14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
Verse fourteen — The Greek word “reproach” is found in Matthew 5:11 where it is translated “revile.” The word “if” is the “if” of a fulfilled condition. It could be translated “in view of the fact,” or “since.” These Christians were being reproached for the name of Christ. This was no hypothetical case.
The apostle says that in view of the fact that they are being reproached, they are happy. The word “happy” is the translation of a Greek word which means “prosperous.” It is used in Matthew 5:3-11, where it is translated “blessed.” It refers in these contexts to a spiritually prosperous state or condition of the believer. The world does not persecute a worldly Christian, only a spiritual one.
But not only is the fact of persecution an indication of a spiritually prosperous life, but also of the fact that the Holy Spirit is resting upon the Christian. The words “rest upon” are the translation of a Greek word used in a manuscript of 103 B.C. as a technical term in agriculture. The writer speaks of a farmer resting his land by sowing light crops upon it. He relieved the land of the necessity of producing heavy crops, and thus gave it an opportunity to recuperate its strength. The word is used in Matthew 11:28 where our Lord says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” literally, “and I will rest you.” … The words “on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified,” while true, do not appear in the best Greek texts, and are not therefore thought to be part of the original manuscript that left the hands of Peter. — Wuest, pages 120-121.
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Verse fifteen — The word “suffer” must be taken in its context to mean “suffer reproach.” the form of the original forbids the continuance of an action already going on. Some of the recipients of this letter, before they were saved, had suffered reproach as murderers, thieves, evildoers, and busybodies. … The word “busybody” means in the Greek, “a self-appointed overseer in other men’s matters.” — Wuest, page 121.
Wuest (above) says the list of wrongs in verse 15 were things his audience used to do. Sadler (below) says they are things they might be tempted to do to defend themselves and retaliate. Guthrie (whom I haven’t quoted) says the list is hypothetical because, of course, Peter’s audience would never do these things except, maybe, the last one. I lean toward Sadler’s view, although Peter may have just been listing things people suffer for, and telling them not to suffer for bad stuff.
In times of persecution Peter knew there would be some among them that would have a propensity to retaliate. Thus he admonishes his hearers accordingly: “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busybody [meddler] in other men’s matters.” The message is clear—don’t bring unnecessary suffering upon yourself. — Sadler, page 150.
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Verse sixteen — The words, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian” should be understood in their historical background. The Cult of the Caesar was the state religion of the Roman Empire, in which the emperor was worshiped as a god. It served two purposes. The subjects of Rome gave obedience to the laws of the empire, not only as a political, but as a religious duty. It also constituted the unifying factor which bound the many different peoples of the empire into one, and made the military task of holding together its far-flung domain an easier one. The Greek word for Caesar is Kaisar. Those who worshiped the kaisar were called kaisarianos. Christianity appeared as a rival claimant to the world worship and dominion. The Lord Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, was looked upon [by Christians] as the One who would some day come back and take the government of the world upon His shoulder. Those who worshiped Him as God were called Christianos, worshipers of the Christ as against the Kaisarianos, worshipers of the Caesar. — Wuest, pages 121-122.
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Believers were first nick-named Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:26). … The word occurs three times in the Scripture—here, and in Acts 11:26 and 26:27-28. The Jews called them Nazarenes, the Scripture called them “brethren,” “disciples,” and “saints.” To be so like Christ as to be called a Christian is to cause glory to God (v.16). — Williams, page 1003.
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The very first passage of the epistle clearly establishes that Peter was writing to those of the dispersion who were scattered abroad due to persecution (Gr. diaspora=scattered, Acts 8:1-4 cf. 1 Peter 1:1). This, of course, took place before Paul’s conversion; therefore, Peter’s hearers could not have been saved under what has come to be known as the Christian message. …
Since the Greek word Christianos has a Latin ending, it strongly implies that the Romans were the first to call the followers of Christ “Christians.” … Peter is the only believer [in Scripture] to use the term “Christian.” The other two times the word appears it came from the lips of the unbelieving. The prefix “Christ” is the common denominator when we consider the usage of the term Christian in relation to the two programs of God. Christ is the subject of both programs. So it is correct to say that Peter’s hearers were Christians because they believed Christ was the Messiah of Israel who would establish His kingdom here upon the earth. They were followers of Christ according to this purpose and calling.
Although the Apostle Paul never uses the term, the members of the Body of Christ have come to be called Christians because Christ is our Head. We are to follow Paul as he followed Christ according to His heavenly purpose as calling (1 Corinthians 11:1). — Sadler, pages 151-152.
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