Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Peter 3:16

"having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ." — 1 Peter 3:16 (ASV)

Having a good conscience.—This strikes the keynote of the paragraph. How vigorously St. Peter repeats it! Zealous for that which is good, for righteousness’ sake, sanctify the Lord, with meekness and fear, a good conscience, your good conversation.

Whereas.—The word means precisely the same as in 1 Peter 2:12 (see the note on that verse).

They speak evil of you, as of evildoers.—Tischendorf follows one of the best manuscripts and the Peshitta Syriac version in reading, whereas you are evil spoken of. It is easy to see how the ordinary reading would arise from the similarity to 1 Peter 2:12, and we may fairly confidently adopt this emendation. In any case, the words “as of evildoers” should be removed.

They may be ashamed (or, confounded).—When? St. Peter is evidently thinking of the Christian before the tribunal of the curator or proconsul, and the humiliation of the delator (or spy) who had informed against him.

Falsely accuse.—Literally, insult, that is, “odiously calumniate.” The word occurs again only in Luke 6:28.

In Christ.—This is the closest St. Peter comes to using this phrase as a proper name, though it is not entirely so. He reminds them, with this phrase, that other Hebrews were safe from persecution only by rejecting the national hope of a Messiah. It is simply because these believers are “in Christ” that the Gentiles (and perhaps also their fellow Jews) insult their conversation.

The phrase “in Christ”—meaning, as members of the Church—occurs again in 1 Peter 5:10 and 1 Peter 5:14. The thought is also quite common in St. John (for example, 1 John 5:20), but it does not appear in 2 Peter, Hebrews, St. James, or St. Jude. Of course, St. Paul’s writings teem with it.

This phrase expresses the converse of the Incarnation doctrine found in 1 Peter 3:15. We not only have the whole Christ dwelling in us, but He also embraces us all: You in me, and I in you (John 14:20).