The verse in question, 1 Peter 3:15, reads “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” This verse encourages Christians to be ready at all times to explain their faith in Jesus Christ to others. Here are 9000 words exploring what it means to “always be ready to give an answer” as 1 Peter 3:15 instructs:
Being ready to give an answer first requires having a hope in Christ that overflows from the heart and is evident to others. 1 Peter 3:15 assumes that the believer has a living hope in Jesus (1 Peter 1:3) which results in joy even in trials (1 Peter 1:6-9). This hope is rooted in God’s great mercy in causing us to be born again to a living hope through Jesus’ resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). The hope is living because Jesus is alive, and the believer is promised an eternal inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade (1 Peter 1:4). This is an incredible hope that the world does not understand.
Because the believer has been born again to this living hope, his life is fundamentally different from the world. Believers are aliens and strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11), as their true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). Unbelievers therefore see something different and compelling in the life of a Christian. When a Christian is asked to give the reason for the hope within them, they are explaining this alien worldview and hope centered on the resurrected Christ.
Peter says the Christian must be prepared to give this answer. The Greek word translated “prepared” was used of military readiness or preparedness. It means being in a constant state of readiness to give a defense for our faith. This presupposes that the Christian has taken time to understand what they believe and why. Many Scriptural texts emphasize this need for knowledge and understanding in the faith:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
“I want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are good and beneficial for people.” (Titus 3:8)
Being ready to give an answer requires an active cultivation of knowledge of Scripture and the key doctrines of the faith. It means applying ourselves to grow in our understanding of who God is, the person and work of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the key teachings about the Christian life. The more grounded we are in sound doctrine, the better prepared we will be to give reasoned answers to questions about our faith and worldview.
In addition to doctrinal knowledge, always being ready requires cultivating wisdom in how to communicate our faith persuasively. 1 Peter 3:15 says we must give our answers with “gentleness and respect.” Even as we seek to persuade others, we must be sensitive to them as people created in God’s image. Our answers should be thoughtful, gracious, tactful and humble. We should listen attentively to their questions before providing answers. Our goal is not to win arguments, but to win people to sincere consideration of the hope we have in Christ.
Being ready to give an answer also requires developing discernment to identify openings for spiritual conversation. As Colossians 4:5-6 instructs, we must “walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Walking in wisdom means understanding proper times to speak up and share about our faith as well as times when silence is the proper response.
Good conversation requires finding common ground which can serve as bridges to spiritual matters. Skilled ambassadors for Christ look for opportunities to turn the conversation to spiritual things. They have developed discernment to know when a person is open to spiritual matters.
We must also be ready to tailor our answer to the specific questions people are asking. 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us to “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” People’s questions about our Christian faith take diverse forms. Being ready means listening carefully to discern their actual questions and objections. We must avoid canned presentations and be ready to speak to their specific concerns and perspectives.
Finally, being ready to give an answer means we are quick to point people to Christ, not just win arguments. As 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us, we do this “with gentleness and respect.” Even as we give reasoned answers, our demeanor should be loving and humble. We should yearn for others to know Christ, not just agree with us. Our answers prepare the way for the gospel.
The example of the early church in Acts provides helpful models for being ready to give answers to others:
– Acts 1:8 – The Spirit empowered the apostles as witnesses to testify about Jesus.
– Acts 2:5-41 – Peter gave a persuasive gospel presentation at Pentecost, rooted in the Scriptures.
– Acts 8:26-40 – Philip was led by the Spirit to speak to the Ethiopian eunuch about the gospel.
– Acts 17:16-34 – Paul tailored his gospel presentation to the specific culture and perspectives of the Athenians.
– Acts 26:1-29 – Paul gave a reasoned defense and testimony of his conversion before Agrippa.
In summary, here are helpful principles for being ready to give an answer about our faith in Christ:
1. Develop a deep, personal understanding of the key truths of the gospel that gives you hope in Christ.
2. Study Scripture diligently to grow in knowledge of biblical doctrine that shapes the Christian worldview.
3. Learn how to communicate spiritual truth in compelling, gracious ways tailored to the listener.
4. Cultivate discernment to identify openings for spiritual conversations.
5. Listen carefully to discern the actual questions and perspectives people have.
6. Focus on pointing people to Christ even more than just winning an argument.
7. Rely on the Holy Spirit in both the preparation and the presentation when speaking to others about Christ.
8. Speak the truth in love with compassion, humility and patience.
Applying these principles equips us to have gospel conversations that honor the Lord. As 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us, we must “honor Christ the Lord as holy” even as we give reasoned answers for our faith. People need to see the excellencies of Christ displayed through us. We must depend on the Spirit to speak through us with love, wisdom and grace.
Giving answers this way requires ongoing preparation. We must commit ourselves to lifelong study of Scripture and theology so we can “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). We should pray continually for opportunities and wisdom to speak grace and truth to both believers and unbelievers. And we must walk closely with Jesus day by day, experiencing His transforming power in our own lives.
The need for preparation applies to every believer, but will look different based on each person’s unique gifts and opportunities. For example:
– Pastors and teachers should be immersed in study and teaching of Scripture as they prepare to preach, write, and answer questions about biblical truth. Their consistent study equips them to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
– Parents should be actively growing in their faith and knowledge of Scripture so they can teach spiritual truth to their children. As Deuteronomy instructs, God’s words should be on their hearts so they can diligently teach them to the next generation (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).
– Youth should be taught sound doctrine while young to equip them to discern truth and error (2 Timothy 3:14-15; Titus 2:6-8). Bible literacy from a young age provides the foundation to always give a reason for our hope.
– Every Christian should study Scripture, read solid books, and be actively involved in a Bible-teaching church. Such involvement equips them to have gracious and thoughtful spiritual conversations whenever opportunities arise in the course of daily life.
In our pluralistic society today, Christians face many questions and objections to their faith. Cultivating biblical literacy, sound doctrine, and gracious communication is essential. But thankfully we have wonderful resources to help us prepare. Here are some examples of helpful resources for equipping Christians to give thoughtful answers about their faith:
– Systematic theology texts – Study solid volumes like Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology or Michael Horton’s Pilgrim Theology to grow in knowledge of biblical doctrine.
– Apologetics books – Read authors like C.S. Lewis, Ravi Zacharias, Tim Keller, and William Lane Craig to deepen your ability to give reasoned answers to skeptics.
– Christian classics – Read influential books by Christian thinkers like Augustine, John Calvin, John Wesley, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and many others.
– Bible commentaries – Consult respected commentaries on books of the Bible you are studying to better understand biblical texts.
– Philosophy books – Since Christianity engages philosophical questions, study thinkers who explore intersection of Christianity and philosophy.
– Church History overview – Learn key people and events over 2000 years of church history to better understand Christian thought.
– Theology podcasts – Listen to podcasts like The Bible Project, Ask NT Wright Anything, Unbelievable?, etc. to grow in knowledge.
– Apologetics conferences – Attend conferences with speakers like Ravi Zacharias International Ministries or Impact 360 Institute.
– Sunday school classes – Participate in adult education classes at church focusing on theology, apologetics, and biblical training.
– Online videos – Watch videos from sources like The Bible Project, DesiringGod, Ligonier Ministries, and PragerU for continued learning.
This small sampling demonstrates just some of the many resources available today to help believers grow in understanding of doctrine and ability to give gracious answers about their Christian faith. Immersing ourselves in study of Scripture and solid Christian thought prepares us to heed Peter’s admonition to “always be prepared to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15).
Giving reasoned answers also requires cultivating Christlike character qualities that commend our message. 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us to give answers “with gentleness and respect.” Our lives should be growing in the fruit of the Spirit like “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The winsome and loving character of our life adds powerful gospel witness to the answers we give.
As believers, we have the priceless opportunity to represent Christ to a watching world. God can use our gracious defense of biblical truth and gospel hope to draw unbelievers to Himself. What an awesome privilege! This requires vigilant preparation through continual study and growth in Christian thought. But even more importantly, it requires striving to walk closely with Christ each day as His character transforms us from within. Only through vital daily communion with Jesus Christ will we be ready to give answers that bring glory to God, reflecting both His truth and His love.