I Peter 3:1-7 – Marriage Matters

Scripture focus: 1 Peter 3:1-7

Key verse: 3:1a, 7a

Theme: Both husbands and wives have responsibilities in their

relationships

Outline:

1) The Christian Wife (3:1-6)

a) The wife’s subjection (3:1,2,5,6)
i) The instruction concerning (1)
ii) The results of subjection (1-2)
iii) The example of subjection (5-6)
b) The wife’s adorning (3:3-5)
i) Fleshly adorning (3)
ii) Godly adorning (4-5)
2) The Christian Husband (7)
a) His proper relationship to his wife (7)
b) The results of failing to heed the instruction (7)

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Lessons from the Greek text:

1) Let’s pick out the main verb(s)

a) In English looks (to me) as:
i) Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husband (1) (Looks like an
imperative!)
ii) Do not let your adornment be merely outward (3) (Looks like an
imperative!)
iii) rather let it be the hidden person of the heart (4) (Looks like an
imperative! – but note the italics!)
iv) Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to
the wife (7) (Looks like an imperative!)
b) Actually just one main verb
i) Vs 1 = participle
ii) Vs 3 = Greek imperative (Present Passive Participle)
iii) Vs 4 = Italics … no verb … but carries the force of the previous!
iv) Vs 7 = participle (tricked me!)
2) Key words in the text:
a) Wives – Greek = γυνή (1 & 5)
b) Husbands – Greek = ἀνήρ (1,5,7)
c) Subject – Greek verb = ὑποτάςςω (1 Peter 2:13 & 18; 1 Peter 3:1,5,22; 1
Peter 5:5)
d) Conduct / conversation – Greek = ἀναςτροφή (1 Peter 1:15,18; 2:12;
3:1,2,16), Comments:
i) Seems to be a favorite Petrine word!
ii) Also used in the negative – 2 Peter 2:7, “the filthy conduct of the
wicked”
iii) Contrasted with 2 Peter 3:11, “Therefore, since all these things will be
dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and
godliness,”

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e) Hidden = κρυπτόσ. Comments:

i) Vs 4: “rather let it be the hidden person of the heart”
ii) Not so much a key word, but interesting to me. Cf the word
“cryptography”
f) Incorruptible (4) , Greek = ἄφθαρτοσ. Also 1 Peter 1:4, 23
g) A gentle and quiet spirit (4)
i) KJV: “a meek and quiet spirit”
ii) Meek / Gentle = πραΰσ
(1) Cf also Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the
earth”
(2) Matthew 21:5, “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh
unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an
ass.”
iii) Quiet = ἡςύχιοσ. Only here and 1 Timothy 2:2, “for kings and all who are
in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and reverence.”
h) Which is very precious in the sight of God (4)
i) πολυτελήσ = excellent, of surpassing value
ii) Only here and:
(1) Mark 14:3, “And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as
He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very
costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His
head.”
(2) 1 Timothy 2:9, “in like manner also, that the women adorn
themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not
with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing”
i) Adorned (vs 5, “For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who
trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own
husbands,” / Greek = κοςμέω
i) Cf English = “cosmetics”
ii) Literally “to put in order, arrange, make ready, prepare”

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j) Do good (vs 6, “whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid
with any terror”) ἀγαθοποιέω. Petrine usage:
i) 1 Peter 2:15, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put
to silence the ignorance of foolish men”
ii) 1 Peter 2:20, “For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your
faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you
take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”
iii) 1 Peter 3:17, “For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing
good than for doing evil.”
k) Likewise: (3:1,7; also 5:5)
l) Dwell with them with understanding
i) ςυνοικέω. Comments:
(1) Hapax
(2) Compound of ςυν (with) + οικέω (to dwell)
ii) More than just living in the same house … cohabitation (including sexual
relations)
m) Giving honor to the wife (ἀπονέμω τιμή) (7)
i) Comments: like “ascribing worth”!
ii) 2 Peter 1:17, Our Savior is worthy of honor! (same word!)
n) As to the weaker vessel (7)
i) Weaker: For interesting discussion on this visit Sharper Iron where I
posted this question
ii) Vessel: metaphor for the body! That which contains the spirit
iii) Visit www.4bya.info for a blog post with a full discussion of this phrase

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o) As being heirs together of the grace of life (7)

i) ςυγκληρονόμοσ (4 NT occurances)
(1) Note ςυγ prefix! Like ςυνοικέω above
(2) Romans 8:17, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be
glorified together.”
(3) Ephesians 3:6, “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same
body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel”
(4) Hebrews 11:9, “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a
foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with
him of the same promise;”

Discussion:

1) The Christian Wife (3:1-6)

a) The wife’s subjection (3:1,2,5,6)
i) The instruction concerning (1)
(1) Text: “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that
even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be
won by the conduct of their wives”
(2) Comment on submission:
(a) Everyone submits to someone!
(b) Our Savior, the 2nd Person of the Trinity submitted to the will of
His Father
(i) Really a model for us!
(ii) All persons of the Godhead are equal but
(iii) There is subordination / submission!

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ii) The results of subjection (1-2)

(1) Text: “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that
even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be
won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste
conduct accompanied by fear”
(2) Ideally, a Christian woman marries a Christian man!
(3) Two causes outside of that ideal
(a) A Christian woman marries and unsaved man!
(b) A unsaved married woman trusts Christ, but her husband does
not (or has not yet)
(4) The teaching here is the silent (“without a word”) testimony of a
godly woman
(5) Broader than that, this speaks of the powerful witness of a godly life
iii) The example of subjection (5-6)
(1) Text: “For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who
trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their
own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose
daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror”
(2) The example of Sarah and other married women in the Bible
(3) Did Sarah literally call Abraham “Lord”? I would suspect so!
(a) Yet the issue is not what a wife calls her husband!
(b) I suspect no husband in modern times would even want to be
called “Lord”
(c) But the issue is one of respect for the husbands role and
leadership
iv) “not afraid with any terror” - μη φοβουμεναι μηδεμιαν πτοηςιν
(1) A confidence that she is in an equal relationship
(2) Not as though married to a despot!
(3) ESV: “do not fear anything that is frightening.”
(4) Calvin on (the Catholic epistles)

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(a) “they *should not+ fear lest by their subjection, they should be
more reproachfully treated.” (He favors this view but offers a
second)
(b) “Peter exhorted them to perform the duties of their calling with a
courageous and intrepid spirit.”
b) The wife’s adorning (3:3-5)
i) Text: “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the
hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the
hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle
and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this
manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also
adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands,”
ii) Fleshly adorning (3)
(1) Not merely outward!
(2) Three things mentioned: hair, jewelry clothing
(3) Not forbidding any of the above!
(4) Emphasis on inward beauty not outward!
iii) Godly adorning (4-5)
(1) Rather inward beauty: “the hidden person of the heart”
(2) Meekness w a peaceable spirit
(3) God views this as precious!
(4) Her own submission is viewed as godly adornment!
(5) RBP:
(a) “not nag, sabotage or scream angry abuse”
(b) Refrain from degrading her husband
(c) Does not mean she has no voice!

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2) The Christian Husband (7)

a) Text: “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving
honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of
the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
b) His proper relationship to his wife (7)
i) Cohabitation with all that that implies - “dwell with them”
ii) Understand – “with understanding”
iii) Honor – “giving honor to the wife”
iv) Protect – “as to the weaker vessel”
v) Regard as fellow-heir - “as being heirs together of the grace of life”
vi) Equally yoked – marrying a believer of the same faith family
vii) Mentions “prayers”. This implies
(1) Spiritual head
(2) Leading the wife
(3) Praying with her
viii) My comments – tenets of a Christian marriage:
(1) Respect
(2) Equality
(3) Delegation
(4) Trust
(5) Accountability
(6) Frankness – open communications
(7) Sharing
(8) Man: Servant leadership
(9) Woman: Submission to the husband’s leadership

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ix) Calvin on:

(1) “for dominion over their wives is not given them, except on this
condition, that they exercise authority prudently”
(2) “Part of the prudence which he mentions, is, that the husbands
honor their wives. For nothing destroys the friendship of life more
than contempt; nor can we really love any but those whom we
esteem; for love must be connected with respect.”
(3) “For since the Lord is pleased to bestow in common on husbands and
wives the same graces, he invites them to seek an equality in them”
c) The results of failing to heed the instruction (7)
i) A marriage that is out of order will negatively impact one’s spiritual life!
ii) Calvin: “For God cannot be rightly called upon, unless our minds be
calm and peaceable. Among strifes and contentions there is no place for
prayer”
iii) Calvin on equally yoked: “[We] gather a general doctrine — that no one
ought to come to God except he is united to his brethren.”

Conclusion – Regular Baptist Press

“Though submission is a word often associated with the role of the wife, both
husband and wife must submit to God by carrying out the roles He has given
them”

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