15but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;yet do it with gentleness and respect,
The word in the original is not a verb, but an adjective. The reason it is translated in verb form here is because the clause is an adverbial clause linked to the previous clause.
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,