Title: Responsibilities of wives (1 Peter 03:1-6)
Contents Chapter 3, the first six verses, are a special lesson for wives. So far, Peter has been admonishing different groups of believers on how to behave in relationships. For example, 2:13 teaches that believers should respect “every human institution” and 2:18 says that Christian slaves are to obey their masters. It was Peter's lesson that slaves should always be submissive, whether their masters treat them well or badly.
Now in verses 3:1-6 Peter teaches Christian wives to submit to their husbands. In verse 1, “in this way,” it means “in the same way” as Christian believers submit to government and Christian slaves to their masters.
The testimony of the Christian message
To fully understand what wives are to be submissive to their husbands, it is necessary to look at the cultural background of the time. In Roman society, it was customary for a wife to follow her husband's religion. This was considered desirable for family order, and was consistent with Roman policy. The Roman government believed that society as a whole should have a standardized order.
So if the husband became a Christian, the wife automatically followed. On the other hand, while the wife became a member of the Church, problems would arise if the husband remained a pagan. The husband felt that the authority of the head of the household would be violated if his wife's religion changed. It was the husband's responsibility to decide which religion the family would believe in. If the husband had changed his wife's religion and became a Christian, for example, he would have persuaded his wife as follows.
“There are many religions in the Roman Empire. If you believe in Jesus in order to serve as many gods as you have time, you can't see it as joining another religion that our family already follows."
Husbands who believed in pagan gods would not have been able to understand the monotheistic idea of Christianity. This is because Christianity insisted on believing in only one God, whereas Roman religion was free to serve any number of gods according to the taste of the worshiper. The pagan husbands would not have been able to comprehend Jesus' insistence on the solemnity of infants. “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
This is a difficult problem that Peter deals with in the text. He summarized his counsel to Christian wives whose husbands did not obey the Way. ‘The Way’ refers to the message of the Gospel. The newly converted wife will tell her husband Jesus and the Lord's love for sinners. The husband will hear the reason for his wife's conversion and in all probability reject the gospel. How should a Christian wife treat her husband in that case?
First, Peter did not say this. “Ignore your husbands. He is a person who has turned away from Christ even after hearing the word of the gospel. Don't worry about it any more.
Second, Peter indicated that Christian wives should not sanctify their husbands. He urged wives not to bully their pagan husbands, but to show love and lead them to Christ. This is the paradox of being obedient to your husband.
(1 Peter 3:1) In the same way, wives, submit to your husbands, so that even those who do not obey the way may be saved, not by word but by the works of their wives (1 Peter 3:2) see clean deeds
Although Peter emphasized the actions of the wife here, he was not teaching that an unbelieving husband could be saved without the word of the gospel. Christian wives of other religious beliefs or who have deviant husbands must use the Bible to their spouses. However, the intention of this text is that there are times when wives should keep their mouths shut when they preach to their husbands. But in any case, what wives should always strive for is to live a life that reveals the beauty of Christ. The gist of the text is that such a holy life can lead unbelieving husbands to the Savior.
To give the grace of Christ
Christian wives should not only strive to lead their unconverted husbands to Christ in holy living, but they should also dress carefully.
Christian wives should not try to draw attention to themselves. When referring to the worldly “beauty” of his day, Peter pointed to the “appearance” of women. ‘Appearance’ refers to the external appearance. In Greek, it is called cosmos (Κοσμοσ). This is where the English word “cosmetics” comes from.
Cosmetics should not be the primary concern of Christian women.
Roman women spent a lot of time getting elaborate hairstyles. They decorated their hair with gold, silver, and jewels, and splendidly adorned their bodies with various ornaments.
Peter did not like such excessive outward adornment.
So what should today's Christian wives do?
What Peter was saying was not that Christian wives should dress saucy or that they should not care at all about their appearance.
What Badreau is trying to say is that it's very dangerous for women to be too fashionable.
Christian women shouldn't dress up just to get the attention of other men. Christian wives should not dress up just to please their husbands.
Because the outward adornment of wives stimulates their fallen nature, and the Christian testimony of wives is thwarted by their outward adornment.
(1 Peter 1:4) to an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and does not fade, which is reserved for you in heaven.
(1 Peter 3:4) But let the hidden person be incorruptible in a meek and stable spirit, for this is precious in the sight of God.
(1 Samuel 16:7) And the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or his height, for I have forsaken him. I do not look like men; man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
Examples of holy women of the past
Sarah and Abraham,