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How does 1 Peter 3:5, 6 with the Bible\u2019s use of the word \u201cobey\u201d affect wives and in particular women in ministry?<\/p>\n
Some say that wives are to \u201cobey\u201d their husbands in everything and that this makes the husband the \u201clord\u201d or \u201cmaster\u201d of the wife. \u00a0Many hierarchists will reason that it follows then that if a wife is to obey everything her \u201cmaster\u201d tells her, if she were to be in a leadership position, then the husband would be in the position to control her decisions and her position as he is the wife\u2019s \u201clord\u201d. \u00a0But is unquestioning obedience and a role of the husband\u2019s \u201clordship\u201d what Peter is speaking of in 1 Peter 3:5, 6?<\/p>\n
To determine the meaning of these two verses, we must first look at the complete context of the book of 1 Peter. \u00a0The book starts with a statement by Peter that Christians are chosen to obey Jesus Christ. \u00a0Obedience is a big part of Peter\u2019s instruction, and it is always ultimately an\u00a0obedience to Christ<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n 1 Peter 1:1, 2 \u00a0Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens,\u2026who are chosen\u2026to obey Jesus Christ\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Another important theme from 1 Peter is\u00a0service toward others<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0In 1 Peter 1:10-12 Peter reveals that the Prophets were not serving themselves, but they were serving us.<\/p>\n 1 Peter 1:12 \u00a0It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n 1 Peter 1:22 \u00a0Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n 1 Peter 2:12 \u00a0Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Peter 2:16 \u00a0Act as\u00a0free<\/strong>\u00a0men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Peter 2:17 \u00a0Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 1 Peter 3:5 \u00a0For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Peter 3:5 \u2026being submissive to their own husbands;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Peter 3:6 \u00a0just as Sarah obeyed Abraham\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Peter 3:6\u2026calling him lord\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Peter 3:6\u2026and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It is also interesting that Peter shows that the wife\u2019s actions are not to be coerced since the term \u201cwithout being frightened by any fear\u201d according to the\u00a0Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, it is preferable to be taken in the active sense (as not fearing human intimidation). \u00a0 The\u00a0Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament also says this \u2013<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 1 Pet 3:6, in the exhortation to Christian women married to non-Christian men: \u201cfear no\u00a0intimidation<\/em>\u00a0[from the men]\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Peter 3:7 \u00a0You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Honor, then is to be given one to another in humility, in brotherly love and in blessing each other in the fear of God. \u00a0This is required from all Christians.<\/p>\n What 1 Peter 3:5, 6 does not say:<\/p>\n 1. \u00a0Peter doesn\u2019t say that the husband is the wife\u2019s \u00a0master.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0As Christians, we have only one Lord and Master, and that is Jesus.<\/p>\n 1 Corinthians 8:6 \u00a0yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 2. \u00a0Peter does not say that the husband has authority over the wife.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Instead of being slaves of other humans, Peter shows that all Christians are free in the spirit and have the ability to have self-determination, yet that self-determination is not to be used for evil.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nIn this service, Peter tells us that we are called to\u00a0holiness in our behavior<\/em><\/strong>.<\/div>\n\n
1 Peter 1:15 \u00a0but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;<\/div>\n1 Peter 1:16 \u00a0because it is written, \u201cYOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nWe need to note here that all of us are called to obedience to Christ. \u00a0All of us are called to serve others, and all of us are called to holy living. \u00a0We are also called to a sincere love for the body of Christ.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nPeter then goes on in chapter 2 to describe the Christian\u2019s behavior before the unsaved. \u00a0In 1 Peter 2:12 he writes:<\/div>\n\nWhile Christians are to live an exemplary life among those who are not saved, we are also called to submit to human institutions set up to govern the people. \u00a0The reason we are to submit to the governing authorities is because it is the will of God that we do what is right. \u00a0Submission to the government will also silence those who look for something to accuse us of wrongdoing. \u00a0It is a witness to the unsaved.<\/div>\n\n
1 Peter 2:13 \u00a0Submit yourselves for the Lord\u2019s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,<\/div>\n1 Peter 2:14 \u00a0or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.<\/div>\n1 Peter 2:15 \u00a0For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHowever even though we are called to submit to human governments, we are free to act as though we are indeed free men. \u00a0In 1 Peter 2:16, the Greek word for the word \u201cfree\u201d means \u201cpolitical and social freedom allowing for\u00a0self-determination<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d \u00a0 That self-determination is not meant to be used for doing what is wrong, but the freedom is to be used to align ourselves with Christ.<\/div>\nA\u00a0bondslave<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0means\u00a0one who\u00a0serves in obedience to another\u2019s will<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\nNext Peter admonishes Christians to honor, love, fear.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nWhile we honor all people and honor the governing authorities, the only one that we are to fear is God. \u00a0In chapter 2, Peter admonishes servants. \u00a0The term \u201cservant\u201d here means one who is within the household, one who belongs to the family. \u00a0These servants were to honor God by being\u00a0submissive to their masters with a respectful attitude. \u00a0While service normally was to be a \u201cduty\u201d that was owed by a servant, Paul makes it a service that is given freely to the master and done in honor serving God. \u00a0The service is given not only to the good masters but also to those who are unreasonable whose personal behavior is\u00a0unscrupulous, unfair or dishonest.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThen in 1 Peter 3:1 Paul says \u201cin the same way\u201d wives are to be submissive to their own husbands.<\/div>\n\n\n
1 Peter 3:1 \u00a0In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,<\/div>\n1 Peter 3:2 \u00a0as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThe term \u201cin the same way\u201d means likewise, of equal degree or manner and denoting perfect agreement, similarly, in like manner. \u00a0In context, the \u201clikewise\u201d means to show honor, love, respect in the fear of God. \u00a0The reason is given is that if any husband is not a believer, that husband may be won to a faith in Christ through the respectful behavior of his wife. \u00a0\u201cIn the same way\u201d would also connect what Peter has already said about submission showing that the wife is free,\u00a0allowing for\u00a0self-determination,\u00a0<\/em>yet<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0that self-determination is not meant to be used for dishonor and disrespect towards her husband. \u00a0Instead, she is to freely honor her husband and is so doing she honors her Lord and Savior. \u00a0In this way she is putting on the Christian character that is precious to God.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
1 Peter 3:3 \u00a0Your adornment must not be merely external\u2013braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;<\/div>\n1 Peter 3:4 \u00a0but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is where we can take all that we have seen in 1 Peter and apply it. \u00a0Let\u2019s take the first part of 1 Peter 3:5 \u2013<\/div>\n\u201cFor in this way\u201d means the way of respect, honor, love and fear of God. \u00a0These were women who hoped in God. \u00a0The term \u201chope\u201d means\u00a0an attitude of looking forward to, usually, a trusting, confident hope. \u00a0It was a trust in God that He would take care of them.<\/div>\nThese women voluntarily submitted to serve their own husbands. \u00a0Verse 6 shows several ways that Sarah served her husband and honored him.<\/div>\nThe term \u201cobey\u201d has a basic meaning of \u201clisten to\u201d\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>Vol. 4<\/span>:\u00a0<\/span>Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament<\/span>. Baker\u2019s Greek New Testament library).\u00a0<\/span>Sarah honored Abraham by listening to him. \u00a0In much the same way, Abraham was instructed by God\u00a0<\/span>to listen to\u00a0Sarah when she instructed Abraham to drive out Hagar from their midst.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/em>\n<\/div>\n\n
Genesis 21:9 \u00a0Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.<\/div>\nGenesis 21:10 \u00a0Therefore she said to Abraham, \u201cDrive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.\u201d<\/div>\nGenesis 21:11 \u00a0The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son.<\/div>\nGenesis 21:12 \u00a0But God said to Abraham, \u201cDo not be distressed because of the lad and your maid;\u00a0whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her<\/strong>, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nNot only did Sarah respect Abraham by listening to him but she also called him \u201clord\u201d.<\/div>\nThe term \u201clord\u201d was a cultural term\u00a0that was \u201ca form of address showing respect\u00a0sir, lord\u201d \u00a0Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Not all godly women called their husbands \u201clord\u201d but Sarah did. \u00a0This is one form of respect. \u00a0It was\u00a0her<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0way of showing respect. \u00a0There are other ways. \u00a0Today, it is not culturally correct in our society for a woman to call her husband \u201clord\u201d. \u00a0However, it would be very respectful for her to call him dear or sweetheart. \u00a0Sarah calling Abraham \u201clord\u201d was a term of respect but calling him \u201clord\u201d was not the description of his \u201crole\u201d. \u00a0If the husband was to be the \u201clord\u201d over his wife, where is such a \u201crole\u201d stated? \u00a0There is no second witness that a term of respect was to be interpreted that God Himself gave the husband the ability to \u201clord over\u201d over his wife. \u00a0In fact, the disciples were told that there was to be no \u201clording over\u201d the others in the body of Christ. \u00a0(Matthew 20:25-28; 1 Peter 5:3)<\/div>\nIn this verse, Peter encourages wives to be respectful like Sarah. \u00a0Sarah is not the standard of reverence and respect. \u00a0She is an\u00a0example\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>of respect while Jesus is the one who is the standard.<\/div>\n\nPeter is emphasizing that Christian women are to fear God and not to fear intimidation from their husbands. \u00a0The submission then is not something that is forced on them or demanded by the husband. \u00a0Instead, it is loving acts of kindness in service to their husband that flows from their service to God.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPeter doesn\u2019t stop with the wives. \u00a0He goes on to make it clear that husbands also must give honor to their wives.<\/div>\n\n\nIt is such an important issue to Peter that men show honor to their wives, that he tells them that their prayers will be hindered if they do not honor their wives as fellow heirs of God in the grace of life.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPeter sums up everything that he has written so far.<\/div>\n\n
1 Peter 3:8 \u00a0To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;<\/div>\n1 Peter 3:9 \u00a0not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n3. \u00a0The wife is never said to be the bond-servant of the husband.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0A\u00a0bondslave<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(or bondservant means\u00a0one who serves in obedience to another\u2019s will.)\u00a0<\/em>A wife is never said to be one who serves in obedience to her husband\u2019s will. \u00a0Rather than being subject to her husband\u2019s will, the wife has self-determination by owning her own will and she is not to be intimidated by her husband. \u00a0Instead, she is to freely serve him by doing good for him as an active service to her Lord. \u00a0The difference is free-will service, not bondage.<\/div>\n