1 Peter 4:3 3For the past time was sufficient to do what the Gentiles want to do, by living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
Living to please oneself brings the temptations Peter lists in this verse. People often avoid suffering by following the empty promises of happiness and fulfillment of these vices. Temptation appeals in some way to the corrupted human nature that replaces the worship of God for pleasures of the flesh. The Gentiles (“nations,” ethnōn), who have little light of God’s laws (Romans 2:14–15), chase after these pleasures. In modern times, these pleasures and the pursuit of them have become highly sophisticated and creative. This short vice list is similar to Paul’s list of the acts of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21.
Sensuality (aselgeiais) refers to living in selfish abandonment or self-control, doing whatever feels good. These are the “desires for the flesh” of 2:11 and common among unbelievers deceived by the world (Ephesians 4:19). They could include sexual sins or other types of licentiousness (Romans 13:13). Passions (epithymiais) can be good or bad, but in the New Testament, the word usually has a negative connotation and goes along with sensuality to refer to uncontrolled desires of the deceived and depraved instincts. The next three terms are similar in context. Drunkenness (oinophlygiais) takes a good thing God provides and uses it until it controls a person. The word contains “wine” (oinos), so the specific application is drinking too much to where one loses mental and emotional control. Many problems can come from intoxication, including unkind actions, abuse, verbal quarreling, or physical endangerment. Orgies (kōmois) are excessive feasting and rivalry that can result from drinking too much. Drinking parties (potois) repeats the above two ideas but adds the sense of having bad company. As a Jew, Peter was the page worship and its disgusting (athemitois) idolatry. It drew people away from the true God to gods of their own making, who somehow reflected depraved human nature. All these activities were common among the unbelievers in Asia-Minor.
Peter may have listed these acts of sin in reflection of how people avoid suffering by following the empty promises of the world. The fallen humanity gives in to the sinful nature by satisfying our lusts for power, sexual fulfillment, wealth, and control in search of happiness. This happiness, however, is shallow and short-lived. What promises happiness eventually brings destruction.