Bible Class Notes on 1 Peter 3:10-12 | Notes on the Petrine Epistles

Peter quoted from Psalm 34:12-16 to make his point. Throughout this book, Peter has appealed to the authority of the Old Testament. He does so again by this lengthy quote from the Psalms.

Peter instructed the one who would love life and see good days. Peter wasn’t telling people how to live long lies. What he does do is tell people how to live good lives. “Life” here would be the “grace of life,” the “Christ-like life.” The one who loves this type of life also loves Christ.

The one who would live the Christian life must keep his tongue from evil. Peter has already told us that “no guile was found on [Jesus’s] lips” (2:22). For those who follow Jesus, no guile can be found on their lips, either.

This one must also turn away from evil. It wasn’t merely enough to have good speech—one needed actually to cease sin and do right. Appropriate speech needed to be accompanied by appropriate behavior.

This one also needs to seek peace and pursue it—this really is the whole point peter is making.

The Lord blesses those who do right and condemns those who do wrong. This would have been a great deal of encouragement for those to whom Peter wrote. There is both a promise and a threat in this verse—God’s eyes are upon the righteous and his face is against those who do wrong.

This Bible class was originally taught by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at the Owingsville church of Christ in Owingsville, Kentucky.