1 Peter 3:10

Called to Blessing

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be¹ courteous;

9 ^anot returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary ^bblessing, knowing that you were called to this, ^cthat you may inherit a blessing.

10 For
^a“He who would love life
And see good days,
^bLet him¹ refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.

11 Let him ^aturn away from evil and do good;
^bLet him seek peace and pursue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
^aAnd 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 ^aAnd who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?

14 ^aBut even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ^b“And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”

15 But¹ sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always ^abe ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the ^bhope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

16 ^ahaving 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 bring¹ 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,¹ 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.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does 1 Peter 3:10 Mean?

1 Peter 3:10-12

Notice the situation in which Peter applies this idea. In verse 8, he writes, "All of you be of one mind," and then, "Love as brothers." He brings the fight against evil to our community, the church! It is within the church, like it or not, that we may have the most trouble with the evil inside. Why?

In the world, Christians shine like beacons because the contrast between themselves and the uncalled is so stark. We keep God's commandments, the holy days, and the food laws. We try to do good. However, when we are among other Christians, and the contrast is less discernable, how do we react? Do we react as Christians or as carnal?

We often seem to be able to get along well with the world because we know where everybody stands, but among church members, we frequently have problems. Sometimes problems crop up because we lower our guard, and at other times, because we expect so much of our fellow Christians.

We do not want the evil in us to come out and defile our relationships within the church. Yet, if we see problems arising, then we know that evil is present. We have just allowed ho poneros, the wicked one, among us. It becomes imperative, then, to stamp it out as soon as possible.

Thus, Peter advises: "Turn from evil. Do good. Seek peace and pursue it. If you do not, God will turn His face against us"—and we certainly do not want that.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Evil Is Real (Part Five)

**Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing 1 Peter 3:10:**

Amos 5:21-24
Luke 6:41-42

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