[4:12] My dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you.
[4:13] Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may be full of joy when his glory is revealed.
[4:14] Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ's followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you.
[4:15] If you suffer, it must not be because you are a murderer or a thief or a criminal or a meddler in other people's affairs.
[4:16] However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name.
[4:17] The time has come for judgment to begin, and God's own people are the first to be judged. If it starts with us, how will it end with those who do not believe the Good News from God?
[4:18] As the scripture says, “It is difficult for good people to be saved; what, then, will become of godless sinners?”
[4:19] So then, those who suffer because it is God's will for them, should by their good actions trust themselves completely to their Creator, who always keeps his promise.