Sermon Tone Analysis

Likewise...

What is this referring to?

I don’t think Peter is referring to the idea of submission as with the wives.

Nowhere else in the NT are husbands commanded to be in submission to their wives.

Rather, I believe that “likewise” is referring back to the example of Christ’s suffering in 2.21

This is not the extent of Christ’s suffering, but the manner in which Christ suffered.

Christ displayed grace in His suffering.

I Pet 2.

It was because of the grace of Christ put on display for us that caused us to return unto the Father, the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.

Likewise, wives- be impacted by this grace and you yourselves put this same grace on display in your marriage relationships.

This looks very different for the wives than it does for the husbands.

For the wives it means submitting to their husbands.

The thought of being impacted by the grace of God, modeled for us by Christ, is what is carried over into 3.7

Likewise, husbands… Be impacted by the grace of God and put that same grace on display, put it into action in your relationship with your wives.

What does this look like?

What does a marriage relationship look like when the husband is living a life powerfully impacted by grace?

I.

He will seek for a high level of understanding in the marriage relationship

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge

συνοικοῦντες κατὰ γνῶσιν⸃

live with your wives in an understanding way

γνῶσις- comprehension or intellectual grasp of someth., knowledge.

This is a general term and Peter does not specify what he means here by knowledge…therefore-

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 203.

“The knowledge Peter intends here may include any knowledge that would be beneficial to the husband-wife relationship: knowledge of God’s purposes and principles for marriage; knowledge of the wife’s desires, goals, and frustrations; knowledge of her strengths and weaknesses in the physical, emotional and spiritual realms; etc.” (Wayne Grudem)

Men is it our job to make sure we cultivate a marriage relationship were knowledge and understanding are valued and practiced on a regular basis.

Isn’t this interesting that God places the responsibility of understanding/knowledge/communication on the husband and not the wife?

Men how many of us really enjoy the art of communication?

How many of us are like, ooohh boy let’s sit down and talk!

Men who here has been gifted with

Isn’t it interesting that for the wives Peter says,

Without the word- better without a word.

Ladies be careful that you don’t talk too much, and men be-careful to communicate all the time!

Create an atmosphere of knowledge and understanding in your marriage relationship.

What kind of knowledge or understanding?

1. Knowledge of God’s purposes and principles for marriage

Does God’s Word have anything to say to us men about what it means to be godly husbands?

Like what?

Eph 5.25-

Men it is your responsibility to have a thorough understanding of what the Scriptures says about being a godly husband.

You are to live with your wives with this kind of knowledge and understanding.

How do we do that?

A husband who lives according to such knowledge will greatly enrich his marriage relationship—yet such knowledge can only be gained through regular study of God’s Word // and regular, unhurried times of private fellowship together as husband and wife.”

(Wayne Grudem)

2. Knowledge of your wife’s desires, goals, and frustrations

OK men, how do enjoy a marriage relationship that has a high level of understanding of your wife’s desires, goals, and frustrations?

Spend time with her…what do we mean when we say that?

Is it possible to spend time with your wife and yet never grow in your understanding of her?

Illustration: Being near each other, and with each other, but totally oblivious to each other- zoned out on your cell phones.

Intimacy- shared experiences with one another.

How often do you share the same space as your wife, but you never share the same experiences with your wife?

How do we improve on this?

5x5’s- every day get within 5 feet (or closer) of your wife and ask her 5 questions about her day.

Shared calendar- example- shared google calendar

Purposeful discussions- date night / once a month where you specifically ask her…

What are your desires in our relationship?

What are some of your goals that you would like to accomplish?

What are your frustrations or your fears?

Set apart a time to pray regularly together.

3. Knowledge of her strengths and weaknesses in the physical, emotional and spiritual realms

OK, I know guys you all have so many suggestions in this area that your list them for me like popcorn right?

Ladies I would like some input from you on this so be thinking of ways we as men can facilitate this kind of knowledge in our marriages.

One way I have learned about my wife’s strengths and weaknesses is by praying regularly with her.

Men if you create an atmosphere of transparency through prayer it will encourage her to do the same.

In other words pray with her and open up in prayer about your own physical, emotional, and spiritual weaknesses and strengths.

This creates a opportunity for her to do likewise.

How many of us set aside time to regularly pray with our wives?

Would this not create an atmosphere of understanding in your marriage?

Another way I have learned this is through experience.

Years of careful observation, intentional observation can help you to know these things about her.

Sitting down with her and asking her, and then asking her what she thinks your strengths and weaknesses are.

A husband who lives according to such knowledge will greatly enrich his marriage relationship—yet such knowledge can only be gained through regular study of God’s Word // and regular, unhurried times of private fellowship together as husband and wife.”

(Wayne Grudem)

What does a marriage relationship look like when the husband is living a life powerfully impacted by grace?

II.

He will seek for a high level of honor in the marriage relationship

ἀπονέμοντες τιμὴν

showing them honor

ὡς ἀσθενεστέρῳ σκεύει τῷ γυναικείῳ,*

as the weaker vessels

ὡς καὶ ⸁συγκληρονόμοις ⸄χάριτος ζωῆς⸅

and as co-heirs of the grace of life

Honor- to show high regard for, or to revere

2 Pet 1

This was during Christ’s transfiguration.

The Father bestowed honor on the Son.

He showed a high regard for the Son.

This honor was bestowed in the form of God’s voice saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

By this Christ received honor.

The command for the husband is to give or to show the wives honor.

The idea here is to grant that which is appropriate in a relationship- to assign, or to show

So men we are to show an appropriate amount of high regard for our wives in our marriage relationship.

How do we know what is appropriate?

Peter gives us two similes to help us understand the appropriate amount of honor.

Husbands are to show honor to the wives

1.

As the weaker vessels

1.

As the weaker vessels

What does Peter mean when we compares women to weaker vessels?

In what ways are women weaker than men?

The sense of “weaker,” then, is not weaker in mind or morally inferior, an opinion widely held in the Greek and Hebrew world (e.g., Plato, Leg.

6.781b; cf.

Rom.

5:6, which uses this sense for all humans), nor weaker in conscience (e.g., 1 Cor.

8:7–11; Rom.