First Peter - Lorin

God’s acknowledgment and affirmation of Christ in his resurrection and ascension to Heaven.
Peter follows this with the admonition to adopt Christ’s ἔννοιαν (=insight, intention, motivation) in unjust suffering
(4:1-6). Actually, the verb ὁπλίσασθε that he uses has more the sense of “arm yourselves with,” “equip
yourselves with.” Christ’s intention in unjust suffering was to entrust Himself into God’s hands with the conviction
that God would use such suffering to accomplish something good from it. He gives two reasons (vv. 3-6) for
the admonition.
Peter will close out his encouragement to endure unjust suffering in 4:7-11 with an emphasis on the nearness
of eschatological judgment and its implications for daily living.
Literary Structure. The block diagram below illustrates the core ideas and how they are put together
into a progression of thought.
4:1 Therefore
because Christ suffered in the flesh
also
50 you equip yourselves with the same insight
because the one having suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
4.2 so that you no longer live out the remaining time in the flesh
in human cravings
but
in the will of God.
4.3 For
51 enough is the time that has passed
to do the intent of the Gentiles
having gone
into licentiousness,
cravings,
drunkenness,
carousal,
drinking parties,
and
disgusting idolatry,
4.4 in which time they are surprised
| when you don’t run with them
| in the same stream of debauchery
| while blaspheming;
/-------------------------|
4.5 who will give account to the One prepared to judge the living and the dead;
4.6 for
into this reason
also
52 to the dead was preached the gospel
so that they might be judged
according to humans in the flesh
but
they might live
according to God in the spirit.
Essentially the text is built around an admonition (# 50) and two reasons (#s 51 & 52) for it. The admonition
encompasses verses one and two and centers on an exhortation from Peter to adopt Christ’s intention
about suffering. Unusual language is used by Peter here, and gives a certain distinct tone to the sentence.
He justifies this admonition initially (ὅτι) by an axiomatic saying that the person suffering has stopped dealing
with sin.
The primary two reasons (γὰρ) for the admonition (#s 51 - 52) are based on the religious transformation
of the readers (#51) and a strange declaration about the preaching of the gospel to the dead (#52). The first
Bible Study: Page 199