1 Peter 4:15 Meaning and Explanation
“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →None should suffer as a wrongdoer, whether murderer, thief, criminal, or meddler.
What Does 1 Peter 4:15 Mean?
Peter draws a careful line around the suffering he has blessed. Not all suffering is honorable; some is simply the consequence of wrongdoing. None of them should suffer as a murderer, thief, or criminal.
He adds a smaller, sharper item to the list: a busybody, a meddler in other people's affairs. Even this lesser fault can bring trouble that carries no honor. Peter wants the believers' suffering to be clean, the kind that comes from doing right, not from doing wrong or interfering where one does not belong. The blessing attaches only to suffering for Christ, never to suffering one has brought on oneself by sin or by meddling.
1 Peter 4:15 in the Original Language
allotriepiskopos (ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος), 'busybody' -- one who oversees others' affairs, a meddler in matters not his own.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Peter 4:15
What does 1 Peter 4:15 mean?
None should suffer as a wrongdoer, whether murderer, thief, criminal, or meddler.