John 16:33 promises two things. First, if we follow Jesus, trouble will ensue.
Many believe coming to Jesus will reduce our problems. This belief might come from bad teaching or wishful thinking. Either way, when we begin encountering harsh problems, we start questioning God, faith, and the journey. Following Jesus includes facing great resistance from our flesh, this world, and the root of it all, Satan. Numerous stories and teachings in the Bible underscore this.
Fortunately, Jesus’ second promise in John 16:33 tells us not to worry. He has overcome the world and is victorious over all things. Thank God for this hope.
In the meantime, however, we deal with things like being reviled. Looking deeper, we begin to see both sides of the promise.
What Is the Biblical Meaning of Reviled?
Scripturally, to be “reviled” means to experience harsh abuse, insulting words, or mistreatment from others. The term includes a sense of public shaming or contempt.
In Hebrew, the key word for revile is gadap, meaning to insult, taunt, or blaspheme (Isaiah 37:6). Another Old Testament word is harap, more specifically used for insults used against a person or God (Psalm 74:10).
For New Testament Greek, reviled can be translated as loidoreo: to verbally abuse, insult, or slander. Paul uses this Greek word in context of how people revile the church (1 Corinthians 4:12). Matthew 27:39 uses a second word for revile, blashemeo, which can sometimes be translated as “blaspheme,” but can mean reviling individuals or God, slandering and speaking evil of them.
Biblically, the context describes someone intentionally lying or mocking another in front of others. Reviling is to attack a person’s character and dignity with words. The one being reviled is treated with utter contempt. Therefore, for God, blasphemy means more than teaching a wrong doctrine; it’s an intentional act to vilify God, calling his actions and being evil.
For those who follow Christ, being reviled points to how the world might treat Jesus’ disciples. In following him, we become associated with his name, and as people seek to discount God, they do the same to those who follow him. It’s part of bearing his name.
Where is the Word "Reviled" Found in Scripture?
In the Old Testament, reviling often connects with blasphemy. God commands in Exodus 22:28, “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.” Early in the Bible, God reveals a similarity between reviling and cursing. To intentionally speak ill of God or a ruler is to curse them. The prophet Isaiah speaks to King Hezekiah in response to the Assyrian Sennacherib’s threats in 2 Kings 19:22. “Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel!” King Sennacherib had besieged Jerusalem and sent a message to the city, saying God didn’t have the power to defeat him, and that they should surrender. God considered this gadap, reviling, a blasphemous act.
In Psalm 74:10, the author begs, “How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?” Asaph writes the song to cry out to the Lord. Jerusalem and the temple have been struck, suffering violence, and the enemy mocks both God and the people. The psalmist longs for relief and justice, for God to defend himself and Israel.
Moving into the New Testament, Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:11, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” Here in the famous intro to the Sermon on the Mount, Christ calls us blessed when we suffer such insults and mocking. As we’ve seen, believers should expect such behavior.
And yet we shouldn’t respond in kind, evil for evil. If such reviling grieves God, then we can’t be tempted to do the same. 1 Peter 2:23 discusses this, pointing to Christ, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, he continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” Jesus lived the model of how to respond to abuse. The apostle Paul writes a similar encouragement. “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure.” (1 Corinthians 4:12) We experience reviling because we’re not of this world. Therefore, we shouldn’t act the same, even when wounded and slandered.
Instead, we choose to act with blessing, patience, and trust. Our flesh will want to bring justice, but we trust in God to fight for us.
We should remember that these describe being reviled for the name of Jesus, our Christian witness and message, not for being unkind, sinful, or unloving. Let the world revile us for the right things.
How Was Christ Reviled?
Early on in his ministry, Jesus faced reviling from Jewish religious leaders who grew jealous of his popularity and influence. Christ drew attention with miracles and casting out demons, but the Pharisees accused him of casting out demons by the power of the prince of demons, openly calling his good evil (Matthew 9:34). John 8:48 records how they called Jesus a Samaritan (a great insult to them) and claimed he had a demon.
Jesus’ teaching brought mocking, as well. In John 10:33, the Jews called his doctrine blasphemy, saying, “You, being a man, make yourself God.” Ironically, what they meant as a slander and insult was Jesus' actual identity as the Son of God in the flesh. Unable to accept this, the Jewish leaders attempted violence against him.
On the day of his crucifixion, he endured intense reviling on the way to his death. Matthew 26:67-68 describes how the Jewish council spat in his face (an insult), slapped him, and mocked, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” As if the pain of horrific torture on the cross wasn’t enough, while there, various groups reviled him—passerby, chief priests, scribes, elders, and even another criminal (Matthew 27). The cross was for the worst of people, shameful, and unclean. They couldn’t understand how a Savior could be subjected to such. The Jews mocked his power and claim to be the Son of God.
Jesus could have called down legions of angels to wipe them all out (Matthew 26:53). But he didn’t. Instead, he prayed for their forgiveness (Luke 23:24), suffering all injustice so others could live. The cross and his death didn’t end the story. Quite the opposite. He rose again with victory over all sin and death.
In fact, the final analysis reveals how Christ actually reviled the powers of darkness on the cross. “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15) Other translations say, “made a public spectacle of them” or “mocked them openly.”
The Bible records how his disciples continued to be reviled for his name, also unto the glory of God.
How Was the Early Church Reviled?
From the church’s beginning, Christians were accused and mocked. At Pentecost, the Spirit filled the disciples, and they spoke with other languages. People sneered at them and accused them of being drunk early in the day. Many in the crowd couldn’t see the supernatural work of God, the revolution taking place and mocked instead (Acts 2).
The apostles continued from there, preaching the Gospel and performing miracles. Like with Jesus, the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem brought false accusations against the Christians. In Acts 4:17-18, the Jewish council (which had only weeks before spat in Jesus’ face) commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach in Jesus’ name, trying to keep them quiet. Peter and John continued anyway, and the Jewish leaders then beat the apostles. After being released, Peter and John praised God for being counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:41).
As the Gospel spread, Stephen faced reviling, becoming the first martyr. False witnesses accused the young Christian of blasphemy against Moses and God (Acts 6:11-14). Again, the Bible says Jewish leaders provoked people through lies. However, Stephen stood on the truth, declaring Jesus, and the crowd responded in violence, dragging him outside and stoning him.
Acts continues to show different forms of reviling toward believers. The Jews reviled Paul and Barnabas when they preached in Antioch (Acts 13:45). An angry mob in Thessalonica accused the same men of turning the world upside down, being disruptive and causing trouble (Acts 17:5-6). Later in his ministry, Paul alone faced the charge of being a plague to the Jewish people (Acts 24:5).
Facing such anger and mocking only emboldened the early church. The church persevered under slander and lying, and it continues with us today.
How Should We Respond when We are Reviled for Christ?
First, we should examine our hearts to make sure the reviling comes from bearing Christ’s name, not from our own wrong actions. “Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” (1 Peter 4:15-16) Peter warns us not to lump all criticism together. If our own pride or bad behavior brings reproach, even if others are wrong with how they communicate it, we should repent. But if we are reviled for standing with Jesus in truth and love, humbly, we can rejoice.
Second, we remember being reviled is part of being a disciple of Jesus. Isaiah prophesied how Jesus would be despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3). And Jesus further warned his followers in John 15:20, “If they persecute me, they will also persecute you.” When we walk in the light of Christ, darkness will come against us in various ways, including harsh and false accusations. This shouldn’t surprise us but confirm we walk the right path.
Third, we don’t return evil for evil. We respond in love and truth, not trying to wound in retaliation. As Christ chooses to bless and love his enemies, we do the same. We remember our true enemies aren’t people but the evil forces of this world (Ephesians 6:12), which Christ has already conquered and shamed. Like Jesus, we overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21), speaking truth with love, and praying to bless those who revile us.
Finally, we remember God gives present and eternal rewards for faithfulness. The reviling isn’t the end of the story, no matter how it feels in the moment. Faith believes God exists and rewards those who diligently seek him, not giving up (Hebrews 11:6). Romans 8:28 famously declares God will work all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his mission.
Two more verses offer us encouragement here.
- Romans 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:17: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”
Therefore, the reviling hurts, but we endure with courage, love, and hope, knowing we follow the Lord and he rewards our faithfulness.
Peace.
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