Chapter
1 2 3 4 5
Verse
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

1 Peter 2:12
ESV Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
NIV Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
NASB Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of visitation.
CSB Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.
NLT Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
KJV Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
NKJV having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

What does 1 Peter 2:12 mean?

In the previous verse, Peter urged his readers, all Christians, to abstain from the sin they want to do. One reason for that is found in this verse: the world is watching. Although Peter has described Christians as aliens and strangers in the world, he says that we still live among the people of the world. We are not isolated. We see them, and they see how we live.

He also notes that those in the world will accuse Christians of doing wrong things. Jesus had told Peter and the other disciples that the world would hate them because, in part, they would not belong to the world (John 15:18–25). We should not be surprised, then, when we are falsely accused by unbelievers.

However, we do have a powerful defense: we can focus on leading good lives, making good choices. Peter insists that our choice to do good deeds in the world now truly matters. One reason is that those in the world around us will notice our good works. This will trigger them to give glory to God on the day He visits us. Even as those in the world resent Christians for our refusal to participate in the sinful practices they enjoy (1 Peter 4:3–4), our good works will attract them to our Father.

Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app:
BibleRef.com is part of Got Questions Ministries

For answers to your Bible questions, please visit