1 Peter 3:13–22, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
1 Peter 3:13–22
Hopeful Witness Rests in Christ's Victory Through Suffering
Hope answers with gentleness because Christ already went to God for us
Even if they suffer for righteousness, they are blessed. They are not to fear opponents' intimidation, but to set apart Christ as Lord in their hearts and be ready to give a defense for the hope in them—with gentleness, respect, and a good conscience, so that slander of good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. It is better, if God should will it, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. That describes costly integrity. It is not an assignment to go looking for a fight.
Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh and made alive in the Spirit; the dense lines about proclamation, Noah, and baptism concern rescue through judgment. Baptism saves as an appeal to God for a good conscience through Jesus' resurrection, who is at God's right hand with angels, authorities, and powers subjected to him. Readiness to answer does not authorize harassment, coercive evangelism, contempt for other religions, or pressure during crisis. Hostile powers are not ultimate. Hope has a living Lord, not a lucky charm.
How this should shape us
Be ready to explain your hope without contempt, and keep conduct clean enough that slander has to lie. Do not pick a persecution so you can feel faithful, and do not pressure a person in crisis. If harm comes because you told the truth or refused evil, remember who already went to God for you.
Teach it back
Explain 1 Peter 3:13–22 in your own words. Include its place in 1 Peter's movement, the unit's logic, one material uncertainty, and one use the context rules out.
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Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Where do careful interpreters disagree?
Best judgment: The identity of the spirits, timing and content of proclamation, relation to 4:6, flesh/spirit syntax, baptismal appeal or pledge, and sacramental implications remain seriously disputed. The unit's center is stronger: do good, resist fear, witness gently, and trust Christ's death, resurrection, and rule.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
1 Peter 3:13–22, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
SBLGNT official text file 1Pet.txt, 3:13–22
Supports: Verse-level Greek, syntax, older-English wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
NET Bible 1 Peter PDF, 3:13–22 translation with attached translator, study, and textual notes
Supports: Authorship and date alternatives, Asia Minor audience, family and community setting, whole-letter movement, unjust suffering, hope, and theology.
Enter the Bible 1 Peter course, Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, and Theological Themes; applied to 1 Peter 3:13–22
Supports: Direct-Petrine case, literary flow, Greek observations, theology, and verse-level interpretation.
Storms, 1 Peter, section 3:13–22, with Who Wrote, When Written, Recipients, Theological Focus, Purpose, outline, bibliography, and endnotes
Supports: One major spirits-in-prison reading grounded in Genesis 6 and 1 Enoch, with resurrection and cosmic-victory emphasis.
Deffenbaugh, Working Preacher, 'Commentary on 1 Peter 3:18–22,' complete essay from later harrowing-of-hell tradition through Noah, baptism, and powers
Supports: Abstract-level evidence for the localized hostility consensus and the warning that the history of research requires reexamination.
Williams, Currents in Biblical Research 10.2 (2012), official abstract and bibliography for pp. 275–292
Supports: Current critical positions on later date, non-Petrine composition, audience, suffering spectrum, 3:18–4:6, Silvanus, and review limitations.
Pierce, Themelios 48.3 (2023), PDF pp. 187–189 / journal pp. 676–679, review of Williams and Horrell, applied to 1 Peter 3:13–22
Supports: Independent morphology, form, and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
STEP Bible Data repository, Greek morphology and lexical records for 1 Peter 3:13–22
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 1 Peter 3:13–22, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file 1Pet.txt, 3:13–22
Open the 1 Peter Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — 1 Peter with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005–2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level Greek, syntax, older-English wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible 1 Peter PDF, 3:13–22 translation with attached translator, study, and textual notes
Open the official NET 1 Peter PDF ↗modern scholarly book introduction
1 Peter course: summary, outline, background, introductory issues, and theological themes
Marc Kolden; revised by Kristopher Phan Coffman
Enter the Bible, Luther Seminary, 2023 revision
Supports: Authorship and date alternatives, Asia Minor audience, family and community setting, whole-letter movement, unjust suffering, hope, and theology.
Exact location: Enter the Bible 1 Peter course, Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, and Theological Themes; applied to 1 Peter 3:13–22
Open source ↗modern open commentary
1 Peter
Sam Storms
The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023
Supports: Direct-Petrine case, literary flow, Greek observations, theology, and verse-level interpretation.
Exact location: Storms, 1 Peter, section 3:13–22, with Who Wrote, When Written, Recipients, Theological Focus, Purpose, outline, bibliography, and endnotes
Open source ↗modern scholarly pastoral commentary
Commentary on 1 Peter 3:18–22
Daniel G. Deffenbaugh
Working Preacher, Luther Seminary, 2012
Supports: One major spirits-in-prison reading grounded in Genesis 6 and 1 Enoch, with resurrection and cosmic-victory emphasis.
Exact location: Deffenbaugh, Working Preacher, 'Commentary on 1 Peter 3:18–22,' complete essay from later harrowing-of-hell tradition through Noah, baptism, and powers
Open source ↗peer reviewed article abstract
Suffering from a Critical Oversight: The Persecutions of 1 Peter within Modern Scholarship
Travis B. Williams
Currents in Biblical Research 10.2, 2012
Supports: Abstract-level evidence for the localized hostility consensus and the warning that the history of research requires reexamination.
Exact location: Williams, Currents in Biblical Research 10.2 (2012), official abstract and bibliography for pp. 275–292
Open source ↗peer reviewed book review
Review of 1 Peter, Volumes 1–2, by Travis B. Williams and David G. Horrell
Madison N. Pierce
Themelios 48.3, 2023
Supports: Current critical positions on later date, non-Petrine composition, audience, suffering spectrum, 3:18–4:6, Silvanus, and review limitations.
Exact location: Pierce, Themelios 48.3 (2023), PDF pp. 187–189 / journal pp. 676–679, review of Williams and Horrell, applied to 1 Peter 3:13–22
Open source ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Independent morphology, form, and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data repository, Greek morphology and lexical records for 1 Peter 3:13–22
Open source ↗