BEAUTIFUL WIVES AND CONSIDERATE HUSBANDS, Ron Ward
PUT TO DEATH IN THE BODY, MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT
Passage: 1Peter 3:8~22  
Key verse: 18
Suffering for Doing Good
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded,(A) be sympathetic, love one another,(B) be compassionate and humble.(C) 9 Do not repay evil with evil(D) or insult with insult.(E) On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,(F) because to this(G) you were called(H) so that you may inherit a blessing.(I) 10 For,
“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”[a](J)
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?(K) 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.(L) “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be frightened.”[c](M) 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer(N) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope(O) that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience,(P) so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.(Q) 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will,(R) to suffer for doing good(S) than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once(T) for sins,(U) the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.(V) He was put to death in the body(W) but made alive in the Spirit.(X) 19 After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits(Y)— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently(Z) in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.(AA) In it only a few people, eight in all,(AB) were saved(AC) through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you(AD) also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience(AE) toward God.[e] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,(AF) 22 who has gone into heaven(AG) and is at God’s right hand(AH)—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.(AI)
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 3:12 Psalm 34:12-16
- 1 Peter 3:14 Or fear what they fear
- 1 Peter 3:14 Isaiah 8:12
- 1 Peter 3:19 Or but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also
- 1 Peter 3:21 Or but an appeal to God for a clear conscience
Cross references
- 1 Peter 3:8 : S Ro 15:5
- 1 Peter 3:8 : S Ro 12:10
- 1 Peter 3:8 : Eph 4:2; 1Pe 5:5
- 1 Peter 3:9 : Ro 12:17; 1Th 5:15
- 1 Peter 3:9 : 1Pe 2:23
- 1 Peter 3:9 : S Mt 5:44
- 1 Peter 3:9 : S 1Pe 2:21
- 1 Peter 3:9 : S Ro 8:28
- 1 Peter 3:9 : Heb 6:14
- 1 Peter 3:12 : Ps 34:12-16
- 1 Peter 3:13 : S Tit 2:14
- 1 Peter 3:14 : ver 17; 1Pe 2:19, 20; 4:15, 16
- 1 Peter 3:14 : Isa 8:12, 13
- 1 Peter 3:15 : Col 4:6
- 1 Peter 3:15 : S Heb 3:6
- 1 Peter 3:16 : ver 21; S Ac 23:1
- 1 Peter 3:16 : 1Pe 2:12, 15
- 1 Peter 3:17 : 1Pe 2:15; 4:19
- 1 Peter 3:17 : 1Pe 2:20; 4:15, 16
- 1 Peter 3:18 : S Heb 7:27
- 1 Peter 3:18 : 1Pe 2:21; 4:1, 13
- 1 Peter 3:18 : S Ro 5:2
- 1 Peter 3:18 : Col 1:22; 1Pe 4:1
- 1 Peter 3:18 : 1Pe 4:6
- 1 Peter 3:19 : 1Pe 4:6
- 1 Peter 3:20 : S Ro 2:4
- 1 Peter 3:20 : Ge 6:3, 5, 13, 14
- 1 Peter 3:20 : Ge 8:18
- 1 Peter 3:20 : Heb 11:7
- 1 Peter 3:21 : S Ac 22:16
- 1 Peter 3:21 : ver 16; S Ac 23:1
- 1 Peter 3:21 : 1Pe 1:3
- 1 Peter 3:22 : S Heb 4:14
- 1 Peter 3:22 : S Mk 16:19
- 1 Peter 3:22 : S Mt 28:18; S Ro 8:38
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. So that you may inherit a blessing (8-12)
Peter gave advice to slaves, wives and husbands. Finally, Peter spoke to all of God's people to be like-minded, sympathetic, loving, compassionate and humble. As Christians, we will sometimes be treated in an evil manner. We should not repay evil people with evil, but with blessing. When we bless those who treat us badly, we ourselves will be blessed by God. Peter quoted from Psalm 34 to show that the Lord has His eyes on the righteous. He will surely bless the righteous.
2. Revere Christ as Lord (13-22)
When we are like-minded, sympathetic and loving, we have no reason to fear the threats of others. It may be that suffering will come to us from time to time. Sometimes it is God's will that His people suffer, just as Christ suffered. Christ died for our sins so that we may all come to God. By his suffering, we have been saved. So let us, in our hearts, revere Christ as Lord.
Prayer: Lord, thank you that Christ suffered so that we could have life. Help me to revere him as Lord.
One Word: Revere Christ as Lord