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To continue:

1 Peter 3:17-18

17. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well
doing, than for evil doing.

17. Praestat enim benefaciendo (si ita fert voluntas Dei) pati qu`am
malefaciendo:

18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit:

18. Quia et Christus semel pro peccatis passus est, justus pro
injustis, ut nos adduceret Deo; mortificatus quidem carne, vivificatus
autem spiritu.


17 For it is better This belongs not only to what follows but to the
whole context. He had spoken of the profession of faith, which at that
time was attended with great danger; he says now that it is much
better, if they sustained any loss in defending a good cause, to suffer
thus unjustly than to be punished for their evil deeds. This
consolation is understood rather by secret meditation, than by many
words. It is what indeed occurs everywhere in profane authors, that
there is a sufficient defense in a good conscience, whatever evils may
happen, and must be endured. These have spoken courageously; but then
the only really bold man is he who looks to God. Therefore Peter added
this clause, If the will of God be so For in these words he reminds us,
that if we suffer unjustly, it is not by chance, but according to the
divine will; and he assumes, that God wills nothing or appoints nothing
but for the best reason. Hence the faithful have always this comfort in
their miseries, that they know that they have God as their witness, and
that they also know that they are led by him to the contest, in order
that they may under his protection give a proof of their faith.

18 For Christ also It is another comfort, that if in our afflictions we
are conscious of having done well, we suffer according to the example
of Christ; and it hence follows that we are blessed. At the same time
he proves, from the design of Christ's death, that it is by no means
consistent with our profession that we should suffer for our evil
deeds. For he teaches us that Christ suffered in order to bring us to
God. What does this mean, except that we have been thus consecrated to
God by Christ's death, that we may live and die to him?

There are, then, two parts in this sentence; the first is, that
persecutions ought to be borne with resignation, because the Son of God
shews the way to us; and the other is, that since we have been
consecrated to God's service by the death of Christ, it behoves us to
suffer, not for our faults, but for righteousness' sake.

Here, however, a question may be raised, Does not God chastise the
faithful, whenever he suffers them to be afflicted? To this I answer,
that it indeed often happens, that God punishes them according to what
they deserve; and this is not denied by Peter; but he reminds us what a
comfort it is to have our cause connected with God. And how God does
not punish sins in them who endure persecution for the sake of
righteousness, and in what sense they are said to be innocent, we shall
see in the next chapter.

Being put to death in the flesh Now this is a great thing, that we are
made conformable to the Son of God, when we suffer without cause; but
there is added another consolation, that the death of Christ had a
blessed issue; for though he suffered through the weakness of the
flesh, he yet rose again through the power of the Spirit. Then the
cross of Christ was not prejudicial, nor his death, since life obtained
the victory. This was said (as Paul also reminds us in 2 Corinthians
4:10) that we may know that we are to bear in our body the dying of
Christ, in order that his life may be manifested in us. Flesh here
means the outward man; and Spirit means the divine power, by which
Christ emerged from death a conqueror.