We can be certain of God’s love for us, no matter how unexpected or difficult any trial might be.

无论遇到何等意外或艰难的试炼，我们可以确信神爱我们。

Reassuring words are vital as we strive to deal in a godly fashion with trials and sufferings in our Christian lives. In today’s verse, Peter opens with a pastoral term (“beloved”) that conveys tenderness, love, and concern for his audience. It reinforces in a single word the concepts of fervent love for one another and love that covers sin (1 Peter 4:8). Such love is a welcome reality to lean on whenever anyone is undergoing suffering or persecution.

在我们基督徒生命中，当我们努力去参与试炼和受苦的敬虔时尚时，安慰的话语至关重要。在今天的经文中，彼得以一个牧者的术语(“亲爱的弟兄”)开口，表达了温柔，仁爱，以及对他听众的关心。用一个词语加强了彼此切实相爱以及爱能遮掩许多的罪（彼前4：8）的概念。这种爱是个令人愉悦的现实，令任何人在经历痛苦或逼迫时可以倚靠它。

Trials can easily tempt us to be discouraged and doubt God’s love. That likely was happening to believers in Peter’s time. For example, the emperor Nero coated many, including children, in pitch and used them as human torches. With such cruel persecution going on, we can see why Peter wrote to fellow Christians—which includes us—to reassure them of God’s love.

试炼能轻易诱惑我们失去勇气并怀疑神的爱。这好象正是彼得时代信徒身上所发生的。例如，尼禄皇帝在许多人，包括孩童，身上涂上沥青，将他们用作活火炬。在这种残酷的逼迫下，我们能明白为什么彼得写信给基督徒伙伴—这也包括我们—向他们保证神的爱。

Peter’s expression “fiery ordeal,” which can refer to many different types of difficulties, provides reassurance that troubles and trials come for a purpose. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, “fiery” referred to a smelting furnace that refined metals of their foreign, unwanted elements. That process is pictured in verses such as Psalm 66:10, “For Thou hast tried us, O God; Thou hast refined us as silver is refined.” So “fiery ordeal” represents the various sufferings God allows in our lives to purify us.

彼得所说“火炼的试炼”指的是许多不同类型的艰难困苦，他给出保证困苦和试炼都是为着一个目的。在旧约希腊原文中，“火炼”指的是用于提炼金属、去除其中杂质的融化的火炉。这个过程刻画在诗篇66：10中：“神啊，你曾试验我们，熬炼我们，如熬炼银子一样。” 因此“火炼的试炼”代表了神容许发生在我们身上为要炼净我们的不同苦楚。

Peter closes by assuring us that trials are not out of the ordinary, or “some strange thing.” We should not be surprised at them as if each was some bizarre occurrence, coming at us simply by chance. Trials, therefore, should be seen as part of life. They might catch us off guard at first, but we can confidently deal with them, knowing that God’s loving care for us never fails.

彼得结束时安慰我们，试炼并不希奇，或是“非常的事”。我们不应对试炼感到惊讶，仿佛是什么离奇怪事，只是不巧临到我们。因此，试炼应被视为生命的组成部分。它们可能开始会令我们措手不及，然而知道神的爱和祂的关心从不失败，我们就可以自信地应对。

Thank the Lord that no trial, no matter how unusual it seems at first, needs to catch you by surprise.

感谢主，无论试炼起初看上去多么反常，你却不必感觉意外。

• Jesus taught the disciples about the inevitability of sufferings, trials, and      disappointments. What warnings did He give in John 15—16?

• What major  resource did He promise?

• 耶稣教导门徒有关不可避免的受苦、试炼和失望，祂在约翰福音15-16给出了哪些警告？

• 祂应许了哪些主要资源？