The Bible — World English Bible

1 Peter 3

In brief

In 1 Peter 3, the apostle writes to Christians who are a minority and sometimes slandered. He first gives advice to wives and husbands, then calls the whole church to unity, compassion and blessing in the face of evil. He encourages believers to suffer for doing good and to be ready to give an account of their hope with gentleness, taking Christ as the model. The chapter ends with the death and resurrection of Jesus, the days of Noah and baptism, and his triumph at the right hand of God.

The chapter in 4 parts

  1. v. 1-7In marriage: conduct, honor and prayer
  2. v. 8-12Unity and blessing: do not repay evil for evil
  3. v. 13-17Suffering for doing good and giving an account of your hope
  4. v. 18-22Christ suffers for us: Noah, baptism and the victory of the Risen One

1In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word,

2seeing your pure behavior in fear.

3Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;

4but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

5For this is how in the past, the holy women who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands.

6So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

7You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

8Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,

9not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

10For, “He who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

11Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it.

12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

13Now who will harm you if you become imitators of that which is good?

14But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t fear what they fear, neither be troubled.”

15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear,

16having a good conscience. Thus, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ.

17For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil.

18Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit,

19in whom he also went and preached to the spirits in prison,

20who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

21This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

Key verses

Verse 7
You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Peter asks husbands for wisdom and honor toward their wives, who are heirs with them of the grace of life, so that their prayers will not be hindered. He ties the quality of the marriage relationship to the life of prayer.

Verse 9
not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

Do not repay evil for evil, but bless. This is the Christian response to insult, based on what God has done for us: we were called to inherit a blessing.

Verse 15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear,

The verse invites us to keep Christ as Lord in our hearts and to be ready to explain our hope, with gentleness and respect. Witness is presented as an answer to a question rather than an attack.

Verse 18
Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit,

Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. This verse sums up the gospel at the heart of the chapter.

Verse 21-22
This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

Peter sees in the waters of the flood a picture of baptism, which saves through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is now at God's right hand. Churches understand baptism in different ways, but all stress the role of the resurrection.

Test your knowledge

All Bible quizzes →

Pray about this

What the sermons say

Is Your Family Blocking Your Prayers? The Priority God DemandsDean Charles Gbanda starts from 1 Peter 3:1-7: when the family is unwell, everything gets blocked. He shows that the quality of married life affects how prayers are heard, according to verse 7.Read the summary →Living Out a Harmonious MarriageFour couples share what they have learned about life together, from the husband's role to the wife's needs. Verse 7 of 1 Peter 3 serves as a reference point on wisdom in the marriage relationship.Read the summary →Caring for Your Marriage: 8 Questions, 8 AnswersA speaker shares the difficulties in her marriage, especially around career choices, and how she read 1 Peter 3:5-6 in the middle of those challenges.Read the summary →1 Corinthians 15: Jesus's Resurrection Rewrote Your Eternal DestinyPastor Cathy cites 1 Peter 3:18-19 to show that the resurrection is the center of the faith: Christ suffered for the unrighteous and the Risen One changes our eternal destiny.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about 1 Peter 3

What does 1 Peter 3:15 mean?

The verse invites us to honor Christ as Lord in our hearts and to be ready to explain the hope within us to anyone who asks. Peter specifies the manner: with gentleness and respect, with a good conscience. The goal is not to win an argument, but to bear witness humbly.

What does 1 Peter 3 say about marriage?

Peter addresses wives, then husbands. He speaks of conduct, of inner beauty, of wisdom and of honor toward the wife, who is an heir with him of the grace of life. Christian traditions understand the word submissive and its application differently, but all hold to mutual respect and shared prayer.

What does Christ's preaching to the spirits in prison mean (1 Peter 3:19)?

This passage is one of the most debated in the New Testament. Some see a proclamation by Christ after his death, others a preaching by Noah, through the Spirit of Christ, to his contemporaries. The context above all stresses that Christ has conquered and that the powers are subject to him (verse 22). Honest believers do not all decide the question the same way.

Articles quoting 1 Peter 3

← All chapters

World English Bible translation — public domain.