1 Peter 3:1-22

More Precious Than Gold

1 Peter

Helen Pocock

Chapter 3

Wives and husbands

v1 You wives must respect and obey your own husbands. Some husbands do not obey God’s word. When they see your good behaviour, they will want to know God. This will happen, even if you have not spoken to them about God. v2 They will see that your lives are pure and full of respect. v3 Do not try to make yourself look beautiful only on the outside. People do this by special hair styles, by gold, or by expensive clothes. v4 Your beauty must come from the inside. This beauty comes from a gentle and quiet spirit. It will never wear out. God says that it is very precious. v5 The holy women who lived a long time ago trusted in God. They made themselves beautiful in their spirits. They respected and obeyed their own husbands. v6 Sarah obeyed her husband Abraham. She called him her master. You women should do what is right. Do not be afraid of anything. Then you will be daughters of Sarah. v7 You husbands must live with your own wife in a way that shows that you understand her. Your wife has a weaker body than you have. You must honour her, because God has given both of you his gift of life. If you do this, it will not be so difficult for you to pray together.

Marriage is very important to God. He created marriage. You can read about this at the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 2:20-25. God decided that a husband is the head. His wife should respect and obey him. A husband has more responsibility than his wife has. This does not mean that men are more important than women are. God loves everyone, but he does not give all people the same work to do. When Peter wrote this letter, it was unusual for a wife to have a different religion from her husband. Some women had become Christians, but their husbands had not. Peter had to explain how a Christian wife should behave in that situation.