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1Pe_4:16. Antithesis to the foregoing.
εἰ δὲ ὡς Χριστιανὸς (sc. τὶς πάσχει ) μὴ αἰσχυνέσθω ] The name Χριστιανός , besides here, is to be found only in Act_11:26, where its origin is mentioned (cf. Meyer in loc.), and Act_26:28.
ὡς Χρ ., i.e. because of his being a Christian, synonymous with ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ , 1Pe_4:14. Calvin: non tam nomen quam causam respicit.
μὴ αἰσχυνέσθω : “let him not consider it a disgrace;” cf. Rom_1:16; 2Ti_1:8; 2Ti_1:12.
δοξαζέτω δὲ τὸν Θεόν ] cf. Act_5:41. Bengel: Poterat Petr., antitheti vi, dicere: honori sibi ducat, sed honorem Deo resignandum esse docet.
ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ ] goes back to πάσχειν ὡς Χριστιανός ; de Wette regards it as synonymous with the reading: ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ , 2Co_3:10; 2Co_9:3 : “in this matter,” “in this respect;”[258] ὄνομα can, however, be retained in its strict sense (Wiesinger), in which case it will mean the name Χριστιανός ; ἐν will then designate this name as the reason of the δοξάζειν (see Winer, p. 362 [E. T. 484]). Hofmann, who gives the preference to the reading ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ , “in this respect,” refers the word to what follows, thus attributing to δοξαζέτω an application different from that of μὴ αἰσχυνέσθω . When, then, he states that the cause for praise arises from this circumstance, that the Christian’s sufferings are appointed by God, he is introducing a thought in no way alluded to, and still less expressed, by the apostle.
[258] Schott interprets μέρος artificially as, “that piece of life apportioned to Christians, which consists in suffering.”