1 Peter 3:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Apostle adds this: if you live in this way, God will be favorable and merciful toward you. In such a state, who will harm you? For everything is in His hand, life and death (Wis 16:13).

And who can harm you if you love the good? In the very thing you love, you will suffer no loss. Whatever an angry man may take from you, He who created you will not destroy you, if you love Him.

Who can deprive you of blessedness, if the Truth says that no one will take your joy from you (Jn 16:22)?

The Apostle speaks of what comes to us from our enemies through abusive words, through the loss of passing things, and through bodily torments. All these things, and things of this kind, also fall to the lot of the faithful. They fall to those who are zealous for good and know that such things can cause no evil. Rather, they bring the glory of long-suffering to the one who bears them with calmness of soul. Conversely, they harm those who store up eternal punishment for themselves.

“And who will harm you,” and so forth. By this question the apostle expresses a negation, meaning that no one will harm you (cf. Rom 8:33). He who sows good has the right to expect that he will also reap good.

The apostle’s words, however, do not suppose that no one will ever harm a zealot for good. The repeated instruction in this epistle about bearing unjustly inflicted sorrows and calamities without murmuring says the contrary.

By His unsearchable judgments, God permits even the righteous to suffer evil. This is all the more so because the righteous in the present life are not free from sins. These sins are cleansed by the sorrows and sufferings sent upon them, as punishment for those sins.

Then follows a deliberate and rather extended instruction to the oppressed Christian sojourners of Asia Minor. It teaches them how to conduct themselves when attacked, and amid hostility from the pagans in general (1 Pet 3:9-13).

When the hateful feelings of the pagans are expressed outwardly, for example in words, then, “do not repay evil for evil, or reviling for reviling. On the contrary, bless, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For he who loves life and desires to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech... And who will harm you, if you become zealous for what is good?”

Among men, those who do good are for the most part held in honor. Therefore, it is unnatural that evil should be repaid to those who do good.

Yet however unnatural this is, Christians were still persecuted, often unjustly, for righteousness’ sake. Therefore the apostle gives counsel for such a case: “Sanctify God in your hearts.”

That is, acknowledge Him as your Lord, love Him with all the heart, and bow before Him. Keep Him constantly before your eyes amid every threat and oppression. In this way establish a sanctuary for the Lord God in your hearts.

Through this, be so firm in faith and in hope for the glory of your Master that you can give a clear answer to everyone who asks. For example, in court give an answer with fitting humility and at the same time with full conviction.