” “he is evil spoken of”
which means “blasphemed or railed on”, “but”
which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be
written takes precedence over what was previously stated, “moreover,
nevertheless and nonetheless” “on your part”
which refers to the Christians who were “scattered” “he
is glorified” or “praised,
extolled, magnified, celebrated and honored”. Even though Jesus
Christ's spirit which is “blasphemed and railed on” “rested
upon” the Christians, the
Christians could rely upon the “spirit of glory”
being upon them.
When
we meditate upon these words of Peter, we find ourselves
understanding there will be a “cost” of “reproach” for
our trusting in, relying upon and clinging to Jesus Christ. However,
when this blasphemy comes, we can “rejoice” that we
identify with Jesus in this behavior. Though others will speak in an
“evil” way against us, Jesus will be “glorified”
in our lives. May the Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit help us to know
when we are “reproached” for His name, we are “blessed,
fortunate and well off” in Him.
Next
time Peter tells the Christians they should not “suffer
as a murderer, or as
a thief, or as
an evildoer, or as a busybody”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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