Drew Boswell

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“The Effect of Suffering Upon the Believer” 1 Peter 3:13-22

“Living Hope”

A Sermon Series Through 1 Peter

“The Effect of Suffering Upon the Believer”

1 Peter 3:13-22

Introduction

In Luke 23:39ff there are three men on crosses – two are suffering for their own sin (one learns nothing from his suffering and rightly dies because of what he has done (this is justice). The second thief repents of his sin and is saved on the cross (this is grace). And the third man is giving his life for the salvation of the world. God uses suffering to accomplish His will.

Suffering For Doing Good (vv. 13-17)

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

 (v. 13) “are zealous,” – “to burn with zeal, to desire earnestly.”

(v. 14) “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.” – On the rare chance you have to suffer because you have been zealously pursuing and doing good, you will be blessed in the end. You may suffer because you have done something wrong and are suffering the consequences, or the discipline of the Lord, or you may suffer because you are doing good. Peter says that this is the will of God, and you should be glad because it will result in some kind of blessing (but this is only when God wants it).

“Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,” – The world will use intimidation and fear tactics to get you go back into it’s mold and way of thinking, but have no fear, Do not be affected by the fear they are trying to place in your heart.[1] (v. 15) “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,” – instead of focusing on the threats and having fear in your heart, focus on your heart honoring Jesus. In order to honor Christ as holy we ourselves should seek to be holy. We are to set part a section of our heart for Him alone as our God, and to sanctify ourselves is to keep ourselves from sin and give the world no ability to slander us (and thereby slander Him).

They may eventually even ask you, “Why are you doing all this good?” Then, “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;” Another translations says, “always be ready to give an answer,” and the word for defense, answer, reason, is apologia but you are not giving an apology (not an excuse), as in asking them to forgive you, instead you are giving a defense, a reason, an answer for why you believe what you believe and why it has led you to do good.

It is a legal term “to talk off from,” like a defense attorney who talked his client off from the charge against him.[2] Peter also adds here (v. 16) to silence evil speakers with his good conduct which certainly speaks for itself and puts slander to shame. Your words of defense and your works of righteousness are the way to push back against the world’s attach.

You have thought through your testimony, how Jesus has changed your life, and how you are seeking to serve God by doing good. The Christian overcomes fears with facts – Jesus did rise from the dead (how do you know?), Jesus was born of a virgin (how do you know?), The Bible is the inerrant Word of God that can be trusted completely (how do you know?) When life hits you hard and you can’t defend your faith, then fear and doubt will overwhelm you.[3] “Christians who cannot present a biblically clear explanation of their faith (1 Thess. 5:19-22; 1 John 2:14) will be insecure when strongly challenged by unbelievers (Eph. 4:14-15).” [4]

The Christian should have a firm grasp of hope and skill in presenting it.

Our understanding of the things of God strengthens our grip onto hope.

 Peter may have even been thinking of when he was made fun of for his faith in Jesus, Acts 3:6-8, 12-13, 37-38“And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? . . . 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

 The false allegation against them was that they were drunk, but Peter then goes on to give an answer for the faith that he had, and the result was that people believed in Jesus, “. . . Now when they heard this (Peter’s sermon) they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” When the moment came, Peter was ready.

Common reasons people reject Christianity:

  • How can an all-powerful and all-loving God allow the existence of gratuitous pain, tragedy, and evil?
  • The Christian claim that Jesus is the “only way” to God feels unjust.
  • The Bible contradicts itself and is filled with wrong information
  • Miracles don’t happen today so they didn’t happen then (Jesus rising from the dead, Jesus’ healings, the Red Sea opening, virgin birth, etc.)
  • It violates their moral compass (why didn’t Paul just say slavery was wrong, instead of telling the slaves to submit to their masters, etc.)
    • All of these (and many more criticisms) have plausible answers if a person willing to truly listen and look for answers.

(v. 15) “yet do it with gentleness and respect,” – “This fear is self-distrust; it is tenderness of conscience; it is vigilance against temptation; it is the fear which inspiration opposes to high-mindedness in the admonition, ‘be not high-minded but fear.’ It is taking heed lest we fall; it is a constant apprehension of the deceitfulness of the heart, and the insidiousness and power of inward corruption. It is the caution and circumspection which timidly shrinks from whatever would offend and dishonor God and the Savior.”[5]

(v. 16) “having a good conscience,” “The conscience is the divinely-placed internal mechanism that either accuses or excuses a person, acting as a means of conviction or affirmation. Everyone has a sense of what they feel is right, and what they fell is wrong – that internal compass guides them. God’s Word calibrates the instrument to have correct settings. It is not the Holy Spirit, nor is it infallible.

The believer has been informed by the Word of God, they have the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and their conscience lines up with those truths – then they ask themselves, “Am I living according to what I know to be true?” “Having,” carries the idea of maintaining your conscience – you take action, you give it your attention to make sure it is properly maintained (it can become calloused, burned, hardened).

So when a person inquires about Jesus, Peter gives us three things to consider; 1) the answer should be gentle; do not condemn others but seek to win them over with grace, they conduct themselves with fear before God, because they have this responsibility. 2) Their conduct must be consistent with what they say they believe (their apologetic), they should have a good conscience, 3) a “good manner of life,” (v. 16) “when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” Your life matches what you preach.[6] So when people say false things, your reputation shuts it down.

 Christ’s Example of Suffering For Doing Good (vv. 17-22)

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

 “The resurrection of Christ and His consequent glorification in view of His suffering for sinners are presented as proof of the fact that suffering for well-doing on the part of Christians is also followed by blessing and reward in their lives.”[7]

(v. 18) “suffered once for sin,” – For the Jewish people in order to atone for their sin they would bring an animal to the temple. One Passover alone, a quarter million sheep would have been sacrificed. So, the idea of one sacrifice instead of an ongoing parade of carnage was a new concept. What Jesus did on the cross, was the last needed sacrifice. The lambs only atoned (held back God’s wrath for a moment), what Jesus did completely and eternally satisfied the wrath of God.

“the righteous for the unrighteous,” 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus had no sin, yet he offered up His own blood as an offering for sin, that He may bring us to God. Then Peter illustrates what he means by giving a series of explanations of between when Jesus died “put to death in the flesh,” and was resurrected (three days later) “made alive in the spirit.”

19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

 (v. 19) After Jesus’ death but before His ascension into heaven, Jesus “went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.” The Apostle’s Creed helps us understand this passage (or at least how the church traditionally understood it). “. . . suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, . . .” Jesus preached to the disobedient in hell (but what did he say?) because they formerly did not obey,

The spirits that are in prison and Jesus goes to proclaim something to them, Colossians 2:15, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” “Ever since the fall of Satan and his demons, there has been an ongoing cosmic conflict between the angelic forces of good and evil. After the apparent victory in inducing Adam and Eve to fall into sin God promised to the Evil One himself eventual destruction by the Messiah, who would triumph with a crushing victory over him. . . Satan tried to prevent this by attempting a genocide of the Jews (Est. 3:1-4:3), the destruction of the Messianic line itself during the time of Joash (2 Chron. 22:10-12),

When that failed, he attempted to kill the infant Messiah (Matt. 2:16-18). Satan tried to get Jesus to abandon His mission by tempting him in the wilderness, and when they didn’t work, he tried to kill the Messiah himself – He incited Jewish religious leaders and a mob that resulted in the crucifixion. They guarded to tomb to make sure he stayed there. But even this plan didn’t work because He rose again. So while we don’t have the exact words Jesus said, I think it went something like this, “It is finished.”[8] Satan has worked over the history of the earth, and his plans have failed – Jesus is triumphant.

On a mission trip to India our team hired drivers to get us from our hotel to an orphanage two days drive into a very remote part of the country. Along the way every little town and village had various political flags (colors and symbols). There was one orange flag we kept seeing again and again as we drove. The drivers never really gave us a good direct answer and were claiming not to know the English word for the flags – only later did we discover that the orange flag we kept seeing was the anti-Christian flag, and had we been discovered in those areas probably would have been very bad for the team. Over the centuries Satan has been claiming territory with his sin flags – Jesus goes right into the headquarters of the Evil One and says, “the battle is done, I have won – You are defeated.”

Peter is telling us that believers who seek to do good will suffer, but it is not a disaster but it is a path toward spiritual victory. Peter tells us of Jesus triumph, who suffered unjustly but through his suffering conquered sin and demons in hell. Who knows how God will use your suffering for His glory and your blessing.

(v. 20) “when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared,” – It took Noah and his family 120 years to build the ark, and while he was building it, he would go and preach to those who gathered to see it. Why are you building such a boat? Noah was obedient to God, and he explained (he gave an answer for his hope) a wrath of God that was to come.

Every hammer blow, and every plank of wood that was laid was a testament of a coming judgement. For 120 years Noah preached, God was patient, yet they did not repent or listen (they were disobedient). Then Peter tells that Jesus went and preached (proclaimed) to them in “prison.”

“that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.” These eight people were saved, but those in prison were not. The flood was a final judgement – for those who did not believe (in the coming flood), and disobeyed (did not have faith in God). The time of God’s patience came to an end (He is longsuffering, 120 years, but there is an end).

How do you reassure fellow Christians who are undergoing persecution and hardship because of their seeking to do good? Peter points back to the flood and an ultimate judgement upon the face of the earth.

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[1] See discussion of Isaiah 8:12b-13 ff. Fear of other armies, verses fear of the Lord.

[2] Kenneth S. Wuest, First Peter In the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1960) 89.

[3] “In Athens every citizen was expected to be able to join in the discussion of state affairs.” Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume VI (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1933) 114.

[4] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 1 Peter (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Publishing, 2004) 202.

[5] Wuest, 90.

[6] Leonhard Goppelt, A Commentary on 1 Peter (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdsmans Publishing Company, 1993) 245.

[7] Wuest, 92.

[8] MacArthur, 210.

[9] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of The Epistle of St. Peter, St. John, and St. Jude (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Augsburg Publishing House, 1966) 168.

[10] Robertson, 120.

[11] Lenski, 169.

[12] Robertson, 29. Isa. 8:14; Matt. 21:42,44; Romans 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:16; John 3:19; Rom. 6:4, 9; Eph. 2:6.

[13] Wuest, 108.

“The Christian’s Response to Other’s Hate” 1 Peter 3:8-22

“Living Hope”

A Sermon Series Through 1 Peter

“The Christian’s Response to Other’s Hate”

1 Peter 3:8-12

Introduction

1 Peter 2:11-12 Peter says, “Keep your 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.” Then he gives instructions to different groups that may directly experience the pain from the “dispersion” and the suffering that was apart of it. His focus has been submission to authority and how one’s conduct can lead others to Christ, “genuine Christian conduct not only hushes up vilification of Christians but also wins many non-Christians. . .”[1]

Attitudes That Foster Unity (v. 8)

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

The word finally is telling us that he is ending his instructions to four groups of people (citizens, slaves, wives, and husbands) and turning to the church as a whole, “all of you.” So the first group of instructions deal with how Christians interact with each other.

There is to be a “unity” of how they think – of the mind, “same-thinking.” Philippians 2:2 calls it, “like-minded.” They are to be united in the doctrines and practice of Christianity. It is not that we cult like have to hold to the exact belief about everything. We all have different backgrounds, life experiences, perspectives, and even various generations – you don’t have to give those up to have unity. Peter says to have unity on substantive matters.

And it is also not that Christians simply agree about the same doctrines, but that those beliefs then unify them, and then working together work toward something. Remember each group’s instructions was for the purpose of reaching another person for Jesus. Wives were to submit to their lost husbands, so that “they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,”

Not uniformity (everyone is the same)

but unanimity (everyone is different yet all are working toward the same direction)[2]

The unity that we share is the purpose and calling of the church. Our gifts, life experiences, and unique talents make up various parts of the Body of Christ. We are to be aware that our conduct as a whole affects our ability to make disciples of Jesus and bring others to Him. We establish a doctrinal statement (you can go and look at it on our website), so that as a body we are not constantly arguing inwardly about various doctrine and beliefs about the Bible. Nothing stops the advancement of the gospel by the church than inward fighting and disunity.

Bellevue Baptist Church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

They are to have “sympathy,” which is a combination of two ideas, “to be affected” by something – “to feel something” or to have feelings stirred up within one by some circumstance. It refers to the interchange of fellow-feeling in either joy or sorrow. You are sharing the same feeling; you are able to put yourself in their place. Romans 12:15 describes it as, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

They are to have “brotherly love,” this same word for love was used in 1:22 “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,” What unifies biological brothers and sisters is their common life experience (they grew up in the same home, same parents, etc.); what unites spiritual brothers and sisters is our connection to Christ.

To have a tender heart, full of pity, when a Christian looks around at the hard and dark world around them, they express how it has affected them by being tender hearted, which results in action. Jesus’ saying “I was sick and you looked after me,” (Matthew 25:36) did not go unheeded. Jesus’ ministry included physical and spiritual healing. The first orphanages and hospitals were started by Christians who living in a brutal and harsh society who saw children abandoned and brought them in, and saw people in poor health cast out of homes and took them in to their own homes and helped them to heal.

“When epidemics broke out, the Romans often fled in fear and left behind the sick to die without care. Romans saw helping a sick person as a sign of weakness; whereas Christians, in light of what Jesus taught about helping the sick, believed they were not only serving the sick but also serving God. Thus, Christianity filled the pagan void that largely ignored sick and dying, especially during pestilences. In so doing, it established the principle that to help the sick and needy is a sign of strength not weakness.”[3]

“and a humble mind.” – “having a modest opinion of one’s self.” Moses in the OT is described as “more humble than anyone on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). His biological brother and sister were jealous of Moses (and criticized him for marrying a Cushite woman), but Moses’ response was to ask God not to punish them for their foolishness. Jesus is described in Philippians 2:3,8 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves . . . 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Behaviors That Counter Hateful Attacks (vv. 9-12)

9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

(v. 9) “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling,” When someone wrongs you, Peter is saying don’t try to even the score, they hit, you don’t hit back (tit for tat). Romans 12:17 “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.” If you have been wronged, he doesn’t say not to react, but that your reaction should be something good not evil.

“In a Jewish context, the Torah allowed for a response in kind when one is violated, i.e. a retaliatory act that is consistent with the infraction, hence the allusion that Jesus makes to Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. Old Testament justice attempted to ensure that the offender and the one offended suffer equivalent losses.”[4] Jesus demanded more than equalizing, He demanded grace (favor that the offender had not deserved). Christians are to give when asked, and go beyond what is expected. Matthew 5:39-42, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” Paul describes someone’s offense against us, as “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14).

“bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing,” – We have received forgiveness of our sin (called to salvation), through Jesus (even though we have greatly offended Him and have sinned against Him). In light of all that we have been forgiven of, we then forgive others of their sin against us.

It was Peter himself who asked Jesus in Matthew 18:21-34 “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.8 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,11 and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” We are called to bless because we ourselves were blessed by God through his call to salvation. And in that forgiveness of others, we will receive a blessing of forgiveness from God.

This does not mean that if you don’t forgive then you will lose your salvation (that interpretation doesn’t line up with the Bible as a whole). You can’t work through a list of those you have forgiven and then earn your salvation, nor can you build a list of people over time that you refuse to forgive and thereby lose your salvation.

Salvation has always been by faith alone, by God’s grace alone, but if you are to live an abundant life, and to live as a Christ would have us live – then you must forgive others. It is a life filled with anger and malice toward another person, verses a life of joy and peace – Jesus wants us to have the latter.

With the one word, “For” Peter introduces us to Psalm 34:12-16 . . .

10 For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

To explain and clarify his point, Peter quotes from Psalms, “we are called to inherit a blessing, God’s own everlasting blessing. Let us then not lose it as the unmerciful servant lost his as recorded in Matthew 18:32-34.”[5]

The idea of “desires to love life and see good days,” carries the idea of living a life that means something, that is worthwhile. It is a life that one can love with intelligence and purpose. If you want to see days that are meaningful, beneficial, and not empty then . . . When David wrote the Psalm 34 and Peter wrote this letter, they were not thinking of sun shinny days, happy, easy days – but a life that is full of purpose and meaning.

The sword of Damocles

This does not mean that God’s people will not suffer, but as they seek to be a blessing to others, they will have a life that they love and the days will be good because they are filled with purpose. Jesus called this an abundant life, John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Most of what Peter is focusing on in these verses is what it means to live in Christian community. “Christena Cleveland, a Christina social psychologist, identifies forces that keep Christians from experiencing the kind of community that the NT describes. She says, “the act of adopting a common identity that supersedes all other identities is a daunting one, even painful one.”[6]

To join a church is to identify as that group of people – you not only agree with them in doctrine and purpose, but you also see them as part of your family (and for some it is thier only family). We are not designed by God to live alone and isolated – we need community, specifically the church to have the abundant life described by Jesus, Paul, and Peter.

Conclusion

“It’s just a common practice to leave your doors open. I never lock my car doors in my personal vehicle,” Erica Gillis, a research technician at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, told AFP.

She explained that this custom is partly due to the polar bear threat, but also because Churchill is a remote, isolated community not accessible by road. “There aren’t many roads other than the main street,” Gillis added. There is an estimated population of 935 polar bears in the western Hudson Bay area, where Churchill sits. As a response to the frequent bear visits, the town established a polar bear alert program. A team tranquilizes the animals if they enter town and takes them to a polar bear holding center, known by locals as the polar bear jail.

Thanks to the program, the Manitoba town has not had a bear-related fatality since the early 1980s. A tight knit group of people, all looking out for one another, intentionally making provision for one another’s refuge and safety. My car is your car. In this village, in this community, we protect and care for one another.

In our wild and unruly world where all manner of “bears” are seemingly out to get us, the church is called to be that village where the doors of refuge are always unlocked, waiting to welcome us in to help us stand against the lurking dangers.

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others, (Philippians 2:4, ESV).

“Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor,” (1 Corinthians 10:24, ESV).

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God,” (Hebrews 13:16, ESV).

Polar Bear Alert Program

___________________

[1] R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of 1 and 2 Epistles of Peter, and three Epistles of John, and the Epistles of Jude (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Augsburg Publishing House, 1966) 147.

[2] Leonhard Goppelt, A Commentary on 1 Peter (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993) 233.

[3] Alvin J. Schmidt, Under the Influence, How Christianity Transformed Civilization (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 2001) 153.

[4] Dennis R. Edwards, The Story of God Bible Commentary, 1 Peter (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 2017) 143.

[5] Lanski, 144.

[6] Edwards, 147.

“Wives and Husbands: Part One, Wives” 1 Peter 3:1-6

“Living Hope”

A Sermon Series Through 1 Peter

“Wives and Husbands: Part One, Wives”

1 Peter 3:1-6

Introduction

Now that Peter has introduced why he is writing the letter and to whom, he then turns to particular groups within the church. First addressing household servants or slaves, then turning to Christian wives, specifically those whose husbands were not saved. The wife has become a believer, and the husband is not. How then does a wife reach her husband for Christ? Then Peter turns to Christian Husbands and how they are to live.

The Christian marriage is the God-given picture of salvation. There is leadership, submission, roles lived out, both seeking a healthy relationship with God, seeking the same life goals, both pulling in the same direction, based on the same core values. When the world looks at the Christian marriage it should get a glimpse of Jesus and the transformation that takes place in a believer’s heart, especially in the way that the husband and wife interact with each other.

Christian Wives Described (vv. 1-6)

Before we jump into today’s passage, you “can’t claim the Bible to be the source of authority, while at the same time declaring that particular biblical teachings reflect sinful chauvinistic attitudes imposed upon the church by the Apostles.”[1] Or to say, that the traditional way of interpreting a section of text was wrong, so you seek to reinterpret them in such a way that matches the culture of today.

Peter writes six verses pointed toward wives and one verse toward men as husbands. Why such a unequal weight if it is not “chauvinistic attitudes imposed upon the church by the Apostles,”? In Peter’s day, when a wife became a Christian, the potential for difficulty was much greater than it was if the husband became a believer.

In that society when women, who were viewed as inferior to men, became Christians without their husbands also becoming saved, the likelihood of his being embarrassed and shamed by what was viewed as an act of defiance by his wife, was predictable, as was the conflict subsequently generated.”[2] The wife stops worshipping the gods of the household, specifically her husband, and now worships Jesus. This put them in a most difficult situation.

Submissive to Her Husband (vv. 1-2)

Likewise[3], wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.

 (v. 1) “even if some do not obey the word,” – the idea here is that the wife has presented the gospel, the truth of Jesus, and the husband has rejected the gospel. Instead of quoting Scripture and trying to persuade by arguing, or nagging him to follow Christian teachings (like going to church, giving, etc.) Peter encourages Christian wives to win them by holy living, “they may be won without a word (her spoken word, not the Word of God).” They had already heard and rejected the gospel – now the wives attitude and example would do the rest of the work of drawing the husband to Christ.[4]

This does not do away with Paul’s teaching not to be married to by choice a non-believer, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial?2 Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” It is foolish to ignore God’s clear teaching on who you should and should not marry.

Can’t she just divorce him and find a Christian husband? No, 1 Corinthians 7:13, “If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.”

But Peter is writing here to a married woman who, after marriage, she becomes a believer. How then can she convince her husband to also become a follower of Jesus, especially after he has heard the gospel and rejected it? So first off, this is wives (married women) to their specific husbands. So it is not all women are to submit or adorn themselves with submission to all men. This is specifically wives toward their (chosen) husbands.

Colossians 3:18 says, “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”

Ephesians 5:22-24 says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”

Titus 2:4 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”

We see the opposite of this in Proverbs 19:13; 27:15 “. . . a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.” . . . “A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike;” When there is no submission, only the butting of heads, it makes the marriage torture for the man. This submission does not mean that “a wife has to always agree with her husband, as here she differs on the most important issue of all: the gospel of Jesus Christ.”[5]

Adorned With A Changed Heart (vv. 3-5)

3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.[6]

Then as Peter’s argument continues on how a Christian woman can persuade her husband toward Christ, he turns to her appearance. Instead of depending on her outward appearance to persuade him, she should turn inward and put on “a gentle and quiet spirit.” If she focuses on the “external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear,” How is she any different than the world, or ungodly women? And eventually those things fade, they are corruptible. It also does not mean an excessive movement in the opposite direction toward a puritanical plain appearance.

1 Timothy 2:9-13 “. . . likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.”

The word used here for “adornment” is the translation of the Greek word kosmos which is refers to the adornment of the ornaments worn by women. The word itself refers to an ordered system, namely a system where order prevails. The word that is opposite of kosmos is chaos, which means “a rude unformed mass.” How a Christian wife adorns herself starts in the heart, and expresses itself outwardly as submission to her husband in a gentle and quiet spirit toward her husband (as is ordered by creation[7]).

Remember, Peter’s whole point is how a Christian woman shares her faith (specifically to her husband), “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart” If you seek to win others to Lord by how you do your hair, how you dress, the jewelry you wear – but have no heart change it will land as false. The focus is in the wrong place.

Our English word “masquerade” fits this idea, “When Christian women adorn themselves in the haircuts of the world, copy the world’s lavish and gaudy display of jewelry, and don the apparel of the world, they are masquerading in the garments of the world. They are in the language of the Greeks, hypocrites, acting like the world and the world thinks them to be people of the world. Then when they come with the news of the gospel, their message falls on deaf ears.”[8]

Peter is comparing what is perishable beauty (gold), with what is imperishable (a quiet spirit, the hidden person of the heart); gold and silver go away, but the condition of your soul is eternal. Show your husband how Jesus has changed your heart. Notice, the “be subject to your husband,” and “gentle and quiet spirit” are on the inside. You can hide submission, you can fake it, just as you can fake being a Christian – and look to outward displays to hide a false attitude.

The world’s first clothing

 After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, Genesis 3:7-10 “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” The purpose of Adam and Eve sewing leaves together was to cover their shame which came after they sinned, later God provided them clothes, Genesis 3:21 “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Through the death and shed blood of an animal Adam and Eve’s sin and shame was covered. Which eventually would point to Jesus’ blood being shed for the covering of all sin.

When Peter says, “Do not let your adorning be external,” This is like Adam and Eve covering themselves with sewed fig leaves, it is man’s attempt to deal with his shame and sin. Instead, God has provided the way for our sin to be done away with forever through Jesus, that heart change then affects how we present ourselves to the world (and to our spouses). People can look to the world to try and cover their sin, or they can through our relationship with Christ cover our shame.

For the Christian, especially the Christian woman, how do you display Jesus in your life? Do you focus on the outward (gold, braiding of the hair, jewelry – your effort to appear a certain way), or do you accept what Jesus has done in your spirit and allow it to shine through your behavior. It’s easy to put on and take off jewelry – a changed life is also easy to display, but it doesn’t come off.

There is a saying, “whatever you do to get them, you have to keep doing to keep them.” If a church says “come and be apart of our church because we are cool like the world, see how we dress, see the jewelry we wear, see how we adorn ourselves (totally outward focused), then pivot and talk about “holiness, purity, compassion, modesty, sacrificial giving, (inward changes of the heart)” we will lose them. Car dealers call that “a bait and switch.”

Peter then gives a historical example of Sarah, “For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” quoting from Genesis 18:12 “So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” referring to the coming birth of Isaac. “This comment was a mere aside; she was talking to herself, and there was is no indication that she intended Abraham or anyone else to hear her.”[9] We are spectators to her inward feelings about her husband. Peter’s point is that women of history submitted to their husbands, and as children of Sarah (those who live by faith in God), will follow her example and submit to their husbands.

But her submission was not to a perfect man who always got life right – he told her to say she was his sister and lie to the pharaoh of Egypt which ended badly. Abraham listened to Sarah’s bad advice and had a child with Hagar. As a couple, they didn’t always get it right, but they both loved the Lord and sought to serve Him. Abraham and Sarah both loved the Lord and had faith in God. They are an example of a godly couple who believed God’s Word. That Christian way of life id passed down from generation to generation.

Active In Her Christian Walk (v. 6)

And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

 (v. 6) “do good . . .” is to do God’s will. 1 Peter 2:15 “For this is the will of God, that by doing good . . .”“. . . and do not fear” – “alludes to Proverbs 3:25 “Do not be afraid of sudden terror . . .,” The idea is that Christian woman are not to let nothing terrifying frighten them from their course. “frightening or intimidating could include and individual or experience posing a threat to one’s well-being (Prov. 3:25), it is likely that the danger posed by unbelieving husbands is what Peter has particularly in mind”[10] “The wife has to hold to her new Christian confession and practice, whatever threats may be leveled against her.”[11]

“you do what is good and have no fear in doing so” – “the wife is to do what is appropriate for her as a Christian even within the confines of a marriage to a non-Christian husband, a husband who may use fear and intimidation in the attempt to compel activity inappropriate for her as a Christian.”[12] She then becomes an example of how we are to live as Christians in a culture that may be hostile to Christ’s teachings – we get along as best we can, in as many areas of life as we can, we live at peace – and we don’t compromise on the areas where to do so would be against the will of God. And we try to evangelize where we can use words, and where we can’t we let others see how Christ has changed our hearts.

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[1] R. C. Sproul, 1-2 Peter: An Expositional Commentary, 1 Peter (Sanford, Florida; Ligonier Ministries, 2019) 74.

[2] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 1 Peter (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Publishers, 2004) 175.

[3] MacArthur, 177. “Likewise” refers back to the two previous mentioned examples of submission; citizens to civil authorities (2:13) and servants to masters (2:18). But “correspondingly” may be better because it suggests the responsibilities are not identical, but nevertheless associated in some way. Dubis, 84.

[4] Kenneth S. Wuest, First Peter in the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1960) 73.

[5] Sam Storms, ESV Expository Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews-Revelation (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2018) 332.

[6] See Isaiah 3:16ff. adornment stripped away as judgement.

[7] See 1 Timothy 2:9-13.

[8] Kenneth S. Wuest, First Peter in the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1960) 77.

[9] Storm, 333.

[10] Storm, 333.

[11]Paul J. Achtemeier, Hermenia, 1 Peter, A Commentary on First Peter (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fortress Press, 1996) 208.

[12] Achtemeier, 217.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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