1 Peter 4:3

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
time	χρόνος chronos	G5550	a space of time (in general · noun — nominative singular masculine
past	παρεληλυθὼς parelēluthōs	G3928	to come near or aside · verb — second perfect active participle, nominative singular masculine
of	βίου biou	G979	life · noun — genitive singular masculine
life	βίος bíos	G979	life
suffice	ἀρκετὸς arketos	G713	satisfactory · adjective — nominative singular masculine
us	ἡμῖν hēmîn	G2254	to (or for
wrought	κατειργάσθαι kateirgasthai	G2716	to work fully · verb — perfect middle or passive deponent infinitive
will	θέλημα thélēma	G2307	a determination (properly
Gentiles	ἐθνῶν ethnōn	G1484	a race (as of the same habit) · noun — genitive plural neuter
walked	πεπορευμένους peporeumenous	G4198	to traverse · verb — perfect middle or passive deponent participle, accusative plural masculine
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
lasciviousness	ἀσελγείαις, aselgeiais	G766	licentiousness (sometimes including other vices) · noun — dative plural feminine
lusts	ἐπιθυμίαις, epithumiais	G1939	a longing (especially for what is forbidden) · noun — dative plural feminine
wine	οἰνοφλυγίαις, oinophlugiais	G3632	an overflow (or surplus) of wine · noun — dative plural feminine
revellings	κώμοις, kōmois	G2970	a carousal (as if letting loose) · noun — dative plural masculine
banquetings	πότοις, potois	G4224	a drinking-bout or carousal · noun — dative plural masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
abominable	ἀθεμίτοις athemitois	G111	from the base of G5087 (τίθημι)) · adjective — dative plural feminine
idolatries	εἰδωλολατρίαις· eidōlolatriais	G1495	image-worship (literally or figuratively) · noun — dative plural feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit o…
Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
1 Thessalonians 4:5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
Ephesians 2:2-3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now w…
Ephesians 4:17-19 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Galatians 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they w…
Ezekiel 45:9 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away you…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 4:1-3

The apostle here draws a new inference from the consideration of Christ's sufferings. As he had before made use of it to persuade to patience in suffering, so here to mortification of sin. Observe, I. How the exhortation is expressed. The antecedent or supposition is that Christ had suffered for us in the flesh, or in his human nature. The consequent or inference is, "Arm and fortify yourselves likewise with the same mind, courage, and resolution." The word flesh in the former part of the verse signifies Christ's human nature, but in the latter part it signifies man's corrupt nature. So the sense is, "As Christ suffered in his human nature, do you, according to your baptismal vow and profess…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 4:3

may suffice--Greek, "is sufficient." Peter takes the lowest ground: for not even the past time ought to have been wasted in lust; but since you cannot recall it, at least lay out the future to better account. us--omitted in oldest manuscripts. wrought--Greek, "wrought out." Gentiles--heathen: which many of you were. when, &c.--"walking as ye have done [ALFORD] in lasciviousness"; the Greek means petulant, immodest, wantonness, unbridled conduct: not so much filthy lust. excess of wine--"wine-bibbings" [ALFORD]. abominable--"nefarious," "lawless idolatries," violating God's most sacred law; not that all Peter's readers (see on Pe1 1:1) walked in these, but many, namely, the Gentil…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 4:3

The time past of our life - This is a complete epitome of the Gentile or heathen state, and a proof that those had been Gentiles to whom the apostle wrote. 1. They walked in lasciviousness, εν ασελγειαις· every species of lechery, lewdness, and impurity. 2. In lusts, επιθυμιαις· strong irregular appetites, and desires of all kinds. 3. In excess of wine, οινοφλυγιαις· wine, and φλυω, to be hot, or to boil; to be inflamed with wine; they were in continual debauches. 4. In revellings, κωμοις· lascivious feastings, with drunken songs, etc. See the note on Rom 13:13. 5. In banquetings, ποτοις· wine feasts, drinking matches, etc. 6. In abominable idolatries, αθεμιτοις ειδωλολατρειαις· that is, the…

The Church Fathers

What Peter is saying is this: We must depart from the evil deeds of pagan life and not go back to our old ways nor imitate those who have relapsed into debauchery and drunkenness.
— Severus of Antioch, CATENA

"What, sir," say I, "are the evil deeds from which we must restrain ourselves?" "Hear," says he: "from adultery and fornication, from unlawful revelling, from wicked luxury, from indulgence in many kinds of food and the extravagance of riches, and from boastfulness, and haughtiness, and insolence, and lies, and backbiting, and hypocrisy, from the remembrance of wrong, and from all slander. These are the deeds that are most wicked in the life of men. From all these deeds, therefore, the servant of God must restrain himself. For he who does not restrain himself from these, cannot live to God."
— Shepherd of Hermas, Shepherd of Hermas, Commandment 8

"For we have spent." Whether we have abundantly operated the will of the Gentiles in our past life: that is, we have lived in a Gentile manner, walking according to the customs of the Gentiles. Therefore, the Gentiles now marvel at this. "For we have spent." As if Peter were saying: But what? Is it not enough for you that for such a long time you have indulged in lust? Have you not lived in a similarly reckless manner as the Gentiles? And what those filthiness and obscenities were, he specifically mentions, confusing them. "With drunkenness," with immoderate desires for wine.
— Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 Peter

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Banquet — A feast provided for the entertainment of a company of guests (Esther 5; 7; 1 Pet. 4:3); such as was provided for our Lord by his friends in Bethany (Matt. 26:6; Mark 14:3; comp. John 12:2). These…
Entertain — Entertainments, “feasts,” were sometimes connected with a public festival (Deut. 16:11, 14), and accompanied by offerings (1 Sam. 9:13), in token of alliances (Gen. 26:30); sometimes in connection…
Adultery · 24:15-18;31:1,9-12; — 24:15-18;31:1,9-12;
Amusements And Pleasures, Worldly · Indulgence in: A characteristic of the wicked — Indulgence in: A characteristic of the wicked
Amusements And Worldly Pleasures · A characteristic of the wicked — A characteristic of the wicked
Chastity · Shun those devoid of — Shun those devoid of
Gentiles · UNCLASSIFIED SCIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCIPTURES RELATING TO
Gluttony · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Idolatry · .Licentiousness of — .Licentiousness of
Lasciviousness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Lust · Evil — Evil
Worldliness · 12:2; — 12:2;

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Peter 4:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 4:1-3

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 4:3

Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 4:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Peter 4:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 4:1-3

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 4:3

Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 4:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Peter 4:3

John Calvin on 1 Peter 4:1-5

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Peter 4:3