Whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing that the same affliction befalls, your brethren who are in the world.
ω αντιστητε στερεοι τη πιστει ειδοτες τα αυτα των παθηματων τη εν κοσμω υμων αδελφοτητι επιτελεισθαι
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
It is likely that those to whom the Apostle Peter wrote this endured many afflictions for Christ. Therefore he comforts them both at the beginning and at the end of the epistle. At the beginning he tells them that they become partakers of the Lord’s sufferings and heirs of the glory to be revealed. Here he tells them that they alone are not suffering, but all believers who live in the world.
There is a great difference between God and the devil. If you resist God, He brings you to nothing. If you oppose the devil, you bring him to nothing.
The firmer you are in faith, he says, the stronger will be your hope that you will overcome the devil’s devices. The stronger your awareness that not only you are being tested, the stronger that hope will be. For the very sufferings by which you are weakened are common to you and to those throughout the world who belong to the Church of Christ, that is, to your brethren. And let the fact that the righteous have always suffered since the creation of the world put you to shame before all, if only you cannot endure them.
The brethren in the world: because all live in this still imperfect world, among imperfect people. Sufferings will end more or less fully only when believers live in the other world, where there is neither suffering nor sorrow. There also the enemy, roaring like a lion, cannot harm them in the least.
Humility is indicated as the most important weapon against the present grievous but passing circumstances, which will be resolved in the triumph of Christianity. Therefore the apostle advises them to cast all their care upon the Provider.
They must not grow despondent or give themselves over to moral slackness and carelessness. For the ancient enemy, who takes different forms at different times, is now bringing terror upon Christians.
Like a hungry, or rather enraged, lion, he is always seeking victims for himself. He seeks those who lag behind the flock of God because of the carelessness of pastors or because of the error of individual sheep.
Weakened by the victory of Jesus Christ, the devil cannot fight Christians as a united body. Therefore the apostle urges Christians to stand against him together, supporting one another in the faith.
They should not attach great importance to the temporary grievous circumstances that befall all Christians. Such was the persecution under the emperor Nero. Its vivid and visible reality especially moved the apostle to encourage Christians to patience.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 16 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS