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1Pe_3:16. συνείδησιν ἔχοντες ἀγαθήν ] These words are taken by several interpreters (Bengel, Steiger, de Wette, etc.) with ἁγιάσατε , 1Pe_3:14, as co-ordinate with ἕτοιμοι ; Wiesinger construes them with ἕτοιμοι , as subordinate to it. The latter is to be preferred, for συνείδ . ἐχ . denotes “the point essentially important, to being ever prepared to give an answer in a right manner” (Wiesinger). But it is better still to assume that it—like μετὰ πραΰτητος —belongs in a loose way to ἀπολογίαν , equivalent to “with good conscience,” i.e. in that your walk does not give the lie to your confession.[191] Calvin says correctly: quia parum auctoritatis habet sermo absque vita.
ἵνα ἐν ᾧ κ . τ . λ .] The construction is here the same as in chap. 1Pe_2:12; see the exposition of this passage, where, too, Schott’s interpretation of ἐν ᾧ , equal to “in this, that,” is considered. The conjunctive of the Rec. καταλαλῶσιν would represent the case as possible, equal to “in which they may possibly slander you.”
ἵνα , as a final particle, refers to the whole preceding thought, especially to συνείδ . ἔχ . ἀγαθήν .
καταισχυνθῶσιν ] comp. 2Co_7:14 : “that they may be put to shame,” i.e. since their slanders are openly proved to be lies.
οἱ ἐπηρεάζοντες κ . τ . λ .] The subject stands, by way of emphasis, at the end of the sentence. ἐπηρεάζειν , “to revile,” Mat_5:44; Luk_6:28. Hensler distinguishes, without any ground, the ἐπηρεάζοντες from the καταλαλοῦντες , as different persons; the former he considers to be the accusers of the Christians, who bring the slanders of others before the judge.
ὑμῶν τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστροφήν ] i.e. “the good life which you lead in Christ (i.e. as Christians).”
[191] Hofmann says, “that it should not be joined with ἀπολογία , for the meaning is that they should do that whereunto they must be prepared with eagerness, and a good conscience which they should bring to it.” To this it is to be replied, that the ἀπολογία itself is precisely the thing for which they are to be ready. It is evidently arbitrary “to supplement an imperative (which?) to ἀλλά , and to connect συνείδησιν ἔχοντες ἀγ · with it.”