1 Peter 5:10
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Peter closes the body of his letter with a benediction of assurance. After warning of the enemy, he points believers to God's faithful work of restoration following their trials.
What Does 1 Peter 5:10 Mean?
Peter assures believers that the God of all grace, who has called them to eternal glory, will personally restore and strengthen them after a season of suffering. The verse opens with a hopeful "But" -- a turn from the warning about the enemy to the certainty of God's faithful care. He is named "the God of all grace," the source of every kindness believers need, and the One who "hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus." Their final destiny is glory, secured through Christ, and that destiny frames the present trial.
Peter does not pretend suffering will be absent: "after that ye have suffered a while." The phrase acknowledges that hardship is real but limited -- "a while" -- compared to the eternal glory ahead. Then come four rich verbs describing what God Himself will do. To "make you perfect" means to restore and mend what has been broken, like setting a bone or repairing a net. To "stablish" is to make firm and steady. To "strengthen" is to fill with strength for endurance. To "settle" is to ground securely, like a building set on a firm foundation. Notice that God is the actor in every verb; the work of restoration is His doing. Peter ends his exhortation not with a demand but with a promise: the same God who calls also completes, turning a season of suffering into the very means by which His people are made firm and whole.
In the Original Language
The Greek "katartizō" (make perfect) means to mend or restore to full working order, and "sthenoō" (strengthen) means to make strong.
Cross References
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
- Philippians 1:6
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”
- 2 Corinthians 4:17
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
- Romans 8:18
Application
When suffering feels endless, remember it is "a while" against eternal glory, and trust that God Himself will restore, steady, strengthen, and settle you.