1 Peter 3:8-4:6

New King James Version

Called to Blessing

⁸Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be ^[a]courteous; ⁹^(A)not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary ^(B)blessing, knowing that you were called to this, ^(C)that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For

^(D)“He who would love life
And see good days,
^(E)Let him ^[b]refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
¹¹Let him ^(F)turn away from evil and do good;
^(G)Let him seek peace and pursue it.
¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
^(H)And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Suffering for Right and Wrong

¹³^(I)And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? ¹⁴^(J)But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ^(K)“And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” ¹⁵But ^[c]sanctify ^[d]the Lord God in your hearts, and always ^(L)be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the ^(M)hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ¹⁶^(N)having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. ¹⁷For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Christ’s Suffering and Ours

¹⁸For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring ^[e]us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, ¹⁹by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰who formerly were disobedient, ^[f]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^(O)There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism ^(P)(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, ^(Q)but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and ^(R)is at the right hand of God, ^(S)angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

Christ’s Example to Be Followed

4 Therefore, since Christ suffered ^[g]for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ²that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, ^(T)but for the will of God. ³For we have spent enough of our past ^[h]lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. ⁴In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. ⁵They will give an account to Him who is ready ^(U)to judge the living and the dead. ⁶For this reason ^(V)the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but ^(W)live according to God in the spirit.