but sanctify [the] Lord the Christ in your hearts, and [be] always prepared to [give] an answer [to] every one that asks you to give an account of the hope that [is] in you, but with meekness and fear;
Peter writes to believers who may suffer for doing right. His remedy is inward: give Christ the place of Lord in the heart, then be ready with a gentle answer for anyone who asks about your hope.
The pressure behind the verse
The verse follows a warning about being frightened into a wrong course. One commentator sets the scene by pointing to what fear does to a believer under unjust treatment:
If we are called to suffer for doing right, we are not to be miserable about it. We are to rejoice. Paul and Silas did. They had crossed the interests of some evil-minded men, who had them unjustly thrown into prison in the city of Philippi. There they sang praises to God at midnight. But there is a danger. We may give in to a wrong course because we fear the consequences. So Scripture warns us against the fear of man, and against dread of what may happen if we do right.
Christ set apart as Lord within
The command is about the heart, not the face we show. Kelly separates an outward religious manner from the real thing. He also says what takes Christ's place when He is not honoured in the heart:
Putting on a holy manner, or acting holy in outward ways, is no help at all. It is a trap and a shame unworthy of a Christian. Nothing could be further from pleasing God. It may fool the careless person himself, and other people too. But it pleases Him when we give Christ the holy place He is due in our hearts, above all as Lord. God wants us to honour the Son just as we honour the Father. If we do not keep Him set apart in our hearts, every idol the enemy uses to deceive the world can reach us. But when Christ holds our deepest affections, how safe and blessed we are!
Words borrowed from Isaiah
Peter is quoting an older passage, and the wording of that quotation matters. Paterson notes that some translations read "the Lord God" here, while others read "the Lord, the Christ." He also points back to the original setting: a nation in fear of an alliance forming against it.
The King James Version reads, "Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts." The more exact J. N. Darby translation reads, "Sanctify the Lord, the Christ, in your hearts." This is another of those places where God and Christ stand for one another. The effect of that on our faith and behaviour is plain. It gives us boldness to give a reason for the hope that is in us... This comes from Isaiah 8:13. At that time nations had joined in an alliance, and hearts were in real danger of being frightened by a crowd of enemies. In that situation the way out of the difficulty was to keep the eyes firmly fixed on God... The difficulties that surround us melt away when we have before our souls, not a small Christ, but a great One.
The hope you are asked about
The question people ask concerns hope — and in the Bible that word is not a wish. Wolston defines it and then describes the tone of the reply:
You are always to be able to give a reason for the joyful expectation that you have. Hope is never uncertainty in Scripture, but the joyful expectation of a certainty... We ought to be able to give a very distinct reason, but our answer is to be given in "meekness and fear," that is, in a manner that shuts out all levity or lightness, a manner that conveys to the person asking the question this: "It is the most wonderful favour of God to give such a hope to a sinner like me, but I have received it through His grace, and you may receive it too."
Why meekness and boldness belong together
Meekness and fear pull in different directions. Smith shows one curbing self and the other producing courage:
When we give the Lord His rightful place in our hearts, we shall know He is present to support us when we stand before men. So we shall not only escape the temptation to give in to what we know is wrong just to avoid trouble. We shall also be able to give a positive testimony to the truth... Acting in a spirit of meekness, we shall not offend by pushing ourselves and our opinions forward. Acting in fear before God, we shall be bold to hold to the truth.
The conduct that carries the answer
Peter's thought does not stop at verse 15. The next verse ties the answer to a clear conscience. Grant links persuasiveness to behaviour, and points out a word that keeps repeating in this passage:
If our confession is to convince others, we must also have a good conscience about the way we live. Then, however false and wicked the accusations of men may be, those accusations will end up exposing the shame of the accusers. Notice that this section (verses 10 to 16) uses the word "good" five times. The last one, "good conduct," covers all our behaviour.
Summary
- Pressure — fear of what men may do can frighten a believer into a wrong course. Scripture warns against that fear.
- Place — the remedy is inward. Give Christ the holy place He is due as Lord in the heart, not a holy manner put on outside.
- Person — the words come from Isaiah, spoken when a nation feared an alliance against it. A small Christ leaves difficulties standing; a great One makes them melt.
- Preparedness — in Scripture, hope is the joyful expectation of something certain. So give a clear reason, never a vague one.
- Posture — meekness keeps self out of the answer. Fear before God makes it bold. A good conscience keeps your life from contradicting your words.