1 Peter 3:1-7

Wives Are To Submit In Obedience To Their Husbands Who Are To Respond With Compassion And Care Because They Are Joint-Heirs Of The Grace Of Life (1 Peter 3:1).

Peter's view of the new people of God (he never uses the term ‘church' in the Greek text) as the sons and daughters of Abraham (compare Galatians 3:29) comes out almost unconsciously here. To him it was so certain a fact that it did not have to be dwelt on. Abraham and Sarah are the rock from which they were hewn (see Isaiah 51:1, and compare Galatians 4:21). And the theme of obedience continues as wives are called on to submit in obedience to their husbands, as Sarah did to Abraham. Abraham and Sarah provided a clear example of the rightness of the principle of the obedience of a wife to her husband, as one who was under his protection.

It is noteworthy that, as in the case of his words about the authorities, there is no suggestion here of wives being persecuted by, or of suffering because of, their husbands. No doubt some did (as no doubt some suffered under the authorities). But while Peter guards against it by his final advice to husbands, he clearly does not see it as relevant to the issue in hand. His central theme here is not one of suffering, but of obedience. The clearest example of obedience in suffering has been on the part of household servants.

As we shall see there are, in fact, hints in the narrative that suggest that this womanly ‘subjection' may mainly have been seen in terms of sexual relationships. But that is a matter of interpretation.