1 Peter 3:13-22 - Suffer For Doing What Is Good

¹³ And who is it that will harm you if you are enthusiastic to do right? ¹⁴ Instead, you are happy, even if you should suffer for doing right. Never be afraid of their threats, and never be disturbed, ¹⁵ but in your hearts be consecrated to Christ as Lord, and always be ready to make your defense to anyone who asks a reason for the hope you have. But you must do it in gentleness and reverence, ¹⁶ and keep your conscience clear, so that those who bitterly abuse your excellent conduct as Christians may be ashamed of slandering you. ¹⁷ For it is better, if the will of God should plan it so, to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.

¹⁸ For Christ Himself, once for all, died for our sins, the Innocent for the guilty to bring us to God, being put to death in physical form but made alive in the Spirit,

¹⁹ in which He went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who had once been disobedient, while God's patience was awaiting in the days when Noah was preparing an ark, in which a few people-- eight, to be exact -- were brought safely through the water. ²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this figure, now saves you, too -- I do not mean the mere removal of physical stains, but the craving for a clear conscience toward God -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone to heaven and is now at God's right hand, with angels, heavenly authorities and powers made subject to Him.