THE FIRST EPISTLE of Peter says that there are cir-
cumstances in which Christian witness may be given even
without words, simply by Christian conduct. 1 Peter 2:12,
already quoted, says that malicious slander may be turned
into an admission of God's glory because of the witness of
good conduct. And in 3:1, the Christian women are told
that even if pagan husbands do not listen to what is said,
they may yet be won over to Christianity when they see
the reverent and pure conduct of their wives. But the fact
that this is possible is no excuse for not speaking up. The
same epistle, as we saw earlier, bids Christians to be al-
ways ready to give an explanation of their hope (1 Pet.
3:15). And one of the most striking things in the Acts is
its account of the witness of words. Indeed, this, above
all, is where the reader may discover the secret of how the
Christian Church came into existence: it is the church ex-
plaining itself.

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