If God prohibits one thing, He often affirmatively commands the opposite.  This is the case with coveting, for example.  This is one of my all-time favorite commands in the Bible, Exodus 20:17 says “Thou shalt not covet….”  We are not to look at other people’s possessions or personal relationships and desire them for ourselves.  The ramifications of this principle within a civilization are breathtaking.  This ethic founded our nation, along with the other nine of the “Ten Commandments.”  But this negative command or prohibition has a corollary in the affirmative, which we’ve examined before, “…be content with such things as ye have,” Hebrews 13:5 (KJV).  To obey the prohibition is to obey the positive command.  So it is with 1 Peter 4:12’s prohibition and 4:13’s command.

The Command

“but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. ” (1 Peter 4:13, NAS)

In our Greek course at church we went through the 1 Pet 4:12-13 complex and saw a beautiful structure in Peter’s argumentation.  This two-verse section has some wonderful features for first-year students to sink their teeth into.  Well, maybe everyone will find these features encouraging as we reflect on God’s revealed Plan.

Verses 12-13 can be framed this way:

“Beloved:

do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you,

which comes upon you for your testing,

as though some strange thing were happening to you;

but

to the degree that you are sharing the sufferings of Christ,

keep on rejoicing,

so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with

exultation. ”

Two Main Points in vv12-13

The two main thoughts here are: “Do not be astonished, but rather be rejoicing.”  These are the main verbs in the main clauses of vv12-13.  Everything is else is modifying these key ideas.  Above all this is about stability despite harrowing circumstances.  Our walk is to be sturdy and consistent, not as though we were “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine…” (Eph 4:14). The biblical teaching (doctrine) of sharing in Christ’s sufferings in light of future exultation is intensely helpful in firming-up our resolve and our sense of gratitude and contentment in difficult times.

Instead of being shocked or even dismayed when we hit the rough parts of the journey–even if He leads us into the “death-shadowed valley,” we are to be “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our Faith.”  He suffered for Righteousness. I can partake (κοινωνεω) in those sufferings.

There are many pieces on which we could focus in these two little verses, but I want to mention two in the limited space we allot for a devotion.  First, the word “degree” in the NASB is “extent” in the NKJV and “inasmuch” in the KJV.  All these are connecting the verb “keep on rejoicing” to the reason for your rejoicing.  The idea is that we rejoice in proportion to our partaking in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. It does not say or mean inversely proportional!  That would be the less you suffer, the greater should be your rejoicing.  The Christian life is often counter-intuitive, and here is a prime example. The more you suffer for Christ (cf. vv15-16) , the greater should be your rejoicing.  This is the benefit of slowing down and really observing how the writer makes his statement.

The second key observation to which I would draw your attention is a subtle switch in the tenses for the two times you read “rejoice.”  In the command, “keep on rejoicing,” this is a present imperative which portrays continuous action and refers to your present responsibilities moment-by-moment, day-to-day.  The result clause, “so that” says the goal of the command is that you “rejoice with exultation.”  This time rejoice is an aorist subjunctive, expressing the intended result of the command to rejoice.  The tense shift from present to aorist indicates a shift of portrayal of the action–from our day-to-day experience in a continuous frame to the entirety (consummative aorist) of our ecstasy at the revelation of Jesus’ glory, which will continue forever.  This is a beautiful way to describe our experience in the “eternal state,” which begins with our resurrection.  The whole destiny of the believer is summed up with the phrase “rejoice with exultation.”

Three Thoughts

1.  Sanctification: It takes some information plus faith to obey the command to rejoice we have here. Hebrews 11:6 is a parallel idea to our rejoicing through adversity in light of God’s promises about our future.  God is a rewarder.  Believe it.

2.  Ambassadorship (A believer’s commission to represent the King):  Anyone can grouse about suffering.  Your joy in hard times shows the world something about God as He works in your life, especially through His Word: “…greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 Jn 4:4)  We ought not tell the world otherwise with our attitude.

3.  God’s Plan:  God knows what He is doing, and here He shows you how to trust Him on it.  Suffering is bounded in history, but your rejoicing here and now looks forward to the revelation of His glory, and it will increase eternally.

Passage to Pray

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Memory Verse

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. ” (1 Peter 4:12–13, NAS)