1 Peter 2:15

15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

1 Peter 2:15 in Other Translations

15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.

15 It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society.

15 For it is God's will that you, by doing good, silence the ignorance of foolish people.

1 Peter 2:15 Meaning and Commentary

1 Peter 2:15

For so is the will of God
Which refers not so much to what goes before; though it is a truth, that it is the will of God that men should be subject to magistrates, and that magistrates should encourage virtue, and discourage vice, reward the obedient, and punish delinquents; but to what follows:

that with well doing;
by doing good works, and those well; by living soberly, righteously, and godly; by having the conversation honest among the Gentiles, agreeably to the law of God, and as becomes the Gospel of Christ; particularly, by living according to the laws of civil society, so far as is consistent with, and not contrary to the commands of God; and by being subject to every civil magistrate, and ordinance of man:

ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
or, as the Syriac version renders it, "that ye may stop the mouths of those foolish men who know not God"; or, as the Ethiopic version has it, "who know not these things"; who are ignorant of God, of his righteousness, of his law, his Gospel, and ordinances. The Gentiles were very ignorant of these things, and very foolish in their imaginations about religious affairs; and from this their ignorance and folly arose calumnies, reflections, and censures upon the people of God; they neither knew God, nor them, nor true religion, and reproached what they understood not, and for want of knowing it: now the apostle signified, that it was the declared will of God that his people should so behave in civil life, that their enemies should be entirely confounded, and silenced, and have nothing to say against them; the word signifies to be muzzled, to have the mouth shut up, as with a bit or bridle; it is used in ( Matthew 22:12 ) ( 1 Corinthians 9:9 ) .

1 Peter 2:15 In-Context

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority,

14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Peter 3:17; 1 Peter 4:19
• 2. S ver 12