1 In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don't obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word; 2 seeing your pure behavior in fear. 3 Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing; 4 but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women before, who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands: 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror. 7 You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as being also joint heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers may not be hindered. 8 Finally, be all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous, 9 not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing; knowing that to this were you called, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, "He who would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 13 Now who is he who will harm you, if you become imitators of that which is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "Don't fear what they fear, neither be troubled." 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear: 16 having a good conscience; that, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ. 17 For it is better, if it is God's will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil. 18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you - not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.
This chapter embraces the following subjects:
I. The duty of wives, 1-Peter 3:1-6. Particularly:
(a) that their conduct should be such as would be adapted to lead their unbelieving husbands to embrace a religion whose happy influence was seen in the pure conduct of their wives, 1-Peter 3:1-2.
(b) In reference to dress and ornaments, that they should not seek that which was external, but rather that which was of the heart, 1-Peter 3:3-4.
(c) For an illustration of the manner in which these duties should be performed, the apostle refers them to the holy example of the wife of Abraham, as one which Christian females should imitate, 1-Peter 3:5-6.
II. The duty of husbands, 1-Peter 3:7. It was their duty to render all proper honor to their wives, and to live with them as fellow-heirs of salvation, that their prayers might not be hindered; implying:
(1) that in the most important respects they were on an equality;
(2) that they would pray together, or that there would be family prayer; and,
(3) that it was the duty of husband and wife so to live together that their prayers might ascend from united hearts, and that it would be consistent for God to answer them.
III. The general duty of unity and of kindness, 1-Peter 3:8-14. They were:
(a) to be of one mind; to have compassion; to love as brethren, 1-Peter 3:8.
(b) They were never to render evil for evil, or railing for railing, 1-Peter 3:9.
(c) They were to remember the promises of length of days, and of honor, made to those who were pure in their conversation, and who were the friends of peace, 1-Peter 3:9-10.
(d) They were to remember that the eyes of the Lord were always on the righteous; that they who were good were under his protection, 1-Peter 3:12; and that if, while they maintained this character, they were called to suffer, they should count it rather an honor than a hardship, 1-Peter 3:13-14.
IV. The duty of being ready always to give to every man a reason for the hope they entertained; and, if they were called to suffer persecution and trial in the service of God, of being able still to show good reasons why they professed to be Christians, and of so living that those who wronged them should see that their religion was more than a name, and was founded in such truth as to command the assent even of their persecutors, 1-Peter 3:15-17.
V. In their persecutions and trials they were to remember the example of Christ, his trials, his patience, and his triumphs, 1-Peter 3:18-22. Particularly:
(a) the apostle refers them to the fact that he had suffered, though he was innocent, and that he was put to death though he had done no wrong, 1-Peter 3:18.
(b) He refers them to the patience and an age of great and abounding wickedness, when in the person of his representative and ambassador Noah, he suffered much and long from the opposition of the guilty and perverse people who were finally destroyed, and who are now held in prison, showing us how patient we ought to be when offended by others in our attempts to do them good, 1-Peter 3:19-20.
(c) He refers to the fact that notwithstanding all the opposition which Noah met with in bearing a message, as an ambassador of the Lord, to a wicked generation, he and his family were saved, 1-Peter 3:21. The design of this allusion evidently is to show us, that if we are patient and forbearing in the trials which we meet with in the world, we shall be saved also. Noah, says the apostle, was saved by water. We, too, says he, are saved in a similar manner by water. In his salvation, and in ours, water is employed as the means of salvation: in his case by bearing up the ark, in ours by becoming the emblem of the washing away of sins.
(d) The apostle refers to the fact that Christ has ascended to heaven, and has been exalted over angels, and principalities, and powers; thus showing that having borne all his trials with patience he ultimately triumphed, and that in like manner we, if we are patient, shall triumph also, 1-Peter 3:22. He came off a conqueror, and was exalted to the highest honors of heaven; and so, if faithful, we may hope to come off conquerors also, and be exalted to the honors of heaven as he was. The whole argument here is drawn from the example of Christ, first, in his patience and forbearance with the whole world, and then when he was personally on the earth; from the fact, that in the case of that messenger whom he sent to the ungodly race before the flood, and in his own case when personally on earth, there was ultimate triumph after all that they met with from ungodly people; and thus, if we endure opposition and trials in the same way, we may hope also to triumph in heaven with our exalted Saviour.
The duty of wives to their husbands, how they are to be adorned, and be in subjection as Sarah was to Abraham, 1-Peter 3:1-6. The duty of husbands to their wives, 1-Peter 3:7. How to obtain happiness, and live a long and useful life, 1-Peter 3:8-11. God loves and succours them that do good; but his face is against the wicked, 1-Peter 3:12, 1-Peter 3:13. They should suffer persecution patiently, and be always ready to give a reason of the hope that is in them; and preserve a good conscience, though they suffered for righteousness, 1-Peter 3:14-17. Christ suffered for us, and was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, 1-Peter 3:18. How he preached to the old world, while Noah was preparing the ark, 1-Peter 3:19, 1-Peter 3:20. The salvation of Noah and his family a type of baptism, 1-Peter 3:21. Christ is ascended to heaven, all creatures being subject to him, 1-Peter 3:22.
INTRODUCTION TO 1 PETER 3
In this chapter the apostle instructs wives how to behave towards their husbands, and husbands how to behave towards their wives; and then exhorts to various things common to all Christians, and particularly to suffer patiently for righteousness sake; to which he encourages them from the sufferings of Christ, and the benefits resulting from them, on which he enlarges to the end of the chapter. He begins with the duty of wives to their husbands, even unbelieving ones, which is subjection to them, urged from the profitable effect of it; since hereby they might be won over to the Christian religion, without the use of the word, as a means, by their conversation, which is explained of chastity and fear, 1-Peter 3:1. And he proceeds to give some advice about their apparel, that they should have a greater regard to internal ornaments; particularly meekness and quietness of spirit, which is highly esteemed of by God, rather than to outward adorning; and which he enforces by the examples of godly women in former times, who were so adorned, and were subject to their husbands, particularly Sarah, the wife of Abraham, 1-Peter 3:3. And next the apostle directs husbands how to conduct towards their wives, to dwell with them, and honour them, because vessels, and weaker vessels, and also heirs of the same grace of life; and besides, to use them ill would be an hinderance of their praying together, 1-Peter 3:7. And then follow various exhortations to unity of judgment, compassion, brotherly love, pity, courteousness, and patience under the reproaches and revilings of men, which is the way to inherit a blessing they are called unto, 1-Peter 3:8 and that these are incumbent on the saints, and that they shall be blessed, who are helped to regard them, is proved by some passages out of Psalm 34:12, which passages are cited, 1-Peter 3:10. And in order to encourage to the exercise of the above things, the apostle suggests, that they that so behaved should not be hurt by any; and if they did suffer for righteousness sake from wicked men, yet still they would be happy; nor should this deter them from making a public confession of their faith; to which should be added a good conscience and conversation, to the shame and confusion of them that spoke evil of them, and accused them, 1-Peter 3:13. And though they were distressed and injured by men, they should not be cast down, nor murmur, since it was the will of God it should be so; and since it was better to suffer for doing well than for doing ill; and especially the example of Christ should animate to patience, since he, an innocent person, suffered for the sins of unjust men, to reconcile them to God; and he is now glorified and happy, and so will his people be, 1-Peter 3:17. And having made mention of his being quickened by the Spirit, the apostle takes occasion from hence of observing, that by the same Spirit Christ preached in the times of Noah to disobedient persons, whose spirits were now in hell; and he takes notice of the longsuffering of God in that dispensation towards them, and of the goodness of God in saving Noah, and his family, in the ark, which was a figure of baptism; of which some account is given what it is, and is not, and which saves by the resurrection of Christ, 1-Peter 3:19 who is described by his ascension to heaven, session at the right hand of God, and dominion over angels, authorities, and powers, 1-Peter 3:22.
(1-Peter 3:1-7) The duties of wives and husbands.
(1-Peter 3:8-13) Christians exhorted to agree.
(1-Peter 3:14-22) And encouraged to patience under persecutions for righteousness' sake, considering that Christ suffered patiently.
SUMMARY.--Duties of Women. Of Husbands. Duties of Christians Towards Each Other. Attitude Towards Adversaries. Christian Endurance of Wrong. Christ's Preaching to the Spirits in Prison. Salvation of Those in the Ark. The Antitype is Baptism.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.