Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 Peter 4:12

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you:" — 1 Peter 4:12 (ASV)

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

In Peter's day, the Christians were called, not only to what might be metaphorically termed "the fiery trial," but they had literally to suffer in this way for Christ's sake. Nero had multitudes of Christians brought to his gardens and tied to stakes, so that he might light up his midnight revelries by the burning of these godly men and women smeared with pitch. They had to bear even that fiery trial for the name of Christ.

Many periods of martyrdom have passed since then, in which the saints of God have willingly died rather than deny their Lord.

We have fallen upon comparatively silken times; a jest, a slander, a calumnious observation – these are the only weapons with which our enemies can strike most of us.