Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;
Parallel translations
- WEB For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or a meddler in other men’s matters.
- KJV But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
- BSB Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler.
- NKJV But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.
- NLT If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
No believer should suffer as a wrongdoer, whether as a murderer, thief, evildoer, or meddler. It distinguishes righteous suffering from the just consequences of sin.
Overview
Peter qualifies his teaching on suffering: there is no honor in suffering that one has rightly earned by sin. He lists serious crimes alongside even being a 'meddler' in others' affairs. Only suffering for doing good, not for doing wrong, shares in the blessing he describes.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Th 3:11For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies.
- 1 Th 4:11and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you;
- 1 Tim 5:13Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.
- 1 Pet 2:19–20For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God.
- 1 Pet 3:17For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil.
- 2 Tim 2:9in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained.
- Matt 5:11“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The lamb without blemish foreknown before the world, who bore our sins in his body on the tree, by whose wounds we are healed — the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.
How 1 Peter 4:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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