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1 Peter 3
The household instructions continue: wives whose conduct may win husbands without a word, prizing a gentle and quiet spirit over braided hair and gold (vv.3-4); husbands honoring wives as joint heirs lest their prayers be hindered. Then Peter widens out to all believers: bless instead of repaying insult. The pivot is verse 15: be ready to give a reason for your hope, with gentleness, even when slandered for doing good.
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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,
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seeing your pure behavior in fear.
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Let your beauty come not from the outward adorning of braiding your hair, and of wearing gold ornaments or of putting on fine clothing,
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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.
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For this is how in the past the holy women who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands.
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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.
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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.
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Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,
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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.
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For, “He who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
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Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it.
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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.”
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Now who will harm you if you become imitators of that which is good?
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But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t fear what they fear, neither be troubled.”
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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,
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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.
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For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing what is right than for doing evil.
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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,
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in whom he also went and preached to the spirits in prison,
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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.
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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,
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who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.
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ASIMISMO vosotras, mujeres, sed sujetas á vuestros maridos; para que también los que no creen á la palabra, sean ganados sin palabra por la conversación de sus mujeres,
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Considerando vuestra casta conversación, que es en temor.
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El adorno de las cuales no sea exterior con encrespamiento del cabello, y atavío de oro, ni en compostura de ropas;
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Sino el hombre del corazón que está encubierto, en incorruptible ornato de espíritu agradable y pacífico, lo cual es de grande estima delante de Dios.
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Porque así también se ataviaban en el tiempo antiguo aquellas santas mujeres que esperaban en Dios, siendo sujetas á sus maridos:
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Como Sara obedecía á Abraham, llamándole señor; de la cual vosotras sois hechas hijas, haciendo bien, y no sois espantadas de ningún pavor.
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Vosotros maridos, semejantemente, habitad con ellas según ciencia, dando honor á la mujer como á vaso más frágil, y como á herederas juntamente de la gracia de la vida; para que vuestras oraciones no sean impedidas.
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Y finalmente, sed todos de un mismo corazón, compasivos, amándoos fraternalmente, misericordiosos, amigables;
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No volviendo mal por mal, ni maldición por maldición, sino antes por el contrario, bendiciendo; sabiendo que vosotros sois llamados para que poseáis bendición en herencia.
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Porque el que quiere amar la vida, y ver días buenos, refrene su lengua de mal, y sus labios no hablen engaño;
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Apártase del mal, y haga bien; busque la paz, y sígala.
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Porque los ojos del Señor están sobre los justos, y sus oídos atentos á sus oraciones: pero el rostro del Señor está sobre aquellos que hacen mal.
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¿Y quién es aquel que os podrá dañar, si vosotros seguís el bien?
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Mas también si alguna cosa padecéis por hacer bien, sois bienaventurados. Por tanto, no temáis por el temor de ellos, ni seáis turbados;
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Sino santificad al Señor Dios en vuestros corazones, y estad siempre aparejados para responder con mansedumbre y reverencia á cada uno que os demande razón de la esperanza que hay en vosotros:
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Teniendo buena conciencia, para que en lo que murmuran de vosotros como de malhechores, sean confundidos los que blasfeman vuestra buena conversación en Cristo.
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Porque mejor es que padezcáis haciendo bien, si la voluntad de Dios así lo quiere, que haciendo mal.
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Porque también Cristo padeció una vez por los pecados, el justo por los injustos, para llevarnos á Dios, siendo á la verdad muerto en la carne, pero vivificado en espíritu;
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En el cual también fué y predicó á los espíritus encarcelados;
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Los cuales en otro tiempo fueron desobedientes, cuando una vez esperaba la paciencia de Dios en los días de Noé, cuando se aparejaba el arca; en la cual pocas, es á saber, ocho personas fueron salvas por agua.
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A la figura de la cual el bautismo que ahora corresponde nos salva (no quitando las inmundicias de la carne, sino como demanda de una buena conciencia delante de Dios,) por la resurrección de Jesucristo:
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El cual está á la diestra de Dios, habiendo subido al cielo; estando á él sujetos los ángeles, y las potestades, y virtudes.
A difficult turn: Christ and the spirits in prison
Verses 18-22 ground patient suffering in Christ, who suffered once for sins, was put to death in the flesh and made alive in the Spirit, and "went and preached to the spirits in prison" who were disobedient in Noah's day.
The flood, where eight souls were saved through water, becomes a symbol of baptism, framed not as washing dirt but as the answer of a good conscience toward God. It is one of the New Testament's most debated passages, and Peter uses it to assure the harassed that vindication, like the ark's, comes through judgment, not around it.
Context layers
Keep these closed by default and open them only when you want more context.
- BaptismWhat baptism means in the Bible, how it relates to Christ and the church, and which passages frame it most clearly.
- GraceWhat grace means in the Bible, how it differs from vague kindness, and which passages help define it clearly.
- HopeWhat biblical hope means, how it differs from optimism, and which passages show its shape most clearly.
- HumilityWhat humility means in the Bible, how it differs from self-hatred, and how to read the theme without flattening it.
- Acts 20:19Related through the topic "Humility".
- 1 Peter 5:5-6Key passage connected to Humility.
- 2 Corinthians 10:1Related through the topic "Humility".
- Ephesians 4:2Related through the topic "Humility".
- Philippians 2:3-8Key passage connected to Humility.
- Colossians 2:23Related through the topic "Humility".
- Colossians 3:12Related through the topic "Humility".
- Titus 3:2Related through the topic "Humility".
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