Suffering as a Christian

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hilarytownshend

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Do you choose to live the kind of steadfast life that brings reward?

James 1:12-15

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Suffering as a Christian

1 Peter 4: 12 - 19

Don't be surprised when you suffer for doing good.

#suffering

#rejoicing

Published November 9th, 2020

Author

hilarytownshend

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Main point summary

Bracket

Notes

notes

Main point summary

Commit yourselves to God with rejoicing and praise because your suffering for Christ is achieving your salvation.

Bracket

1 Peter 4:12-19

esv

Dear friends, do not be surprised

at the painful trial you are suffering,

ideaexplanation

as though something strange were happening to you.

comparison

But rejoice

that you participate in the sufferings of Christ,

so that you may be overjoyed

when his glory is revealed.

temporal

actionpurpose

negativepositive

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ,

you are blessed,

conditional

for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

ground

If you suffer,

it should not be as a murderer

or thief

or any other kind of criminal

or even as a meddler.

alternative

series

However, if you suffer as a Christian,

do not be ashamed,

but praise God

that you bear that name.

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God;

and if it begins with us,

what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

And , “ If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will

should commit themselves to their faithful Creator

and continue to do good.

progression

inference

It is hard to persevere in the face of suffering, but suffering is an essential part of our sanctification. If we run from it, or crumble under the pressure, it may be that we are not being saved at all.

Suffering for being a Christian is not unusual, but rather something to be rejoiced in.

discourse

Notes

When you suffer for the sake of Christ, Do not be surprised or ashamed. But rejoice! Be overjoyed! Praise God! That you bear his Holy Name. Commit yourselves to your faithful God; You are blessed as you share his pain, So rejoice! Be overjoyed! Praise God! That you bear his Holy Name. How often do we even accept suffering as a necessary part of our sanctification, much less rejoice in it? We are encouraged in this passage that the will of our faithful Creator is for us to be sanctified through our suffering, and that we can rejoice for that very reason. When we suffer for following Christ, and we think, 'Why is this happening? I haven't done anything wrong! I don't deserve this!' we can look at this passage, and indeed the whole book of 1 Peter, and rejoice that it's meant to be this way, for our good, and for God's glory!

Comments

Brent Karding

I like how you highlighted the main points of 12-18 in yellow (the longest lines).

Your purple highlight shows the main point of the whole passage - although 19a-b should be one proposition, since "those" in 19a is the subject of the verb "should commit" in 19b.

One way to see this is that your highlighted portion in 19b is not part of the main point in your bracket, since 19a has the star. There's disagreement there between the main point you've highlighted, and the main point the bracket has. Seeing that shows that something is wrong, and then you can make them agree.

Brent Karding

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will

Good choice of Inference here.

Brent Karding

and if it begins with us,

17b-18b can't be a Temporal proposition, since they aren't modifying 17a by telling when it takes place. Rather, they give a following truth. "Judgment must begin with God's family, and it will be even worse for unbelievers." I'd suggest Progression.

hilarytownshend

I chose temporal because of 'it is time for...' in 17a. Would that make sense if the label were the other way round?

Brent Karding

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God;

It's difficult to see exactly what 17 is grounding. But I feel like having it ground all of 13-16 is too much; I don't know if his hearers would have heard the Ground going back all the way to 13 - there's a lot of sentences there.

Perhaps it grounds 16?

hilarytownshend

Yes, I can see that now. I can't see how I would slot the Ground into the bracket. I'm still struggling with editing a bracket without half of it disappearing and then I forget what was there!

Brent Karding

However, if you suffer as a Christian,

16 should be the Positive for verse 15 only, I'd say, since both verses use the verb "suffer." But 14 talks about being "insulted," a different verb.

hilarytownshend

Yes, thanks

Brent Karding

Great work in your relationships in 12-13.

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