But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.This phrase emphasizes the internal acknowledgment and reverence of Christ's lordship. The heart, in biblical terms, often represents the center of one's being, including emotions, will, and intellect. Sanctifying Christ as Lord means setting Him apart as holy and sovereign in one's life. This echoes the call to holiness found in
Leviticus 11:44 and is a personal commitment to live under Christ's authority. The early Christians faced persecution, and this internal sanctification was crucial for maintaining faith amidst external pressures. It also reflects the Shema from
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, where believers are called to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength.
Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you.
This phrase underscores the importance of readiness and preparedness in the Christian life. The term "defense" (Greek: apologia) suggests a reasoned argument or explanation, akin to a legal defense. This implies that believers should be knowledgeable about their faith and able to articulate why they hold their beliefs. The "hope" refers to the confident expectation of salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ, a theme prevalent throughout the New Testament (e.g.,Romans 5:1-5,Hebrews 6:19). The early church was often questioned and challenged, necessitating a well-grounded understanding of their faith. This readiness is not just intellectual but also spiritual, relying on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance (John 14:26).
But respond with gentleness and respect,
This phrase highlights the manner in which believers should engage with others, especially when discussing their faith. Gentleness and respect are key Christian virtues, reflecting the character of Christ (Matthew 11:29). This approach is crucial in maintaining a witness that is both truthful and loving, avoiding arrogance or hostility. The cultural context of the early church involved interactions with both Jews and Gentiles, requiring sensitivity and respect for differing beliefs and backgrounds. This aligns with Paul's exhortation inColossians 4:6 to let one's conversation be "full of grace, seasoned with salt." The emphasis on gentleness and respect ensures that the defense of the faith is not only about winning arguments but also about winning hearts.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
PeterThe apostle Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples, is the author of this epistle. He writes to encourage and instruct believers facing persecution.
2.
ChristCentral to this verse, Christ is to be sanctified as Lord in the hearts of believers, emphasizing His divine authority and role as Savior.
3.
BelieversThe recipients of Peter's letter, who are encouraged to be ready to defend their faith amidst trials and persecution.
4.
PersecutionThe context in which Peter writes, as Christians were facing hostility for their faith, making the call to defend their hope particularly relevant.
5.
GentilesOften the audience or observers of the Christian faith, who may inquire about the hope that believers possess.
Teaching Points
Sanctify Christ as LordMake Christ the central authority in your life. This involves a daily commitment to live under His lordship and guidance.
Be PreparedEquip yourself with knowledge of the Scriptures and a personal testimony of faith to confidently share the reason for your hope.
Gentleness and RespectApproach conversations about faith with a spirit of humility and respect, recognizing the dignity of every person.
Hope in ChristReflect on the hope you have in Christ, which is not just for this life but for eternity. This hope should be evident in your demeanor and actions.
Defense of FaithUnderstand that defending your faith is not about winning arguments but about sharing the truth in love and pointing others to Christ.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of 1 Peter 3:15?
2.How can we "sanctify Christ as Lord" in our daily lives?
3.What does it mean to give a "defense to everyone who asks"?
4.How does 1 Peter 3:15 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20?
5.In what ways can we prepare to "give an answer" for our faith?
6.How can we maintain "gentleness and respect" when sharing our beliefs with others?
7.How does 1 Peter 3:15 define the role of apologetics in Christianity?
8.What does "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts" mean in 1 Peter 3:15?
9.How can Christians be prepared to give a defense for their faith, as instructed in 1 Peter 3:15?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Peter 3?
11.Are you prepared at all times for any situation?
12.How can personal and featured testimonies be rewritten concisely?
13.How can I share my beliefs with loved ones?
14.What defines Christian bigotry?What Does 1 Peter 3:15 Mean
But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord“Set apart” Christ in the deepest place of your being.Isaiah 8:13 draws the same picture: “The LORD of Hosts—Him you shall regard as holy.” Practical outworking:
• Acknowledge His absolute authority every day (Philippians 2:11).
• Love Him with “all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
• Let His peace “rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15).
When Christ alone is enthroned, every conversation, decision, and reaction is filtered through loyalty to Him.
Always be prepared to give a defensePreparation is not optional; it is a standing order (2 Timothy 4:2). Jude 3 urges believers to “contend for the faith once for all delivered,” andActs 17:2-3 shows Paul “reasoning” from the Scriptures. Readiness involves:
• Knowing the gospel clearly—creation, fall, redemption, restoration.
• Knowing Scripture well enough to open it and point (Psalm 119:11).
• Knowing your own testimony, “how much the Lord has done for you” (Mark 5:19).
• Relying on the Spirit, who “will teach you in that very hour what you should say” (Luke 12:12).
Prepared hearts and minds honor the God who gave us truth and expects us to steward it.
To everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in youHope is not wishful thinking; it is a confident certainty secured by Christ’s resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). Because it is living, it shows:
• Joy that endures trials (Romans 12:12).
• Peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
• Expectation of “the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Such visible hope invites questions. When people notice, we point them to “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), declaring that the same sure future can be theirs.
But respond with gentleness and respectTruth never excuses rudeness.Proverbs 15:1 reminds us that “a gentle answer turns away wrath,” and2 Timothy 2:24-25 insists the Lord’s servant “must not quarrel.” Live that out by:
• Listening before answering (James 1:19).
• Speaking with gracious words “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).
• Treating every person as an image-bearer worthy of dignity (Genesis 1:27).
• Trusting God for the results; persuasion is His work (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
Gentleness and respect keep the tone of our defense consistent with the character of the Lord we are defending.
summary1 Peter 3:15 calls believers to an inside-out witness. First, enthrone Christ in the heart; then stay ready to explain the unshakable hope His lordship produces. Give that explanation to anyone who asks, doing so with a tone that mirrors the Savior’s own meekness. In this way, our words and our manner together bear faithful testimony to the living Lord and to the truthfulness of His word.
(15)
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.--The tense of this and the two preceding imperatives shows that St. Peter meant this for advice to be acted
upon at the moment of being called on to suffer. The passage, as it stands in Isaiah, runs literally, "Jehovah Sabaoth, Him shall ye sanctify, and He (shall be) your fear, and He your dread." It becomes, therefore, very striking when we find that, without a shadow of doubt, the right reading here is,
But sanctify the Lord the Christ in your hearts. How is it possible, except on the supposition that the Catholic doctrine is really a statement of fact, that a Jew like St. Peter should ever have come to apply to a Man whom he had known familiarly, a Man who had served him at table and had washed his feet, the words which Isaiah had said about the "Lord of Hosts?" This passage immediately precedes that which was quoted in
1Peter 2:8, and (like that) is not caught up at random, but as coming in the great Immanuel passage. That presence of God which was the palladium of Israel in the days of Hezekiah has found fulfilment in "the Christ" now given. But what is meant by "sanctifying" Him? The phrase is not elsewhere used in the New Testament, except in the Lord's Prayer; but in the Old Testament see
Leviticus 10:3;
Isaiah 29:23;
Ezekiel 38:23. As to "glorify" God means (in word and deed) to recognise His glorious perfections; as to "magnify" Him means to recognise His greatness; as to "justify" Him means to recognise His inherent justice; so to "sanctify" Him means to recognise, in word and deed, His full holiness, and therefore to treat Him with due awe. This not only substitutes the fear of God for the fear of man (since they mutually exclude each other), but enforces purity of life, thus catching up again "that which is good" and "for righteousness' sake." This, adds St. Peter, is to be done "in your hearts." This does not mean simply "
with your hearts," or "
from your hearts" (
i.e.,inwardly, or, with all sincerity and devotion), but it signifies the local habitation where the Christ is to be thus recognised. That is to say: St. Peter, like St. Paul (
Ephesians 3:17), acknowledges an indwelling of
Christ in the hearts of the faithful; and this indwelling not merely subjective, consisting of their constant recollection of him, but real and objective: there He is, as in a shrine, and they must pay due reverence to His presence. The Apostle does, in fact, in those words "in your hearts," purposely call attention to the difference between Isaiah's use of the name Immanuel and the Christian meaning of it. To Isaiah, God dwelt in the midst of a people in its corporate capacity; St. Peter knew that, through the Incarnation, each individual Christian has God in him, united with him.
And be.--The better reading omits the connecting particle, so that we should put "being" instead of "and be." . . .
Verse 15. -
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. From
Isaiah 8:13. The reading of the best and oldest manuscripts here is
Κύριον δὲ τὸν Ξριστόν, "Sanctify the Lord Christ," or, "Sanctify the Christ as Lord." The absence of the article with
Κύριον ισ in favor of the second translation; but the first seems more natural, more in accordance with the original passage in Isaiah, and the common expression,
Κύριος ὁ Θεός, is in its favor. Whichever translation is adopted, St. Peter here substitutes the Savior's Name where the prophet wrote, "the Lord of hosts, Jehovah Sabaoth" - a change which would be nothing less than impious if the Lord Jesus Christ were not truly God. "Sanctify him," the apostle says (as the Lord himself teaches us to say, in the first words of the Lord's Prayer); that is, regard him as most holy, awful in sanctity; serve him with reverence and godly fear; so you will not "be afraid of their terror." The holy fear of God will lift you above the fear of man. "Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread" (
Isaiah 8:13; see also
Leviticus 10:3;
Isaiah 29:23;
Ezekiel 38:23). St. Peter adds the words, "in your hearts," to teach us that this reverence, this hallowing of the Name of God, must be inward and spiritual, in our inmost being.
And be ready always to give an answer to every man; literally,
ready always for an apology to every man. The word
ἀπολογία is often used of a formal answer before a magistrate, or of a written defense of the faith; but here the addition, "to every man," shows that St. Peter is thinking of informal answers on any suitable occasion.
That asketh you a reason of the here that is in you; literally,
an account concerning the hope. Hope is the grace on which St. Peter lays most stress; it lives in the hearts of Christians. Christians ought to be able to give an account of their hope when asked, both for the defense of the truth and for the good of the asker. That account may be very simple; it may be the mere recital of personal experience - often the most convincing of arguments; it may be, in the case of instructed Christians, profound and closely reasoned. Some answer every Christian ought to be able to give.
With meekness and fear. The best manuscripts read, "but with meekness and fear." The word "but" (
ἀλλά) is emphatic; argument always involves danger of weakening the spiritual life through pride or bitterness. We must sometimes "contend earnestly for the faith;" but it must be with gentleness and awe. We should fear lest we injure our own souls by arrogant and angry controversy; we should seek the spiritual good of our opponents; and we should entertain a solemn awe of the presence of God, with a trembling anxiety to think and to say only what is acceptable unto him.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Butδὲ(de)Conjunction
Strong's 1161:A primary particle; but, and, etc.inἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.yourὑμῶν(hymōn)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.heartsκαρδίαις(kardiais)Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2588:Prolonged from a primary kar; the heart, i.e. the thoughts or feelings; also the middle.sanctifyἁγιάσατε(hagiasate)Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 37:From hagios; to make holy, i.e. purify or consecrate; to venerate.ChristΧριστὸν(Christon)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547:Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.[as] Lord.Κύριον(Kyrion)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962:Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.Alwaysἀεὶ(aei)Adverb
Strong's 104:From an obsolete primary noun; 'ever, 'by qualification regularly; by implication, earnestly.be preparedἕτοιμοι(hetoimoi)Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2092:Ready, prepared. From an old noun heteos; adjusted, i.e. Ready.toπρὸς(pros)Preposition
Strong's 4314:To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.give a defenseἀπολογίαν(apologian)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 627:A verbal defense (particularly in a law court). From the same as apologeomai; a plea.to everyoneπαντὶ(panti)Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3956:All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.whoτῷ(tō)Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.asksαἰτοῦντι(aitounti)Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 154:To ask, request, petition, demand. Of uncertain derivation; to ask.youὑμᾶς(hymas)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.the reasonλόγον(logon)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056:From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.forπερὶ(peri)Preposition
Strong's 4012:From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.theτῆς(tēs)Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.hopeἐλπίδος(elpidos)Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1680:Hope, expectation, trust, confidence. From a primary elpo; expectation or confidence.you possess.ὑμῖν(hymin)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.But [respond]ἀλλὰ(alla)Conjunction
Strong's 235:But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.withμετὰ(meta)Preposition
Strong's 3326:(a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.gentlenessπραΰτητος(prautētos)Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4240:Mildness, gentleness. From praus; mildness, i.e. humility.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.respect,φόβου(phobou)Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5401:(a) fear, terror, alarm, (b) the object or cause of fear, (c) reverence, respect. From a primary phebomai; alarm or fright.
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NT Letters: 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your (1 Pet. 1P iP i Pet) 
