1 Pet 3.7

1 Pet 3:7 Husband’s duty to their wives

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

“In the same way”—same as vs. 1—based on what we have learned from how to honor authority in 1 Peter 2:13-25

Ø     All authority has been established by God to bring peace and punish evildoers

Ø     We are to show respect to everyone even if they treat us harshly

Ø     We are to endure patiently unjust suffering

Ø     Christ is our example of how to endure suffering

o       Do not retaliate at insults

o       Do not make threats

o       Do entrust our lives to the Father who judges justly

o       Do be willing to sacrifice everything—even to die if necessary

v    Ephesians 5:23-33 (NIV) 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

    25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansinga her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”b 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church

Husband has all the responsibility—she gets the blessings!

--be considerate—understanding and sensitivity to her feelings

--treat them with respect as the weaker partner—chivalrous—open doors, walk on the outside of the street to protect her, courtesy

--weaker—physically, work from emotions instead of rational, logical thought, generally more dependent on others—but NOT inferior

--as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life

--wife has equal standing with God (we are all co-heirs with Christ Rom 8:16-17—not just men)

-- so that nothing will hinder your prayers—when there is no harmony between the husband and wife his prayers are hindered

  --when we are one with each other then we can be one with God

----

a Or having cleansed

b Gen. 2:24