The First Epistle General of Peter

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- Chapter 3 -

(Song of Solomon 1:1–17; Ephesians 5:22–33)

Similarly also, wives should be subject to their husbands, so that, even if some do not believe the Word, they may benefit without the Word, through the behavior of these wives,

as they consider with fear your chaste behavior.(a)

For you, there should be no unnecessary adornment of the hair, or surrounding with gold, or the wearing of ornate clothing.(b)

Instead, you should be a hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptibility of a quiet and meek spirit, rich in the sight of God.

For in this way, in past times also, holy women adorned themselves, hoping in God, being subject to their own husbands.

For so Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You are her daughters, well-behaved and unafraid of any disturbance.

Similarly, you husbands should live with them in accord with knowledge, bestowing honor on the female as the weaker vessel and as co-heirs of the life of grace, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Turning from Evil

And finally, may you all be of one mind: compassionate, loving brotherhood, merciful, meek, humble,

not repaying evil with evil, nor slander with slander, but, to the contrary, repaying with blessings. For to this you have been called, so that you may possess the inheritance of a blessing.

For whoever wants to love life and to see good days should restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, so that they utter no deceit.

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

For the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears are with their prayers, but the countenance of the Lord is upon those who do evil.

And who is it who can harm you, if you are zealous in what is good?

Suffering for Righteousness

And yet, even when you suffer something for the sake of justice, you are blessed. So then, do not be afraid with their fear, and do not be disturbed.

But sanctify Christ the Lord in your hearts, being always ready to give an explanation to all who ask you the reason for that hope which is in you.

But do so with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, so that, in whatever matter they may slander you, they shall be confounded, since they falsely accuse your good behavior in Christ.

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if it is the will of God, than for doing evil.

For Christ also died once for our sins, the Just One on behalf of the unjust, so that he might offer us to God, having died, certainly, in the flesh, but having been enlivened by the Spirit.

And in the Spirit, he preached to those who were in prison, going to those souls(c)

(d)

who had been unbelieving in past times, while they waited for the patience of God, as in the days of Noah, when the ark was being built. In that ark, a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.

And now you also are saved, in a similar manner, by baptism, not by the testimony of sordid flesh, but by the examination of a good conscience in God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.(e)

(f)

He is at the right hand of God, devouring death, so that we may be made heirs to eternal life. And since he has journeyed to heaven, the Angels and powers and virtues are subject to him.

Footnotes

(a)3:2 The word ‘conversationem’ in Latin can refer to conversation, but it more often refers to behavior or attitude.(Conte)

(b)3:3 The term ‘extrinsecus capillatura’ refers to any unnecessary adornment of the hair; ‘extrinsecus’ does not mean so much outer as beyond what is necessary. The word ‘cultus’ is essential to the meaning of the last phrase. The wearing of garments is obviously not prohibited, but the wearing of ‘cultus’ garments is prohibited, referring to overly embellished or overly ostentatious clothes.(Conte)

(d)3:19 Spirits that were in prison:See here a proof of a third place, or middle state of souls: for these spirits in prison, to whom Christ went to preach, after his death, were not in heaven; nor yet in the hell of the damned: because heaven is no prison: and Christ did not go to preach to the damned.(Challoner)

(e)3:21 Whereunto baptism, etc:Baptism is said to be of the like form with the water by which Noe was saved, because the one was a figure of the other.(Challoner)

(f)3:21 Not the putting away, etc:As much as to say, that baptism has not its efficacy, in order to salvation, from its washing away any bodily filth or dirt; but from its purging the conscience from sin, when accompanied with suitable dispositions in the party, to answer the interrogations made at that time, with relation to faith, the renouncing of Satan with all his works; and the obedience to God’s commandments.(Challoner)

(Song of Solomon 1:1–17; Ephesians 5:22–33)

In 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,

seeing your pure behavior in fear.

Let your beauty come not from the outward adorning of braiding your hair, and of wearing gold ornaments or of putting on fine clothing,

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

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

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

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.

Turning from Evil

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

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.

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

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

For 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.”(a)

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

Suffering for Righteousness

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

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,

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

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

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,

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

who 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.

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.

Footnotes

(a)3:12 ℘ Psalms 34:12-16

(b)3:14 ℘ Isaiah 8:12