1. Petrus 3:15 Kommentar

Wherein the apostle describes the duties of husbands and wives one to another, beginning with the duty of the wife (Pe1 3:1-7). He exhorts Christians to unity, love, compassion, peace, and patience under sufferings; to oppose the slanders of their enemies, not by returning evil for evil, or railing for railing, but by blessing; by a ready account of their faith and hope, and by keeping a good conscience (Pe1 3:8-17). To encourage them to this, he proposes the example of Christ, who suffered, the just for the unjust, but yet punished the old world for their disobedience, and saved the few who were faithful in the days of Noah (Pe1 3:18 to the end).

INTRODUCTION TO 1 PETER 3 In this chapter the apostle instructs wives how to behave towards their husbands, and husbands how to behave towards their wives; and then exhorts to various things common to all Christians, and particularly to suffer patiently for righteousness sake; to which he encourages them from the sufferings of Christ, and the benefits resulting from them, on which he enlarges to the end of the chapter. He begins with the duty of wives to their husbands, even unbelieving ones, which is subjection to them, urged from the profitable effect of it; since hereby they might be won over to the Christian religion, without the use of the word, as a means, by their conversation, which is explained of chastity and fear, Pe1 3:1. And he proceeds to give some advice about their apparel, that they should have a greater regard to internal ornaments; particularly meekness and quietness of spirit, which is highly esteemed of by God, rather than to outward adorning; and which he enforces by the examples of godly women in former times, who were so adorned, and were subject to their husbands, particularly Sarah, the wife of Abraham, Pe1 3:3. And next the apostle directs husbands how to conduct towards their wives, to dwell with them, and honour them, because vessels, and weaker vessels, and also heirs of the same grace of life; and besides, to use them ill would be an hinderance of their praying together, Pe1 3:7. And then follow various exhortations to unity of judgment, compassion, brotherly love, pity, courteousness, and patience under the reproaches and revilings of men, which is the way to inherit a blessing they are called unto, Pe1 3:8 and that these are incumbent on the saints, and that they shall be blessed, who are helped to regard them, is proved by some passages out of Psa 34:12, which passages are cited, Pe1 3:10. And in order to encourage to the exercise of the above things, the apostle suggests, that they that so behaved should not be hurt by any; and if they did suffer for righteousness sake from wicked men, yet still they would be happy; nor should this deter them from making a public confession of their faith; to which should be added a good conscience and conversation, to the shame and confusion of them that spoke evil of them, and accused them, Pe1 3:13. And though they were distressed and injured by men, they should not be cast down, nor murmur, since it was the will of God it should be so; and since it was better to suffer for doing well than for doing ill; and especially the example of Christ should animate to patience, since he, an innocent person, suffered for the sins of unjust men, to reconcile them to God; and he is now glorified and happy, and so will his people be, Pe1 3:17. And having made mention of his being quickened by the Spirit, the apostle takes occasion from hence of observing, that by the same Spirit Christ preached in the times of Noah to disobedient persons, whose spirits were now in hell; and he takes notice of the longsuffering of God in that dispensation towards them, and of the goodness of God in saving Noah, and his family, in the ark, which was a figure of baptism; of which some account is given what it is, and is not, and which saves by the resurrection of Christ, Pe1 3:19 who is described by his ascension to heaven, session at the right hand of God, and dominion over angels, authorities, and powers, Pe1 3:22.

Having a good conscience,.... Meaning not the faculty of the conscience itself, which is naturally evil, and defiled with sin, and is only made good by the sanctification of the Spirit, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, by which the heart is sprinkled from it, and that itself purged from dead works; but a life and conversation according to the dictates of such a conscience, in the uprightness and sincerity of it, and by the grace of God, and according to the Gospel, and whereby the doctrines of it are adorned; for, as besides internal sanctification of God, or a fearing of him, and believing in him with the heart, there must be a profession of him with the mouth, and a reason of faith and hope given verbally, when there is an occasion for it; so to both must be added a conscientious discharge of duty, both to God and men, which is one way of defending and recommending the doctrines of the Gospel: that whereas they speak evil of you as of evildoers; as vain, proud, haughty, and arrogant persons, as seditious men, enemies to order and civil magistracy; as such that speak evil of dignities, and despise government; when they shall see your modest and humble deportment in the world, and before them, and with what reverence and esteem you treat them: they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ; which was in consequence of their being in Christ, and made new creatures by him, and was as became his Gospel, and by and under the influence of his grace and Spirit.

"But sanctify the Lord Christ," he says, "in your hearts." For so you have in the Lord's prayer, "Hallowed be Thy name."

The apostle tells us to be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks us for an explanation of our faith, because if an unbeliever asks me a reason for my faith and hope and I perceive that he cannot accept it unless he believes, I give him that very reason, so that he may see how absurd it is for him to ask a reason for things which he cannot grasp until he believes.

The one who decides to do this is not doing anything new, nor is he making up some new explanation. Rather he is making clear to those who ask him what his faith in Christ is all about.

We must be so well instructed in the knowledge of our faith that whenever anyone asks us about it we may be able to give them a proper answer and to do so with meekness and in the fear of God. For whoever says anything about God must do so as if God himself were present to hear him.

Therefore, sanctify God in your hearts, and do not be afraid of human fear nor be troubled. But always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you. And do this with the demonstration of good actions. For by doing so gently and with kindness, you will confirm that you are well aware of yourselves, and you will shame those who have evil suspicions about you.

Furthermore, God commands "to sanctify Him in the hearts," as Isaiah says (Is. 8:13): this means, do not glory in those things that appear, but in the hidden treasury of your hearts, working the sanctification of the Lord, which consists in the separation of the nations from their abominations or wicked customs; thus sanctify Him. However, being sanctified, while others glorify Him through your good conduct, just as God and man Himself commands when He says: "Let your light shine before men," etc. (Matt. 5:16) What is said about being ready is connected to the previous part, for example, "all of you, be united." The word "be" is also attributed to the common understanding, so the meaning is: "May you always be ready." He wants to command that a faithful person should always be prepared regarding the discourse of faith, so that at any time when a reason concerning it is sought from us, we may easily respond; moreover, in responding, let us do so with meekness, as if God Himself were present: no diligent servant would be arrogant in the presence of his master. It also adds the profit that follows from this, namely, the inquiry of the unbelievers and the kindness of the mind towards us. However, it should be noted that these are not contrary to what has been said by the Lord, for He indeed commands not to be anxious about what we should answer when we are brought before rulers and authorities. (Matt. 10:19) Indeed, the Lord's words about martyrdom were spoken, as He also says that virtue and a more powerful discourse should be given than any human wisdom, and that one who despises the surrounding fears: however, Peter's opinion speaks of doctrine. For without understanding and inquiry, it is worthy of reproach to think one knows something. For the knowledge of the foolish is an unprofitable discourse. (Eccles. 21:21) Moreover, since we were accused of various wicked things, and they also showed that our hope was vain, he says that we should bring forth considered responses about these things, having at the same time a proven life, which he certainly calls conscience.

Just as magnifying God cannot add anything to his greatness and glorifying him does not make him any more glorious, so sanctifying the Lord does not mean that there is any addition to his existing holiness. Rather we are called to sanctify him in our hearts, and if we form a clear understanding of his holiness, then we do not sanctify him on one occasion only, but rather by doing this we have a better understanding of what his holiness is and something of it is implanted in our hearts. Likewise someone who magnifies God receives a share of his greatness, and someone who glorifies him is glorified in turn. It is a prophetic voice which says that there should be no fear in you which might prevent you from confessing Christ in your hearts. You should sanctify him there also. For this confession is sanctification both for the soul and for the body. Some people wonder why the Savior said: “Do not worry about what you will say,” but here the apostle writes: “Be ready to give an explanation.” However, there is no contradiction. Jesus was speaking about bearing witness, whereas Peter is talking about teaching others the faith.

Sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts. What does it mean to sanctify the Lord in our hearts, if not to contemplate His holiness, which is of incomprehensible glory, with the innermost affection of the heart? How much strength He is able to give to those hoping in Him to overcome, whose inestimable holiness shines forth.

Always be prepared to provide an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. We must be prepared to give an account of our hope and faith to those who ask in two ways, so that we may reveal the just reasons for our hope and faith to everyone, whether they inquire faithfully or unfaithfully, and so that we always hold firm the very profession of our faith and hope, even amidst the pressures of adversaries, showing by patience how reasonably we have learned to maintain it, for the love of which we neither fear to suffer adversities nor to undergo death.

The words "ready... to give an answer" and so forth must be connected with the words "show good conduct" ("have a good conscience"). For when you do this with meekness and propriety, then you yourselves will be assured that you have a good conscience, and you will put to shame those who have a bad opinion of you. The apostle commands the faithful person to always be ready to give an account of the faith, so that whenever anyone asks us about the faith, we may always be able to answer easily, and to do this with meekness, as indeed all things generally, as if in the presence of God Himself. For in the presence of his master, no sensible servant is insolent. The benefit of this is that the unbelievers will learn what kind of people we are and will be fair to us. It should be noted that these words of the apostle do not contradict the saying of the Lord. When the Lord says that when we are brought before rulers and authorities, we should not worry about "what we shall answer" (Luke 21:14), while Peter now commands us to prepare an answer, the Lord is speaking about testimony, whereas the apostle Peter is speaking about teaching. For whoever thinks he knows something without understanding and investigation brings reproach upon himself. For the knowledge of the foolish consists of unfathomable words. Another interpretation: Since they accused us of many lawless deeds and represented our hopes as vain, the apostle commands us to prepare well-considered answers and to have a praiseworthy life, which he also calls conscience.

From the words of the prophet that he cited, he draws a conclusion. There it is said: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (1 Pet. 3:12), and the apostle adds to this: if you live in this way, then God will be gracious and merciful toward you. And in such a situation, who will harm you? For all things are in His hand, "life and death" (Wis. 16:13). But since some considered sufferings for the faith to be an evil, the apostle Peter, in order to correct such an opinion, says: do not consider this an evil; on the contrary, consider it a pledge of blessedness. For fear from men deserves no attention, but is short-lived. For if the eyes of the Lord are turned toward the righteous and His ears toward their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, threatening the wicked with destruction, then if this were an evil, the Giver of good things would certainly not repay with evil our love for Him. For He brings evil upon the evil: "Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man who does evil" (Rom. 2:9); therefore, afflictions for the sake of piety are not an evil. Together with Isaiah (Isa. 8:13), he commands to sanctify the Lord in our hearts, that is, not to exalt oneself through visible deeds, but in the secret chamber of the heart to accomplish the sanctification of the Lord, which consists in turning away from defilements, that is, from the evil customs of the pagans. Thus sanctify Him. And He is sanctified through your good conduct, when other people glorify Him, just as the God-Man Himself commands: "So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works" (Matt. 5:16).

The duty of wives to their husbands, how they are to be adorned, and be in subjection as Sarah was to Abraham, Pe1 3:1-6. The duty of husbands to their wives, Pe1 3:7. How to obtain happiness, and live a long and useful life, Pe1 3:8-11. God loves and succours them that do good; but his face is against the wicked, Pe1 3:12, Pe1 3:13. They should suffer persecution patiently, and be always ready to give a reason of the hope that is in them; and preserve a good conscience, though they suffered for righteousness, Pe1 3:14-17. Christ suffered for us, and was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, Pe1 3:18. How he preached to the old world, while Noah was preparing the ark, Pe1 3:19, Pe1 3:20. The salvation of Noah and his family a type of baptism, Pe1 3:21. Christ is ascended to heaven, all creatures being subject to him, Pe1 3:22.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts - To sanctify God may signify to offer him the praises due to his grace, but as to sanctify literally signifies to make holy, it is impossible that God should be thus sanctified. We have often already seen that ἁγιαζω signifies to separate from earth, that is, from any common use or purpose, that the thing or person thus separated may be devoted to a sacred use. Perhaps we should understand Peter's words thus: Entertain just notions of God; of his nature, power, will, justice, goodness, and truth. Do not conceive of him as being actuated by such passions as men; separate him in your hearts from every thing earthly, human, fickle, rigidly severe, or capriciously merciful. Consider that he can neither be like man, feel like man, nor act like man. Ascribe no human passions to him, for this would desecrate not sanctify him. Do not confine him in your conceptions to place, space, vacuity, heaven, or earth; endeavor to think worthily of the immensity and eternity of his nature, of his omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. Avoid the error of the heathens, who bound even their Dii Majores, their greatest gods, by fate, as many well-meaning Christians do the true God by decrees; conceive of him as infinitely free to act or not act, as he pleases. Consider the goodness of his nature; for goodness, in every possible state of perfection and infinitude, belongs to him. Ascribe no malevolence to him; nor any work, purpose, or decree, that implies it: this is not only a human passion, but a passion of fallen man. Do not suppose that he can do evil, or that he can destroy when he might save; that he ever did, or ever can, hate any of those whom he made in his own image and in his own likeness, so as by a positive decree to doom them, unborn, to everlasting perdition, or, what is of the same import, pass them by without affording them the means of salvation, and consequently rendering it impossible for them to be saved. Thus endeavor to conceive of him; and, by so doing, you separate him from all that is imperfect, human, evil, capricious, changeable, and unkind. Ever remember that he has wisdom without error, power, without limits, truth without falsity, love without hatred, holiness without evil, and justice without rigour or severity on the one hand, or capricious tenderness on the other. In a word, that he neither can be, say, purpose, or do, any thing that is not infinitely just, holy, wise, true, and gracious; that he hates nothing that he has made; and has so loved the world, the whole human race, as to give his only-begotten Son to die for them, that they might not perish, but have everlasting life. Thus sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and you will ever be ready to give a reason of the hope that is in you to every serious and candid inquirer after truth. Most religious systems and creeds are incapable of rational explanation, because founded on some misconception of the Divine nature. "They set at odds heaven's jarring attributes, And with one excellence another wound." The system of humanizing God, and making him, by our unjust conceptions of him, to act as ourselves would in certain circumstances, has been the bane of both religion and piety; and on this ground infidels have laughed us to scorn. It is high time that we should no longer know God after the flesh; for even if we have known Jesus Christ after the flesh, we are to know him so no more. What I have written above is not against any particular creed of religious people, it is against any or all to whom it may justly apply, it may even be against some portions of my own; for even in this respect I am obliged daily to labor to sanctify the Lord God in my heart, to abstract him from every thing earthly and human, and apprehend him as far as possible in his own essential nature and attributes through the light of his Spirit and the medium of his own revelation. To act thus requires no common effort of soul: and just apprehensions of this kind are not acquired without much prayer, much self-reflection, much time, and much of the grace and mercy of God. Instead of τον Θεον, God, ABC, four others, both the Syriac, Erpen's Arabic, the Coptic, Vulgate, and Armenian, with Clement and Fulgentius, read τον Χριστον, Christ. Sanctify Christ in your hearts. This reading is at least equal to the other in the authorities by which it is supported; but which was written by St. Peter we know not. A reason of the hope - An account of your hope of the resurrection of the dead and eternal life in God's glory. This was the great object of their hope, as Christ was the grand object of their faith. The word απολογια, which we translate answer, signifies a defense; from this we have our word apology, which did not originally signify an excuse for an act, but a defense of that act. The defences of Christianity by the primitive fathers are called apologies. See the note on Act 21:1. With meekness and fear - Several excellent MSS. add the word αλλα, but, here, and it improves the sense considerably: Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, But with meekness and fear. Do not permit your readiness to answer, nor the confidence you have in the goodness of your cause, to lead you to answer pertly or superciliously to any person; defend the truth with all possible gentleness and fear, lest while you are doing it you should forget his presence whose cause you support, or say any thing unbecoming the dignity and holiness of the religion which you have espoused, or inconsistent with that heavenly temper which the Spirit of your indwelling Lord must infallibly produce.

RELATIVE DUTIES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES: EXHORTATIONS TO LOVE AND FORBEARANCE: RIGHT CONDUCT UNDER PERSECUTIONS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE, AFTER CHRIST'S EXAMPLE, WHOSE DEATH RESULTED IN QUICKENING TO US THROUGH HIS BEING QUICKENED AGAIN, OF WHICH BAPTISM IS THE SACRAMENTAL SEAL. (1Pe. 3:1-22) Likewise--Greek, "In like manner," as "servants" in their sphere; compare the reason of the woman's subjection, Co1 11:8-10; Ti1 2:11-14. your own--enforcing the obligation: it is not strangers ye are required to be subject to. Every time that obedience is enjoined upon women to their husbands, the Greek, "idios," "one's own peculiarly," is used, while the wives of men are designated only by heauton, "of themselves." Feeling the need of leaning on one stronger than herself, the wife (especially if joined to an unbeliever) might be tempted, though only spiritually, to enter into that relation with another in which she ought to stand to "her own spouse (Co1 14:34-35, "Let them ask their own [idious] husbands at home"); an attachment to the person of the teacher might thus spring up, which, without being in the common sense spiritual adultery, would still weaken in its spiritual basis the married relation [STEIGER]. that, if--Greek, "that even if." Even if you have a husband that obeys not the word (that is, is an unbeliever). without the word--independently of hearing the word preached, the usual way of faith coming. But BENGEL, "without word," that is, without direct Gospel discourse of the wives, "they may (literally, in oldest manuscripts, 'shall,' which marks the almost objective certainty of the result) be won" indirectly. "Unspoken acting is more powerful than unperformed speaking" [Å“CUMENIUS]. "A soul converted is gained to itself, to the pastor, wife, or husband, who sought it, and to Jesus Christ; added to His treasury who thought not His own precious blood too dear to lay out for this gain" [LEIGHTON]. "The discreet wife would choose first of all to persuade her husband to share with her in the things which lead to blessedness; but if this be impossible, let her then alone diligently press after virtue, in all things obeying him so as to do nothing at any time against his will, except in such things as are essential to virtue and salvation" [CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA].

sanctify--hallow; honor as holy, enshrining Him in your hearts. So in the Lord's Prayer, Mat 6:9. God's holiness is thus glorified in our hearts as the dwelling-place of His Spirit. the Lord God--The oldest manuscripts read "Christ." Translate, "Sanctify Christ as Lord." and--Greek, "but," or "moreover." Besides this inward sanctification of God in the heart, be also ready always to give, &c. answer--an apologetic answer defending your faith. to every man that asketh you--The last words limit the universality of the "always"; not to a roller, but to everyone among the heathen who inquires honestly. a reason--a reasonable account. This refutes Rome's dogma, "I believe it, because the Church believes it." Credulity is believing without evidence; faith is believing on evidence. There is no repose for reason itself but in faith. This verse does not impose an obligation to bring forward a learned proof and logical defense of revelation. But as believers deny themselves, crucify the world, and brave persecution, they must be buoyed up by some strong "hope"; men of the world, having no such hope themselves, are moved by curiosity to ask the secret of this hope; the believer must be ready to give an experimental account "how this hope arose in him, what it contains, and on what it rests" [STEIGER]. with--The oldest manuscripts read, "but with." Be ready, but with "meekness." Not pertly and arrogantly. meekness-- (Pe1 3:4). The most effective way; not self-sufficient impetuosity. fear--due respect towards man, and reverence towards God, remembering His cause does not need man's hot temper to uphold it.