Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Peter 4:14

"If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed [are ye]; because the [Spirit] of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you." — 1 Peter 4:14 (ASV)

Here we have a fulfillment of the Lord’s own promises to his disciples when he said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad” (Matthew 5:11–12). In Matthew the cause for happiness is the reward in heaven; here it is the possession of the messianic Spirit. This verse is based on Isa 11:2 . One of God’s great characteristics is his glory (Acts 7:2; Ephesians 1:17), and in Jesus his glory is revealed (Jn 1:14, 18). The Spirit of the Father and of the Son now rests on and in every believer. The martyrdom of Stephen illustrates this. He is described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5; cf. v.8). In his defense his face was like that of an angel (Acts 6:15), and he saw the “glory of God” (7:55).