- As you prepare your heart for study, know that God desires to reveal Himself to you, and He has given you His Holy Spirit to guide you into truth. Before you open in prayer, consider Jeremiah 9:23-24. “This is what the Lord declares: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” Pray for this understanding and knowledge of God with the Holy Spirit as your guide.
- Read 1 Peter 3:3-6
- In 1 Peter 3:3-4, Peter encourages the Christian wife to not merely focus on externals. Some have taken these verses to indicate that it is morally wrong for a Christian woman to wear jewelry, makeup, or fashionable clothing. What do you think Peter was trying to communicate in these verses?
- STUDY NOTE: Since women were not valued equally to men in the first century, their interior lives were not respected as much as their husbands. This led to the wrong-founded idea that women were only valuable for their external looks and ability to bear children. Peter here argues against this idea! He wants Christian women to know that their souls matter. Their beauty is more than skin deep. They are valued by God and created in His image regardless of their looks. Peter was not writing to forbid women from dressing nicely on the outside, he just wanted them to know that they were MORE than that. True beauty is more than skin deep.
- What are some examples of inner beauty (spoken of in 1 Peter 3:4) that you have seen in women you know?
- Take a moment this week to write a note or speak encouragement to a woman you know (could be your wife, girlfriend, friend, mentor, mother, etc.) Highlight their inner beauty in Christ, not just their external appearance.
- In 1 Peter 3:5-6, Sarah is held up as an example of submission for Christian wives. Specifically, Sarah is mentioned as showing respect and submission to her husband by calling him “Lord.” This sounds strange in our world today. Most 21st century American wives do not call their husbands “Lord.” However, the word here translated “Lord” could also be translated “Sir.” The idea is one of respect. How can Christians wives today live a life that shows respect and submission to their husbands?
- At the end of 3:6, Peter encourages Christian wives to not “fear anything frightening.” This is a strange phrase. What do you think Peter means by this (in the context of this section)?
To access the rest of the “True Grace” Study, click here.