1 Peter 4:14-18

4:14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory,¹ who is the Spirit of God,² rests³ on you. 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker.⁴ 4:16 But if you suffer as a Christian,⁵ do not be ashamed, but glorify⁶ God that you bear such a name.⁷ 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin, starting with the house⁸ of God. And if it starts with us, what will be the fate⁹ of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? 4:18 And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of¹⁰ the ungodly and sinners?¹¹

¹tc Many mss, some of them important and early ([א] A P 33 81 323 945 1241 1739 pm bo), add καὶ δυνάμεως (kai dunamew"; “and of power”) here. The shorter reading is supported by Ì⁷² B K L Ψ 049 pm). Although the evidence is evenly divided, the longer reading looks to be an explanatory or liturgical expansion on the text and for this reason should be considered secondary.

²tn Grk “the Spirit of glory and of God.”

³sn A quotation taken from Isa 11:2.

⁴tn The meaning of the Greek word used here is uncertain. It may mean “spy, informer,” “revolutionary,” or “defrauder, embezzler.” But the most likely meaning is “busybody, one who meddles in the affairs of others, troublesome meddler.” The translation given in the text is intended to suggest this general idea.

⁵tn The verb is implied by the context but not expressed; Grk “but if as a Christian.”

⁶tn These are third-person imperatives in Greek (“if [one of you suffers] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed…let him glorify”), but have been translated as second-person verbs since this is smoother English idiom.

⁷tn Grk “in this name.”

⁸tn Grk “to begin from the house.”

⁹tn Or “the end.”

¹⁰tn Grk “where will he appear.”

¹¹tn The personal references in v. 18 are generic singulars, but they have been changed to the plural in English to maintain consistency with the plurals of v. 17.

sn A quotation from Prov 11:31 (LXX).