But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
What does 1 Peter 3:15 mean?
We sanctify God before others, when our conduct invites and encourages them to glorify and honour him. What was the ground and reason of their hope?
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside 1 Peter 3:13-17 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts - In Isaiah Isa 8:13 this is, "sanctify the Lord of hosts himself;" that is, in that connection, regard him as your Protector, and be afraid of him, and not of what man can do.
Context in 1 Peter 3
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1 Peter 3 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as suffering after Christ’s pattern. First Peter calls believers a holy people in exile, formed by Christ’s suffering and destined for glory. Read this chapter with the wider themes of exile, hope, and holiness in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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