204 BERNARDO ESTRADA righteousness’ sake” (eneken dikaiosynhv similar to this dia ™ ¥ ù dikaiosynhn). He exhorts people to suffer because of commitment ¥ to a life of virtue 90. The noun dikaiosynh with the preposition dia ¥ ¥ occurs only three more times, in Romans 91, where it deals with a righteousness that comes from God, the salvation given to mankind through faith. The author goes on to say: “But in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3,15). This verse, one of the most often quoted in the letter, is looking not only at the community’s mission of witness, but also at the eschatological recompense as the foundation of their hope (element D). In 3,9 the author had written in: ına eylog¥an klhronomhshte, “in order ™ ß ı ¥ that you might inherit a blessing”. The inheritance as an implicit reward takes the place of the basileıa of Matt 5,10 92. ¥ The fourth element of the last beatitude (C), joy, is apparently missing. Yet in 3,17 the 1 Pet writes: “For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will”. An acceptance of suffering and even to hold it as “better”, calls the texts of OT and IL. Selwyn, Nauck and even Dupont quote, when they talk about joy in suffering in 1 Pet, only 1,4-8 and 4,12-16, skipping this passage in chapter 3. The concern is more directed to suffering dia dikaiosynhn 93, but there is also a hint about joy in ù ¥ tribulation. Only Michaels 94 has pinpointed the link between 1 Pet 3,13-17 and 4,12-16 concerning this topic. The passage well reflects the gospel tradition and conforms to Nauck’s Urform about joy in suffering. The makarism in 3,14 compensates the absence of xaırein – xara. ¥ ¥ Cf. D.P. SENIOR, D.J. HARRINGTON, 1 Peter, Jude, 2 Peter (Collegeville, 90 MN 2003) 94. Rom 4,13; 5,21; 8,10. 91 Cf. METZNER, Die Rezeption des Matthäusevangelium im 1. Petrusbrief, 92 31, shows also the association between kingdom and inheritance in Matthew’s gospel. Cf. R. OMANSON, “Suffering for Rightneousness’ Sake”, RevExp 79 93 (1982) 440. Cf. J. RAMSEY MICHAELS, 1 Peter (WBC 49; Dallas, TX 1988) 263. 94