1 Peter 3:17

1 Peter 3:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
• New International Version (NIV)For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Context of 1 Peter 3:17

15Instead, always remember that Christ is your Lord. Let him rule how you live. People may ask you, ‘Why do you trust God to help you?’ You must always be ready to answer them about that. 16But when you tell them, be kind and polite. Do only what you know is right. Then those people will see that you live in a good way because you believe in Christ. When they say bad things against you they will become ashamed. Sometimes God may let you have trouble and pain even when you have done good things. But that is better than if you have trouble and pain because you have done bad things. 18Christ himself always did what was right. But he received pain on behalf of people who do what is wrong. He died once to take away all those wrong things. He did that to bring you near to God. People killed Christ's body, but God's Spirit made him alive again. 19Like this, he went to the spirits who were in prison. He told them God's true message.

1 Peter 3:17 word by word

κρεῖττον γὰρ ἀγαθοποιοῦντας, εἰ θέλοι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, πάσχειν ἢ κακοποιοῦντας·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• betterκρείττωνkreittōn · strongerG2909
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• the willὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• be soθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• that ye sufferπάσχωpaschō pathō penthō · to sufferG3958
• for well doingἀγαθοποιέωagathopoieō · to do goodG15
• thanἤē · orG2228
• for evil doingκακοποιέωkakopoieō · to do evil/harmG2554

Cross-references for 1 Peter 3:17

• 1 Peter 4:19So remember this. If you receive trouble because that is what God wants, you should continue to trust him. God made you and he always does what he has promised. So you should continue to do what is good.
• Matthew 26:39Jesus went a short way beyond them. He went down with his face on the ground. He prayed, ‘Father, if it is possible, please save me from this time of great pain. But Father, I do not ask you to do what I want. Do what you want to do.’
• Acts 21:14We could not cause Paul to think in a different way. So we stopped saying to him, ‘You should not go to Jerusalem.’ Instead we said to him, ‘We want the Lord God to do what he wants.’
• 1 Peter 3:14But somebody might give you trouble, even when you do what is right. If that happens, God will bless you. So do not be afraid of what people may do to you. Do not worry about it.

Commentaries on 1 Peter 3:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17For it is better - See on 1 Peter 2:19, 1 Peter 2:20; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17For it is better, if the will of God be so - That is, if God sees it to be necessary for your good that you should suffer, it is better that you should suffer for doing well than for crime. God often sees it to be necessary that his people should suffer. There are effects to be accomplished by affliction which can be secured in no other way; and some of the happiest results on the soul of a Christian, some of the brightest traits of character, are the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 We sanctify God before others, when our conduct invites and encourages them to glorify and honour him. What was the ground and reason of their hope? We should be able to defend our religion with meekness, in the fear of God. There is no room for any other fears where this great fear is; it disturbs not. The conscience is good, when it does its office well. That person is in a sad condition on whom sin and suffering meet: sin makes suffering…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-17This short paragraph emphasizes how Christians should respond to suffering by following Christ's example (see 3:18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. better--One may object, I would not bear it so ill if I had deserved it. Peter replies, it is better that you did not deserve it, in order that doing well and yet being spoken against, you may prove yourself a true Christian [Gerhard]. if the will of God be so--rather as the optative is in the oldest manuscripts, "if the will of God should will it so." Those who honor God's will as their highest law (1Pe 2:15) have the comfort to know that suffering…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 3:17

• Commandments
• Example
• Persecution

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• will of God
• Adorning
• Chaste
• Contrariwise
• Ornament
• Pitiful
• Quiet
• Railing

Commentaries on 1 Peter 3

• 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