First Letter of Peter 4

¹ Think of what Christ suffered in this life, and then arm yourselves with the same resolution that he had: anyone who in this life has bodily suffering has broken with sin,

² because for the rest of his life on earth he is not ruled by human passions but only by the will of God.

³ You spent quite long enough in the past living the sort of life that pagans live, behaving indecently, giving way to your passions, drinking all the time, having wild parties and drunken orgies and degrading yourselves by following false gods.

⁴ So people cannot understand why you no longer hurry off with them to join this flood which is rushing down to ruin, and then they begin to spread libels about you.

⁵ They will have to answer for it in front of the judge who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

⁶ And because he is their judge too, the dead had to be told the Good News as well, so that though, in their life on earth, they had been through the judgement that comes to all humanity, they might come to God’s life in the spirit.

⁷ Everything will soon come to an end, so, to pray better, keep a calm and sober mind.

⁸ Above all, never let your love for each other grow insincere, since love covers over many a sin.[*a]

⁹ Welcome each other into your houses without grumbling.

¹⁰ Each one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, put yourselves at the service of others.

¹¹ If you are a speaker, speak in words which seem to come from God; if you are a helper, help as though every action was done at God’s orders; so that in everything God may receive the glory, through Jesus Christ, since to him alone belong all glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

¹² My dear people, you must not think it unaccountable that you should be tested by fire. There is nothing extraordinary in what has happened to you.

¹³ If you can have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, because you will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed.

¹⁴ It is a blessing for you when they insult you for bearing the name of Christ, because it means that you have the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God resting on you.

¹⁵ None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an informer;

¹⁶ but if anyone of you should suffer for being a Christian, then he is not to be ashamed of it; he should thank God that he has been called one.

¹⁷ The time has come for the judgement to begin at the household of God; and if what we know now is only the beginning, what will it be when it comes down to those who refuse to believe God’s Good News?

¹⁸ If it is hard for a good man to be saved, what will happen to the wicked and to sinners ?[*b]

¹⁹ So even those whom God allows to suffer must trust themselves to the constancy of the creator and go on doing good.