1. 1 Peter 4:14 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What does “for the name of Christ” mean?

1 Peter 4:14 (ESV)

14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

With these words Peter catches Jesus’ own words in Matthew 5:11–12: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” The point of the phrase (be it Jesus’ or Peter’s version) is that what the ungodly do to the Christian they actually do to Jesus himself (Acts 9:4–5). There is an inseparable link between Jesus Christ and his people (think of the doctrine of union with Christ).