Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Peter 3:17

"For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing." — 1 Peter 3:17 (ASV)

It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. Suffering is a just recompense for doing evil. But if one does good and still suffers, there is no disgrace—if one’s conscience is clear before God—for that person can have confidence that such suffering was not caused by sin. There must be a providential reason for it—perhaps to prick the conscience of some and bring them to salvation. Or suffering may be a necessary prelude to glorification (cf. Php 2:6–11).