After studying 1 Peter 3:1-7 for several days, I decided to paraphrase them in the MRSV (the Mark Robinson Standard Version).  Hopefully this adds insight to the big ideas God wanted to communicate to us through Peter’s letter.

3:1-2

Wives, I know that in most moral writings/teachings of our day (the first century), you are not addressed specifically because you are not seen as a morally responsible person . . . merely the property of your husband.  I (Peter) am writing you today to let you know that in Christianity, this cultural norm is not recognized.  I believe you are a morally responsible individual that God loves, redeems, and plans to use in this life, so there are some specific teachings that I want you to hear.  Here they are:  First of all, I want you to remember that you are to take Jesus Christ as your example in marriage.  (NOTE:  When I talk to husbands in a few minutes, I will tell them the same thing . . . Christ is the model for how you are to relate to your spouse.)  Just as Jesus gave honor to all the authority roles God placed in the world, I want you to give honor to your husbands who God has placed as the leader of your family.  I know that many of you have placed your faith in Christ while your husbands have persisted in unbelief.  Even though it is difficult to live in this environment, I want you to continue to honor them as your husband following Christ’s example.  The reason I want you to do this is so that God might use your righteous lifestyle to impact your husbands so that they might also come into a relationship with Christ.  This is possible through the testimony of Christ shining forth from your inner beauty.

3:3-4

I know that the world you live in has told you that your greatest opportunities will come from physical beauty, but know that in Christ, your greatest beauty will come from inside, as your character is developed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  Though outward beauty fades with age, inner beauty grows more attractive with time.

3:5-6

Women throughout history have been used by God in significant ways, and it was not just because they had outward beauty.  It was because God was renewing their hearts day by day.  People like Sarah from the book of Genesis, are great examples of this.  Sarah’s most beautiful moments in life that we still talk about came when she was very old and probably not as outwardly beautiful as she used to be.  Her beauty shown forth in many ways through her righteous actions, including how she continued to honor her husband Abraham by treating him with respect late in life, even after Abraham had made some serious mistakes.

3:7

Now, I want to speak to you husbands.  Husbands, you should also follow the example of Jesus Christ in how you relate to your wife.  Jesus did not only focus on his own needs, but put the needs of others above His own.  In the same way, husbands, put the needs of your wife above your own.  Get to know your wives.  Know what makes them tick.  Know what their fears are. Know what their hopes are.  Know what makes them happy.  Know what their spiritual gifts are.  Once you know these things, relate to your wives based on this knowledge.  Encourage them.  Care for them.  Love them.  Help them soar.  You should do this with great care, because God has created women different than men.  From the start men and women were created differently.  It was never good for man to be alone, but woman was needed in order for creation to be “good” in God’s eyes.  Though women are different than men (generally), both men and women are equal recipients of divine blessings, gifts, and salvation.  Therefore, men, you should never treat your wives as someone inferior to you.  She is to be treasured and treated as your equal in life.   Though you are given the responsibility of leading your family, your wife is equally valued by God, so you should listen to her, and greatly value her opinion and insight. Men, this is serious stuff.  God takes your relationship with your spouse very seriously.  If you fail to love your wife in this way, it will lead to an interruption in the level of your fellowship with God.  This does not mean that your relationship with God is terminated, but it does mean that men who treat their wives poorly will experience a “chilling” of their relationship with the Father and a stunting of their spiritual growth.”

 

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, Pastor John Abernethy will be preaching on 1 Peter 3:1-7.  Join us at either 9:30 or 10:50!

 

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1. Take a moment to pray.  Praise God for His Word and ask Him to teach you its truth, just as the psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:12-16, “Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees.  With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth.  I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.  I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.  I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.”
2. Read 1 Peter 3:7
3. Peter writes 6 verses to Christian wives (3:1-6) and only one verse to Christian husbands (3:7).  Why do you think that is?
4. STUDY NOTE:  It has been previously noted in this week’s study that wives in the first century Roman Empire had virtually no rights compared to their husbands.  The Roman author Cato said, “If you catch your wife in an act of infidelity, you can kill her with impunity without a trial; but, if she were to catch you, she would not venture to touch you with her finger, and, indeed she has no right.”  Given that the context of 1 Peter dealt with Christians suffering because of their faith in Christ, it is very likely that Christian wives married to unbelieving husbands were suffering much more that Christian husbands married to unbelieving wives.  Knowing this dynamic, the extended section Peter writes to wives shows his concern for their well being, more than his desire to have them fulfill some fantasy for their husbands.  Any Christian husband who sees these verses concerning Christian husbands/wives as a rationale for abusing, neglecting, or taking advantage of their spouse are acting in a manner totally offensive and opposite to the standard of God in Scripture.
5. The Christian husband is called to do a number of things for his wife.  First of all, he is called to “dwell” or “live” with her in an “understanding way.”  This means that the husband and wife would have a very close relationship where they truly know each other.  In order to understand his wife, the husband must get to know her, on the inside and not just the outside.  What are ways in which a husband can get to know his wife?  What does that practically look like?  What does it mean, then, to live with his wife in light of what he knows about her?
6.  The husband is next called to show honor to his wife.  What are ways in which a Christian husband can show honor to his wife?
7. In 3:7, Peter comments that the wife is the “weaker vessel.”  It seems that Peter is referring here to the wife being weaker physically, not mentally, spiritually, or emotionally.  Husbands are generally physically stronger than their wives . . . women being more like fine china, while men are more like iron skillets.  While we may find exceptions to this principle, it is generally true.  What is the connection to the call for men to “show honor” and the woman being the “weaker (physical) vessel”?
8. Lastly, Peter comments that there are spiritual consequences to a husband not treating his wife in this prescribed way.  Peter says that “prayers are hindered” when husbands do not treat their wives with honor and understanding.  What do you think Peter meant by this?
9. Based on everything you have read and studied this week, what are some applications you take away concerning Christian marriage?

To access the rest of the “True Grace” Study, click here.

1. 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.
2. Read 1 Peter 3:3-6
3. 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?
4. 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.
5. What are some examples of inner beauty (spoken of in 1 Peter 3:4) that you have seen in women you know?
6. 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.
7. 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?
8. 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.

1. As you pray for your study today, ask God to use His Word in your life as the writer of Hebrews prayed in Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.”
2. Read 1 Peter 3:1-2
3. 1 Peter 3:1 begins with the word “likewise.”  What is the connection between 3:1-7 and 2:13-25?
4. STUDY NOTE:  In these verses, Peter addresses Christian wives.  While this seems normal to us today, it was radical in the first century.  Women in the Roman Empire in the first century were not seen as moral agents with equal value.  In fact, they were regularly looked down upon and discriminated against.  Therefore, Peter’s comments here show a dramatic change for women inside Christianity.  One commentator says it this way, “Peter clearly focusses his address on women whose husbands are not Christians (not that he would give different advice to women whose husbands were Christians), and he addresses them as independent moral agents whose decision to turn to Christ he supports and whose goal to win their husbands he encourages.  This is quite a revolutionary attitude for that culture.”  Peter celebrates this Christian women’s faith, and encourages them to bring the Good News of Jesus into their families.
5. In 3:1 (and again in 3:5) Christian wives are called to submit to their husbands.  To the best of your understanding, what does it mean to “submit”?
6. Can you think of any situation where a Christian wive should not submit to her husband?  (NOTE:  look back over the discussion in week 4 about a Christian’s role in response to government for more ideas).
7. Submission is not a concept directed only toward women.  Ephesians 5:21 (among other places) direct ALL Christians (regardless of gender) to submit to one another — that is to place another’s wants/needs/desires above your own.  In what way do you think a Christian wife’s call to submit to her husband is different than the call to submit to others?
8. One of the purposes of this call for Christian wives to behave in a certain way is so that non-Christian husbands might place their faith in Christ.  What does Peter indicate in 3:1-2 is the big influencer on the husband, words or actions?  What are the implications of these verses for Christian husbands and wives who have unbelieving spouses?
9. If you are a Christian wife, what personal applications do you draw from these verses?

To access the rest of the “True Grace” Study, click here.

After a long, difficult hike that saw my companions and I ascend nearly 1,500 feet in about an hour, I was exhausted . . . and thirsty . . . but I kept on hiking.  What string of events led me to this point?  Was I being forced at gunpoint to hike ever onward?  Was this the Baton death march or the trail of tears?  No.  This was vacation . . . and I was supposed to be having a great time.

In reality, I was having a great time, except for the fact that I was just about to the end of where my legs could carry me.  Earlier that day, two of my friends and I had set out to climb halfway up Yosemite’s famous “Half Dome Trail” to see the scenic beauty of both Nevada and Vernal Falls.  When we started our ascent we were all gung ho and stupid —  a lethal mixture of testosterone and machismo that caused us to embark up that trail with no water in our canteens and with a firm commitment to not be the guy who requests that we stop and take a break.  Growing up in mainly paved neighborhoods had convinced me that when you needed something to drink, you simply went to the local 7-11 and bought a slurpee . . . the only problem was that half way up Half Dome hill, there is no slurpee machine in sight.  The combination of the thin, dry mountain air and the lack of water was beginning to wear me out.

When we finally arrived at the top of Nevada Falls, I was very excited to find a beautiful gentle pool of crystal clear mountain water.  This was not 7-11, but it was going to serve just fine.  I walked quickly over to the stream and peered deep into the water.  I was just about to kneel, cup my hands, scoop up some water and take a drink, when my friend (and more experienced outdoorsman) told me some valuable information.  “Don’t drink the water.  There are all kinds of microscopic parasites inside that water that will make you very sick . . . for a very long time!”  Suddenly I was faced with a dilemma.  I was very thirsty.  In front of me lay a body of water that looked like it could be filmed in an Aquafina commercial.  I wanted to take a drink.  However, my friend (who knew more than I did) warned me that a drink from that water would not be worth it.  With a scowl on my face, I decided to not drink the water.

If I could not drink the water, however, I was convinced that swimming in that water would be the next best thing.  The water felt cool to the touch and a few laps around this mountain stream would feel so nice on my skin.  I was thinking about jumping in the water when I saw a sign.  In big red letters, the sign read, “IF YOU SLIP AND FALL IN THESE WATERS AND GO OVER THE FALLS YOU WILL DIE.”  Though the waters looked calm, just beyond this gentle pool the waters were picking up velocity, and tumbling hundreds of feet over Nevada Falls.  Not wanting to die, I chose to not take a swim.

When I accurately assessed the situation I determined that I would rather be thirsty than a host for a parasite, and I would rather be hot than dead.  When viewed correctly, those activities simply were not worth it.

I was thinking of that day in Yosemite National Park today as I was reading 1 Peter 2:11-12.  In these verses, Peter discusses a real dilemma every follower of Christ faces.  In the first two chapters of his letter, Peter has pointed out a number of times that his readers are “born again” in Christ.  They have a new identity, a new life.  However, Christians live out their new life in Christ at an old address – the flesh.  In Christ, they have a new desire to obey God and glorify Him.  However, in their old address, they have desires that tempt them do things that always over promise and under deliver.  Peter says it this way in 2:11, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”

Let’s be honest.  The reason we sin is because at some level sin is attractive to us.  Though God has placed warning signs in His Word the waters of sin still look swimmable to us.  Though God’s voice through the indwelling Holy Spirit tells us “no,” we still want to take a drink.  Why?  Because the passions of our flesh try to convince us that we (not God) know best.  Can you relate?

Alcohol, pornography, affairs, lying, theft, gossip, gluttony . . . all have an appeal to our flesh.  We think that giving in to those desires will make us happy.  In fact, however, these passions are at war with our souls.  They want to suck the life out of us like a parasite.  Taking a swim in their waters will cause us to fall to great harm.

In 2:11, Peter reminds his fellow spiritual hikers, that their true home is not of this world. They are merely sojourning in this land.  We need to remember this as we live our new life at an old address.  Our flesh (and the flesh of others) will try to convince us on a number of occasions that sin is in.  However, we know better.  Therefore abstain from the things that want to war against your soul.

But Peter does not stop with the command to abstain.  He goes on to give a reason for obedience that goes beyond the personal to the corporate . . . goes beyond ethics to evangelism.  One reason to abstain from the passions of the flesh (according to Peter) is that we would “keep (our) conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (2:12).”

In other words, we live a life of obedience to Jesus, not just for us (and not even just for God) but in part so that non-Jesus followers would not have ammunition against us.  Non-Christians see the good works of Christians and can be led to glorify God as a result.  Part of the reason we keep our conduct honorable is for them, not just for us or Him.  Have you ever thought about that?  Your faithful lifestyle is a part of God’s plan to win your neighbor for Christ.

Therefore, as the passions of your flesh tempt you to sin, remember two things:  (1) Giving in to that temptation leads to death as sin wages war on your soul.  (2) Swimming in sin can sweep you far away from God’s desire to use you to lead others around you to Himself.

In light of these thoughts, it is never worth it to drink from sin’s streams, no matter how attractive they look to us.  Remembering our new identity in Christ, we realize that we have a full canteen of Living Water with us all the time . . . and this is the only thing that truly satisfies our thirst.

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, join us as we will look more in depth at 1 Peter 2:11-25.

 

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1. Take a moment to pray.  Praise God for His Word and ask Him to teach you its truth, just as the psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:12-16, “Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees.  With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth.  I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.  I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.  I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.”
2. Read 1 Peter 2:18-25
3. STUDY NOTE:  In the first century, roughly 40% of the population  (some 18 million people) were slaves in the Roman Empire.  Apparently, some of the original recipients of this letter were household servants or slaves who had trusted in Christ.  Though Roman slavery had differences to slavery in the Americas in the 1700-1800s, the fact that millions of people were “owned” by others in the first century cannot be denied.  Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:18-20 to instruct these slaves how to behave.  By application, however, the principles described in these verses can apply to employer/employee, teacher/student, coach/player relationships today.
4. What kind of a “master” deserves the respect of the Christian?  Do you find that hard to believe?  What inside you challenges this notion?
5. In what way does it honor God when a Christian respects those who mistreat them for no reason?
6. Peter moves into seeing Jesus as the example for how to endure while being persecuted unjustly.  In your own words, summarize what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:21-23.  How does Jesus’ example help you to honor the “hard to honor” in your life today?
7. In 1 Peter 2:24-25, Peter communicates deep theological truth about what Jesus’ death on the cross accomplished for Christians.  Again, summarize in your own words what Jesus’ death accomplishes for us according to these two verses.
8. In 2:24, Peter again makes the point that we have been saved by Jesus so that we might live a new life.  This is a consistent refrain of this letter.  Here, Peter says that Jesus died that we “might die to sin and live to righteousness.”  What would it look like for you to “die to sin and live to righteousness?”  Any particular changes come to mind as you read this verse?
9. Peter concludes this theological section of chapter 2 by encouraging Christians to return to Jesus who is the Shepherd who protects their souls.  This is one of the most beautiful pictures of Jesus in the New Testament.  What comes to mind when you think of Jesus as one who “protects your soul”?

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1. 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.
2. Read 1 Peter 2:13-17
3. 1 Peter 2:13-17 describes a Christian’s behavior toward the government authorities placed over them.  In general, what is Peter’s exhortation to Christian’s concerning the governments they live under?
4. We have already seen in this study that the government and Emperor Peter was living under at the time he wrote the letter were NOT Christian.  In fact, they were hostile toward Christians.  What are the implications of this as we try to apply the truth of this passage today?
5. Why are Christians to honor their governments?  (Look for answers to this in 1 Peter 2:13-17, but also look at Romans 13:1-7.)
6. While Peter primarily indicates that Christians should honor and obey their governments, the book of Acts tells us that there are a few times that Peter disobeyed government.  Acts 4:19-20 is one of those sections.  Scan Acts 4 and see what the circumstances were that led to Peter’s disobedience of the Jewish authorities then.  Can you develop a principle to help you understand when (if ever) it is appropriate to disobey the government?
7. As a Christian living in a democracy today, what does it look like to honor our leaders, while still engaging in healthy debate and voting?
8. 1 Peter 2:17 gives a list of general commands to the Christian.  Why do you think Peter had to mention the Emperor by name in this list?  Peter had already told Christians to honor everyone (and the Emperor was certainly a someone!)  What do you think singling out the Emperor implies?  Are there any applications even BEYOND government figures of this principle?

 

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1. As you pray for your study today, ask God to use His Word in your life as the writer of Hebrews prayed in Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.”
2. Read 1 Peter 2:11-12
3. In 1 Peter 2:11, Peter returns to calling Christians “sojourners and exiles.”  In this verse, he connects their status as “exiles” with a moral life they are to live.  What is the connection between their status as sojourners and their conduct?
4. Peter talks about the “passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul.”  This is an indication that even after a person comes to faith in Christ, there are sins that still tempt them.  What are some “passions of the flesh” that are especially tempting to you right now?
5. Peter indicates that these “passions of the flesh wage war AGAINST your soul.”  Even though the passions of the flesh are appealing to us, they ultimately seek to destroy us, not help us. How have you seen this to be true in your life?  Has there ever been a time when sinning looked fun or attractive, but after you did it, you realized that the sin was bad for you (waging war against you)?
6. STUDY NOTE:  In 64 AD, the Roman Emperor Nero slandered Christians, wrongly accusing them of setting fire to the city of Rome.  This false accusation was used by Nero to then start an Empire wide persecution of Christians.  Scholars debate the exact date of the book of 1 Peter, but most scholars date the book either just before or just after Nero’s slanderous decree in 64.  This historical event is very important to understanding 1 Peter 2:12.  Peter was either preparing Christians KNOWINGLY for the persecution that was to come (i.e. he had already heard of Nero’s insanity), OR God was preparing Christians for this coming persecution through Peter, even if Peter did not yet know what Nero was getting ready to do (i.e. the letter was written just before Nero’s outburst).  Either way, the historical context of this letter shows God’s immediate care and counsel for His people.  The direction God gives Christians here is still valid and applicable today as Christians live life in society.
7. Christians are to have an influence in the world around them for Jesus.  One of the ways this happens is by living exemplary lives that keep non-Christians from being able to lampoon Christian’s immorality or justify their mistreatment.  Can you think of any examples biblically or historically when God used the righteous lifestyle of one of His followers to help convince a pagan that God was real and worthy of worship?
8. Is there anything God is leading YOU to do in response to 1 Peter 2:11-12 so that the non-Christians around you might glorify God as they see God’s work through your ethics and life?

 

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.