1 Peter 3:1-22

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: 1 Peter

Rusty's Notes

Crisis in the Churches of Northwest Asia

• The Christians throughout the Empire are suffering severe persecution.
• Peter has received word that the churches in northwest Asia are suffering massive attacks.
• They are distressed and in great need of encouragement.
• The persecution has become so bad that the Gentile Christians are being tempted to revert to their past pagan lifestyles to lessen the heat.
• Some believers are rebelling against local authorities because of the mistreatment and slander they are receiving from them.

PETER WRITES 1 PETER

• Year: A.D. 65
• From: Rome
• To: The churches in northwest Asia: Pontus, North Galatia, Cappadocia, and Bithynia.[1]
• 1) Set your hope (1:13)
• 2) Be holy (1:16)
• 3) Conduct yourselves (1:17)
• 4) Love one another (1:22)
• 5) Crave spiritual milk (2:2)

 
WIVES AND HUSBANDS
1 PETER 3
1 In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by the way their wives live 2 when they observe your pure, reverent lives.

• In the previous chapter Peter was talking about submitting to leaders of different types because there is no point in revolting against leadership.
• Instead, we are to love and serve our leaders.
• Likewise, Peter is recognizing that wives ought to love and serve their husbands by allowing them to lead.
• This submissive attitude then impacts men in a positive way.
• If they are not believers, then perhaps they will be won over by the love of their wives.
• If they are believers, then they will feel respected and encouraged.

3 Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes, 4 but rather what is inside the heart—the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

• Peter is not forbidding the wearing of Jewelry or any clothing that is attractive.
• Peter is talking about not making beauty merely an outward attribute.
• He is against making external beauty the big deal.
• Instead, women are to seek to know Christ and live from His Spirit.
• This type of beauty never ceases, even with the coming of old age, because it is internal.
• Thus, Peter wants women to find their worth not in that which is visible but in that worth which is spiritual and precious.
• When the focus is on this inner beauty, women may choose to dress nicely or wear Jewelry, but not in order to become something more than who they are in Christ.

5 For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God also adorned themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.

• The women in the Old Testament wore submission to their husbands like clothes.
• The clothing of submission is a perfect fit for children of God.
• It is completely compatible with who wives, as well as husbands, are in Christ.
• Christians can choose to wear behavior that is not fitting for saints.
• But this will never yield peace and joy.
• Only the fruit of the Spirit is fitting for Christians.
• When wives express the fruit of the Spirit to men, then men will feel honored and valued.
• The fear that women carry with this type of lifestyle is based on not wanting to become doormats to their husbands.
• But Peter is clear: Women are co-heirs with their husbands.

You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.
7 Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

• Husbands are to love their wives as one would love a weaker person.
• In other words, husbands are to be gentle with their wives.
• This is not a statement about women's value in marriage.
• Notice that they are fellow heirs of salvation with their husbands.
• Instead, Peter is speaking of physical strength.
• Obviously, in many marriages, the wife is the stronger person: emotionally, mentally, spiritually, morally, socially, and/or physically.
• Nevertheless, physically, the wife is usually weaker than her husband. Most men tend to choose as their wives women who are not as strong as they are.
• This pertains to physical force as well as emotional and verbal abuse.
• Peter likely also has in mind the emotional depth of women and how vulnerable this makes them.

 

• Hinder your prayers: This is a practical statement for couples who are not treating one another well.
• People will not want to pray with their spouses if they are being treated poorly.
• If, however, we express the fruit of the Spirit to one another, then nothing will get in the way of our prayer life.

DO NO EVIL
8 Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble,

• Peter has in mind the whole church, men and women.
• Christians are to have mutual respect and love for one another regardless of gender.
• Males and females must be united under the lordship of Christ.
• This behavior verse and all others encourage Christians to live according to their new nature.
• Ultimately, these verses are timesavers.
• God simply wants us to save ourselves from turmoil which comes from choosing to live in a way that is no longer compatible with our natures.
• God has worked righteousness into us and, consequently, wants us to live in accordance with this nature.
• This will produce good days for the believer as they live from the Spirit and experience the unceasing joy Christ gave us.

9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

• Christians are not to fight back against opponents.
• Instead, they are to know the blessing of Christ’s indwelling life and to choose to love despite any insults that come our way.
• We can choose not to be concerned about our status, instead forgive insults, and live from the inner person that we are in Christ.
• If we understand God’s opinion of us, then the opinion of humans doesn’t matter.

10 For the one who wants to love life
and to see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit,

• The mouth determines the health of our relationships.
• Our words have the ability to sooth and edify people, or cause harm.
• Likewise, our tongues can tell truth or lies.
• Lies will always lead to distrust in relationships.
• Truth, however, always edifies.
• Speaking truth will reflect our new natures in Christ.

11 and let him turn away from evil
and do what is good.
Let him seek peace and pursue it,

•  Christians are to seek edifying relationships with one another and the world, even though it will always inherently resist the claims of Christ.

12 because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against
those who do what is evil.

• God is not in a swivel chair.
• God’s eyes are always on the eyes of His children.
• Likewise, His ears are always attentive to our prayers.
• His face, however, is against all who have rejected the Son of God.
• God hates sin and is forever against it.

 
UNDESERVED SUFFERING
13 Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear them or be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy,

• Believers do not make Christ Lord.
• He is Lord.
• When we receive Christ as Savior, we also receive Him as Lord because we believe that He can save us and has the authority to save us.
• This is a recognition of His lordship.

ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

• Peter is encouraging believers to be ready to give a reason or a defense of our hope in Christ to all who ask us.
• This means that our expression of the Gospel is to be to all who engage us.
• This means that we only tell the Gospel to those who are interested.
• Notice that Peter is not encouraging Christians to walk out onto the street and be belligerent.
• This would not be gentle and respectful of unbelievers.
• Our place is to be ready to engage those who engage us simply.

16 Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.

• Christ’s sacrifice was so perfect that He only needed to die once for all of our sins-past, present and future.
• When we believe this finished work of Christ cleanses us perfectly.
• Peter encouraged Christians to suffer for adhering to this reality, and not for doing wrong.
• Our sins have consequences, and when we treat one another poorly, these consequences impact relationships with believers and unbelievers alike.
• Instead, believers are to love people and be ready to give a reason for this love they possess.
• If we suffer for believing the Gospel, then we share in Christ’s sufferings who died for our sins.
• He suffered for being the Son of God in the midst of worldly darkness.
• Likewise, Christians too will suffer in different ways.

He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people—were saved through water.

• This is a particularly difficult passage to interpret.
• Some believe it means that Christ went to hell to preach to those who were there after the time of Noah’s flood.
• This could certainly be true; however, it is more likely that this is speaking of previous expressions of Christ throughout history.
• The passage specifically speaks of those who were alive when the ark was being built.
• So, it stands to reason, that Christ proclaimed the Gospel through Noah to those who are now currently in spiritual prison.

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

• Peter is speaking of being baptized spiritually into Christ at faith in Jesus, not a physical baptism.
• Notice Peter’s language: The baptism that saves does not remove dirt from the body.

22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.[2]

• Christ is seated at the right hand of God because His salvific work is complete.
• He has removed our sins past, present, and future.
• This means that there is no longer a sacrifice needed for sin.

His work as a High Priest is, therefore, finished. [3]

[1] Viola, Frank, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. Destiny Image, Shippensburg, PA, 2004. 166-167.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Pe 3:1–22.
[3] Farley, Andrew. www.BibleCommentary.com. 1 Peter 3.