Daily Bread 2010 - 1 Peter 3
Wives
1 In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over 2 by observing your pure and reverent lives.
3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 5 This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. 6 For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.
Husbands
7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
This passage is often misquoted and misinterpreted in many ways. In Peter’s teaching to the women, he asks them to accept the authority of their husbands. In a patriarchal culture, men were given the highest authority, relationally. Peter is exhorting the women to be submissive to this authority, out of submission for God.
In doing this, if their husband was not a believer, it would reflect who their true master was. He also warns them to not to be overly concerned with their outward appearance (ie. hairstyles, jewelry etc.) but to focus instead on being beautiful inside.
Over the years we have seen abuses of both of these teachings in the Church. It has happened when men have mistreated women using this passage as a basis, and also when any jewelry, nice clothing or makeup of any kind is seen as sinful. This kind of extremism is not what the passage is calling for. In fact, in terms of the husband/wife relationship, the men are also called to honor and love (sacrificially) their wives, in Ephesians 5, out of submission to Christ.
This gets us to the “elephant in the room”, what does the word “weaker” mean. If you “Google” the phrase, you will get lots of interesting info on the internet. Objectively speaking, in terms of physical illness and diseases, men are weaker in some categories and women in others. Obviously men have larger physical frames and bones and there may be some of this in the sense of word “weaker”.
Although men have been given spiritual authority (i.e. head of the household), they have often surrendered their leadership in the home. In many cases it is the women who have been the spiritual leaders in the home and the primary mentors in passing on the faith.
So how can we use 1 Peter 3 today in our communities of faith? Verse 8 is helpful! (Remember read the whole passage before you interpret something based on a few verses!) “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.”
Oftentimes male/female differences polarize rather than unite. Although God made men and women different, and we have differing roles at times, we are better together. As we submit to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ (read Galatians 3:28!), and as we in humility serve each other, together we can be a powerful force in passing on the faith to the Next Generation. Kids need a faithful mom and dad as an example of what a follower of Jesus looks like. In addition, how they love each other is part and parcel of what they are passing on!
I hope this helps interpret a passage that is often misquoted and misused so that the body of Christ (male and female) will be built up in unity and be force in the world for God’s purposes!
Dear Jesus, thank you for making us male and female and expression of how we are made in Your image. We pray for healing where these verses have been misinterpreted. Give us the freedom to love each other out of humble service to you, so that the world may know the truth that will set them free, not bind them in new ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
1 In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over 2 by observing your pure and reverent lives.
3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 5 This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. 6 For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.
Husbands
7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
This passage is often misquoted and misinterpreted in many ways. In Peter’s teaching to the women, he asks them to accept the authority of their husbands. In a patriarchal culture, men were given the highest authority, relationally. Peter is exhorting the women to be submissive to this authority, out of submission for God.
In doing this, if their husband was not a believer, it would reflect who their true master was. He also warns them to not to be overly concerned with their outward appearance (ie. hairstyles, jewelry etc.) but to focus instead on being beautiful inside.
Over the years we have seen abuses of both of these teachings in the Church. It has happened when men have mistreated women using this passage as a basis, and also when any jewelry, nice clothing or makeup of any kind is seen as sinful. This kind of extremism is not what the passage is calling for. In fact, in terms of the husband/wife relationship, the men are also called to honor and love (sacrificially) their wives, in Ephesians 5, out of submission to Christ.
This gets us to the “elephant in the room”, what does the word “weaker” mean. If you “Google” the phrase, you will get lots of interesting info on the internet. Objectively speaking, in terms of physical illness and diseases, men are weaker in some categories and women in others. Obviously men have larger physical frames and bones and there may be some of this in the sense of word “weaker”.
Although men have been given spiritual authority (i.e. head of the household), they have often surrendered their leadership in the home. In many cases it is the women who have been the spiritual leaders in the home and the primary mentors in passing on the faith.
So how can we use 1 Peter 3 today in our communities of faith? Verse 8 is helpful! (Remember read the whole passage before you interpret something based on a few verses!) “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.”
Oftentimes male/female differences polarize rather than unite. Although God made men and women different, and we have differing roles at times, we are better together. As we submit to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ (read Galatians 3:28!), and as we in humility serve each other, together we can be a powerful force in passing on the faith to the Next Generation. Kids need a faithful mom and dad as an example of what a follower of Jesus looks like. In addition, how they love each other is part and parcel of what they are passing on!
I hope this helps interpret a passage that is often misquoted and misused so that the body of Christ (male and female) will be built up in unity and be force in the world for God’s purposes!
Dear Jesus, thank you for making us male and female and expression of how we are made in Your image. We pray for healing where these verses have been misinterpreted. Give us the freedom to love each other out of humble service to you, so that the world may know the truth that will set them free, not bind them in new ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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