Wives and Husbands
Notes
Transcript
1 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,
2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.
3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—
4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands,
6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
The goal is a godly home life (long term winning over of spouse)
Battle of the sexes; goes back to Genesis 3. v:15-16
the gospel transforms this relationship
Be subject - same word as submit; same word used as servants to their masters; v.2 it looks like respect and purity
wife to an unbelieving husband; how the wife acts will either help or hinder the husband on coming to Jesus; win them over without a word
Because you respect them and honor them
Peter goes into how a woman displays herself
Should their be physical attraction between husband and wife?
Do not let your adorning be external; women would make themselves physically attractive to be able to exert control over their husbands
braiding hair, gold jewelry, and clothing
what are other ways that women make themselves attractive today? (manicure, pedicure, US is #1 in world in cosmetic sales)
God is not opposed to physical beauty; but what Peter is saying is that there is something greater than physical adornment.
v.4 - hidden person of the heart; this is the person that attracts people to Christ
attract vs. deter; qualities that attract and qualities that deter?
The beauty of the soul is imperishable; gentleness and a quiet spirit
Gentle - not harsh, same as meekness
Quiet - peace and not war, calming presence
Can you have an extroverted personality and still be these things?
In v. 5, Peter takes them back in time, the way women used to be; uses Sarah as an example
Genesis 12:12-14, even though Sarah was beautiful, she submitted herself to Abraham, even called him lord, even when he was not there, Exodus 18:12.
This type of beauty is what verse 4 calls precious in God’s sight
Why is it precious? Because this is how women who hope in God act. And when you do this, you are children of Sarah.
And this is good. So to put this all together, if you adorn yourself this way for your unbelieving husband, it is good and you are proving that you have placed your hope in God. Your fear is not in your husband but in God.
And if your fear is in God, then you will have no reason to fear anything in this life.
1 Peter for You A Beauty that Never Fades
There may come a time when submission to your husband is hard. There may come a time when submission to God has to take precedence over submission to your husband—and that is hard too. When such times come, live as a daughter of Sarah because you are a child of God—place your hope in him, knowing that you may face shame, ridicule or worse, but knowing also that you what you are doing is precious to God, and that in the end you will be vindicated by God.
But Peter also addresses husbands
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Live with your wives in an understanding way. This does not mean that you will always understand them. (joke about genie granting wish about building bridge or understanding women)
Words about women are hard to hear but the words to men are just as hard to live out
To be understanding means to know our wives. We cannot do this if we are never around them. We cannot be, in essence, roommates and understand our wives. I would say that this doesn’t happen in a year of being married either. This takes time and the longer you spend building your marriage, the more and more you will understand her.
But also to show honor. Ephesians 5:25-28.
Because women are physically weaker. (men playing womens sports, if there is time)
And if you are both believers, you share the same inheritance. You are both heirs of the grace of life. Eternal life.
Application - women, love your husbands; men, love your wives; very simple
reflections
What was the hardest thing to hear from these verses?
