Beloved, don't be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you, to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you.
The same word "trial" is used in 1:7; here the figure intensifies with the addition of "fiery." Literally, "fiery" means "burning." Reference is made to a trial by fire in which gold ore was cast into a crucible or melting pot for the purpose of removing the impurities. Impurities rising to the top would be skimmed off as more and more heat was applied. This process would continue until the goldsmith could see his own face clearly in the surface of the liquid. The figure employed is not foreign to the scriptures. In Psalms 66:20 and Proverbs 27:31 the identical idea is present. The concept of suffering for righteousness sake is an ancient one. God has long been interested in quality; His people have known the furnace of affliction (Psalms 45:46).