1 Peter 3:16 (ASV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

1 Peter 3:14 But even if ye should suffer for righteousness` sake, blessed [are ye:] and fear not their fear, neither be troubled;

1 Peter 3:15 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:

1 Peter 3:16 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.

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.

1 Peter 3:18 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;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "having", "good", "conscience", "wherein", "spoken", "against", "shame", and "revile". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "having" and "good", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "but sanctify in your hearts Christ as..." into verse 17's "For it is better if the will...", so "having" and "good" belong inside that flow. In 1 Peter context, the local focus is hope in suffering, holy conduct, submission, and grace.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "having" and "good" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.