Grace Means...Invitation

1 Peter 3:18-22

Up to this point in his letter, Peter has been telling us to honor those in authority over us even if they are unjust because our suffering serves a purpose. He tells us that we will receive blessings from God the Father for our submission. In 1 Peter 2:21 and following, he gives the example of Jesus Christ to show how we can find strength and courage to face the trials in our lives. 

In 1 Peter 2:23, Peter says, “He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Trusting and believing in God the Father is where Jesus found His strength, and this is where Peter tells us to find our strength.

When Jesus’ disciples were facing their greatest trial, Jesus said:

John 14:1 (NKJV) Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

Jesus told the disciples to trust Him on the night that He was betrayed and arrested. He did this to prepare them because everything they were about to see would seem to contradict the truth that Jesus is the Son of God omnipotent. They needed the strength and courage of faith to face the approaching difficulties.

To face the trials of our lives, we also need the strength and courage that comes through belief (faith) in God.

Scattered throughout Peter’s exhortations to be submissive and humble are statements like “that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” (1 Peter 2:15)

1 Peter 2:15 (NKJV) For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—

Revealed in such statements is the fact that we are God’s vessels to make Him known. God uses our suffering, trials, and example to point others to our Savior. As a continuation of this theme of reaching out to the lost, Peter explains the heart of God in allowing the suffering of His children. 

God’s purpose in the trials of His children is seen in 1 Peter 3:18.

1 Peter 3:18 (NKJV) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God...

God had deep and eternal purposes in the life of His Son. Things that we cannot comprehend. In Hebrews 5:7-9, we see part of the eternal purpose of God in the life of His Son.

Hebrews 5:7–9 (NKJV) ⁷who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, ⁸though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. ⁹And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

If Jesus learned obedience and was perfected in His sufferings, how much more necessary is it for us to learn obedience and be perfected (matured).

However, even in the “perfecting” that God worked in Jesus, He also worked out eternal salvation for all who believe.

1 Peter 3:18 tells us that Jesus suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. God’s purpose in the suffering of our Lord Jesus (His only begotten Son) was to reconcile us to Himself, to “bring us to God.”

 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 says:

2 Corinthians 5:20–21 (NKJV) ²⁰Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This verse confirms that God continues to work to bring people (us) to Himself. First, as verse 21 makes clear, He provided the way (means) of salvation. Then He made us ambassadors for Christ to invite others to come to Him.

According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, the means of salvation was Jesus being made sin for us, that we might become righteous in Him. This concept is also expressed in 1 Peter 3:18 when it says,

1 Peter 3:18 (NKJV) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit...

In this verse, we see that:

1. He suffered once for sin.

• His suffering was once for all. (See also Hebrews 9:26)
• His suffering was for sin.

2. He was put to death (for sin).
3. He rose from the dead.

These points are the gospel in a nutshell - a summary of what Jesus did.

This verse also tells us how Jesus rose from the dead. He was made alive by the Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit had a vital role in the work that Jesus did, just as He has a crucial role in our salvation. The Holy Spirit works to bring us to God. Jesus died and rose again to bring us to God. The Holy Spirit gives testimony to the truth to our spirits. He tells us about Jesus. 

At this point, Peter enters a subject that has divided the church since the time of Augustine and Jerome.

Jerome was born in about 347 AD and was a scholar who translated the Bible into Latin. His translation is known as the “Vulgate” and is still the official version of the (Roman) Catholic Church. (The word “Vulgate” means “common,” as in “common English.”)

Jerome’s understanding of this passage is reflected in His translation and is reflected in the King James Version of the Bible, which says:

1 Peter 3:19–20 (KJV) ¹⁹by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; ²⁰which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water...

The idea that comes out of this is that Jesus, while dead or in the spirit, went and preached in Hades or the place of the dead. This idea also ties in with the Roman Church’s teaching on purgatory.

Augustine was a contemporary of Jerome, and was considered the better theologian. To this day some consider Augustine to be the most important thinker in Christian history. Born in 354 A.D., he was seven years younger than Jerome. Augustine interpreted Peter’s saying differently from Jerome, and these two interpretations have remained the two principle interpretations in the Church to this day. However, since Jerome’s translation is the official translation, his interpretation has dominated.

With this background, let me show you the textual form in which the Greek New Testament came to the original readers.

1 Peter 3:19-20  inwhichalsotothespiritsinprison havinggonehedidpreachwhosometimedisbelieved whenoncethe longsufferingofGoddidwaitindaysof Noahanarkbeing preparinginwhichfewthatiseight soulsweresavedthroughwater

I do this to demonstrate that punctuation, and in rare cases even how one divides up the words with spaces, can make a difference. Now, putting in verse divisions and punctuation, we have:

1 Peter 3:19-20 ¹⁹in which also, to the spirits in prison having gone, he did preach, ²⁰who sometime disbelieved, when once the long-suffering of God did wait, in days of Noah — an ark being preparing — in which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water;

As usual, Peter is hard to interpret. He chooses to use word order that can be confusing. Look at the phrase “spirits” in “spirit having gone.” The spirits have gone to prison (past tense, thus they are now in prison). Now, look at the phrase “when once the long-suffering of God did wait.” This phrase indicates when the preaching took place. In other words, the preaching took place in the days of Noah, not at the time of the cross.

This word order is something like saying “The robber, having run from the police, is in prison.” When one could just as easily say, The robber, who is in prison, ran from the police.” Or, “The robber ran from the police and is in prison.”  

When we look back at verse 18, we see that Peter says Jesus was raised to life by the Spirit. Then in continuation of the thought, he says “in which,” which also means “by which.” In other words, the agency or agent by which the preaching was done is the Holy Spirit. Jesus preached to the people of Noah’s day by sending the Holy Spirit. It is not saying that Jesus went to the prison. Rather, it is saying that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to preach to the people of Noah’s day, and since they did not believe and trust God’s provision, they are now in prison, waiting for the day of judgment.

If the people of Noah’s day had listened to the warnings of the Holy Spirit (spoken by Noah), then they would have been saved. Jesus (God) invited them and pleaded with them for 100 years while Noah built the ark. But since they did not get into the ark, they perished. 

After pointing to the fact that God waited patiently, preaching, while the Ark was being built, Peter says:

1 Peter 3:21 (NKJV) There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

“Antitype” means representation by type. Some translations say “comparable.” The Ark and baptism can be compared as types, both having to do with salvation.  Salvation comes by faith when we listen to the Holy Spirit and come to Him. He both warns and invites.

This warning and invitation are how Baptism is like the Ark. God warns us through the Cross that judgment is coming. And, He invites us all to come. He pleads with us to come. Just as Jesus preached to the people of Noah's day by the Holy Spirit working in Noah, Jesus preaches to the people of our day by the Holy Spirit working through His people, the Church.

This working of the Holy Spirit is why the removal of the Church plays such a significant role in End Time events. (2 Thessalonians 2:7)

Peter says baptism saves us because it represents us coming or turning to God. Peter says that it is not the washing of the body that saves us. Instead, it is the plea of the conscience to God that saves us. Being baptized is not the thing that saves us. Calling upon the name of the Lord saves us. 

God offered the people of Noah’s day a way of salvation. They were invited. The people of today (we) are being offered a way of salvation. We are invited.

This warning and invitation are what Peter is trying to communicate. This is the second interpretation, the way Augustine understood this passage and the way Martin Luther understood this passage. All this “preaching to spirits in hell” stuff confuses the issue and ignores the context of everything Peter has been saying about suffering. 

Our God warns and invites. He does not wish for any to perish. So, He always provides a way of salvation. He is waiting. But, the time when His patience will come to an end is quickly approaching. 

We should learn from history. 

For example, in the days of Moses, God warned Pharoah, and all Pharoah had to do to be safe was let God’s people go. God warned and invited Pharaoh ten times before His patience ran out. 

God warned the people of Noah’s day, and all they had to do was get on the boat. Noah preached to them for a hundred years before God’s judgment fell. 

God, by the Holy Spirit, is preaching to the world today, and all we have to do is believe. We show faith, an appeal to God, by Baptism. 

If you have not been baptized, how am I supposed to believe that you believe?

One more thing to consider is how Pete finishes his thoughts. He says:

1 Peter 3:21–22 (NKJV) ²¹through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

“Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” tells us how our confession (baptism) saves us. But Peter also considers it essential to clarify who Jesus is. 

There are many false christs in the world, but Jesus is the Lord who is risen from the dead, one with God the Father, and all things have been made subject to Him, whether in heaven or on the earth. It is crucial, vital, important, and necessary that we are baptized in the name of this Jesus Christ and no other. The god that the Mormons worship will not do. The God that the Jehovah’s Witnesses worship will not do. The God that the Mohammedans worship will not do. Jesus was clear when He said:

John 14:6 (NKJV) No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Peter makes sure we understand which Jesus is inviting us to salvation.

Do you know Him?

Have you appealed to Him for salvation?

Have you been baptized?

Grace Means...Blessing

 

1 Peter 3:8-17

Today's passage begins with the word "Finally." This is because the verses we are looking at are a recap of Peter's instructions about submission. In the thoughts that follow this, "finally," we find the motivation and heart attitude behind our "submission" as believers. 

The primary motivation that Peter outlines is our blessedness as Christians. We, of all creatures, are blessed.

Let's begin by considering three possible meanings of the word "blessed." These three are not all the possible meanings, but these are the meanings pertinent to our discussion today.

1 Peter 1:3 says:

1 Peter 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...

In this case, "blessed" means "praised," and the word in the original Greek text is a word that is used only of God. This sentence could be translated, "Praise.  be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

Another use of the word "blessed" (blessing) means to pronounce a benediction, praise, or speak well of a person, to speak "good words." This is the meaning used in 1 Peter 3:9. ("knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.") An example of this use of  "blessed" is the blessing that Isaac gave Jacob. Isaac meant to bless Esau, but Jacob deceived Isaac. This blessing was prophetic and set the course of Jacob and Esau's lives.

The third use of the word "blessed" that we will consider today is the idea of happiness. An instance of this use of the word blessed is the "Sermon on the Mount" or the "Beatitudes." For example, Matthew 5:3 says:

Matthew 5:3 (NKJV) Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Another excellent and literal translation of this verse could be "Happy are the poor in spirit..." 

In our English Bibles, the word "blessed" is used for these three meanings: 1) Praise, 2) Benediction, and 3) Happy. In the Greek New Testament, these are three different words. As we consider the blessing given by Grace, it is necessary to distinguish which "blessed" we are talking about.

I. Blessed in our inheritance

1 Peter 3:8-17 speaks of the blessedness of Grace. In verse 9, it says:

1 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) ...knowing that you were called to this, that you might inherit a blessing.

Let's consider three things Peter says in this verse.

1. We are called.
2. We have an inheritance.
3. We have a blessing.

First, Peter says we are called. This is not the same word as is translated as "chosen." This "called" means to invite. We have been summoned or invited to receive a blessing. Choosing to accept God's invitation (call) is a choice to receive a blessing.

Number two, our calling or invitation is to an inheritance. Earlier, Peter spoke of our inheritance, saying:

1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV) ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

According to these verses, we have been born again to an inheritance reserved in heaven for us.

I already mentioned the blessing that Jacob stole from Esau. This blessing was a birthright or an inheritance given by the father. 

When we are born again, we gain an inheritance because we are children of our Heavenly Father.

The third thing we see in 1 Peter 3:9 is, “we have a blessing.” This blessing is part of our inheritance, and it is a blessing from our Heavenly Father. 

1 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) ...knowing that you were called to this, that you might inherit a blessing.

Isaac's blessing was a powerful influence and shaping factor in the lives of his sons. How much more powerful is the blessing of our God and Creator? I am telling you that nothing is greater, more powerful, or more valuable than the blessing of God the Father. We do not yet know the full extent of this blessing because it is reserved in heaven for us.

Because we are called to inherit this blessing, Peter tells us to:

1 Peter 3:8–9 (NKJV) ⁸all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; ⁹not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

The humility, meekness, and tenderness expressed here is the strength behind the happiness of the "Beatitudes." 

However, we have a weakness. We tend to focus on the things of this world. James 4:4 says:

James 4:4 (NKJV) Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

The enemy of our souls, Satan, would love to rob us of our inheritance. Just as Esau was to inherit the blessing, and Jacob took it by trickery, the devil would trick us out of our inheritance. 

Our spiritual lives depend on faith, and this means fixing our hope on unseen things. This is why Colossians 3 gives us the following admonition.

Colossians 3:1-4 (NKJV) ¹If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Being humble, loving, and compassionate may not seem to be connected to fixing our hope on our inheritance, but that is the case. We are meant for better things.

As believers, we can submit (endure) because of the hope of our inheritance. We also can be patient in suffering because we are blessed in our prayers.

Blessed in our prayers

1 Peter 3:10-12 says:

1 Peter 3:10–12 (NKJV) ¹⁰For

"He who would love life

And see good days,

Let him refrain his tongue from evil,

And his lips from speaking deceit.

¹¹Let him turn away from evil and do good;

Let him seek peace and pursue it.

¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their prayers;

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Look at verse 12. It says, "...the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers." 

In this verse, God does not say He is obligated to us by our righteousness, but He tells us that He keeps His eyes on the righteous.

Consider Job. 

Job was a righteous man, and God was proud of Job. This did not keep Job from being severely tested, but then again, God assures us that He disciplines the child He loves, as any good parent would. However, after Job's testing, God restored to Him what He had lost. 

Also, consider Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, and because of this, God saved him and his family from the flood.

When we read the accounts of Job and Noah's lives, we see that they were not perfect. The record tells of sins committed by both of these men, but they were men of faith who walked with God. 

Returning to 1 Peter 3:10-11, we see that we must first control our tongues if we desire to have a pleasant and good life. The Scriptures say we should not speak evil or tell lies.

This is not talking about our salvation. Salvation is the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. However, this passage is speaking about our lives here on earth. Remember, Peter is re-emphasizing the need to submit to human institutions like government, slavery, and marriage for the sake of our testimony for Christ in this world. We pray in this world. 

Even though we may suffer for doing good, our lives are happier because we live with a clear conscience and faith in God.

If we have a guilty conscience, we will not be able to pray freely. Our prayers are hindered by our guilty consciences. If we are weighed down with sins, our hearts will be reluctant to approach God because we know that our lives are not pleasing to Him. 

For His part, God is looking for those He can bless. Consider 2 Chronicles 16:9.

For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. (NASB)

Another way of saying this is that God wants to bless us. The problem is that God cannot bless our lusts, greed, and malice. If friendship with the world is enmity toward God, we cannot expect God to bless our love for worldly things.

If we would love life and see good days, we must pursue righteousness. God wants to answer our prayers. He is actually looking for the person He can bless.

So far, we have said that we are blessed in our inheritance and in our prayers. The third way we are blessed is in our defense.

Blessed in our defense.

Another way of saying this is to say we are blessed in our testimony before the world. When we need to explain how we live to other people, we can boldly point them to Jesus Christ because of the hope that is in us.

1 Peter 3:13-17 says:

1 Peter 3:13–17 (NKJV) ¹³And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? ¹⁴But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." ¹⁵But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ¹⁶having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. ¹⁷For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

In verse 13, the NKJV says, "... who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?" A better translation of this phrase is, "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?" To be zealous is to be eagerly enthusiastic about a thing.

For the most part, those in authority and those in the world around us will commend us if we are zealous for what is good. However, when we live for Jesus, the world does not like it. John 3:19 says those in darkness avoid the light because their deeds are evil.

The world and its prince, the devil, oppose God. Therefore, as believers, Jesus promises that we will experience persecution in this world. He told us that suffering for His name's sake brings blessings. Those who suffer for the sake of the gospel are both happy (blessed) and commended (blessed) by God.

Matthew 5:11-12 says:

Matthew 5:11–12 (NKJV) ¹¹"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹²Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

"Great is you reward in heaven." We live for a future reward, and this faith and hope are a testimony to the world. For those who resist the truth, our faith is offensive because they do not have the same hope. Telling someone that they are going to hell is offensive whether we say it with words or give testimony to it with our lives.

If we live godly and upright lives, we will always have a ready defense. If we are zealous for what is good, we will also tell others of the hope that we have in Jesus. 

It is much better to explain why we are doing right than why we are doing wrong.

Remember Paul chained between two Roman guards. He got to explain to them why He was in chains. He told them of the hope of eternal life that he had because of Jesus. This is what he said:

Philippians 1:12–13 (NKJV) ¹²But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, ¹³so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;

The key to such a testimony is to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts."

We are called on to be humble, loving servants to those around us for the sake of the gospel. We are called to do this because this world is not our home. We have an incorruptible inheritance in heaven waiting for us.

We look forward to the crown of righteousness that waits for those who have sanctified the Lord in their hearts. We must love righteousness and fix our hope entirely on the inheritance that waits for us in heaven.

I beg of you to set your hearts on eternal things - things that will last.

Grace Means Submission

1 Peter 3:1-7

In every age, since humanity left the Garden of Eden, men and women experience conflict in their relationships. As much as we would like our marriages to be romantic, beautiful, and perfect, they aren’t. Because of sin, our relationships are messed up. Concerning this, God said:

Genesis 3:16 (NKJV) To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”

The serpent was cursed, and the woman and the man suffered consequences. For the man the Lord said:

Genesis 3:17 (NKJV) Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.

What concerns us today is what God said to the woman. The serpent and the ground were cursed, and the relationship between the man and the woman was broken. God was describing consequences to the man and the woman, but He did not curse them.

Genesis 3:16 says that the woman's desire will be “toward” her man. The word used is a word for longing, and it is helpful to note it is used in the Song of Solomon to indicate the lovers' passion for each other. (Song of Solomon 7:10) Next, God tells the woman that the man will rule over her. This is descriptive, not prescriptive. In other words, this is not a command or a curse, but God is telling her that things have gone wrong. The woman’s desire for the man is somehow changed from what God intended, as is the man’s ruling over the woman.

As we look at the subject of submission, we must keep in mind the effects of sin. We all have selfish motives (not every motive is selfish, but every action is tainted by sin). As a consequence, we have all experienced injustice and suffered at the hands of human institutions. In talking about submission, we must try to take into account these effects of sin.

For example, Peter addresses our response toward human government and slavery in 1 Peter chapter 2. We observe that government is necessary and established by God but can be unjust, cruel, and wicked. We also see that slavery is not part of God’s plan and is, by definition, evil. However, we are commanded to submit and to honor those in authority over us in both cases.

From this perspective of submitting to human institutions whether they are right or wrong, Peter starts out chapter 3 of 1 Peter with the following statement.

1 Peter 3:1 (NKJV) Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives...

Reading 1 Peter 3:1, we see that Peter says, “likewise.” In other words, he says, “In the same way.” We must ask, “In the same way as what?” 

In the same way we submit to governments or to slavery, wives are to submit to their own husbands.

 1 Peter 3:1 says, “even if some do not obey the word.” From the “likewise” and the statement that some do not obey the word, we understand that submission is not based on the husband's worthiness. No husband is worthy of blind and unquestioning obedience. But, that is not the issue here.

Societies differ in the legal nature of marriage. In some cultures, wives are treated little better than slaves. In the era Peter was addressing, women had no help or legal protection if their husbands decided to beat them. In most cases, the wife was little more than property, and her primary value or purpose was to have children. (For further reading on the subject of women in the Roman Empire see: https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/role-of-women-in-ancient-rome)

Peter is not justifying such treatment of women any more than he is justifying slavery. He is telling the ladies how they are to live within the realities of their circumstances.

The reason for submission is given as:

1 Peter 3:1 (NKJV) ...that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,...

Jesus put our salvation and souls above His physical life. The verses just before this one addressing wives give Jesus as our example. Look at 1 Peter 2:22-23.

1 Peter 2:22–23 (NKJV) ²²Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; ²³who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

Wives are called to submit for the sake of their husbands. Just as Christians are called to submit to governments and even slavery for the sake of the unsaved.

The Bible teaches that the unbelieving soul ends up in hell forever. God, for His part, provides a way of salvation and will not send anybody to hell unjustly. This is why each person must stand before God for judgment after death. God is not unjust. However, for our part, we believers must do everything within our power to turn souls away from certain destruction. God used the suffering of His Son to save the world, and if my suffering can turn a soul from destruction, I pray that God will give me the grace to suffer patiently, as Jesus did.

With such attitudes, Christianity changed the world. Peter’s commandment for husbands to treat their wives with understanding and honor was the opposite of women's treatment in the broader culture. Ephesians 5’s words for husbands to love their wives and even lay down their lives for them was foreign to the thinking of the day. Today, in America, women have rights and protections that women in the time of Peter would not have dreamt possible.

Women's experience in our culture is far from perfect because sin will continue to be a factor in the world until Jesus returns. There are still cultures and countries around the globe where wives are the property of their husbands. As the Church, we should do everything we can to help those who would escape such circumstances, and we should do all we can to change such things.

However, in our own nation, women have legal recourse if they are abused and beaten. They should avail themselves of any assistance they need.  Romans 13 says that the government exists to “execute wrath on him who practices evil.” If the government is evil, it will execute wrath on the wrong person. (Paul appealed to Caesar, knowing that Caesar’s government was evil.) But, in America today, the government will not tolerate domestic violence. So, there is no reason to patiently suffer such things.

However, the description of the wife's attitude in verses 2-4 of 1 Peter 3 should describe every Christian. This passage says: 

1 Peter 3:2–4 (NKJV) ²when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. ³Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—⁴rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Another way to understand this passage is to ask, "Who are we trying to please?" Verse 4 ends with the statement, “Which is very precious in the sight of God.” Jesus lived to please God, and wives are to live to please God. We all should live to please God.

However, this section is addressed to women and speaks to a subject that is usually more of an issue for women, namely, arranging the hair, wearing gold, and putting on fine apparel. This does not mean that this cannot be an issue for men, but these particular verses are addressed to women.

Dressing and looking nice is meaningful and pleasing, but who we are inside is much more critical. I have a question. What is the value of looking “sexy?” Is it done to please God? Peter says to make the inner person of the heart our first priority. I do not think Peter is trying to set up rules for clothing; he is pointing us to what is most important.

To help us understand, Peter uses the women of the Old Testament as an example.

1 Peter 3:5–6 (NKJV) ⁵For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, ⁶as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

If my wife called me “lord,” I would know something was terribly wrong. Sarah and Abraham lived in a day and age where it was appropriate for her to call him lord. We must focus on what Peter means. We notice he says they trusted in God. They were holy and adorned themselves with godliness.

The terror Peter talks about is about fearing the consequences of rebellion to the laws or institutions of man. 

Remember, the relationship between man and woman is broken because of sin. God intends for the man and the woman to become one in body, mind, and spirit when joined by marriage. Ephesians 5 sets the standard as mutual submission, love, and self-sacrifice.

Peter is not addressing the biblical standard of headship and submission in this passage. He is telling us how the grace of God should work out in our broken relationships. Grace means submission; submission of one’s self for the salvation of others.

According to Ephesians 5, submission and headship in marriage are about the expression of God’s love for His people, and in marriage we are to give ourselves for our spouse’s good. In contrast, Peter is pointing out how we respond when man has perverted the institution that God created.

Having spoken to wives, Peter makes a brief statement to husbands.

Please notice that the “likewise” is included in the statement to the men as well. The brokenness brought by sin affects us all, and we all must be reminded that imitating Christ is the best solution. If husbands have been reading what Peter is saying to their wives, then the husband should have the sense to discern that the woman’s suffering is not right. A husband who is a follower of Christ would not want to be the cause of his wife’s suffering. So, Peter doesn't need to give a long discourse to husbands.

The first thing Peter instructs husbands to do is to be understanding. Again, a husband who has just read chapter 2 and the first 6 verses of chapter 3 should have a pretty good idea of the problem. DO NOT MISTREAT YOUR WIFE JUST BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DOES!

Peter calls the woman the “weaker vessel.” Peter is not debating the relative strengths and weaknesses of the sexes. Instead, he speaks to the vast majority of Christians throughout the ages where men have had the upper hand. Remember, God said, “...and he shall rule over you.”

Peter does not repeat the Pauline command for husbands to love their wives, but what Peter commands is part of love. Peter says:

1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV) Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

The woman is to be honored and treated as an heir together of the grace of life. Just as the Scriptures say:

Galatians 3:26–28 (NKJV) ²⁶For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

God’s original design for marriage was:

Genesis 2:24 (NKJV) Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 

As God explained, this design was broken by sin, but Jesus came to repair what was broken. Practically this means we must all be imitators of Christ, walk in love, and honor each other. Peter said it best when he offered this summary:

1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV) Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Honoring all and loving the brotherhood should show itself in our marriages first.

How do we measure up?

Are we different from the culture around us? Or, do we follow the sin-twisted ways of men?