Archive August 2006

Commentary on First Peter (122)

1 PETER 4:12-19
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 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 the outcome be 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.

Since we have been quite thorough in dealing with Peter's letter, most of the ideas in the current passage have already been discussed in some way. We will, therefore, permit ourselves to be brief.

Whereas for generations the Jews had been subjected to persecution in the forms of ridicule, exile, subjugation, and even slaughter, Peter's readers, among whom are many Gentiles Christians, have never been part of a religious or cultural minority. So at first the hostile reactions against their conversion to Christianity might shock and alarm them (v. 12). But Peter tells them that they should not find anything strange with it. In fact, this is the kind of repercussions that we ought to expect.

As Jesus says in John 15, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" (v. 18-19). Non-Christians hate Christians because non-Christians hate Christ. Christians follow Christ and identify with him; therefore, non-Christians hate Christians also.

And why do non-Christians hate Christ? It is because, as John 3:20 says, "Everyone who does evil hates the light." Or, as 1 John 3:12 says, Cain murdered his brother "because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous." In other words, non-Christians hate Christ and Christians, not because there is something wrong with us (4:4), but because there is something wrong with them. It is not because Christians are antisocial, treasonous, subversive, and so on, but it is because non-Christians are evil people. Therefore, John says, "Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you" (1 John 3:13).

Peter applies this line of thinking in verse 13: "But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." As Christians, we are condemned by association in the eyes of unbelievers – that is, by our association with Christ, the real object of their hatred – and so the world persecute us. But how overjoyed we are, when we realize that what happens to us is because of our association with Christ (Acts 5:41)! The reason for their persecution, and the reason for our suffering, is also the reason for our rejoicing. Moreover, not only are we identified with him in suffering and humiliation, but we shall also be identified with him "when his glory is revealed" (also Romans 8:17).

Now, "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" (v. 14). The impact of the verse relies on one's appreciation of the blessing specified here. The "glory" is most likely an allusion to the Shekinah, or the glory cloud of divine power and presence. It is the most valuable blessing that any man could hope for. And to have divine glory rests of a person, well, one wonders if even heaven could get any better, since this glory is the very presence of the Most High.

However, Peter does not say that such a blessing belongs to all those who are insulted, or even to those Christians who are insulted, but only to those who are insulted because of the name of Christ. He has already made the point earlier (2:20, 3:17), but here he says it again: "If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler" (v. 15).

The fact that he repeats and expands on the issue indicates a serious concern. It is the erroneous notion that all the things that a person suffers is automatically unjust suffering and pleasing before God just because he calls himself a Christian. But there is no divine glory when one suffers for wrongdoing. That is called justice, not persecution. Peter is warning against a kind of victim mentality that considers oneself the one who is being wronged no matter what, just because this person belongs to a particular group.

Commentary on First Peter (120)

Although hospitality is of special importance to believers living in certain circumstances, Christian service is not limited to it, so that in verse 10, Peter widens the scope of the ways they should serve one another. He puts the matter in broad terms, and writes, "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

The word "gift" is charisma. It denotes a spiritual endowment, or some talent or ability given by the Holy Spirit. The New Testament includes several lists of spiritual gifts (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 12:28-30; Ephesians 4:11). The lists are not the same, and there is no reason to suppose that they exhaust the full range of spiritual endowments even when we combine them.

Although Peter splits the gifts into two main categories (v. 11), he has no interest in a list. Instead, he calls the gifts "God's grace in its various forms." Several translations say "manifold" (KJV, NKJV, NASB). Others read "varied" (RSV, ESV, HCSB). "Multi-faceted" is another good translation. This is the word Peter uses when he refers to "all kinds of trials" back in 1:6. God's grace is as varied as our needs and his purposes, and sufficient to meet any challenge in this world. His charismatic endowments cannot be fully enumerated in a short list. Even the same gift, such as the ability to teach, can manifest in a great variety of ways, although legitimate expressions are defined by the word of God (1 Corinthians 12:36-38).

Peter says that "each one should use whatever gift he has received," and this implies several things. First, just as each Christian has been assigned a place in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7, 18), each one "has received" the corresponding spiritual endowments to perform his function. Therefore, every believer is able to contribute in some way "to the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:7). But, second, Peter's point is not just that each one is able to contribute, but that each one ought to do so. Thus no believer should remain a mere spectator at church.

Then, third, there is a negative application of Peter's statement. Since he says that each one should use the gift that he has received, it also implies that no single person is expected to perform all the functions necessary to an effective church ministry. The principle is violated most often when Christians consider some of the most prominent agendas of the church, such as evangelism.

We have often made the overt act of evangelism the equal responsibility of every believer, when in fact Christ assigned it to the entire Christian community to be performed as a whole. Thus each believer should contribute to evangelism in some way, corresponding to the gift that he has received, but not every one has the equal responsibility – or the ability, for that matter – to preach the gospel directly to unbelievers.

Of course, every Christian is a priest of God, and may perform any function that is proper for such a position, including evangelism. But when a person has received an enhanced ability from God, then it is natural and appropriate for him to dedicate more of his attention to that type of ministry. For many people, this will be something other than evangelism. In any case, it ought to be clear that all of this is not to belittle evangelism, but it is a complaint against extreme individualism in the church.

Something similar can be said about the ministry to the poor, the sick, and the disabled. Can we say that someone who spends most of his time performing evangelism cares nothing about these people? No, the question is whether he is faithfully using the gift that he has received to contribute to the mission of the church. Now, if he avoids using his gift – whatever it may be – to benefit the poor, the sick, and the disabled even when the opportunity arises, then we can say that he cares nothing about them.

The purpose of spiritual gifts is to "serve others," or as Paul says, to build up the church and to promote the common good (1 Corinthians 14:12, 12:7). This fits well with what Peter has just said about love. Love is the proper motive for the exercise of spiritual gifts, which are not given for self-promotion and self-exaltation. On the other hand, love is frustrated without the gifts, since by itself it cannot perform the service that it wishes to render. Christian love is a volition dedicated to obeying the law of God in how a person treats others, resulting in actions that promote their welfare. Spiritual gifts enable this kind of love to express itself with effect.

In some circles, a common error is to pit love against gifts. But both are of God, and we must not pit God against himself. Now, in 1 Corinthians 12:31, Paul says, "But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way" (NASB). He does not say that love is better than the gifts, but that love as a motive is superior to mere desire in receiving and exercising the gifts.

Then, in chapter 13, he proceeds to note that the person who exercises spiritual gifts without love is nothing. That is, it is not that love is greater than the gifts (the idea is not here at all), and it is not that the gifts will fail without love, since Paul says that he could even move mountains. But the person is nothing who has the gifts but has no love. So Paul concludes, "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts" (14:1).

This is also the solution for those who think that they have no spiritual gifts, or that they have but very weak endowments from God. They should reach out to serve the church in love, to serve other people, and the spiritual gifts will manifest themselves. And then they will discover that God has given them a place in the body of Christ after all.

However, in their zeal to rid the church of mysticism and fanaticism, and perhaps also to preserve their own dignity and conceal their inadequacies, some believers have adopted an extreme anti-charismatic agenda that is equivalent to an assault against the gifts of God. Anything that they cannot handle belongs to a past era. But the gifts of God represent his manifold grace, and believers must not persecute these manifestations of grace just because their unbiblical scheme prohibits them or because they have no faith to accept them. Then, of course charismatic lunatics abound, and some manifestations are indeed fleshly counterfeits. Nevertheless, discernment that is biblical does not "discern" away the manifold manifestations of divine grace and power.

Commentary on First Peter (118)

1 PETER 4:7-11
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

There is a de in verse 7, which can be translated "but," "and," "now," or "moreover." It appears in the KJV ("but"), NKJV ("but"), HCSB ("now"), and NET ("for"), but a number of other translations omit it (NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV). It indicates that verse 7 follows from the previous verses. Nevertheless, the connection is not dependent on the word, since the relationship is clear by the content.

Verses 5 and 6 discuss the judgment that is to come upon both the living and the dead. So when verse 7 refers to "the end of all things," it is to be understood in that context. We find here an example to remind us that "all" seldom means to be inclusive without limitation. Although sometimes it means that, usually it embraces everything only within a defined context.

Otherwise, "the end of all things" could mean the end of the human race, the end of heaven and hell, or even the end of God. No, the context forbids these absurd interpretations. The end of all things would be the judgment, and refers to the completion of redemptive history. In other words, the next great event – the event that every believer is waiting for – is the return of Christ, and along with this the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment. God is "ready" (v. 5) to consummate his plan.

Because the end "is near" (v. 7), Christians are to adopt the appropriate attitude and lifestyle. Peter tells them, "Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." "Therefore" (accordingly, this being so) introduces the connection between eschatology and the ethics and spirituality that follow from it. Verse 7, then, tells us that a particular spiritual stance or posture follows from the imminence of the consummation of God's plan, and then a spiritual action – or better, a lifestyle – follows from this spiritual stance.

The spiritual stance is the state of being "clear minded and self-controlled." English translations offer slightly different renderings of the two terms, but the idea is clearly to maintain a mental soundness and discipline that makes deep piety possible, especially in the form of intense and persistent prayer. This is the opposite of being occupied by concerns, lusts, and distractions that tend to damage one's spiritual focus and heavenly perspective.

Remember, this call to soberness and prayer follows from the idea that "the end of all things is near." The context is eschatological. With this in mind, we find a similar teaching from Jesus in Luke 21:34-36: "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

It can be argued that Luke's passage refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (v. 32), but it is at least analogous to our passage from Peter, if not an exact parallel. Both teach that eschatological imminence should produce spiritual watchfulness. The danger is in being "weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap." Thus the Christian must "watch and pray."

In contrast, a wicked servant says to himself, "My master is staying away a long time" (Matthew 24:48), and he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards (v. 49). The master will return at a time when that servant does not expect him (v. 50). Again, the lesson is, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (v. 42). The end of all things is near. As faithful stewards, we must remain in prayer, and to pray, we must maintain a state of mental soberness and discipline.

Commentary on First Peter (116)

Peter indeed speaks of sin in a concrete way in his letter, so that in verse 3, he proceeds to list some of the evil behaviors that believers have abandoned: "For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry."

The word for "debauchery" (aselgeia) is variously translated "licentiousness," "lasciviousness," and "wantonness" in the KJV. It characterizes a person who has no moral restraints, especially when it comes to his sexual behavior. The same word is also used in Romans 13:13, Galatians 5:19, and Ephesians 4:19. The word for "lust" (epithymia) here is the same one for "evil desires" back in 1:14, which we have already discussed. It refers to a longing for that which is contrary to holiness and decency. In the previous verse (4:2, "evil human desires"), it is contrasted against "the will of God."

"Drunkenness" (oinophlygia) comes from a compound word that means an overflow of wine, or as the KJV has it, it is an "excess of wine." The "orgies" (komos) refer to banquets, feasts, and parties that are given to sexual immorality and excessive drinking. These are often associated with pagan worship. Similarly, "carousing" (potos) can refer to a drinking party or drinking bout.

Finally, the "detestable idolatry" (athemitoi eidololatriai) is literally lawless or illegal idolatry. Grudem thinks that this cannot mean "against God's law," since all idol worship is against God's law. Therefore, he claims, the term must be referring to pagan practices so immoral that they are forbidden by the human civil government. But the reason is insufficient for such an inference. It could be that the term merely stresses the detestable nature of idolatry. Such a usage would not be strange. The other instance of the term appears in Acts 10:28, where it refers to the Mosaic law. In any case, Paul writes that "the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons" (1 Corinthians 10:20), and it is in this context of pagan worship rituals that the previous items are often practiced.

A number of Peter's readers have been converted to Christianity from this background. This is the kind of life that they used to live, but Peter says to them, "For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do." The "for" connects this back to the previous verse, which says that the Christian should spend "the rest of his earthly life" living for the will of God and not for evil human desires. This implies that when he says that they have "spent enough time" in paganism, he means that the time prior to their conversion has been wasted. Now as Christians, they must spend the rest of their lives serving God instead, for this is the only worthy use of our years.

In light of verses 2 and 3, consider again what Peter means by "done with sin" in verse 1. He is not asserting that anyone who identifies with Christ in his death and resurrection will immediately achieve sinlessness in his behavior. Indeed, in Christ we have been made perfect, since his perfection has been imputed to us. But Peter speaks about sin in concrete terms – Christians have departed from the kind of life described in verses 2 and 3. Those who are still "living in" these things exhibit no sign of conversion at all.

Making a complete and permanent break from a sinful lifestyle because of faith in Christ will often draw opposition from sinners. One of Peter's major reasons for writing this letter is to encourage believers in persecution and to instruct them on how to deal with it. He writes in verse 4, "They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you." When considered both in the historical and the general context, a person's Christian faith might be interpreted by unbelievers in several ways that lead to their hostile reactions.

The Christian may be considered impious or sacrilegious. This may sound strange until we remember that the Christian is one who has abandoned and renounced all the pagan gods. This point is still relevant in many cultures of the world, and the principle applies to situations other than a person's departure from paganism. For example, Judaism, although it now has very little to do with Old Testament religion, is not paganism; nevertheless, one who is converted to Christianity might be cut off from the family. A similar reason for the unbelievers' wrath is that a departure from the pagan religions and rituals might be considered an insult to ancestors.

A Christian may find that, once he leaves behind a life of drunkenness and sexual immorality, he no longer has much in common with his friends and neighbors. Thus in their eyes the Christian faith has made him antisocial. Nowadays, some Christians have made it an important aspect of evangelism to prove to unbelievers that Christianity is not boring and that Christians can have fun. But we wonder if a Christianity that is not boring to unbelievers is still Christianity. And if Christians can have fun, they certainly cannot have the kind of fun that many non-Christians enjoy. The truth is that they should no longer consider those things fun at all.

While Christian devotion, ministry, and worship are indeed great fun, it is silly to even make this a point in evangelism. Truth is to be affirmed whether one finds it boring or exciting. And if the hearer finds it boring, we should attack him for having this attitude rather than to present the faith as an accommodating lifestyle. It will never be satisfying until the faith is so compromised that it is destroyed, or until God transforms the person's heart and grants him new attitudes and desires.

It is true that there is a misconception concerning Christianity that should be corrected, and that is the idea that believers cannot enjoy God's creation at all. Scripture teaches otherwise, and says, "God…richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17). But one cannot infer from this permission to do just about anything that he wishes to do. The apostle certainly does not mean that God provides prostitutes for our enjoyment. Neither can we participate in idolatry, homosexuality, drunkenness, any kind of obscenity, coarse joking (Ephesians 5:4), and many other activities that unbelievers enjoy.

The result is that, compared to the range of things that unbelievers wish to do, Christian enjoyment remains extremely narrow and restricted. Many times Christians argue to widen the range of things that are considered permissible – not to remove stumbling blocks for unbelievers, but to justify their own lusts. How many times have I heard the objection, "But Jesus went to parties"? Yes, he did. But what kind of parties did he attend? Did he go to drinking parties (not just parties where there were drinking)? Did he go to parties where there were sexual promiscuity? And what did he do once he was there? Did he do nothing more than to socialize and enjoy the food and drinks? Or did he take over the parties to teach the people?

Yes, Jesus went to parties, wedding feasts, and banquets; therefore, at least in principle, we may as well. But we need to consider the kinds of parties and feasts that we are going to, our motives for attending, and what we will do once we get there. Of all the people who said to me, "But if I go, then perhaps I may preach to them," not one has actually preached to the people. The reason is obvious. They wanted to socialize, not evangelize, and they wanted approval for something that they knew to be questionable. If they had really intended to preach the gospel, they would have gone and did it without asking me. But they used the mere possibility that they might preach to the people as the license to live like they did before they became Christians.

To prevent misunderstanding, I am not saying that a Christian must not even attend an unbeliever's birthday party or a wedding feast without taking it over with the preaching of the gospel. No, as long as there is no blatant immorality, a believer may attend, but he must not justify something with the mere possibility or intention of preaching the gospel when he knows full well that he is not going to do any of it. But if the situation is, say, a bachelor party that promises heavy drinking, coarse jokes, and sexual immorality, then a Christian must not attend unless he seizes it for the gospel so that these things do not happen at all.

What I sometimes find is that those who constantly advocate the "cultural mandate" and the "goodness of all creation" – true doctrines when correctly formulated – condemn those who do not participate in these things. But whether they are in the wrong depends on their reasons to abstain. As stated earlier in the commentary, we must not interpret the example of Jesus in a way that condemns John the Baptist, since Scripture approves them both.

Commentary on First Peter (114)

1 PETER 4:1-6
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

This passage is closely associated with the previous one and presents its own difficulties, but what we learned from 3:18-22 will help us here.

Just several verses earlier, Peter tells us, "It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil" (3:17). Then, he gives Jesus Christ as the supreme example of enduring unjust punishment: "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit" (3:18). Remember that the latter part of the verse literally says, "put to death in flesh but made alive in spirit."

The beginning of 4:1 – "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body" – continues the thought that Peter started in 3:18. If we will keep this in mind, it will guide our interpretation at least by narrowing our options, since what appears inconsistent with the context and the purpose of the surrounding verses is far less likely to be correct.

The word translated "arm" means what it sounds like – it is a military term referring to taking up weapons. As for the word translated "attitude," it can also mean purpose, intention, way of thinking, point of view, or mindset. Davids observes that it can also mean "insight."

At the forefront of the apostle's concerns is the state of mind of the believers – their beliefs and attitudes. Do they affirm the right doctrines? Do they look to the grace and power of God for their hope and assurance? Do they ground their belief and behavior on the person and work of Christ? Are they humbled and encouraged by the example of Christ? Are they inspired by his resurrection and exaltation?

He says earlier, "prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled" (1:13), and after our passage he will say, "be clear minded and self-controlled." Right now he is saying, "Arm yourselves with this mindset, this insight about Christ's suffering." He says to put on this way of thinking as a soldier would put on a weapon.

The mindset, attitude, and purpose that the believers must adopt is, "he who has suffered in his body is done with sin." Here we face the first major difficulty with the passage. What does Peter mean? Several interpretations have been proposed.

The statement could mean that suffering promotes sanctification, so that believers should welcome suffering in order to advance in holiness and spiritual development. To some people this appears to be the plainest meaning of what Peter is saying, but there are several problems with it.

First, it cannot be directly applied to Jesus, since that would imply that he had been sinning until his suffering, and that his suffering put a stop to his sinning. This is impossible because Peter has already acknowledged the sinlessness of Christ, calling him "a lamb without blemish or defect" (1:19). Hebrews 4:15 says that although he was tempted, he was without sin.

Second, from our understanding of other portions of Scripture, and the whole Bible regarding the ground and method of sanctification, the idea that suffering in itself could increase holiness or do away with sin is not true at all. Many believers suffer but continue to sin. For that matter, if there is an inherent relationship between suffering and breaking from sin, then it should apply to unbelievers as well. But for them suffering could only increase their unbelief and bitterness.

Third, it appears that we must take "suffer in the body" to mean death in this verse, since this is what Peter has in mind ever since 3:18, where he says that Christ "was put to death in the body." Therefore, when he says "since Christ suffered in his body," Peter has nothing less than the death of Christ in mind. And thus when he says "he who has suffered in his body," it seems that he must be referring to suffering to the death as well. But if so, then the principle is no longer relevant to an increase of holiness or the break from sin in this life.

Perhaps, some proceed to suggest, the believer's physical death is precisely what Peter is talking about. Just as Christ suffered martyrdom, a Christian should arm himself with the same readiness to suffer to the point of death for his faith. And indeed, the believer who dies can no longer sin – he is done with sin – so that martyrdom is in fact a blessing for him.

All of this is true, and it is even relevant to Peter's letter, but it cannot be what he is saying. This is because the very next verse refers to a person who continues to live: "As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." The correct interpretation must accommodate the idea that the believer could be "done with sin" and continue to live out his earthly life.

Some take a similar approach to the verse, but from a slightly different angle. According to them, Peter is exhorting the believers to arm themselves with the attitude of a readiness to suffer for their faith, since one who demonstrates such willingness and determination also indicates that he has made a clean break with sin.

In other words, it is not so much that suffering advances one's holiness and delivers him from sin, but that one who has the mentality to suffer for his faith has himself made a break with sin. He has committed himself to righteousness, and his suffering reveals it. Then, there is a variation of this interpretation that says the two contribute to each other. That is, the more one suffers for Christ, the more one breaks from sin, and the more one breaks from sin, the more one is willing to suffer for Christ.

However, the above interpretation, as well as its variation, cannot be true. As we have indicated, the suffering that Peter has in mind in this verse is like the one he talks about in 3:18, which leads to death. In addition, in "he who has suffered…is done with sin," the word "suffered" is in the aorist tense, indicating a completed act, and "is done with" is in the perfect tense, indicating a past event with lasting results for the present and future. It is much more likely that he is referring to a "once for all" (3:18) suffering like Christ's, along with its enduring effects.

Another theory is that the statement does not apply to believers, but it refers to what Christ has done in this redemptive work. The verse begins by saying, "since Christ suffered in his body," and so later when it says, "he who has suffered in his body," it is still referring to Christ. The idea, then, is that by his suffering, Christ has dealt with sin decisively, permanently, and effectively, so that he has thoroughly defeated it – he is "done with sin."

To paraphrase, Peter would be saying, "Christ has suffered in the body, and he has defeated sin. Arm yourselves with this mindset and insight." This is in fact consistent with sound theology, for indeed Christ has defeated sin by his suffering. The question is whether the structure and language of the verse allow such an interpretation. Some commentators point out that the verb in "done with sin" could be taken in a passive sense, so that it would mean to be released from sin. This cannot be true of Christ, since although he bore our guilt, he was never enslaved by it.