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1 Peter 3:8-16

Read 1 Peter 3:8-16.

Do you know someone you think is an evangelist? What are they like?

Do you think every Christian should be an evangelist? Why or why not?

Do you think God expects people who are not evangelists to speak out for Christ? Explain your answer.

Peter speaks of answering people in verse 15. What kinds of questions might we need to answer?

Peter takes for granted that people will ask questions. Why? What might motivate unbelievers to ask Christians questions like the one mentioned in verse 15? (Try to use verses from 1 Peter in your answer.)

If you were right in your previous answer about why non-Christians might ask questions, is it logical to expect the non-Christians you know to ask you questions?

Read 1 Peter 3:14 references Isaiah 8:12. What might it mean for us to “not fear what they fear” (NIV 1984; “do not fear their threats,” NIV 2011; “do not fear their fear,” literal translation)? What do the people around us fear?

Read Isaiah 8:12-18. What kinds of things cause a person or a group of persons (like the church) to be signs and symbols?

In verse 15, Peter says that instead of being frightened, “in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” What does this mean and how would a person go about doing it?

Describe the hope Peter is talking about in verse 15. What steps can a person take to better understand this hope and articulate his/her reasons for having it?

Peter says that we should answer unbelievers’ questions with gentleness and respect. How might these virtues manifest themselves in a gospel conversation with an unbeliever?

Read 1 Peter 3:16. Can a person be bold and strong in a gospel conversation at the same time he/she is gentle and respectful? How might a gentle Christian’s conversation with an inquirer differ from an ungentle one?

What steps can we take to apply truth from this text to our lives?

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