2:11 Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul, 2:12 and maintain good conduct 1 among the non-Christians, 2 so that though 3 they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears. 4
1 tn Grk “keeping your conduct good.”
2 tn Grk “the Gentiles,” used here of those who are not God’s people.
3 tn Grk “in order that in what they malign you.”
4 tn Or “when he visits.” Grk “in the day of visitation,” denoting a time when God intervenes directly in human affairs, either for blessing (Luke 1:68, 78; 7:16; 19:44) or for judgment (Isa 10:3; Jer 6:15). This phrase may be a quotation from Isa 10:3, in which case judgment is in view here. But blessing seems to be the point, since part of the motive for good behavior is winning the non-Christian over to the faith (as in 3:1; also apparently in 3:15; cf. Matt 5:16).