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Friday, November 10, 2017

On Submission and Peacemaking {1 Peter 3}



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