1 Peter 3:8-13, Conduct for All

Peter has brilliantly exposited the rock/cornerstone Scriptures (Isaiah 8:14; 28:16 and Psalm 118:22 in chapter 2:4-8), the “not My people/My people” passage (Hosea 1:10 in chapter 2:9,10), and Isaiah 53, the suffering servant passage (Isaiah 53:4-7 in chapter 2:22-25). Now he tackles Psalm 34:12-16, the “how to live a good life” passage, applied to conduct for all believers to follow.

^3:8 Finally, everyone should be likeminded, sympathetic, loving the Christian family, compassionate, humble, ⁹ not repaying evil with evil nor slander with slander, but rather a blessing, because you were called to this, that you might inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For

“the one who wants a good life and to see good days must stop his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking lies. ¹¹ Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. ¹² Because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are toward their requests, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are zealous for doing good?

For Peter, who heard Jesus say, “A new command I give you, that you love one another…by this all people will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:34,35), nothing is more critical for believers who are suffering persecution than being “likeminded, sympathetic, loving the Christian family (literally, brother-loving), compassionate, humble.” And they are not to return evil for evil, especially toward those who are persecuting them. Jesus taught us to bless those who curse us and pray for them (Luke 6:28). We were called to inherit a blessing and to be a blessing to others. We may pray for justice against our persecutors, but we are also to pray for them to come to the knowledge of God (Psalm 83:16). Can you pray this for your persecutors?

Peter quotes Psalm 34:12-16 as backup for his instructions for Christian conduct. The psalmist teaches that we must not use our speech for evil but only for good, pursuing peace above all. God hears and sees those who are righteous while turning his face against those who do evil. Then Peter applies this to his readers by asking the question, “Who is going to harm you if you are zealous for doing good?” The expected answer is that normally no one will harm you for doing good.

But there are exceptions, and that is what he addresses next in his letter.