1 Peter 4:4

‘In which they think it strange that you do not run with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you,'

Nothing would have produced more comment than the change that took place in men and women's lives in those days when they became Christians. Their friends would have been puzzled. ‘What on earth has happened to you? Why do you not indulge yourself like you used to? Why have you stopped having fun?' This is not talking to Jewish Christians. Everyone knew that the Jews were funny people and kept what they called ‘the Law'. Nothing they did would have surprised them. They did not expect them to run to excess. But for Gentiles to change like this was remarkable indeed. It was unprecedented. No wonder they thought it strange.

We can fully understand why people who were slaves or lived at a low level of poverty, (which was true of most Christians - 1 Corinthians 1:26), ran to join in the excesses of the time as soon as they had a free moment. It was the only thing that made life worth living. And because it was connected with their religious worship they could get time off for it. And nowhere was it more available than in heathen temples, where uncontrolled sex, food and drink were all at hand. So we can see why they could not understand why their friends, who had also once behaved in this way, no longer did so. And very soon, for such is the heart of man, they began to speak evil of them for it made them feel guilty themselves and they felt that it was showing them up and condemning them, especially once the Christians had given them an answer to their question. No one likes to be shown up and given an uneasy conscience. And the result would be persecution.