1 Peter 2:15

1 Peter 2:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
• New International Version (NIV)For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—

Context of 1 Peter 2:15

13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority, 14or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

1 Peter 2:15 word by word

ὅτι οὕτως ἐστὶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαθοποιοῦντας φιμοῦν τὴν τῶν ἀφρόνων ἀνθρώπων ἀγνωσίαν·Read the interlinear

• Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• it isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• God’sὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• God’sθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• thatοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• by doing goodἀγαθοποιέωagathopoieō · to do goodG15
• you should silenceφιμόωphimoō · to muzzleG5392
• ignoranceἀγνωσίαagnōsia · ignoranceG56
• of foolishἄφρωνaphrōn · foolishG878
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444

Cross-references for 1 Peter 2:15

• 1 Peter 4:2Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.
• Ephesians 6:6And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality;
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
• 1 Peter 2:12Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
• Job 5:16So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
• Psalms 107:42The upright see and rejoice, and all iniquity shuts its mouth.
• 1 Timothy 1:13I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
• 2 Peter 2:12These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed.
• Jude 1:10These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively.
• Deuteronomy 32:6Is this how you repay the LORD, O foolish and senseless people? Is He not your Father and Creator? Has He not made you and established you?
• Job 2:10“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
• Psalms 5:5The boastful cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all workers of iniquity.
• Proverbs 9:6Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”
• Jeremiah 4:22“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”
• Matthew 7:26But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Commentaries on 1 Peter 2:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15For so is the will of God - God, as their supreme governor, shows them that it is his will that they should act uprightly and obediently at all times, and thus confound the ignorance of foolish men, who were ready enough to assert that their religion made them bad subjects. The word , which we translate put to silence, signifies to muzzle, i.e., stop their mouths, leave them nothing to say; let them assert, but ever be unable to bring proof to support it.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15For so is the will of God - That is, it is in accordance with the divine will that in this way you should put them to silence. That with well doing - By a life of uprightness and benevolence. Ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - See the notes at Titus 2:8. The reference here is to men who brought charges against Christians, by accusing them of being inimical to the government, or insubordinate, or guilty of crimes. Such charges, it is well…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 13-17 A Christian conversation must be honest; which it cannot be, if there is not a just and careful discharge of all relative duties: the apostle here treats of these distinctly. Regard to those duties is the will of God, consequently, the Christian's duty, and the way to silence the base slanders of ignorant and foolish men. Christians must endeavour, in all relations, to behave aright, that they do not make their liberty a cloak or covering for…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-25This section focuses on the key instruction to submit to all human authority. Peter applies this instruction to several relationships: Christians should accept the authority of those in government (2:13–17). Christian slaves should accept the authority of their masters (2:18–25). Christian wives should accept the authority of their husbands (3:1–6). Peter appears to follow an early Christian use of the traditional household code. This code gave a series…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Ground of his directing them to submit themselves (1Pe 2:13). put to silence--literally, "to muzzle," "to stop the mouth." ignorance--spiritual not having "the knowledge of God," and therefore ignorant of the children of God, and misconstruing their acts; influenced by mere appearances, and ever ready to open their mouths, rather than their eyes and ears. Their ignorance should move the believer's pity, not his anger. They judge of things which they…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 2:15

• Citizens
• Commandments
• Example
• Government
• Self-Denial

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• will of God
• Bishop
• Chosen
• Cloke
• Disallow
• Fleshly
• Offer
• Sincere

Commentaries on 1 Peter 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings