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1. Why do you think Apostle Peter now gives instruction to wives and husbands? What does Peter say to wives? Why? What does “in the same way” mean? (1-2) 2. How are two kinds of beauty compared? (3-4) What can we think of here? 3. What does Peter say about the holy women of the past? (5-6) 4. What is said to husbands? (7)

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Thank God for blessing our study of 1 Peter until now. In the last lesson Paul gave practical advices to scattered suffering Christians to submit to human authorities following the example of Christ, who suffered for them. He suffered for us, himself bearing our sins in his body on the tree, certainly for the salvation of our souls and peace and healing in the right relationship with God. His suffering was also an example for us to follow, that is, to die to sins and live for righteousness in his grace. In today’s passage, Peter gives instructions to Christian wives and husbands. Apparently, this seems to be out of the context concerning the scattered believers under the fiery persecution. Why does Peter suddenly talk about wives and husbands? It was primarily to encourage Christian wives. At that time the status of women was very low just above slaves, far below that of men. A woman had no right living under the power of her father. After marriage she passed equally into the power of her husband. When the gospel was preached, many slaves and women came to the church. Peter wanted to encourage them, recognizing their faith in Christ Jesus and giving them a noble calling. Peter also gave these instructions to Christian husbands and wives because in the time of persecution or difficult life situations it is significant for a wife and a husband to encourage each other and stand firm together and build up the house church all the more. If each house became weak, the church, as a whole would not stand under the severe persecution. We can say that a house church is a building block for the whole church. We see the extreme importance of the relationship between a wife and a husband in the Christian church. When we think of our post-modern time where even the concept of marriage and family is distorted, people in the world can hardly think of a healthy family. In this dark stream of the world a Christian family is to be able to shine light for the honour of Christ’s name and for the glory of God. In this study, may we deeply learn about Christian wives and husbands. First, submissive wives (1-6). Peter says in verse 1, “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands…” These are the first words addressed to wives. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands. Yet, Peter said, “in the same way.” In the previous passage, we studied about the deep meaning of submission. Christians are really free people. But they use their freedom for submission for the Lord’s sake. Their submission is not out of fear of people or any human authorities but out of fear of God and love and respect for others. This is a high and holy submission. Most importantly the submission of Christians is to follow the example of Christ, who suffered for us. Having this submission in mind, Apostle Peter says, “wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands.” Here we can think more about submission. It is certainly not a blind submission. In Luke 1, after hearing the angel Gabriel’s message to her to the end concerning the child Mary was going to have, she said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (Lk. 1:38). Mary submitted her life to the Lord in obedience to the word of the Lord, clearly knowing the will of God. Blind submission can lead a whole family to destruction. True submission is aware of what is right and wrong, good and evil before God. It is different from acquiescence or resignation. Submission is not necessarily being silent at all times. It can include speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Submission is a positive attitude toward God. Consequently Peter says, “so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.” Here husbands seem to be unbelieving or not that spiritual. The words “won over” indicate that this is a spiritual battle. Wives cannot lose this spiritual battle. The way for a wife to win in this battle is to show her purity and reverence through her behaviour in her life not with her words. A husband can see the purity and reverence of his wife’s life. A husband can see whether his wife behaves purely and reverently. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, was given in marriage to a pagan official named Patritius, who had a short temper and lived an immoral life. At first Monica’s mother-in-law did not like her, but Monica won her over with her good deeds. Unlike many women of that time, Monica was never beaten by her husband. She said it was because she always held her tongue, setting a guard over her mouth in his presence. But her actions spoke loudly. She was constantly in prayer and shedding tears for their son Augustine. After watching this for 16 years, Patritius was baptized, and died one year later. Shortly after that Augustine was also converted to Christ. This is the power of a woman’s pure and reverent life. Peter says continually in verses 3 and 4, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” Here Peter put a contrast between a wife’s outward beauty and her inner beauty. Paul also said in 1 Timothy 2:9-10, “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” In time past and present most women try to make themselves beautiful through outward adornment, such as the hairstyle, jewelry and fine clothing, makeup, nail polish, meni cure, pedi cure, spa, etc. In the book of Esther, the candidates to be a queen had to complete twelve months of beauty treatment prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics (2:12). In Isaiah 3:16, the Lord says about the women of Jerusalem, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles.” Nowadays women seem to more and more focus on their outward beauty of appearance, spending so much time and money. They cover up with artificial beauty, killing their natural beauty. It seems to be a trend of the world. Sadly, many Christian women are influenced by it. We should remember that such women were a source of God’s grief at the time of Noah. Here, Peter clearly says that their beauty should not come from outward treatment, but it should be that of each one’s inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Wow! There is an unfading beauty. It is true that charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting and fading and passing. No woman’s physical beauty is forever. They all get old and become like grandmas with wrinkles and sagging skin. Outward adornments will not affect anymore. However, Peter talks about the unfading beauty, imperishable, incorruptible, lasting, ever-shining. The unfading beauty is a gentle and quiet spirit. Certainly, it is the spiritual beauty contrasted to the physical beauty. Gentleness belongs to the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22). In 1 Kings 19:11-12, the LORD wanted to encourage the prophet Elijah who was in deep despair and said to him, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” The LORD was neither in a great and powerful wind, nor an earthquake, nor a fire, but in a gentle whisper.” Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me…I will give you rest…for I am gentle and humble in heart…” Although Jesus is King, he is a gentle king, who made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:8, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Mt. 21:15). We also remember the Lord Jesus who early in the morning went of to a solitary place and prayed there after the previous busy evening with hard work (Mk. 1:15). So a quiet spirt can be related to prayer quietly listening to the word of God. And in Isaiah 30:15, the Sovereign LORD says, “…in quietness and trust is in your strength.” Those who trust in God can be quiet. True submission comes from a gentle and quiet spirit. The book of Proverbs tells about the power of a gentle speaking. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a rash word stirs up anger.” And Proverbs 25:15 says, “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.” And Proverbs warns quarrelsome wives. 19:13 says, “A foolish son is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.” It is also written in 27:15. 21:9 says, “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.” It is also written in 25:24. 21:19 says, “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered/nagging wife.” A wife can have conversation with her husband and share her opinion, but should not get into quarrelsome talk. That’s the time for her to engage in prayer, knowing that prayer solves the matter. Peter says that a gentle and quiet spirit is of great worth in God’s sight. It means God values the wife of a gentle and quite spirit. Again, they can win the battle with a gentle and quiet spirit in purity and reverence before God, not through words. May God bless precious women here with a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. Then Peter says in verses 5 and 6, “For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master.” Here Peter calls such women holy women, which is an unique expression written only here in the Bible. Holy women were in the past, and are in the present and will be in the future. Their common character is that they put their hope in God and are submissive to their husbands regardless of the generations and circumstances they live in. Peter specifically mentions Sarah. In Genesis 12 when Abraham received God’s calling to leave his country and his people and his household, Abraham obeyed and went not knowing where he was going. The Bible is quiet about Sarah’s response. Yet, in light of what Peter wrote here, we can conjecture that Sarah was in one heart and mind and spirit with Abraham in that crucial time of their lives. In Genesis 18, when Abraham invited unknown guests to their house and wanted to serve them, Sarah supported Abraham wholeheartedly, surely knowing that such hospitality was pleasing to God. At that time she called Abraham “my lord” (Ge. 18:12). Sarah also had ups and downs in her life of faith. However, when she put her hope in God having faith in God’s promise, she grew spiritually. In Genesis 22, when Abraham decided to obey God even at the command of sacrificing their only son Isaac, the fruit of their life of faith, Sarah must have prayed in quiet submission to God, encouraging Abraham greatly. When Sarah died, Abraham mourned for her, weeping over her (Ge. 23:2). Peter says continually, “You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” Again, we see that submission and doing what is right to go together. And it should not be done out of fear. May God raise up many women with the unfading beauty of a gentle and quite spirit, daughters of Sarah at U of T and in this country. Second, considerate husbands (7). Now Peter says to husbands in verse 7, “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives…” Wow! Peter says, “In the same way.” He could have said, “Husbands, as for you, be considerate…” Without the phrase, “in the same way” the writing can flow very smoothly. Why did he say to husbands, first “in the same way”? The same way covers what Peter said to wives in verses 1-6. It should not be less than that. In short, the same way is the very way wives are to be submissive to their husbands. In the same way, husbands should be submissive to their wives. Submission should be mutual. Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” It was just before Paul gave instructions to wives and husbands. The spirit of mutual submission is to be the basic spirit of a Christian community, including a house church. Submission is the responsibility of a Christian husband as well. Yet, the submission of husbands is different from that of wives. Though not submitting to his wife as a leader, a believing husband must submit to the loving duty of caring for his wife, knowing her needs and subordinating his needs to hers. Concisely, “in the same way” addressed to wives and husbands indicates that each part should follow the Spirit of Christ Jesus who submitted himself to God. Then Peter elaborates husbands’ submission, specifically saying, “…be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life…” In this verse, Peter noted consideration, chivalry, and companionship. Let’s think of them one by one. Firstly, “be considerate as you live with your wives.” To be considerate is to live in an understanding way (in ESV) and it is to give thought to your way of life (in BBE). Considering another person is related to knowing and understanding that person. God knows each of us and considers each one. God knew Adam more than Adam knew himself. Adam did not realize the need of a suitable helper to him, but God knew it and provided a helper suitable to him (Ge. 2:18, 22). David confessed in Psalm 139:1-3, “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” Then God sent his Son Jesus as the good shepherd. A shepherd knows his sheep and calls them by name and leads them out. Jesus said in John 10-11, 14, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” And the Holy Spirit lives in us and leads us and guides us into all truth (Ro. 8:9, 14; Jn. Jn 16:13). A husband should consider his wife’s physical and spiritual condition, being sensitive to the needs, fears, and feelings of his wife. It is easy for a husband to be negligent of his wife’s condition and needs in a routine life. God wants all Christians husbands to be considerate. In the Bible, Isaac was a considerate husband. When Rebekah was barren, he knew her agony and how sorry she felt to him. Considering his wife’s situation, Isaac prayed for her twenty years. Finally, the LORD answered his prayer and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. One missionary’s wife became very sick with depression in the course of living a hard mission life. But the husband bore his wife making a time for her absolutely for many years while still carrying out his mission. He cared for her until she was restored and they could live a life of mission together again. Then Peter says, “treat them with respect as the weaker partner.” It is true that in most cases a wife is physically weaker than her husband, although not spiritually. So, she needs protection, provision and strength from her husband. In this case, the husband should show the spirit of knight, chivalry. Lastly Peter says, “treat them with respect…as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life.” Here the gracious gift of life is in other translations, the grace of life. Life is God’s grace endowed upon us. Life is the gracious gift of God. Furthermore, we have life in Christ, which is eternal. A husband and a wife are heirs together of the grace of life. They share the life together and they are life companions in this world. The husband must cultivate companionship and fellowship with his wife. Moreover, in Christ Jesus we live a life of mission together. And in Christ Jesus a husband and a wife are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ for his eternal kingdom. Truly the life of a Christian wife and husband is a blessed life, eternally blessed. What a precious life, sharing life together and serving God together on earth, keeping the living hope in our hearts! We remember Zechariah and Elizabeth. They were childless until they became like a grandpa and grandma. But they were well along in years, studying the word of God together and praying together. Bible says, “Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.” Surely, they lived a life of mission together taking care of their neighbours as a priestly family. They were lifelong companions and gospel coworkers. Then God gave them an extra-ordinary son, John the Baptist, hearing their prayers. It is really beautiful that a Christian husband and wife can live a life of mission together, sharing prayer topics and praying together, taking care of God’s flock of sheep together and building up the whole church. Peter added, “…so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” Jesus said in Matthew 5:23, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and here remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” It is true that broken relationship with the nearest one hinders our prayers and spiritual life. Our prayer should not be in vain. May God raise up many house churches of submissive wives and considerate husbands, submissive wives who have hope in God, growing in the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit and considerate husbands who are sensitive to the needs of their wives and treat them respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with them of the gracious gift of life, together following and learning of Christ Jesus the Lord, who submitted himself to the will of God.

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