If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
For - `IN the name of Christ;' namely, Christians (1 Peter 4:16; 1 Peter 3:14, above; Mark 9:41), 'in my name, because ye belong to Christ.' 1 Peter 4:15, 'as a murderer, thief,' etc., stands in contrast. Let your suffering be on account of Christ, not on account of evil doing (1 Peter 2:20).
Reproached. Reproach affects noble minds more than loss of goods, or even bodily sufferings.
The Spirit ... upon you - the same as rested on Christ (Luke 4:18). "The Spirit of glory" is His Spirit, for He is the "Lord of glory" (James 2:1). Believers may well overcome 'reproach' (cf. Hebrews 11:26), since "the Spirit of glory" rests upon them, as upon Him. Reproach cannot prevent their happiness, because they retain before God their glory entire, as having the Spirit, with whom glory is inseparably joined (Calvin). 'Aleph (') A add, 'and of His power;' B C omit.
And of God, х kai (G2532) to (G3588) tou (G3588) Theou (G2316)] - 'and the (Spirit) of God:' the Spirit of glory (i:e., Christ's Spirit) is also the Spirit of God.
On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. So the oldest Vulgate, Thebaic, and Cyprian; omitted in 'Aleph (') A B, Syriac, and Coptic versions, etc., "Evil spoken of" - literally, 'blasphemed.' Not merely do they 'speak against you,' as 1 Peter 3:16, but blasphemously mock Christ and Christianity.