1 Peter 4:3

4:3 For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians ¹  desire. ²  You lived then ³  in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts, ⁴  and wanton idolatries. ⁵ 

1 Peter 2:9

2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues ⁶  of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:12

2:12 and maintain good conduct ⁷  among the non-Christians, ⁸  so that though ⁹  they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears. ¹⁰ 

¹ tn Grk “the Gentiles,” used here of those who are not God’s people.

² tn Grk “to accomplish the desire of the Gentiles.”

³ tn Grk “having gone along,” referring to the readers’ behavior in time past.

⁴ tn According to BDAG 857 s.v. πότος the term refers to a social gathering at which wine is served, hence “drinking parties” (cf. TEV, NASB). However, the collocation with the other terms in v. 4 suggests something less sophisticated and more along the lines of wild and frenzied drinking bouts.

⁵ tn The Greek words here all occur in the plural to describe their common practice in the past.

⁶ sn This verse contains various allusions and quotations from Exod 19:5-6; 23:22 (LXX); Isa 43:20-21; and Mal 3:17.

¹¹ tn Grk “keeping your conduct good.”

¹² tn Grk “the Gentiles,” used here of those who are not God’s people.

¹³ tn Grk “in order that in what they malign you.”

¹⁴ 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).