1 Peter 3:13-22
New King James Version
Suffering for Right and Wrong
13 (A)And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 (B)But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. (C)“And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But [a]sanctify [b]the Lord God in your hearts, and always (D)be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the (E)hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 (F)having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Christ’s Suffering and Ours
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring [c]us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, [d]when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 (G)There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (H)(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, (I)but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and (J)is at the right hand of God, (K)angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Peter 3:15 set apart
- 1 Peter 3:15 NU Christ as Lord
- 1 Peter 3:18 NU, M you
- 1 Peter 3:20 NU, M when the longsuffering of God waited patiently
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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