Discovery Box1 Peter 4:2-4 
Context4:2 in that he spends the rest of his time 1 on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires. 4:3 For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians 2 desire. 3 You lived then 4 in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts, 5 and wanton idolatries. 6 4:4 So 7 they are astonished 8 when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you. 9
1 tn This verse may give the purpose or result of their “arming” themselves as called for in v. 1b and then the translation would be: “so that you may spend the rest of your time…” But it is better to take it as explanatory of the last phrase in v. 1: what it means to be finished with sin.
2 tn Grk “the Gentiles,” used here of those who are not God’s people.
3 tn Grk “to accomplish the desire of the Gentiles.”
4 tn Grk “having gone along,” referring to the readers’ behavior in time past.
5 tn According to BDAG 857 s.v. πότος the term refers to a social gathering at which wine is served, hence “drinking parties” (cf. TEV, NASB). However, the collocation with the other terms in v. 4 suggests something less sophisticated and more along the lines of wild and frenzied drinking bouts.
6 tn The Greek words here all occur in the plural to describe their common practice in the past.
7 tn Grk “in/by which,” referring to the change of behavior described in v. 3. The unbelievers are astonished by the readers’ moral transformation. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
8 tn Or “are surprised, are taken aback.” The same verb occurs in 4:12.
9 tn Grk “blaspheming,” giving the result of their astonishment. Here the target of their “blasphemy/vilification” is not God but the Christian.
