1 Peter 3:16

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Having	ἔχοντες echontes	G2192	to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active participle, nominative plural masculine
good	ἀγαθήν, agathēn	G18	"good" (in any sense · adjective — accusative singular feminine
conscience	συνείδησιν suneidēsin	G4893	co-perception · noun — accusative singular feminine
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
whereas	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
evil	καταλαλεῖσθε katalaleisthe	G2635	to be a traducer · verb — present passive indicative, 2nd person plural
you	ὑμῶν hymōn	G5216	of (from or concerning) you
as	ὡς hōs	G5613	which how · particle
evildoers	κακοποιῶν, kakopoiōn	G2555	a bad-doer · noun — genitive plural masculine
ashamed	καταισχυνθῶσιν kataischunthōsin	G2617	to shame down · verb — aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd person plural
accuse	ἐπηρεάζοντες epēreazontes	G1908	to insult · verb — present active participle, nominative plural masculine
your	ὑμῶν hymōn	G5216	of (from or concerning) you
good	ἀγαθὴν agathēn	G18	"good" (in any sense · adjective — accusative singular feminine
conversation	ἀναστροφήν. anastrophēn	G391	behavior · noun — accusative singular feminine
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
Christ	Χριστῷ Christō	G5547	anointed · noun — dative singular masculine, a title

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which th…
1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
Hebrews 13:18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
Titus 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
1 Peter 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
Acts 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
Romans 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 3:16-17

The confession of a Christian's faith cannot credibly be supported but by the two means here specified - a good conscience and a good conversation. conscience is good when it does its office well, when it is kept pure and uncorrupt, and clear from guilt; then it will justify you, though men accuse you. A good conversation in Christ is a holy life, according to the doctrine and example of Christ. "Look well to your conscience, and to your conversation; and then, though men speak evil of you, and falsely accuse you as evil-doers, you will clear yourselves, and bring them to shame. Perhaps you may think it hard to suffer for well-doing, for keeping a good conscience and a good conversation; but…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 3:16

Having a good conscience--the secret spring of readiness to give account of our hope. So hope and good conscience go together in Act 24:15-16. Profession without practice has no weight. But those who have a good conscience can afford to give an account of their hope "with meekness." whereas-- (Pe1 2:12). they speak evil of you, as of evildoers--One oldest manuscript reads, "ye are spoken against," omitting the rest. falsely accuse--"calumniate"; the Greek expresses malice shown in deeds as well as in words. It is translated, "despitefully use," Mat 5:44; Luk 6:28. conversation--life, conduct. in Christ--who is the very element of your life as Christians. "In Christ" defines "good."…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 3:16

Having a good conscience - The testimony of God in your own soul, that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have your conversation in the world. See on the term conscience at the end of Hebrews. Whereas they speak evil of you - See the same sentiment in Pe1 2:11 and the note there.

John Gill on 1 Peter 3:16

Having a good conscience,.... Meaning not the faculty of the conscience itself, which is naturally evil, and defiled with sin, and is only made good by the sanctification of the Spirit, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, by which the heart is sprinkled from it, and that itself purged from dead works; but a life and conversation according to the dictates of such a conscience, in the uprightness and sincerity of it, and by the grace of God, and according to the Gospel, and whereby the doctrines of it are adorned; for, as besides internal sanctification of God, or a fearing of him, and believing in him with the heart, there must be a profession of him with the mouth, and a reason of fait…

The Church Fathers

"Having a good conscience." That is, while you are well aware of yourselves and not evil, as those who slander you are. "that when they defame you." That is, those who create trouble with words, harshly investigating.
— Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 Peter

With gentleness and respect, maintaining a good conscience. In the very knowledge of doctrine, he advises observing the quality of teaching, so that humility, which is the teacher and mother of all virtues, may be spoken and shown through seeing.
— Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles

Do not get angry or threaten anyone. Your conscience is the part of you which embraces what is good and which rejects evil. It is like the doorkeeper of a house which is open to friends and closed to enemies.
— Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Conscience · 20:12; — 20:12;
Falsehood · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Influence · 6:1; — 6:1;
Integrity · 3:13,14;6:31;11:42;16:10; — 3:13,14;6:31;11:42;16:10;
Slander · Should give no oc — Should give no oc

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Peter 3:16

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 3:16-17

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 3:16

Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 3:16

John Gill on 1 Peter 3:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Peter 3:16

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 3:16-17

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 3:16

Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 3:16

John Gill on 1 Peter 3:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 1 Peter 3:15-16

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Peter 3:14-15