1 Peter Chapter 3 Part One

 

1 Peter Chapter 3 Part One

Wives and Husbands

Verses 1-6: Peter’s teaching on a wife’s submission to her husband is similar to Paul’s in Ephesians 5:22-24. Disobedient or unsaved husbands are to be won over by the “conversation” (literally, “behavior”) of the wives. The woman is to emphasize her inner qualities, not just her outer appearance (verse 3). The references to “adorning” are not prohibitions against jewelry and dress; so much as they are a caution against merely beautifying the external, while neglecting the soul.

1 Peter 3:1 "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;"

Likewise ye wives... Wives are to be in submission to their husbands, like Christians submitting to rulers (1Pet. 2:13) and servants submitting to their masters (1Pet. 2:18). Peter insisted that if Christians are to be a witness for their Lord, they must submit not only to the civil, but also to the social order which God has designed.

your own husbands... Women are not inferior to men in any way, any more that submissive Christians are inferior to pagan rulers or non-Christian bosses (Gal. 3:28). But wives have been given a role which puts them in submission to the headship which resides in their own husbands (Eph. 5:22; Col. 3:18; Titus 2:4-5).

if any obey... Since obedience has been used in this letter to refer to believers and disobedience to non-believers, this is a non-Christian husband. In a culture in which women were viewed as lower than men, the potential for conflict and embarrassment in the marriage of a believer and unbeliever was significant, even as it is in contemporary society. Peter did not urge the Christian wife to leave her husband (1 Col. 7:13-16), to preach to her husband (“without a word”), or to demand her rights (“be submissive”).

without the word... If husbands will not hear preaching of the gospel, they will hear the preaching of the chaste behavior of the wives. If the wife will conduct herself chastely, in reverence to her husband and in the fear of God, her husband may be won (1Pet. 3:2-3). Eight ways to win a husband to God (1Pet. 3:1-6):

1. Submit to and obey husband (1Pet. 3:1, 3:5-6).

2. Obey the Word (1Pet. 3:1).

3. Have chaste conversation (1Pet. 3:2).

4. Let not the outward adorning be the chief aim in life (1Pet. 3:3).

5. Let the inner man be adorned more than the outward man (1Pet. 3:3-4).

6. Trust in God (1Pet. 3:5).

7. Do well (1Pet. 3:6).

8. Live faithful to the husband, so there will be no fear of being found guilty of infidelity (1Pet. 3:6).

These are not only duties of a wife, but are the eight things which make a model wife. How can one who is constantly breaking these laws win a husband or anyone else?

conversation of the... Greek: anastrophe. See 1Pet. 2:12.

We have discussed in previous lessons that the husband is the head of the family. The husband and the wife are one flesh, not spirit. We see a very good example of that very thing here.

The wife who lives a godly life before an unbelieving husband will probably win him to Christ. Women who are Christians have a major role in the winning of their households to Christ. At the time this was written, the customs of the people had the wife in a very subordinate role. It was not the intention of Peter to go against the customs of the people.

Wives, who are peacemakers, hold the family together. The husband is the head of the family, but the wife is the heart. The husband builds the house; the wife makes it a home.

Women, do not nag your husband to become a Christian, which will run him off. Show him the love that is in you that was placed there when you became a Christian. He will almost certainly come to Christ, if he can see Christ in you.



In chapter 2, Peter taught that living successfully as a Christian in a hostile world would require relating properly in two places; the civil society (2:13-17), and the workplace (2:18-25). At the start of this chapter, he added two more places: the family (verses 10:7) and the local church (verses 8-9).


1 Peter 3:2 "While they behold your chaste conversation [coupled] with fear."

your chaste conversation... Purity of life with reverence for God is what the unsaved husband should observe consistently.

Just because the wife is a Christian, and perhaps her husband is not, does not give her the right to rule over him. Show him that you respect his authority in the home. Christians respect authority, as we have been reading about.

Christian Conduct As Wives

The participle translated be submissive (hypotassomenai, lit., “being under authority”) carries the force of a command (cf. 1Pet. 2:18). This command is for wives to submit to their own husbands (cf. Eph. 5:22; Col. 3:18). The command does not require women to be subordinate to men in general but to their husbands as a function of order within the home. A wife is to accept her place in the family under the leadership of her husband whom God has placed as head in the home. Wives are to be submissive even if their husbands are unbelievers, so those men might be saved by the behavior of their wives. The powerful purity of a godly woman’s life can soften even the stoniest male heart without a word (cf. Tit. 2:5).


1 Peter 3:3 "Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;"


Whose adorning let... Greek: kosmos, behavior; fashion; ornament; decoration (see, Eph. 2:2; cp. see, 1Tim. 2:9).

not be that... Outward Adorning.

Outward adorning consists here of hair style, wearing gold and wearing apparel. It is not the total condemnation of these three things that Peter intends here, but rather he’s stressing the importance of inner adorning over outward adorning. Many go to extremes classing as sin all wearing of rings, bracelets, and other ornaments, but this is not the purpose of the passage. It says nothing of any one of these things being sinful or unbecoming to Christians, and in this respect is in perfect accord with Paul who rebukes extravagance in ornaments and garments. Peter was not here condemning all outward adornment. His condemnation is for incessant preoccupation with the outward to the disregard of one’s character (verse 4; 1 Timothy 2:9-10). But every Christian woman is especially to concentrate on developing that chaste and reverent Christ like character.

The beauty of woman should not be an outward beauty, but the beauty of Christ within her. All of these things spoken of above draw attention to the flesh of the woman. True beauty comes from within.

If we are to condemn all hair styles or all wearing of gold, then we must be consistent and condemn all wearing of clothing, for this is one of three things referred to here. If we are to condemn one altogether we must condemn all three. It is not, therefore, the total abstinence from any of these things, but the proper emphasis on each that is meant. We are to pay more attention to the inward man than to the outer man (1Pet. 3:4). Peter gives here the examples of holy women of old who adorned the inner man by being quiet and meek before their husbands, but who wore much jewelry and outward adorning (1Pet. 3:5-6; Gen. 24:22, 24:30, 24:47, 24:53). All these came from Abraham and Sarah who were rich in silver and gold (Gen. 24:35). Ornaments were worn by men as well as women in ancient times (Exo. 32:2; 35:22; Jdg. 8:24; Isa. 3:11-24; Job 42:11).

1 Peter 3:4 "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."


hidden man of... This is the inner man of Rom. 7:22; 2Cor. 4:16; Eph. 3:16.

is not corruptible... Greek: aphthartos. Translated "not corruptible" of man’s soul and spirit (1Pet. 3:4); "incorruptible" of man’s crown (1Cor. 9:25), of the future resurrected body (1Cor. 15:52), of our heavenly inheritance (1Pet. 1:4), and of the Word of God (1Pet. 1:23); "uncorruptible" of God (Rom. 1:23); and "immortal" of God (1Tim. 1:17). Thus, we have definite proof that the inner man is just as immortal as God (cp. see, 1Cor. 15:42; see, 1Tim. 6:16; see, 1Tim. 1:17).

Twenty-five Proofs of the Immortality of the Soul

1. The hidden man of the heart is not corruptible (is immortal, 1Pet. 3:4).

2. Hell from beneath is moved to meet thee at thy coming (Isa. 14:9-11).

3. They have eternal life (John 3:15-16; 6:54, 6:58; 17:2-3).

4. They are passed from death unto life (John 5:24; 6:40, 6:47).

5. He shall live forever (John 6:51).

6. They shall never perish (John 10:28).

7. They shall never die (John 11:25-26).

8. Man is not able to kill the soul (Mat. 10:28; Luke 12:5).

9. There appeared Moses talking with Him (Mat. 17:3; cp. Deut. 34:6).

10. Their worm dieth not (Mark 9:43-49).

11. In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments (Luke 16:19-31).

12. All live unto Him (Luke 20:37-38).

13. Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day ... The things which are not seen (the soul and spirit) are eternal (2Cor. 4:16-18).

14. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2Cor. 5:8).

15. To depart (die, the inner man leaving the body, Jas. 2:26) is to be with Christ (Phlp. 1:21-24).

16. Whether we wake (live) or sleep (die), we shall live with Him (1Thes. 5:10).

17. You are come unto the spirits of just men and made perfect (Heb. 12:22-23).

18. The souls of the dead live according to God in the spirit (1Pet. 4:6).

19. He that doeth the will of God abideth forever (1Jhn. 2:17).

20. We know we have passed from death unto life because we love (1Jhn. 3:14-15).

21. God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son (1Jhn. 5:11).

22. He that hath the Son hath life (1Jhn. 5:12; 2:24-25).

23. Your heart shall live forever (Psm. 22:26).

24. The path of the just shineth more and more unto the perfect day (Pro. 4:18).

25. I saw under the altar the souls . . . they cried, saying (Rev. 6:9-11).

even the ornament... Meekness so as not to be provoked by others and a quiet spirit so as not to provoke others.

meek and quiet... Here is beauty that never decays, as the outward body does. “Gentle” is actually “meek or humble” and “quiet” describes the character of her action and reaction to her husband and life in general. Such is precious not only to her husband, but also to God.

of great price... All the ornaments placed on the heads of all females are of no value compared to the meek and quiet spirit. One is passing; the other is eternal.

Notice the use of the word man above. You see, most of the time when the word "man" is used, it means mankind, not someone of the male gender.

Christianity is having a brand new heart. The heart of the Christian has been washed in the blood of Jesus. Beautiful actions and words come from a heart stayed upon God. Women and men are saved the same way. They must confess with their mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the grave.


1 Peter 3:5 "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:"


the holy women... Again, we see the example of the role of women in the home in regard to their husbands. Certain Old Testament saints (particular Sarah, verse 6, are models of inner beauty, character, modesty, and submissiveness to their husbands (Prov. 31:10-31).

who trusted in... We, also, know there were several women who changed the course of their society by their stand for God. Esther risked her life to save her people. Deborah was one of the more prominent judges in the Old Testament.

Judges 4:4 "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time." She led her people [with her general} to victory over their enemies.

Judges 4:9 "And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh."

being in subjection... Deborah, who was married to Lapidoth, was in great authority in the land. Her authority, in God, did not alter the fact that her husband was in authority over her flesh. Her husband was not a weakling, by any means. "Lapidoth" means lightning strikes.

Huldah was a very prominent prophetess in the land who sent the message of God to her king and saved her people. The role of a woman and her husband is one thing, but the role of a woman with her God is entirely different. The spiritual calling always takes precedent over the flesh calling.

The woman's role pertaining to her husband has to do with the customs of the land. Her relationship to God is spiritual in nature. There is no problem with women subjecting themselves to their husbands in the flesh. It is the same thing as women and men {who are Christians} subjecting themselves to Christ in the spirit.



Examples of holy women in the Old Testament support Peter’s exhortation. Purity of life (1Pet. 3:2) and a submissive spirit (1Pet. 3:5) have always been a godly woman’s lasting source of beauty and attractiveness.


1 Peter 3:6 "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."


whose daughters ye... As Abraham is the father of all that believe (Rom. 4:12, 4:16), so Sarah is here spoken of as being the mother of many daughters who walk in her footsteps.

afraid with any... Fear of detection for infidelity. If you do well, being faithful wives, as Sarah, you will not live under fear of being found guilty of infidelities. There are potential fears for a Christian woman who sets out to be submissive to her unsaved husband, as to where such submission might lead. But Peter’s instruction to the wife is not to be intimidating or fearful, but as a principle, she is to submit to her husband. This precludes any coercion to sin, disobedience to God’s Word, or imposition of physical harm (Acts. 4:18-20; 5:28-29; Tit. 1:6).

Notice lord is not capitalized in the verse above. Sara's Lord is God. This, again, is speaking of the authority the husband has over the wife in the family. Women, we took their names. They did not take our names. Sara obeyed Abraham, because he was her husband.


Sarah is chosen as a specific example of a woman who was submissive to her husband. She obeyed Abraham and called him her master. That is, she recognized him as the leader and head of their household (Gen. 18:12). Like other holy women of the past, Sarah put her hope in God. This kind of conduct gives women the spiritual heritage of Sarah: You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear (ptoēsin, “terror” — used only here in the NT). Wives who are fearful (perhaps because of disobeying their husbands) are not putting all their trust in God.


1 Peter 3:7 "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."


Likewise, ye husbands,... Two commands for husbands:

1. Likewise—be just as faithful to your wives as you want them to be to you; give them no excuse for sin. Submission is the responsibility of a Christian husband as well (Eph. 5:21). Though not submitting to his wife as a leader, a believing husband must submit to the loving duty of being sensitive to the needs, fears and feelings of his wife. In other words, a Christian husband needs to subordinate his needs to hers, whether she is a Christian or not. Peter specifically notes consideration, chivalry and companionship.

2. Give honor to the wife, using your superior strength in protecting her and as being heirs together of life.

the weaker vessel... More beautiful, delicate, and frail.

that your prayers... Many prayers are hindered because of the unfaithfulness of husbands and wives. While she is fully equal in Christ and not inferior spiritually because she is a woman (see Gal. 3:28), she is physically weaker, and in need of protection, provision and strength from her husband.

heirs together of... Here the “grace of life” is not salvation, but marriage – the best relationship earthly life has to offer. The husband must cultivate companionship and fellowship with his wife, Christian or not (Eccl. 9:9).

prayers be not... This refers specifically to the husband’s prayer for the salvation of his wife. Such a prayer would be hindered if he were not respectful of her needs and fellowship.

We now see that in the things of God they are the same. The woman is heir with faithful Abraham, because of her belief in Christ. The same is true of the husband. The wife, as the weaker vessel, is in the stature of the woman. She is generally of smaller stature than her husband.

Marriage, in the sense of the world, is a contract to live together and raise a family. It is a contract to be physically one. They two are one flesh. In the sense of the believers, marriage is a holy union. The marriage symbolizes the relationship with Christ and His church.

One of the very important aspects of prayer is the prayer of agreement. If husband and wife agree and are in harmony, this activates the prayer. Look what Jesus said about this.

Mat. 18:19 "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven."

God wants husbands and wives {on the earth} to act as a single unit. Pulling apart gets you nowhere. Working together gets the job done.