1 Peter 3:1-7

1 Peter 3:1–7 KJV (WS)

1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Introduction

We are working through the Christian code of household ethics.

Last week we looked at the expectations of Christian servants.

We learned that a slave might not be able to change his status necessarily.

There are just some things outside of our control.

We must all learn to live out our faith regardless of what our external circumstances may be.

You may have a corrupt government over you, that does not exempt you from Christian conduct.

You may be considered by your fellow man to be nothing more than property, still you are not exempt from behaving as a Christian.

Tonight

Household Code for Spouses

Peter now turns his attention from the household slaves to the household leaders.

Mom and Dad.

Each of them have a unique responsibility to the home.

This is not as general of a code as we may expect.

Especially when it comes to Peter’s words to the wives, he deals with a specific situation.

Both husbands and wives though are to follow the example of an unsuspecting source.

The word “likewise” shows up twice in this passage.

Once for husbands in verse 7.

Once for wives in verse 1.

It connects both of them back to the directions offered to slaves in the previous passage.

This counterintuitive principle is reinforced later in this passage when Peter tells his readers that all Christians are heirs together.

As joint heirs, we shouldn’t be surprised that all Christians are given directions by God on how they are expected to relate to each other.

First, Peter delivers instructions for wives.

But, not just any wife, Peter is speaking specifically to women whose husbands were not saved.

It was a fact of their time that Christianity had spread faster among Roman wives than Roman husbands.

Husbands had more to lose socially than wives by converting to an unpopular minority religion.

Though certainly better off legally than a household slave, there were still fewer legal protections for women than men.

Christianity did more than any other movement to elevate women.

In Christianity they found many of the things that society had been withholding from them.

Many Roman wives were coming to Christ.

This had the potential of being a dangerous decision for these women.

Adhering to a cult that forbade participation in Roman religious rites could lead to a charge of atheism.

Peter does not require or suggest that wives wives should observe the same religion as their husbands.

Peter’s advice, which we will examine in a moment, was practical and not harsh as it may have sounded.

It combines three motivations and concerns that Peter had for these women,

The first being that he was concerned for the safety of these women,

There is a historical record of a Christian mother who divorced her husband for his adulterous habits.

He turned around and outed her as a Christian.

As a result, she was executed.

Peter’s counsel here, was meant to protect these women from suffering a similar fate, but there was also a more important motivation.

Peter encourages these women to leverage submission as a method of evangelism.

Submission was a common expectation for the women of Rome.

Their only motivation was what I presented above.

If I don’t submit, I’ll be kicked out.

Peter adds to that a more compelling motivation.

The motivation for the wife’s subjection is the conversion of her lost husband.

These unsaved husbands will not respond to a lot of preaching or nagging from their wives at home.

That does not mean that these women are without recourse.

Peter claims that their husbands can still be reached without the word.

What does that mean without the word?

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

No one can get saved without the message of scripture.

That is not what Peter is saying.

Without the word = without a lot of talking.

The wife of an unsaved husband can use her character to win her lost husband, not arguments.

We keep seeing the word “subjection” show up, so we should probably know what it means.

The greek word means “to place under rank.”

If someone outranks you, it does not mean that they are better than you.

Many of you have served ion the military and you know that their were many nco’s and officers who knew less about your job than you did.

There is nothing degrading about submitting to authority or accepting God’s order.

This is especially important for the wife of an unsaved man.

If she takes a superior attitude toward her unsaved husband, she will only stir up his opposition.

In verse 2 we read about the wife being chaste.

Chaste and respectful was the most approved behavior for wives of antiquity.

We typically associate chastity with sexual purity.

Chaste, which does mean pure, goes beyond just the sexual life, it refers to all of life.

Then he talks about Fear?

Not for the husband.

Peter does not suggest that women were to be subject to abuse.

Fear of God, who gives theses directions.

In conjunction with this idea of subjection, Peter shares God’s thoughts on adornment.

The Christian wife may feel like she has to work even harder to remain attractive to her unbelieving spouse.

Well-to-do women of the day strove to keep up with the latest expensive fashions.

Women of means used clothes to get men’s attention.

Peter does not forbid adorning any more than he forbids jewelry.

What he does is point out that outward finery cannot replace what is really precious in God’s sight.

The Bible does not prohibit adornment, but a wife should not depend on this to make her attractive.

Godly woman of Proverbs 31 was clothed in silk and purple (purple was reserved for loose women in Roman culture).

Her adorning is not what made her virtuous.

Think about the word for adorning.

Adorning = cosmos = cosmetic.

Adorning is the opposite of chaos.

Our God is not a proponent of chaos.

He favors order.

Peter does not forbid adorning.

He forbids substituting character with gaudiness.

Instructions for husbands of Christian wives.

Vs 7 is specifice to converted husbands.

Admittedly, it’s one verse compared to what the wives got.

Dwell with your wife according to knowledge.

If you think the jokes about understanding women are new, they are not.

Men have been befuddled by women for all of history.

This doesn’t give us an excuse to just give up on it.

If we are going to understand our wives, we must know them.

We’ll never get to know them if we are never home.

Husbands need to take time to be home with his wife.

We are also to honor our wives.

Everyone is going to have an opinion about this term “the weaker vessel”

I could see how Peter applies the term “weaker” to the social standing of women in Roman culture.

Because society viewed her as lesser, Peter encourages his readers to make up the gap by honoring their wives though society does not.

Honor = value and esteem

These are things that Roman women did not innately possess.

But the wife of a Christian should never lack for honor in her home.

A husband’s treatment of his wife is directly connected to his faith.

She is an equal co-heir with him

Tension or conflict will affect the prayers being offered.

Some people don’t care about this because they don’t pray.

They are too busy.

They don’t believe it really matters.

But for those that are praying, Peter warns that quarrels stifle prayers.

Application

The application is easy.

Wives are to find worth and value in their spiritual beauty more than their physical beauty.

Purity and good character are more valuable to the Christian woman than jewelry and fine clothes.

Men, also have an easy to understand application.

Get to know your wife.

Give her the honor that society does not.

Peter gives us a simple breakdown of how to live as Christian husband and wife.

It is easy to understand.

It is difficult to put in to proactice.

We need to be willing to reorder our relationships in order to follow God’s pattern.