Letters to the Churches

Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell withyour wivesaccording to knowledge, giving honor unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered.

Finally, be ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded:

not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile:

And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good?

But even if ye should suffer for righteousness’ sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their fear, neither be troubled;

but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:

having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ.

For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.

Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison,

that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:

which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;

who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries:

wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.

For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer:

above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins:

using hospitality one to another without murmuring: