Contextual Reminder

I. Our Relationship to God. 1: 1-2:10

II. Our Relationship to the World. 2: 11-4:6

A. We are Citizens. 2:11-17.

B. We are Servants 2:18-25.

* C. We Respect our Spouses. 3: 1-7.

D. We are Neighbors. 3: 8-12.

E. We are Zealots for the Word. 3: 13-4:6

III. Our Relationship to the Church. 4: 7-5:11

Verse (NIV) 3:1-6

1Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 5For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

I. The Wife and her duties: 3: 1-2

A. Submission:

a. Definition: hupotasso: "to arrange under, to subordinate, to subject...mid. to subject ones self, to obey, to submit one's control, to yield to one's admonition and advice. " (Thayer, p. 645).

b. Example of submission: "in the same way"

(1) As Christians return to Christ as their Shepherd and Bishop. 1st Peter 2:25 and Eph. 5:22.

(2) As servants submit to Masters (whether evil or good) 1st Peter 2:17-20.

(3) As Christ submitted to the Father. 1st Peter 2:20-24.

2. Chasity: "as they observe your chase....behavior."

a. Definition: hagnos which means "holy" "pure"...innocent (Gingrich-Danker, p. 11-12).

b. Application:

(1) As a "pure virgin" in mind and body. 2 Cor. 11:2.

(2) Faithful to husband. Heb. 13:4; Tit. 2:4-5

(3) Submissive in sexual relations. 1st Cor. 7:3-5.

3. Respectfulness: "as they observe your...respectful behavior."

a. Definition: literally in Greek "with fear" as in 1st Peter 2:17 and "fear God."

b. Motivation:

(1) Fear of punishment is excluded in verse 6.

(2) Fear of respect of the husband's position (whether he deserves it or not, he needs it). 1st Cor. 11:3.

(3) Fear of Christ. Col. 2:18,23-25.

B. The Goal of Submission: To Save Your Husband.

1. Win them with the word: "if any of them are disobedient to the word." This implies an attempt to win them first by oral teaching, which is essential. Jas. 1:21; 1st Peter 1:22

2. Win them without the Word.

a. Greek text does not have article"the"; thus NAS and NIV are preferred over KJV and ASV. She can't win anyone without the Word of God as seen above.

b. Having failed to win him through the spoken Word she now tries to win him without saying a word.

3. Win them "by behavior of their wives."

a. The "lived" Word" speaks more loudly than the preached Word. Jn. 13:35.

b. The purpose of the living Word is to motivate others to glorify God, which would include conversation. Matt. 5:14-16.

c. Living the Word prepares hearts to receive the written Word.

C. The Attraction: How to Win a Husband to Christ. 3: 3-4.

1. Not through Physical Appearance: hair, jewelry, dress.

a. These things are not sinful in and of themselves ("notice putting on dress").

b. While these are not wrong, they are not the means to win a husband to Christ, which is the purpose of this context.

c. The luxurious clothing of 1st Tim. 2:9 that is prohibited is limited to church services in the context, not at home or at a banquet or some other function outside the assembly.

2. Through Spiritual Appearance

a. Hidden Beauty: "let it be the hidden person of the heart" 1st Sam. 16:7 and Matt. 5:3.

b. Imperishable Beauty

(1) Outward beauty fades away. 2 Cor. 4:16.

(2) Inward beauty increases into eternity. 1st Cor. 13:8

c. "Precious Beauty" more precious than Jewels.

Proverbs. 31: 10,30.

(1) "Gentle Spirit."

a. Greek, praus, means "gentle, humble unassuming" (Gingrich-Danker, p. 699).

b. In contrast to violent. Matt. 5:4

(2) "Quiet Spirit"

a. Greek, heisuchios, "quiet and tranquil" (Thayer, p. 281). 1st Tim. 2:2; noun in 2 Thess. 3:12; 1st Tim. 2:11.

b. Opposed to loud yelling.

d. The Examples: 3: 5-6.

1. Women of the OT: "in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God used to adorn them selves, being submissive to their own husbands." For example; Esther.

2. What about Sarah:

a. She called Abraham"lord" in Gen. 18:12, showing deep respect and recognition of Abraham as her "head."

b. Sarah is the spiritual mother of all Christian wives who follow her example of submission. Isa.51:2; Gal. 3: 26-29.

c. Sarah's motivation (and also the Christian wife) was "to do what is right" and not out of fear of punishment.

II. The Duties of the Husband. 1st Peter 3:7

VERSE 1st Peter 3:7

7Husbands, 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.

A. The Husband's Responsibility

1. Sympathetic Understanding: "live with your wives in an understanding way as with the weaker vessel."¹

a. "Understanding way" in Greek is literally "according to knowledge" ---you can't love your wife without knowing her needs. Jn. 2:25; Eph. 5:25.

(1) Knowledge of her physical needs.

(2) Knowledge of her emotional needs.

(3) Knowledge of her social and psychological needs.

(4) Knowledge of her spiritual needs.

b. "as the weaker vessel"

(1) "Weaker vessels: while more easily broken, were more valuable than the strong vessel. (Crystal and China compared to clay pots.)

(2) Weaker vessels ought then to be treated with greater care.

2. Respectful Honor: "grant her honor as a fellow-heir of the grace of Christ.

a. "Honor" is from timei, which means "price, value, reverence, respect. (Gingrich-Danker, pp. 817-818).

b. Women need to be valued by men.

(1) In 1st Century, women were treated like property.

(2) Women suffer from inferiority complexes because they are still undervalued.

B. The Motivation:

1. A Woman is a "Fellow Heir of the Grace of Life."

a. She is an equal heir with men in the inheritance of

heaven. Gal. 3:28-29.

b. In heaven sexual distinctions will no longer exist. Matt. 22:30.

2. "That your prayers May not be hindered."

a. Prayer life is hindered by bad home relations. Matt. 5:22-23.

b. God won't listen to you if you don't listen to your wife. Matt. 6: 12.

c. God won't show mercy to you if you do not show mercy to your wife. Matt. 5:7.

d. "Hindered" means "cut off" ----don't cut off communications with your wife or you will not have good communications with God.