Chapter # 3 Paragraph # 1 Study # 1
February 14, 2010
Lincolnton, N.C.
1769 Translation:
1 Likewise, ye wives,
be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2 While they behold your chaste conversation
coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward
adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But
let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
1901 ASV Translation:
1 In like manner, ye wives,
be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives;
2 beholding your chaste behavior
coupled with fear.
3 Whose
adorning let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel;
4 but
let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible
apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands:
6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.
- I. Peter's Third Step Into the Particulars.
- A. The issue: maintaining a legitimate demonstration of the true character of God (2:9, 12).
- 1. This immediately raises the question of "the true character of God" because almost every type of attitude and action, at some levels, can be "justified" as "godlike".
- a. Most of the evil that is in the world is a distortion of a "good".
- b. If the "good" is not clearly known with its boundaries and characteristics, an "evil" can be considered "good".
- 2. The Petrine focus, however, is not "general", but "specific": the focus is upon making sure that "grace" is clear (1:2, 10, 13; 2:19, 20; 3:7; 4:10; 5:5, 10, 12). And, as we have seen, over and over, "grace" cannot be seen except in the context of "demerit" or "injustice".
- B. The most fundamental "attitude": submission (2:13, 18; 3:1, 5).
- 1. Being willing to be "subject" to unjust people in unjust situations is "biblical" (James 5:6), but not typical of human beings.
- 2. The "Christ" (2:21) exemplified this characteristic for the sake of "grace" in a larger context of "justice" (2:23). "Grace" is not the "greatest" characteristic. God is not going to be exercising "grace" forever simply because He is going to remove all occasions for its "necessity" in the final state of things. Instead, God is going to be exercising "righteousness" (Justice) forever as the Scriptures declare in regard to the final state of the Kingdom: "righteousness" is the "sceptre" (Hebrews 1:8) and "righteousness, peace, and joy" are the three most fundamental characteristics (Romans 14:17).
- C. The most fundamental "difficulty": fear (3:6, 14).
- 1. There is, first of all, the "fear" of simply not getting one's own way.
- a. This is an ingrained problem arising out of the "salvation by works" mentality wherein one's works are supposed to be the validation of one's "worth".
- b. This is also ingrained because of the "life through idolatry" issues of thinking "Life" comes by reason of obtaining certain "perks".
- 2. Then, there is the "fear" of being overtly abused by someone else in the pursuit of their own way.
