David Morris

1 Peter 4:1-11

This is the first of what I plan to be a series of blogs on this passage. I'm not promising (or even attempting) to produce anything extremely...exciting in some sense of the word, but I will do my best to avoid posting all the little things about these verses that I'd like to.

This first entry is simply the exegetical outline I did for a class. In that class, we're taught that the exegetical outline is like a skeleton to a sermon-you have to have a skeleton to exist, but nobody wants to see it. As one popular analogy puts it, people want to see the display of the pearl diver's wares, not hear about the depth of the dive, the temperature of the water, or the pretty coral at the bottom.

So although I'm breaking that rule, I'm doing it on purpose. I hope this might provide some amount of information you might not have considered before, give a framework for this passage, and, even if you don't really utilize it now, give you something that will help you in your Bible study at some point. (besides, i'm not preaching it, so the venue legitimizes it as well. :-)

I hope it will also give a little peak into the sermon process. This outline can remind you that making a sermon is work. (especially if you look at it as it is and promptly dismiss it for its lack of communication) Your pastor does this work every week, and it's good to remember that a quality sermon doesn't just happen. (this outline represents right around 5 hours of work, and it's not even close to being a sermon yet. 5 hours is a meager amount of time in comparison to what needs to be done.)

So with that rather extended bit of disclaimer, here's what I perceive to be the structure of 1 Peter 4:1-11.

FCF:              Our sinful nature dictates our actions and distorts our perspectives.

Theme:           In light of revealed reality, think and live God’s way.

 

I.    Since Christ suffered in the flesh to the point of death (1:11, 2:21, 3:18), equip yourself with His way of thinking. (vv. 1-6)

      A.  The reason for considering your flesh to be dead (v. 1) (Rom. 6:7)

      B.   The result of considering your flesh to be dead (v. 2)

            1.         Not living according to man’s lusts

            2.         Living according to God’s purposes

      C.  The arguments (Hiebert-motivations?) for considering your flesh to be dead (vv. 3-6)

            1.         You have already done more than enough fleshly evil in the past (v. 3)

            2.         Christ will judge every human according to his fleshliness (vv. 4-6)

                        a.         Christ is ready to judge the natural man’s headlong plunge into fleshliness. (vv. 4-5)

                                 

                        b. Christ has prepared righteous judgment even for those already dead (v. 6)

                       

II.   Since the end of all things is near, follow God’s way of living. (vv. 7-11)

      A.  Be clearheaded and self-controlled for the purpose of prayer. (v. 7)

      B.   Maintain constant and intense love for believers because of love’s effects. (v. 8)

      C.  Be hospitable without a complaining manner. (v. 9)

      D.  Use your gifts to serve believers as (like or since?) one entrusted with God’s grace. (vv. 10-11)

            1.         How to serve as a minister of grace (v. 11a)

                       
a.      Minister God’s words, not your own.

                       
b.     Minister in God’s strength, not your own.

            2.         Why to serve as a minister of grace (v. 11b)

                       
a.     For God’s glory

                       
b.     For Christ’s magnification

 

Works Consulted:      BDAG, Blum, Hiebert

 

Posted by apelles at September 25, 2003 01:03 PM