Bob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - 1 Peter 3:8

Bob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - 1 Peter 3:8 - 3:12

Online Resource Library

Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | Download

Bob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - 1 Peter 3:8 - 3:12

(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)

This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1Pe_3:8-12

⁸To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; ⁹not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For, "The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. ¹¹He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it. ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

1Pe_3:8

NASB     "To sum up"

NKJV, NRSV,

NJB      "Finally"

TEV      "To conclude"

This is a Greek idiom ( "now the end") which means "in summation," not of the entire letter, but of this context on submission (cf. 1Pe_2:13-25; 1Pe_3:1-22).

▣ "all of you be" This is addressed to the entire community of faith. There is no verb in this list of encouraged attributes.

NASB     "harmonious"

NKJV     "of one mind"

NRSV     "unity of spirit"

TEV      "the same attitude"

NJB      "you should all agree among yourselves"

This is literally a compound of homos (one or the same) and phrçn (mind or thinking). The same concept is encouraged in Joh_17:20-23; Rom_12:16; Php_1:27; Php_2:2.

NASB, NJB        "sympathetic"

NKJV     "having compassion for one another"

NRSV     "sympathy"

TEV      "having the same feelings"

This is literally a compound of sun (with) and paschô (to suffer). We get the English term "sympathy" from this Greek compound. In times of persecution and trials this is so important, as are the other qualities mentioned in 1Pe_3:8.

NASB     "brotherly"

NKJV     "love as brothers"

NRSV     "love for one another"

TEV      "love one another"

NJB      "love the brothers"

This is literally a compound of philos (love) and adelphos (brother). This is, of course, the generic use of brother. Possibly a better way to express this is "show family love for all believers"( cf. Rom_12:10; 1Th_4:9). This reflects Jesus' command in Joh_13:34; 1Jn_3:23; 1Jn_4:7-8; 1Jn_4:11-12; 1Jn_4:19-21. In Koine Greek philos and agapç were usually synonyms (compare Joh_3:35; Joh_5:20).

NASB     "kindhearted"

NKJV     "tenderhearted"

NRSV     "a tender heart"

TEV      "be kind"

NJB      "have compassion"

This is a compound of eu (good) and splagchnon (viscera, bowels). The ancients believed that the lower viscera (cf. Act_1:18) were the seat of the emotions (cf. Luk_1:28; 2Co_6:12; Php_1:8). This compound calls on believers to have "good feelings" toward one another (cf. Eph_4:32).

NASB     "humble in spirit"

NKJV     "courteous"

NRSV     "a humble mind"

TEV      "humble"

NJB      "self-effacing"

This is a compound of tapeinos (humble) and phrçn (minded). It is used in Act_20:19; Eph_4:2 and Php_2:3. This is a uniquely Christian virtue. It means the opposite of self-assertion and egocentric pride.

1Pe_3:9 "not returning evil for evil" This is a present active participle used as an imperative. This refers to true forgiveness (cf. Pro_17:13; Pro_20:22; Rom_12:17, 1Th_5:15). Remember that 1 Peter is written to persecuted and suffering believers, but they must respond as Christ responded to unfair treatment.

▣ "insult for insult" This reflects Jesus' life (cf. 1Pe_2:23).

▣ "but giving a blessing" This is another present active participle used as an imperative. Literally it means "to speak well of" or "eulogize" in English (cf. Mat_5:10; Mat_5:12; Mat_5:44; Mat_6:14-15; Luk_6:28; Rom_12:14; 1Co_4:12).

1Pe_3:9 "but you were called for the very purpose" This is exactly the same truth stated in 1Pe_2:21. Suffering, like Christ's example, is the believer's means of maturity (cf. Heb_5:8) and witness (cf. 1Pe_3:15).

▣ "that you might inherit a blessing" This reflects the words of Jesus in Mat_5:44 and Luk_6:28. The believer's inheritance has been a recurrent theme (cf. 1Pe_1:4-5; 1Pe_3:7; 1Pe_3:9). We are family members with God and co-heirs with Jesus (cf. Rom_8:17).

1Pe_3:10-12 This is a quote from Psalms 34, from the MT and not the Septuagint. The Psalm is also alluded to in

1. 1Pe_2:3 – Psa_34:8 (cf. Heb_6:5)

2. 1Pe_2:22 – Psa_34:13

3. 1Pe_3:10 – Psa_34:12-13

4. 1Pe_3:11 – Psa_34:14 (cf. Rom_14:19; Heb_12:14)

5. 1Pe_3:12 – Psa_34:15-16

▣ Notice the three admonitions.

1. must keep his tongue from evil (1Pe_3:10, see hyperlink at Mar_7:20)

2. must turn away from evil (1Pe_3:11)

3. must seek peace and pursue it (1Pe_3:11)

This shows the human aspect of the believer's covenant response. The reasons for believers' actions are given in 1Pe_3:12 :

1. the Lord takes personal notice toward the righteous

2. the Lord hears the righteous

3. the Lord is personally against the wicked

Throughout the Psalms "the Lord" originally referred to YHWH, the covenant God of Israel, yet in this context it refers to Jesus, the bringer of the new covenant (as do 1Pe_1:25 and 1Pe_2:3). This is a common technique of NT authors to affirm the deity of Jesus.