On Submission and Peacemaking {1 Peter 3}
4:48 AM
In 1
Peter 2:13-17, Peter advised readers to have such good behaviour that
unbelievers will have nothing bad to say about the gospel. Peter admonishes us all to be
subject, for the Lord’s sake, to every human institution, whether it be to the
emperor as supreme, or to governors as set by him. In other words, keep the
speed limits, pay your taxes, and be respectful toward policemen and senators.
Then
in 2:18–25, Peter addresses the household servants (oiketai)
in the church and admonishes them to be submissive to their masters with all
respect, both to the kind and to the overbearing.
To set a good example, Christians
should submit to civil authorities, and slaves should submit to their masters. He
now continues this theme by addressing wives and husbands.
“Wives, in the same way submit
yourselves to your own husbands 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” (1 Peter 3:1-2).
When Peter says “in the same way,” he
means that women are to submit just as men should, each to the appropriate
authorities.
Women by setting a God example can
cause husbands to see that God’s grace makes wives to be cooperative rather
than rebellious, that way they may be more willing to listen to the gospel, and
eventually follow their wives into the faith.
A changed life speaks loudly and
clearly, and it is often the most effective way to influence husbands who are
not born again (or any other family member for that matter).
Peter’s next advice: “Your beauty
should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the
wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your
inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (verses 3-4).
This does not mean that Christian
women should be sloppy; it is great to look after one self and look one’s best
but is far more important to develop an inner spirit of godliness. True beauty
begins inside.
Charm is
deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.- (Prov 31:30)
The Wider Virtue Of Submission
In Peter 3:1–6, Peter instructs the
wives to be submissive to their husbands, including the husbands who are
unbelieving. Then, in verse 7, he instructs husbands to live considerately with
their wives as fellow heirs of the grace of life. Finally, in 3:8–12, Peter
tells the whole church to have unity and sympathy and love and tender-heartedness
and humility toward one another, and not to return evil for evil. In other
words, submit to each other and serve each other. So, as we saw in Ephesians 5,
submission is a wider Christian virtue for all of us to pursue, and it has its
unique and fitting expressions in various relationships.
What submission is:
Submission is voluntarily cooperating with someone, first out of
love and respect for God and then out of the love and respect for that person. Submitting
to unbelievers can prove difficult, but once again it is a vital part of
leading them to Jesus Christ. We are not called to submit to nonbelievers to
the point that we compromise our relationship with God, but we must look for
every opportunity to humbly service in the power of God’s spirit.
1 Peter 3 (VS 8-22)
Responding to
evil …Called to be peacemakers
In verse 8, Peter gives a general appeal to all the believers:
“All of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate
and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary,
repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may
inherit a blessing” (verses 8-9).
If
someone treats us wrong, we are to respond by doing good, not by getting
revenge. God set the example for us by doing good to us even though we had done
evil to him. Peter supports this advice by quoting Psalm 34:12-16: “Whoever would love life and
see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful
speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue
it” (1 Peter 3:10-11).
Too often
we see peace as merely the absence of conflict, and we think of peacemaking as
a passive role. But an effective peacemaker actively pursues peace. He or she
builds good relationships, knowing that peace is a by-product of commitment.
The peacemaker
anticipates problems and deals with them before they occur. When conflicts
arise, he or she brings them into the open and deals with them before they grow
unmanageable.
Making
peace is hard work, but it results in God’s blessings.
Peter
has already pointed out that Jesus did not retaliate with threats against his
persecutors (2:22-23); here he repeats the need for us to keep our words and
our actions in control. Peter asks, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager
to do good?” (3:13). Unfortunately, some people persecute those who do good, so
Peter adds, “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed”
(verse 14). Persecution itself is not a blessing, but God rewards those who
suffer unjustly.
Have a blessed weekend!
Angie
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