1 Peter 3:15

Commentary on 1 Peter 3:15

“But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with gentleness and reverence.”
(New King James Version)

Exegetical Overview

1 Peter 3:15 issues a series of imperatives that guide the Christian’s inner posture and outward witness.

• “Sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts” calls believers to recognise Christ’s unique holiness and to honour Him with awe and devotion in the deepest centre of their being.
• “Always be ready to give a defence” uses the Greek term apologia, meaning a reasoned answer or legal defence, indicating preparedness to explain the grounds of the Christian hope.
• “A reason for the hope that is in you” highlights that Christian hope is not vague optimism, but a confident expectation rooted in Christ’s death and resurrection.
• “With gentleness and reverence” balances boldness in testimony with humility and respect for those who listen, reflecting Christ’s own approach to both friends and adversaries.

Context within 1 Peter 3

Peter’s letter addresses believers facing social hostility and even formal interrogation for their faith. In the opening of chapter 3[i], he exhorts wives and husbands to Christlike mutual submission (3:1–7), then moves to the theme of suffering for righteousness (3:8–14). Verse 15 stands at the pivot between enduring unjust suffering and actively witnessing under pressure. It assumes that fear of man must yield to the fear of God and that true honouring of Christ in the heart produces a life so consistent that no questioner will catch the believer unprepared.

Theological Insights

Sanctifying Christ in the Heart

To “sanctify” Christ means to regard Him as holy and set Him apart above all earthly concerns. This term derives from Old Testament usages where to sanctify is to treat with due awe, recognising God’s purity and majesty. Peter invites each believer to house Christ within their heart as in a shrine, worshipping Him inwardly as Lord of all.

Preparedness to Defend the Hope

The call to readiness is not limited to professional theologians but extends to every believer whose life manifests Christ. Christians ought to think through their personal testimony, know key Bible passages on salvation (such as Romans 10:9[ii] or Acts 16:31[iii]) and practise concise, heartfelt explanations of why they believe. This preparation honours Scripture’s high calling for every member of the body of Christ to bear witness.

Gentleness and Reverence in Witness

Peter’s final qualifier ensures that in explaining the hope within, believers emulate Christ’s character. Gentleness (prautes) and reverence (eusebeia) are virtues especially necessary when addressing authority figures or hostile questioners. By combining submission to human authorities (3:13–17[iv]) with courageous speech, Christians maintain both respect for office and faithfulness to the gospel.

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Application to Modern Christian Living

• Cultivate Christ’s Lordship Daily
  Begin each day by consciously placing Christ at the centre of your thoughts and decisions. Prayer and Scripture meditation reinforce an inward posture that honours Him as Lord.
• Develop a Personal Defence Plan
  Identify your core convictions and memorise pivotal Bible verses. Role-play conversations with fellow believers to build confidence in articulating the hope you have.
• Practice Gentle and Respectful Dialogue
  In workplaces, social circles and family gatherings, seek to listen first. Speak truth in love, avoiding harshness or superiority, thereby reflecting the gentleness recommended by Peter.
• Overcome Fear of Man
  Regularly remind yourself that reverence for Christ surpasses any human threat. When questioned, anchor your response in God’s authority rather than human approval.

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Teaching Summary from 1 Peter 3:15

1 Peter 3:15 teaches that living testimony begins with the sanctified acknowledgement of Christ’s lordship in the heart, issues in a life so aligned with Him that one is never taken by surprise, and culminates in an ethos of gentle yet reverent witness when giving an account of the hope within.

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[i] 1 Peter 3

New King James Version

Submission to Husbands

3 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the [a]incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

A Word to Husbands

7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Called to Blessing

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be [b]courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For

“He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him [c]refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Suffering for Right and Wrong

13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But [d]sanctify [e]the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Christ’s Suffering and Ours

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring [f]us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, [g]when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

Footnotes

1 Peter 3:4 imperishable

1 Peter 3:8 NU humble

1 Peter 3:10 restrain

1 Peter 3:15 set apart

1 Peter 3:15 NU Christ as Lord

1 Peter 3:18 NU, M you

1 Peter 3:20 NU, M when the longsuffering of God waited patiently

[ii] Romans 10:9

New King James Version

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

[iii] Acts 16:31

New King James Version

31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

[iv] 1 Peter 3:13-17

New King James Version

Suffering for Right and Wrong

13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But [a]sanctify [b]the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Footnotes

1 Peter 3:15 set apart

1 Peter 3:15 NU Christ as Lord