Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Peter 4:1

"Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;" — 1 Peter 4:1 (ASV)

1 PETER CHAPTER 4

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER

This chapter relates principally to the manner in which those to whom the apostle wrote should bear their trials, and to the encouragements to a holy life, notwithstanding their persecutions. He had commenced the subject in the previous chapter and had referred them particularly to the example of the Savior.

His great concern was that if they suffered, it should not be for any crime, and that their enemies should not be able to bring any well-founded accusation against them. He wanted them to be pure and harmless, patient and submissive, faithful in the performance of their duties, and confidently looking forward to the time when they would be delivered.

He exhorts them, therefore, to the following things:

1. To arm themselves with the same mind that was in Christ; to consider that the past time of their lives was enough for them to have done the will of the flesh, and that now it was their duty to be separate from the wicked world, in whatever light the world might regard their conduct—remembering that those who slandered them must soon give account to God (1 Peter 4:1–6).
2. He reminds them that the end of all things was near, and that they should be sober and watchful in prayer (1 Peter 4:7).
3. He exhorts them to practice mutual love and hospitality—virtues especially useful in a time of persecution and affliction (1 Peter 4:8–9).
4. He exhorts them to perform every duty with seriousness of manner and fidelity—whether it was in preaching or in giving alms to the poor and needy (1 Peter 4:10–11).
5. He tells them not to think it strange that they were called to pass through fiery trials, nor to suppose that any unusual thing had happened to them. He reminds them that they only shared in Christ's sufferings, and that it was to be regarded as a favor if anyone suffered as a Christian. He also presses upon them the thought that they should be careful that none of them suffered for any crime (1 Peter 4:12–16).
6. He reminds them that the righteous would be saved with difficulty and that the wicked would certainly be destroyed; and exhorts them, therefore, to commit the keeping of their souls to a faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:18–19).

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh. Since He, as a man, has died for us (see Barnes on 1 Peter 3:18).

The design was to set the suffering Redeemer before them as an example in their trials.

Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. That is, evidently, the same mind that He showed—a readiness to suffer in the cause of religion, a readiness to die as He had done.

This readiness to suffer and die, the apostle speaks of as armour, and having this is represented as being armed. Armour is put on for offensive or defensive purposes in war; and the idea of the apostle here is, that that state of mind when we are ready to meet with persecution and trial, and when we are ready to die, will answer the purpose of armour in engaging in the conflicts and struggles which pertain to us as Christians, and especially in meeting with persecutions and trials. We are to put on the same fortitude which the Lord Jesus had, and this will be the best defense against our foes, and the best security of victory.

For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin. . To "suffer in the flesh" is to die.

The expression here has a proverbial aspect and seems to have meant something like this: "when a man is dead, he will sin no more," referring of course to the present life.

So if a Christian becomes dead in a moral sense—dead to this world, dead by being crucified with Christ (see Barnes on Galatians 2:20)—he may be expected to cease from sin.

The reasoning is based on the idea that there is such a union between Christ and the believer that His death on the cross secured the death of the believer to the world (Compare to 2 Timothy 2:11; Colossians 2:20; Colossians 3:3).