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

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. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect 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

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 4:2You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.
• Ephesians 6:6Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
• 1 Peter 2:12Be 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.
• Job 5:16And so at last the poor have hope, and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut.
• Psalms 107:42The godly will see these things and be glad, while the wicked are struck silent.
• 1 Timothy 1:13even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.
• 2 Peter 2:12These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed.
• Jude 1:10But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.
• Deuteronomy 32:6Is this the way you repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Isn’t he your Father who created you? Has he not made you and established you?
• Job 2:10But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
• Psalms 5:5Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence, for you hate all who do evil.
• Proverbs 9:6Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”
• Jeremiah 4:22“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”
• Matthew 7:26But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a 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