Sermon Tone Analysis

*TITLE:*

*TEXT: 1 Peter 4:12-19   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.

*

|   | *12* |   | Beloved, |   | do |   | not |   | be |   | surprised |   | at |   | the |   | fiery |   | trial |   | when |   | it |   | comes |   | upon |   |

|   |   |   | Ἀγαπητοί1 |   | ►3 |   | μὴ2 |   | → |   | ξενίζεσθε3 |   | ← |   | τῇ4 |   | πυρώσει7 |   | • |   | → |   | → |   | γινομένῃ11 |   | ἐν5 |   |

|   |   |   | ἀγαπητός |   |   |   | μή |   |   |   | ξενίζομαι |   |   |   | ὁ |   | πύρωσις |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | γίνομαι |   | ἐν |   |

|   |   |   | JVPM |   |   |   | D |   |   |   | VF2PPVD|VF2PPVP |   |   |   | RDSF |   | NDSF |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | VPDSFPD |   | ED |   |

|   |   |   | 27 |   |   |   | 3361 |   |   |   | 3579 |   |   |   | 3588 |   | 4451 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 1096 |   | 1722 |   |

 

| you |   | to |   | test |   | you, |   | as |   | though |   | something |   | strange |   | were |   | happening |   | to |   | you.

|   |   |   |

| ὑμῖν6 |   | πρὸς8 |   | πειρασμὸν9 |   | ὑμῖν10 |   | ὡς12 |   | ← |   | → |   | ξένου13 |   | → |   | συμβαίνοντος15 |   | → |   | ὑμῖν14 |   |   |   |

| σύ |   | πρός |   | πειρασμός |   | σύ |   | ὡς |   |   |   |   |   | ξένος |   |   |   | συμβαίνω |   |   |   | σύ |   |   |   |

| PPDP |   | EA |   | NASM |   | PPDP |   | T |   |   |   |   |   | JGSN |   |   |   | VPGSNPA |   |   |   | PPDP |   |   |   |

| 4771 |   | 4314 |   | 3986 |   | 4771 |   | 5613 |   |   |   |   |   | 3581 |   |   |   | 4819 |   |   |   | 4771 |   |   |   |

|   | *13* |   | But |   | rejoice |   | insofar |   | as |   | you |   | share |   | Christ’s |   | sufferings, |   |

|   |   |   | ἀλλὰ1 |   | χαίρετε8 |   | → |   | καθὸ2 |   | → |   | κοινωνεῖτε3 |   | ‹τοῦ5 Χριστοῦ6› |   | ‹τοῖς4 παθήμασιν7› |   |

|   |   |   | ἀλλά |   | χαίρω |   |   |   | καθό |   |   |   | κοινωνέω |   | ὁ Χριστός |   | ὁ πάθημα |   |

|   |   |   | C |   | VF2PPVA |   |   |   | O&EA&PRASN |   |   |   | VF2PPIA |   | RGSM, NGSM |   | RDPN, NDPN |   |

|   |   |   | 235 |   | 5463 |   |   |   | 2526 |   |   |   | 2841 |   | 3588, 5547 |   | 3588, 3804 |   |

 

| that |   | you |   | may |   | also |   | rejoice |   | and |   | be |   | glad |   | when |   | his |   | glory |   | is |   |

| ἵνα9 |   | → |   | ►17 |   | καὶ10 |   | χαρῆτε17 |   | → |   | → |   | ἀγαλλιώμενοι18 |   | ἐν11 |   | αὐτοῦ16 |   | ‹τῆς14 δόξης15› |   | • |   |

| ἵνα |   |   |   |   |   | καί |   | χαίρομαι |   |   |   |   |   | ἀγαλλιάομαι |   | ἐν |   | αὐτός |   | ὁ δόξα |   |   |   |

| C |   |   |   |   |   | C |   | VF2P2SD|VF2P2SP |   |   |   |   |   | VPNPMPD |   | ED |   | PPGSM |   | RGSF, NGSF |   |   |   |

| 2443 |   |   |   |   |   | 2532 |   | 5463 |   |   |   |   |   | 21 |   | 1722 |   | 846 |   | 3588, 1391 |   |   |   |

 

| revealed.

|   |   |   |

| ‹τῇ12 ἀποκαλύψει13› |   |   |   |

| ὁ ἀποκάλυψις |   |   |   |

| RDSF, NDSF |   |   |   |

| 3588, 602 |   |   |   |

 

|   | *14* |   | If |   | you |   | are |   | insulted |   | for |   | the |   | name |   | of |   | Christ, |   | you |   | are |   | blessed, |   | because |   | the |   |

|   |   |   | εἰ1 |   | → |   | → |   | ὀνειδίζεσθε2 |   | ἐν3 |   | → |   | ὀνόματι4 |   | → |   | Χριστοῦ5 |   | → |   | → |   | μακάριοι6 |   | ὅτι7 |   | τὸ8 |   |

|   |   |   | εἰ |   |   |   |   |   | ὀνειδίζω |   | ἐν |   |   |   | ὄνομα |   |   |   | Χριστός |   |   |   |   |   | μακάριος |   | ὅτι |   | ὁ |   |

|   |   |   | T |   |   |   |   |   | VF2PPIP |   | ED |   |   |   | NDSN |   |   |   | NGSM |   |   |   |   |   | JNPM |   | C |   | RNSN |   |

|   |   |   | 1487 |   |   |   |   |   | 3679 |   | 1722 |   |   |   | 3686 |   |   |   | 5547 |   |   |   |   |   | 3107 |   | 3754 |   | 3588 |   |

 

| Spirit |   | of |   | glory |   | and |   | of |   | God |   | rests |   | upon |   | you.

|   |   |   |

| πνεῦμα15 |   | ►10 |   | ‹τῆς9 δόξης10› |   | καὶ11 |   | ►14 |   | ‹τὸ12 τοῦ13 θεοῦ14› |   | ἀναπαύεται18 |   | ἐφ᾽16 |   | ὑμᾶς17 |   |   |   |

| πνεῦμα |   |   |   | ὁ δόξα |   | καί |   |   |   | ὁ ὁ θεός |   | ἀναπαύομαι |   | ἐπί |   | σύ |   |   |   |

| NNSN |   |   |   | RGSF, NGSF |   | C |   |   |   | RNSN, RGSM, NGSM |   | VF3SPID |   | EA |   | PPAP |   |   |   |

| 4151 |   |   |   | 3588, 1391 |   | 2532 |   |   |   | 3588, 3588, 2316 |   | 373 |   | 1909 |   | 4771 |   |   |   |

|   | *15* |   | But |   | let |   | none |   | of |   | you |   | suffer |   | as |   | a |   | murderer |   | or |   | a |   | thief |   | or |   | an |   |

|   |   |   | γάρ2 |   | ►5 |   | ‹μὴ1 τις3› |   | → |   | ὑμῶν4 |   | πασχέτω5 |   | ὡς6 |   | → |   | φονεὺς7 |   | ἢ8 |   | → |   | κλέπτης9 |   | ἢ10 |   | → |   |

|   |   |   | γάρ |   |   |   | μή τὶς |   |   |   | σύ |   | πάσχω |   | ὡς |   |   |   | φονεύς |   | ἤ |   |   |   | κλέπτης |   | ἤ |   |   |   |

|   |   |   | T |   |   |   | D, PINSM |   |   |   | PPGP |   | VF3SPVA |   | T |   |   |   | NNSM |   | T |   |   |   | NNSM |   | T |   |   |   |

|   |   |   | 1063 |   |   |   | 3361, 5100 |   |   |   | 4771 |   | 3958 |   | 5613 |   |   |   | 5406 |   | 2228 |   |   |   | 2812 |   | 2228 |   |   |   |

 

| evildoer |   | or |   | as |   | a |   | meddler.

|   |   |   |

| κακοποιὸς11 |   | ἢ12 |   | ὡς13 |   | → |   | ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος14 |   |   |   |

| κακοποιός |   | ἤ |   | ὡς |   |   |   | ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος |   |   |   |

| NNSM|JNSM |   | T |   | T |   |   |   | NNSM |   |   |   |

| 2555 |   | 2228 |   | 5613 |   |   |   | 244 |   |   |   |

 

|   | *16* |   | Yet |   | if |   | anyone |   | suffers |   | as |   | a |   | Christian, |   | let |   | him |   | not |   | be |   | ashamed, |   | but |   | let |   | him |   |

|   |   |   | δὲ2 |   | εἰ1 |   | • |   | • |   | ὡς3 |   | → |   | Χριστιανός4 |   | → |   | ►6 |   | μὴ5 |   | → |   | αἰσχυνέσθω6 |   | δὲ8 |   | → |   | → |   |

|   |   |   | δέ |   | εἰ |   |   |   |   |   | ὡς |   |   |   | Χριστιανός |   |   |   |   |   | μή |   |   |   | αἰσχύνομαι |   | δέ |   |   |   |   |   |

|   |   |   | C |   | T |   |   |   |   |   | T |   |   |   | NNSM |   |   |   |   |   | D |   |   |   | VF3SPVD |   | C |   |   |   |   |   |

|   |   |   | 1161 |   | 1487 |   |   |   |   |   | 5613 |   |   |   | 5546 |   |   |   |   |   | 3361 |   |   |   | 153 |   | 1161 |   |   |   |   |   |

 

| glorify |   | God |   | in |   | that |   | name.

|   |   |   |

| δοξαζέτω7 |   | ‹τὸν9 θεὸν10› |   | ἐν11 |   | τούτῳ14 |   | ‹τῷ12 ὀνόματι13› |   |   |   |

| δοξάζω |   | ὁ θεός |   | ἐν |   | οὗτος |   | ὁ ὄνομα |   |   |   |

| VF3SPVA |   | RASM, NASM |   | ED |   | PDDSN |   | RDSN, NDSN |   |   |   |

| 1392 |   | 3588, 2316 |   | 1722 |   | 3778 |   | 3588, 3686 |   |   |   |

|   | *17* |   | For |   | it |   | is |   | time |   | for |   | judgment |   | to |   | begin |   | at |   | the |   | household |   | of |   |

|   |   |   | ὅτι1 |   | • |   | • |   | ‹ὁ2 καιρὸς3› |   | • |   | ‹τὸ6 κρίμα7› |   | ►5 |   | ‹τοῦ4 ἄρξασθαι5› |   | ἀπὸ8 |   | τοῦ9 |   | οἴκου10 |   | ►12 |   |

|   |   |   | ὅτι |   |   |   |   |   | ὁ καιρός |   |   |   | ὁ κρίμα |   |   |   | ὁ ἄρχομαι |   | ἀπό |   | ὁ |   | οἶκος |   |   |   |

|   |   |   | C |   |   |   |   |   | RNSM, NNSM |   |   |   | RASN, NASN |   |   |   | RGSN, VIAD|VIAM |   | EG |   | RGSM |   | NGSM |   |   |   |

|   |   |   | 3754 |   |   |   |   |   | 3588, 2540 |   |   |   | 3588, 2917 |   |   |   | 3588, 756 |   | 575 |   | 3588 |   | 3624 |   |   |   |

 

| God; |   | and |   | if |   | it |   | begins |   | with |   | us, |   | what |   | will |   | be |   | the |   | outcome |   | for |   | those |   | who |

| ‹τοῦ11 θεοῦ12› |   | δὲ14 |   | εἰ13 |   | → |   | πρῶτον15 |   | ἀφ᾽16 |   | ἡμῶν17 |   | τί18 |   | • |   | • |   | τὸ19 |   | τέλος20 |   | → |   | τῶν21 |   | → |

| ὁ θεός |   | δέ |   | εἰ |   |   |   | πρῶτον |   | ἀπό |   | ἐγώ |   | τίς |   |   |   |   |   | ὁ |   | τέλος |   |   |   | ὁ |   |   |

| RGSM, NGSM |   | C |   | T |   |   |   | D|JASN |   | EG |   | PPGP |   | PGNSN |   |   |   |   |   | RNSN |   | NNSN |   |   |   | RGPM |   |   |

| 3588, 2316 |   | 1161 |   | 1487 |   |   |   | 4412 |   | 575 |   | 1473 |   | 5101 |   |   |   |   |   | 3588 |   | 5056 |   |   |   | 3588 |   |   |

 

|   | do |   | not |   | obey |   | the |   | gospel |   | of |   | God? |   |   |   |

|   | → |   | → |   | ἀπειθούντων22 |   | τῷ23 |   | εὐαγγελίῳ26 |   | ►25 |   | ‹τοῦ24 θεοῦ25› |   |   |   |

|   |   |   |   |   | ἀπειθέω |   | ὁ |   | εὐαγγέλιον |   |   |   | ὁ θεός |   |   |   |

|   |   |   |   |   | VPGPMPA |   | RDSN |   | NDSN |   |   |   | RGSM, NGSM |   |   |   |

|   |   |   |   |   | 544 |   | 3588 |   | 2098 |   |   |   | 3588, 2316 |   |   |   |

 

|   | *18* |   | And |   |   |   | “If |   | the |   | righteous |   | is |   | scarcely |   | saved, |   |   |   | /what will become of ~*/ |   | the |   |

|   |   |   | καὶ1 |   |   |   | εἰ2 |   | ὁ3 |   | δίκαιος4 |   | ►6 |   | μόλις5 |   | σῴζεται6 |   |   |   | ‹ποῦ11 φανεῖται12› |   | ὁ7 |   |

|   |   |   | καί |   |   |   | εἰ |   | ὁ |   | δίκαιος |   |   |   | μόλις |   | σῴζω |   |   |   | ποῦ φαίνομαι |   | ὁ |   |

|   |   |   | C |   |   |   | T |   | RNSM |   | SNSM|JNSM |   |   |   | D |   | VF3SPIP |   |   |   | D, VF3SFID |   | RNSM |   |

|   |   |   | 2532 |   |   |   | 1487 |   | 3588 |   | 1342 |   |   |   | 3433 |   | 4982 |   |   |   | 4226, 5316 |   | 3588 |   |

 

| ungodly |   | and |   | the |   | sinner?” |   |   |   |

| ἀσεβὴς8 |   | καὶ9 |   | → |   | ἁμαρτωλὸς10 |   |   |   |

| ἀσεβής |   | καί |   |   |   | ἁμαρτωλός |   |   |   |

| SNSM|JNSM |   | C |   |   |   | NNSM|JNSM |   |   |   |

| 765 |   | 2532 |   |   |   | 268 |   |   |   |

|   | *19* |   | • |   | Therefore |   | let |   | those |   | who |   | suffer |   | according |   | to |   | God’s |   | will |   |

|   |   |   | καὶ2 |   | ὥστε1 |   | ►12 |   | οἱ3 |   | → |   | πάσχοντες4 |   | κατὰ5 |   | ← |   | ‹τοῦ8 θεοῦ9› |   | ‹τὸ6 θέλημα7› |   |

|   |   |   | καί |   | ὥστε |   |   |   | ὁ |   |   |   | πάσχω |   | κατά |   |   |   | ὁ θεός |   | ὁ θέλημα |   |

|   |   |   | C |   | C |   |   |   | RNPM |   |   |   | VPNPMPA |   | EA |   |   |   | RGSM, NGSM |   | RASN, NASN |   |

|   |   |   | 2532 |   | 5620 |   |   |   | 3588 |   |   |   | 3958 |   | 2596 |   |   |   | 3588, 2316 |   | 3588, 2307 |   |

 

| entrust |   | their |   | souls |   | to |   | a |   | faithful |   | Creator |   | while |   | doing |   | good.

|   |   |   |

| παρατιθέσθωσαν12 |   | αὐτῶν15 |   | ‹τὰς13 ψυχὰς14› |   | → |   | ►11 |   | πιστῷ10 |   | κτίστῃ11 |   | ἐν16 |   | → |   | ἀγαθοποιΐᾳ17 |   |   |   |

| παρατίθεμαι |   | αὐτός |   | ὁ ψυχή |   |   |   |   |   | πιστός |   | κτίστης |   | ἐν |   |   |   | ἀγαθοποιί̈α |   |   |   |

| VF3PPVD|VF3PPVP |   | PPGPM |   | RAPF, NAPF |   |   |   |   |   | JDSM |   | NDSM |   | ED |   |   |   | NDSF |   |   |   |

| 3908 |   | 846 |   | 3588, 5590 |   |   |   |   |   | 4103 |   | 2939 |   | 1722 |   |   |   | 16 |   |   |   |

[1]

*THEME:        Persecution*

*PROP.:

We must understand the truth about persecution*

*INTER.:

What is the truth about persecution?*

*INTRODUCTION:* \\ \\ Persecution is a strange thing.

Why would God ever allow a person who believes in God, who really loves and follows God, to suffer persecution?

This is the point of this passage, to discuss the question of persecution, of the fiery trial that the believer sometimes has to suffer.

The believer is to stand up under the fiery trials of persecution.

\\ \\ Believers often do not understand why they have to suffer.

When they suffer, they are surprised and astonished, and they wonder why God does not protect them from suffering and from persecution.

This is especially true when persecution is fiery, and so long as the believer is upon earth, he is going to be called upon to face fiery trials.

Being a genuine believer in a corrupt world is difficult.

People often oppose the believer’s stand for Christ.

The world just cannot understand the demands of Christ for self-denial and discipline, for purity and righteousness, and in particular His insistence that they give all they are and have to His cause.

Therefore, when a person really begins to live for Christ, the world often wants little to do with him.

It may be next door, in the office, in school, in the government, or a hundred other places, but the genuine Christian is often avoided, ridiculed, mocked, ignored, overlooked, slandered, abused and mistreated.

\\ \\

*I           The Puzzlement of Persecution*

*1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: *

/Painful trial/ (Gk.

‘exposure to fire with a view to testing’) looks back to the argument of 1:6–7.

/Strange/ is the adjective from the root of the verb used earlier in the sentence for /do not be surprised/.

It would therefore be better to have ‘surprising’ here or else translate ‘strange’ in both places as the av and rv do.[2]

*strange*—they might /think it strange/ that God should allow His chosen children to be sore tried.

*fiery trial*—like the fire by which metals are tested and their dross removed.

The /Greek/ adds, “in your case.”

*which is to try you*—/Greek,/ “which is taking place for a trial to you.”

Instead of its “/happening/ to you” as some strange and untoward /chance,/ it “is taking place” with the gracious /design/ of trying you; God has a wise design in it—a consolatory reflection.

[3]

 

*II         The Partaking of Persecution*

*1 Peter 4:13 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.

*

*inasmuch as*—The oldest manuscripts read, “in proportion as”; “in as far as” ye by suffering are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, that is, by faith enter into realizing fellowship with them; willingly for His sake suffering as He suffered.

*with exceeding joy*—/Greek,/ “/exulting/ joy”; now ye /rejoice/ amidst sufferings; then ye shall exult, for ever free from sufferings (1Pe 1:6, 8).

If we will not bear suffering for Christ now, we must bear eternal sufferings hereafter.

[4]

 

Why does God allow the believer to suffer persecution?

This verse says that God allows it for one very basic reason: *to test and try and prove us*.

This means several things: \\ \\ *Persecution measures how strong our faith is.

*Any person’s faith can be measured by how much he is willing to sacrifice and bear for it.

Suffering persecution for Christ shows how strong or weak our faith really is.

\\ \\ *Persecution proves our trust in God and teaches us to depend upon God more and more.*

The more we suffer for Christ, the more we draw near God and plead for His help and strength.

This, of course, teaches us to trust and depend upon Him more and more.

\\ \\ *Persecution proves and strengthens our patience and endurance.*

The more we are tried and persecuted, the more we endure; and the more we endure, the more we are taught to endure.

Persecution strengthens our patience, endurance, perseverance, and stedfastness in Christ.

\\ \\ *Persecution proves our faith and attracts others to Christ.*

When we suffer and are persecuted, others can see the strength of Christ in us.

They see that our faith in Christ is a living reality and they are drawn to Christ, to His salvation and love and care and strength.

When others see us suffer for the hope of salvation and eternal life, the Holy Spirit uses our suffering to speak to the hearts of the persecutors and observers.

He convicts them, and some eventually turn to Christ.

Our faith is proven to be true, and it bears fruit.

\\ \\ SCRIPTURES TO PONDER \\ \\ "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19).

\\ \\ "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you....If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin" (John 15:18, 22).

\\ \\ "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" (Phil.

1:29).

\\ "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim.

3:12).

\\ \\ "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you" (1 John 3:13).

\\ \\ *Our passage tells us to rejoice in persecution.*

This is difficult to do, for no person likes to suffer abuse or pain of any sort, but especially when it is inflicted by neighbors, friends, or co-workers.