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:
Study Note
Study Note
Peter's reminder that 'the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry' creates a temporal boundary between the pre-Christian past and the Christian present as sufficient motivation for change. The catalog of vices echoes Paul's lists in Romans 13:13 and Galatians 5:19-21, suggesting shared catechetical material in early Christianity for defining the contrast between pagan and Christian life. The phrase 'lawless idolatry' (athemitois eidōlolatriais) characterizes all the preceding vices as ultimately idolatrous — rooted in the worship of pleasure and self rather than God. The perspective that converts have already spent 'enough time' in sin provides a pastoral strategy: the past is both sufficient and past.
Other Translations
For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries:
for sufficient to us <FI>is<Fi> the past time of life the will of the nations to have wrought, having walked in lasciviousnesses, desires, excesses of wines, revellings, drinking-bouts, and unlawful idolatries,
Because for long enough, in times past, we have been living after the way of the Gentiles, given up to the desires of the flesh, to drinking and feasting and loose behaviour and unclean worship of images;
Cross References
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And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast …
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Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness …
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Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, …
But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the …
Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is …