1 Peter 4:17 — Community Reflections

1 PETER 4:17 — KING JAMES VERSION 3

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? — the assertion that 'judgment begins with the household of God' (tou oikou theou) draws from Ezekiel 9:6 and suggests that believers experience eschatological judgment in the form of present suffering. The rhetorical question establishes that if believers' suffering constitutes divine judgment, the fate (ti to telos) of gospel-rejecters must be far worse.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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Aisha MbekiNote2mo ago

Judgment Starts at the Household

I'm a church administrator, and I've spent ten years maintaining the machine - bylaws, budgets, policies, enforcement. I've been good at keeping the organization running 'right,' and I felt proud of t...

James ThorntonNote1mo ago

The shepherd and the sheep - 1 Peter 4

What a reminder that God's ways are not our ways. God is faithful in every circumstance. His timing, His methods, His purposes - all beyond our comprehension, yet perfectly good. The early church wou...

Aisha MbekiNote1mo ago

Seeds of faith - 1 Peter 4

I think this is a call to trust beyond what we can see. The Hebrew word used here carries a richness that English can't fully capture. The early church would have heard this very differently than we d...