Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 peter 3:13-17

The Christian community is to be an alternate society where believers should not have to face the same kinds of insult and hostility that come from those outside the church (cf. comments on 2:1). However, in order for the Christian community to really be a place of support and refuge, certain qualities must characterize its members. Like-mindedness implies a willingness to conform one’s goals, needs, and expectations to the purposes of the larger community. Paul in Philippians have asked the people t have the mind of Christ. The quality of understanding demands respectfully seeing things from another’s point of view. Another evidence of love is compassion, a sincere “feeling for and with” he needs of others. To humble oneself was to “declare oneself powerless to defend one’s status.” These are qualities that ran counter to the trends of first-century society, as they do in our own today. In 3:9 Peter turns his attention to the reason that apparently has precipitated his letter: the relationship of his readers with hostile people outside the Christian community. In 2:23 the example of Jesus’ refusal to retaliate for unjust accusations broke the vicious cycle of escalating conflict that is so familiar within communities, and provides the basis for a similar course of action by those following in his footsteps. As the basis for the Christian’s ethical model, Peter notably points not to Jesus’ teaching but to his response to the undeserved suffering that led to the cross (2:21–25). Jesus said in Luke 6:27–28: “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you”. Peter is quoting psalms 34:12-16 and psalms number 34 speaks about how God had heard the cry of David and delivered him from the hand of king Abhimelk. They are not necessarily days free from problems, for the psalmist wrote about fears, troubles, afflictions and even broken heart. But in midst of all these troubles a believer will experience God’s nearness, goodness and he will magnify the Lord. The situation of Christians in Asia minor is same like David as they were suffering unjustly and peter gives an assurance to them from the scripture that God is watching over them and listening to their prayer.