Section 3:8–22
God’s people may have to suffer for doing what is right
In this section Peter taught that Christians should always do good and act kindly towards others, even if they are mistreated and made to suffer. They should do this because it pleases God, and because that was how Jesus Christ behaved.
Some other headings for this section are:
Suffering for Doing Right (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Dedicate Your Lives to Jesus (God’s Word)
Paragraph 3:8–12
3:8a
Finally: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Finally here introduces a summary of what Peter had just been saying. It does not mean that this is the last sentence or paragraph of the letter. Some other ways to translate Finally are:
To sum up
-or-
Now I want to say this to you before I finish my letter (Easy English Bible)
all of you: Peter now began to address all his readers, male and female, slaves and masters. Here is another way to translate this:
everyone (God’s Word)
be like-minded: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be like-minded is literally “being of one mind.” Peter wanted his readers to have the same aims and the same outlook. Other ways to translate this include:
you should be in agreement (New Century Version)
-or-
you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings (Good News Translation)
be…sympathetic: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be…sympathetic means having or showing kind feelings towards other people. It refers to being concerned about the joys and sorrows of other people. Here is another way to translate this phrase:
have concern…for each other (Contemporary English Version)
3:8b
love as brothers: The noun form of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as love as brothers is found in 1:22b.
3:8c
be tenderhearted: The Greek adjective that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be tenderhearted has a similar meaning to “sympathetic” in 3:8a. It means to care about other people and their sorrows and difficulties. Here is another way to translate this:
being kind (New Century Version)
A common English idiom for this is:
⌊have⌋ a tender heart
humble: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as humble describes people who do not think of themselves as better or more important than others. They are not proud or arrogant. Another way to express being humble is:
not proud
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