New Living Translation
1 Peter 2:12
12Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
1 Peter 2:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
- New International Version (NIV)Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Keep 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Context of 1 Peter 2:12
10“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 11Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 13For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.
Read all of 1 Peter 21 Peter 2:12 word by word
τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχοντες καλήν, ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν, ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων ἐποπτεύοντες δοξάσωσιν τὸν θεὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- yourσύsu · youG4771
- conversationἀναστροφήanastrophē · behaviourG391
- honestκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
- amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- they speak againstκαταλαλέωkatalaleō · to slanderG2635
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- evildoersκακοποιόςkakopoios · wrongdoingG2555
- they mayδοξάζωdoxazō · to glorifyG1392
- byἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- worksἔργονergon · workG2041
- which they shall beholdἐποπτεύωepopteuō · to observeG2029
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- the dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- of visitationἐπισκοπήepiskopē · oversightG1984
Cross-references for 1 Peter 2:12
- 1 Peter 3:2by observing your pure and reverent lives.
- Psalms 37:14The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right.
- Psalms 50:23But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:12We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.
- Ephesians 2:3All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
- Ephesians 4:22throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
- Philippians 1:27Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.
- 1 Timothy 4:12Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
- Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
- James 3:13If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
- 2 Peter 3:11Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,
- Romans 12:17Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.
- Romans 13:13Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.
- 2 Corinthians 8:21We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.
- 2 Corinthians 13:7We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority.
- Philippians 4:8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Commentaries on 1 Peter 2:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Having your conversation honest - Living in such a manner among the Gentiles, in whose country ye sojourn, as becomes the Gospel which ye profess. That whereas they speak against you as evil doers - In all the heathen countries, in the first age of the Church, the Christians and the Jews were confounded together; and as the latter mere everywhere exceedingly troublesome and seditious, the Christians shared in their blame, and suffered no small measure of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Having your conversation honest - Your conduct. See the notes at Philemon 1:27. That is, lead upright and consistent lives. Compare the notes at Philemon 4:8. Among the Gentiles - The pagans by whom you are surrounded, and who will certainly observe your conduct. See the notes at 1 Thessalonians 4:12, “That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without.” Compare Romans 13:13. That, whereas they speak against you as evil doers - Margin, “wherein.”…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-12Verses 11-12 Even the best of men, the chosen generation, the people of God, need to be exhorted to keep from the worst sins. And fleshly lusts are most destructive to man's soul. It is a sore judgment to be given up to them. There is a day of visitation coming, wherein God may call to repentance by his word and his grace; then many will glorify God, and the holy lives of his people will have promoted the happy change.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12on the day He visits us: The Greek phrase behind this wording can also be translated “on the day of visitation.” In the Greek Old Testament, day of visitation refers to a time when God comes to act in judgment against his enemies (Isaiah 10:3; Jeremiah 6:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. conversation--"behavior"; "conduct." There are two things in which "strangers and pilgrims" ought to bear themselves well: (1) the conversation or conduct, as subjects (1Pe 2:13), servants (1Pe 2:18), wives (1Pe 3:1), husbands (1Pe 3:7), all persons under all circumstances (1Pe 2:8); (2) confession of the faith (1Pe 3:15, 16). Each of the two is derived from the will of God. Our conversation should correspond to our Saviour's condition; this is in…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Peter 2:12
In the dictionaries
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
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