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.
• 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—
• New Living Translation (NLT)It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.

Context of 1 Peter 2:15

13Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:15 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• that with well doingἀγαθοποιέωagathopoieō · to do goodG15
• ye may put to silenceφιμόωphimoō · to muzzleG5392
• the ignoranceἀγνωσίαagnōsia · ignoranceG56
• of foolishἄφρωνaphrōn · foolishG878
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444

Cross-references for 1 Peter 2:15

• 1 Peter 4:2so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
• Ephesians 6:6not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
• 1 Peter 2:12Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
• Job 5:16So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.
• Psalms 107:42The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
• 1 Timothy 1:13though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
• 2 Peter 2:12But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,
• Jude 1:10But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.
• Deuteronomy 32:6Do you thus repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?
• Job 2:10But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
• Psalms 5:5The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
• Proverbs 9:6Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight."
• Jeremiah 4:22"For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are 'wise'—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not."
• Matthew 7:26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the 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