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Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

A reading plan that walks through the entire New Testament in 24 weeks of daily readings.

Duration: 168 days

1 Peter 3:8-5:14

⁸Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble. ⁹Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing.^(A) ¹⁰For:

“Whoever would love life^(B)
    and see good days
must keep the tongue from evil
    and the lips from speaking deceit,
¹¹must turn from evil and do good,
    seek peace and follow after it.
¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
    and his ears turned to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against evildoers.”

Christian Suffering.^[a] ¹³Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? ¹⁴But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, ¹⁵but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,^(C) ¹⁶but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. ¹⁷For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

¹⁸For Christ also suffered^[b] for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit.^(D) ¹⁹In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,^[c] ²⁰who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water.^(E) ²¹This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God^[d] for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,^(F) ²²who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.^(G)

Chapter 4

Christian Restraint.^[e] ¹Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same attitude (for whoever suffers in the flesh has broken with sin), ²so as not to spend what remains of one’s life in the flesh on human desires, but on the will of God. ³For the time that has passed is sufficient for doing what the Gentiles like to do: living in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and wanton idolatry.^(H) ⁴They are surprised that you do not plunge into the same swamp of profligacy, and they vilify you; ⁵but they will give an account to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.^(I) ⁶For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead^[f] that, though condemned in the flesh in human estimation, they might live in the spirit in the estimation of God.

Christian Charity.^[g] ⁷The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers. ⁸^(J)Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.^[h] ⁹Be hospitable to one another without complaining.^(K) ¹⁰As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.^(L) ¹¹Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,^(M) to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.^[i]

IV. Advice to the Persecuted

Trial of Persecution.^[j] ¹²Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you.^(N) ¹³But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly.^(O) ¹⁴If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.^(P) ¹⁵But let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer. ¹⁶But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name. ¹⁷For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, how will it end for those who fail to obey the gospel of God?^(Q)

¹⁸“And if the righteous one is barely saved,
where will the godless and the sinner appear?”^(R)

¹⁹As a result, those who suffer in accord with God’s will hand their souls over to a faithful creator as they do good.

Chapter 5

Advice to Presbyters.^[k] ¹So I exhort the presbyters^[l] among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. ²Tend the flock of God in your midst, [overseeing] not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.^(S) ³Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. ⁴^(T)And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.^[m]

Advice to the Community.^[n] ⁵Likewise, you younger members,^[o] be subject to the presbyters. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for:

“God opposes the proud
but bestows favor on the humble.”^(U)

⁶So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.^(V) ⁷Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.^(W)

⁸Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.^(X) ⁹Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. ¹⁰The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.^(Y) ¹¹To him be dominion forever. Amen.

V. Conclusion

¹²I write you this briefly through Silvanus,^[p] whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Remain firm in it. ¹³The chosen one^[q] at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son. ¹⁴Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.^(Z)

Footnotes

3:13–22 This exposition, centering on 1 Pt 3:17, runs as follows: by his suffering and death Christ the righteous one saved the unrighteous (1 Pt 3:18); by his resurrection he received new life in the spirit, which he communicates to believers through the baptismal bath that cleanses their consciences from sin. As Noah’s family was saved through water, so Christians are saved through the waters of baptism (1 Pt 3:19–22). Hence they need not share the fear of sinners; they should rather rejoice in suffering because of their hope in Christ. Thus their innocence disappoints their accusers (1 Pt 3:13–16; cf. Mt 10:28; Rom 8:35–39).
3:18 Suffered: very many ancient manuscripts and versions read “died.” Put to death in the flesh: affirms that Jesus truly died as a human being. Brought to life in the spirit: that is, in the new and transformed existence freed from the limitations and weaknesses of natural human life (cf. 1 Cor 15:45).
3:19 The spirits in prison: it is not clear just who these spirits are. They may be the spirits of the sinners who died in the flood, or angelic powers, hostile to God, who have been overcome by Christ (cf. 1 Pt 3:22; Gn 6:4; Enoch 6–36, especially 21:6; 2 Enoch 7:1–5).
3:21 Appeal to God: this could also be translated “pledge,” that is, a promise on the part of Christians to live with a good conscience before God, or a pledge from God of forgiveness and therefore a good conscience for us.
4:1–6 Willingness to suffer with Christ equips the Christian with the power to conquer sin (1 Pt 4:1). Christ is here portrayed as the judge to whom those guilty of pagan vices must render an account (1 Pt 4:5; cf. Jn 5:22–27; Acts 10:42; 2 Tm 4:1).
4:6 The dead: these may be the sinners of the flood generation who are possibly referred to in 1 Pt 3:19. But many scholars think that there is no connection between these two verses, and that the dead here are Christians who have died since hearing the preaching of the gospel.
4:7–11 The inner life of the eschatological community is outlined as the end (the parousia of Christ) and the judgment draws near in terms of seriousness, sobriety, prayer, and love expressed through hospitality and the use of one’s gifts for the glory of God and of Christ.
4:8 Love covers a multitude of sins: a maxim based on Prv 10:12; see also Ps 32:1; Jas 5:20.
4:11 Some scholars feel that this doxology concludes the part of the homily addressed specifically to the newly baptized, begun in 1 Pt 1:3; others that it concludes a baptismal liturgy. Such doxologies do occur within a New Testament letter, e.g., Rom 9:5. Some propose that 1 Pt 4:11 was an alternate ending, with 1 Pt 4:12–5:14 being read in places where persecution was more pressing. But such doxologies usually do not occur at the end of letters (the only examples are 2 Pt 3:18, Jude 25, and Rom 16:27, the last probably a liturgical insertion).
4:12–19 The suffering to which the author has already frequently referred is presented in more severe terms. This has led some scholars to see these verses as referring to an actual persecution. Others see the heightening of the language as only a rhetorical device used at the end of the letter to emphasize the suffering motif.
5:1–4 In imitation of Christ, the chief shepherd, those entrusted with a pastoral office are to tend the flock by their care and example.
5:1 Presbyters: the officially appointed leaders and teachers of the Christian community (cf. 1 Tm 5:17–18; Ti 1:5–8; Jas 5:14).
5:4 See note on 1 Pt 2:25.
5:5–11 The community is to be subject to the presbyters and to show humility toward one another and trust in God’s love and care (1 Pt 5:5–7). With sobriety, alertness, and steadfast faith they must resist the evil one; their sufferings are shared with Christians everywhere (1 Pt 5:8–9). They will be strengthened and called to eternal glory (1 Pt 5:10–11).
5:5 Younger members: this may be a designation for office-holders of lesser rank.
5:12 Silvanus: the companion of Paul (see 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thes 1:1; 2 Thes 1:1). Jews and Jewish Christians, like Paul, often had a Hebrew name (Saoul, Silas) and a Greek or Latin name (Paul, Silvanus). On Silvanus’s possible role as amanuensis, see Introduction.
5:13 The chosen one: feminine, referring to the Christian community (ekklēsia) at Babylon, the code name for Rome in Rev 14:8; 17:5; 18:2. Mark, my son: traditionally a prominent disciple of Peter and co-worker at the church in Rome, perhaps the John Mark referred to in Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; and in Acts 15:37–39, a companion of Barnabas. Perhaps this is the same Mark mentioned as Barnabas’s cousin in Col 4:10, a co-worker with Paul in Phlm 24 (see also 2 Tm 4:11).

New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.