1 Peter

Chapter 3

vs 1

This isn't a good verse to bandy about trying to say women should submit to their husbands. It's very specific - firstly, it's comparing women submitting to husbands as to a slave submitting to unjust punishment. Remember, women weren't exactly the pinnacle of ancient civilisations, so husbands would regularly mistreat their wives. Secondly, this verse's particular purpose is regarding wives whose husbands aren't Christian. Again, the focus is on our good lives being a witness to the unsaved.

vs 2

This verse just focuses on what it is about that life which is appealing, or at least obvious to the outside world (husband in this case).

vs 3

No, this is not saying that women shouldn't be pretty. It's not saying that you shouldn't wear makeup or braid your hair. If you think that, you need to go and do a BA in logic. What it is saying is that, if your outward appearance is all that attracts people to you, because you wear pretty clothes but you're a total bitch, then that's not a Christian attitude.

Prettiness and sexiness are temporary - they will wear with age I can assure you.

vs 4

Instead, your attractiveness should come from a quiet and gentle spirit. It's like in a White Wolf game - you've got points in appearance, but also points in charisma. Your outward appearance will help you right up to the point you open your mouth, or do an activity, or interact with people. Then it's pretty useless. Human's lives aren't spent sitting on a pedestal for people to stare at - they are seen in reality. And even the prettiest girl in the world's looks becomes ho-hum when you get to know her, because it's just the same-old same-old. But inner beauty never gets old, and God values it.

vs 5

If you look at the holy women of the past, supposedly they did all this too. And there are some good examples. Ruth's attitude to her mother-in-law and to Boaz is an attractive attitude. It's the same with Esther. Now look here - both of them were bombshells! I can prove this with an etch-a-sketch. Boaz sees Ruth in the field and goes "Woah baby!". Xerxes has his pick of all the prettiest virgins in the land, and picks Esther. But that lasts long enough to get them to the stage of first conversation - then Boaz likes the look of Ruth's character, and Esther keeps Xerxes happy by serving his needs.

vs 6

But of course Peter goes for the big daddy Abraham and his wife Sarah for his example. She was also a babe (even when she was old and crusty, the king if Egypt wants her). Notice that Peter says here "Don't give way to fear" - just another reminder that he's talking to women whose husbands are not believers. Because Christian husbands shouldn't give their wives anything to fear.

vs 7

Now if you read this verse and see the word 'considerate', you're missing its meaning. It's meaning comes in the words "in the same way". Husbands should submit to the needs of their wives out of consideration for them.

Yes, women are the weaker sex. It's a fact. I say this because basically every society ever built, even the Jewish and Christian societies of history, have relegated women. This is not in my opinion a theological statement - it is a practical one. If women were the stronger sex, then they'd have dominated more civilisations than they did. You can make all the arguments about women as power-behind-the-throne etc, but I make the same argument about humans being more powerful than vampires. Sure, vampires get all the funky powers and are basically immortal - but they have to hide who they are, and live in fear of the sun and of fire wielded by humans. Same thing for women - they might be smarter, more caring, higher pain tolerance, stronger and better people than men in many ways - but men have historically been dominant. That doesn't make it right or even biblically theological - but it's how it's been. And so Peter uses it here.

Finally, I don't know what he means by hindering prayers. The most logical meaning would be that "your" is plural, and it hinders the prayers of the couple together. But if the "your" is singular, I guess it's a conscience thing for treating your wife badly, or that God doesn't hear the prayers of bad husbands...

vs 8

This call is to harmony within the church! When you look at it with verse 9, it makes you wonder what sort of churches these people were attending.

vs 9

Oh, wait, they're our churches. We've got to learn that one of the primary witnesses we have to the outside world is how we treat our fellow Christians. People will know we are Christian when they see how we treat each other, if we're doing it right. We were actually called to harmony, and it's a means of blessing for us. Certainly the opposite of harmony is not a blessing in any church.

vs 10-11

Psalm 34 being quoted. It's showing where the promise of blessing comes from. Firstly for keeping your mouth from evil, then for seeking peace (or harmony).

vs 12

There's another comment about prayers not being heard - could link to the earlier vs 7? Isn't it interesting seeing Peter expound the Bible. First he establishes his point by preaching it with his own apostolic authority. Then he uses the Bible to show that he's not talking crap - to show that his views line up with God's view.

I've always thought that this was a key to reaching people with the Bible today. Post-modernists are all about tolerating and enjoying other people's ideas on how stuff works. The only reason they ignore the Bible is because they are also anti-institutional. But if we are out there as Christians saying "Hey, why don't we try doing things this way?" then people are more likely to listen to it because it's an alternate point of view. I'm not saying we necessarily hide that it's from the Bible, but if that is the stumbling block, then use the Bible without using it, if you know what I mean. Of course, this means we've got to know what it says, and we've got to be able to tell others what it says without quoting chapter and verse. And that, my friends, is called theology. Note its practical usefulness!