1 Peter 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; (NASB: Lockman)
Greek: kurion d ton Christon hagiasate (2PAAM) en tais kardiais humon hetoimoi aei pros apologian panti to aitounti (PAPMSD) humas logon peri tes en humin elpidos, alla meta prautetos kai phobou,
Amplified: But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully. )
KJV: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
NLT: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
Phillips: simply concentrate on being completely devoted to Christ in your hearts. Be ready at any time to give a quiet and reverent answer to any man who wants a reason for the hope that you have within you.
Young's Literal: and the Lord God sanctify in your hearts. And be ready always for defence to every one who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
similar phrase "sanctify My Name" is used prophetically to describe the future day (Ro 11:25-27) when Israel will have the veil lifted and by grace through faith will recognize her Messiah as her Lord...
Therefore thus says the LORD, Who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob ("Israel"): "Jacob shall not now be ashamed (in the future when the remnant of Israel is saved), nor shall his face now turn pale; 23 BUT WHEN (Not "if") he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they (the saved remnant of Jacob) will sanctify My Name. Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Israel (The Lord Jesus Christ). (Isaiah 29:22-23)
Notice that Jehovah's promise is to literal Jacob ("Israel") and not to the church, which did not even exist at the time of this prophecy. To "replace Israel" with the NT church is to impugn (attack with words, dispute the truth of) the prophetic Word of Prophecy (2Pe 1:19) Jehovah gave specifically to Jacob (the nation of Israel). (See related article on What is replacement theology? from Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry)
But is a term of contrast, which begs the question of what is Peter contrasting? Here he is saying that instead of fearing and being stirred up and agitated because of possible suffering for righteousness' sake, the solution is to set apart Christ as your Lord. If He is in your heart, He is ruling over the control center of your being. Don't fear man. ''Fear'' (reverentially) the Lord! When the center of one's life is rightly related to the Lord Jesus, that person is able to respond properly to the vicissitudes of life.
But sanctify - As A T Robertson says "This instead of being afraid." Sanctify Christ as Lord instead of worrying or being afraid.
Peter lifts the quotation "sanctify the...Lord" from the Greek translation (Septuagint - LXX) of Isaiah 8:13 which reads
Peter was exhorting the readers to set apart the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, as Jehovah, Very God, in their hearts, giving first place to Him in obedience of life. To sanctify Christ has the sense of to recognize, to worship, and to honor Him as the only Lord.
Sanctify (37)(hagiazo from hagios [see word study] = holy, set apart) means to set apart for God, to sanctify, to make a person or thing (in the OT altars, days, priests, etc were set apart) the opposite of koinos, which means profane or common. Sanctify is translated “Hallowed,” with reference to the Name of God the Father in the Lord’s Prayer...
Hallowed (hagiazo) be Thy Name (Mt 8:9-)
There are 28 uses of hagiazo in the NT - Matt. 6:9; 23:17, 19; Lk. 11:2; Jn. 10:36; 17:17, 19; Acts 20:32; 26:18; Rom. 15:16; 1 Co. 1:2; 6:11; 7:14; Eph. 5:26; 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 Tim. 4:5; 2 Tim. 2:21; Heb. 2:11; 9:13; 10:10, 14, 29; 13:12; 1 Pet. 3:15; Rev. 22:11
Here in 1Peter 3:15, hagiazo is in the aorist imperative which means do it now. Do it effectively! The aorist imperative can even convey a sense of urgency.
This is a moral imperative that holds priority over all other decisions -- This foundational choice begets and controls all subsequent choices. Is He really the Lord of my life?
Submit to Christ as Kurios, the One Who is to in control. Remember the context is potential persecution/suffering. No matter what looms on the horizon we are to live in submissive communion with our Lord and Master Christ Jesus and the result will be that we have nothing to fear. The writer of Proverbs declares...The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. (Proverbs 29:25)
How do we “sanctify Christ as Lord” in our hearts? We turn everything over to Him, and live only to please Him and glorify Him. It means we fear displeasing Him rather than fear what men might say about us as His disciples or what they might do to us. And one evidence that Christ is Lord in our lives is the readiness with which we tell others about Him.
Christ (5547) (Christos from chrio = to rub or anoint, consecrate to an office) refers to the Anointed One and thus is a title of the Messiah, the divine One (fully God) the Jews were looking for and of Whom the OT bore prophetic witness.
In the Gospels "the Christ" is not a personal name but an official designation for the expected Messiah (Mt 2:4, Lk 3:15). As by faith the human Jesus was recognized and accepted as the personal Messiah, the definite article ("the") was dropped and the designation "Christ" came to be used as a personal name. The name "Christ" speaks of His Messianic dignity and emphasizes that He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises concerning the coming Messiah.
Lord (kurios from kúros = might, power in turn from kuróo = give authority, confirm) describes One who has absolute ownership. Kurios describes the One who has sovereign power and authority. Kurios also conveys the idea of master. Thus, the second Person of the Trinity was to be Lord and Master of their lives. He was to be their resource and defender when persecution came.
Jesus is referred to some ten times as Savior and some 700 times as Lord. Supreme in Authority. Kurios translates Jehovah (LORD in OT) in Septuagint (LXX) 7000 times. When the two titles are mentioned together, Lord always precedes Savior. Is He your kurios, your Lord, your Master, your Owner, your Possessor?
In summary, kurios signifies sovereign power and absolute authority. The primary idea is Jesus is the One in possession of all power and authority over those who are truly His possession. Paul in his description of genuine believers asks the saints at Corinth...
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1Co 6:19,20)
