Suffering for Doing Good

3:8 Finally, all of you be harmonious,13 sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble. 3:9 Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless14 others15 because you were called to inherit a blessing. 3:10 For

the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep16 his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit.

3:11 And he must turn away from evil and do good;

he must seek peace and pursue it.

3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are17 upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil.18

3:13 For19 who is going to harm you if you are devoted to what is good? 3:14 But in fact, if you happen to suffer20 for doing what is right,21 you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them22 or be shaken.23 3:15 But set Christ24 apart25 as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess.26 3:16 Yet do it with courtesy and respect,27 keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you.28 3:17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it,29 than for doing evil.

3:18 30 Because Christ also suffered31 once for sins,

the just for the unjust,32

to bring you to God,

by being put to death in the flesh

but33 by being made alive in the spirit.34

3:19 In it35 he went and preached to the spirits in prison,36

3:20 after they were disobedient long ago37 when God patiently waited38 in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed. In the ark39 a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water. 3:21 And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you40—not the washing off of physical dirt41 but the pledge42 of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 3:22 who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God43 with angels and authorities and powers subject to him.44

4:1 So, since Christ suffered1 in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same attitude, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin,2 4:2 in that he spends the rest of his time3 on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires. 4:3 For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians4 desire.5 You lived then6 in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts,7 and wanton idolatries.8 4:4 So9 they are astonished10 when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you.11 4:5 They will face a reckoning before12 Jesus Christ13 who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. 4:6 Now it was for this very purpose14 that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead,15 so that though16 they were judged in the flesh17 by human standards18 they may live spiritually19 by God’s standards.20