INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK OUR STUDY IS 1 PETER 3:1-7. I COULD GET IN A LOT OF TROUBLE TODAY. I HOPE THAT THE LORD WILL KEEP ME OUT OF IT! LETS REVIEW: IN 1 PETER 2 WE LEARNED ABOUT SUBMISSION: FIRST AS FREE MEN TO GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITIES; NEXT AS SLAVES TO THEIR MASTERS; AND LAST AS JESUS SUBMITTED TO THE PUNISHMENT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OURS. THIS WEEK WE CONTINUE ON THE SUBJECT OF SUBMISSION.
I. WIVES A. READ 1PET. 3:1-2. WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY THE PHRASE, "IN THE SAME WAY?" (AS WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING.) B. THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED SUBMISSION IN THE NIV AND SUBJECTION IN THE KJV IS "HUPOTASSO" (HOOP-OT-AS-SO). THIS IS PRIMARILY A MILITARY TERM. (THE SAME WORD IS USED IN 1 COR. 15:27 WHERE IS SPEAKS OF JESUS IN THE END PUTTING ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET, AND GOD PUTTING EVERYTHING UNDER JESUS.) 1. SHOULD WIVES BE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS A JUNIOR MILITARY OFFICER? C. IN COL 3:18, PAUL SAYS THAT WIVES SHOULD SUBMIT TO HUSBANDS "AS IS FITTING IN THE LORD." AND IN EPH 5:22 HE SAYS THAT THE "HUSBAND IS THE HEAD OF THE WIFE AS CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH." 1. I HAVE HEARD IT SAID THAT WIVES NEED ONLY TO SUBMIT TO HUSBANDS WHO ARE PROPERLY IN THIS LINE OF AUTHORITY: JESUS>HUSBANDS>WIVES. IS THIS WHAT PETER SAYS? (NO. PETER SAYS SUBMIT TO UNBELIEVING HUSBANDS.) 2. OUR LESSON SAYS THAT THE WIFE IS NOT TO SUBMIT TO EMOTIONAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE. (SUNDAY) a. IS THAT WHAT PETER SAYS? b. IN 2:18 HE TELLS SLAVES TO SUBMIT EVEN TO MASTERS WHO ARE HARSH, AND AND IN 2:19 HE TELLS US TO "BEAR UP" "UNDER THE PAIN OF UNJUST SUFFERING," AND HE SPECIFICALLY REFERS IN v.20 TO THEM BEING "BEATEN." THEN HE SAYS IN 3:1, "IN THE SAME WAY..." 3. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THIS SUBMISSION? (THAT THE UNBELIEVING HUSBAND WILL BE CONVERTED.) 4. NOTE THAT PETER SAYS IN v.1 THAT THE UNBELIEVING HUSBAND MAY BE WON OVER W\O WORDS! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? (THAT TALKING TO HIM MAY NOT WORK AT ALL. HE MAY TOTALLY REFUSE TO LISTEN. BUT THE WIFE STILL HAS THE TESTIMONY OF HER LIFE!) D. IF THE WIFE WERE TRULY SUBMISSIVE, WOULDN'T SHE ADOPT THE RELIGION OF HER HUSBAND? (THE FACT THAT HE ASSUMES THIS IS NOT HAPPENING SHOWS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT ABOUT WHAT PETER IS SAYING.) E. DO YOU THINK THAT PETER SUGGESTS THAT THE SUBMISSION OF THE WIFE IS ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE SUBMISSION TO GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITIES OR THE SUBMISSION TO A MASTER (OR EMPLOYER)? 1. IF IT IS THE SAME, IS THIS AN ATTITUDE THAT THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD HAVE TOWARDS AUTHORITY REGARDLESS OF GENDER? 2. ARE OUR NATURAL HEARTS IN REBELLION TOWARDS THAT KIND OF ATTITUDE? II. HUSBANDS A. SO I WILL NOT BE ACCUSED OF DELIBERATELY NOT GETTING TO THIS PART OF THE STUDY, LETS SKIP DOWN NOW TO v.7. READ. B. NOTICE THAT PETER AGAIN STARTS OUT BY SAYING, "IN THE SAME WAY." IN THE SAME WAY AS WHAT? (HE IS TALKING ABOUT AN OVERALL ATTITUDE THAT REFLECTS THIS ENTIRE CHAPTER: AN ATTITUDE OF SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY.) C. INSTEAD OF SAYING "BE CONSIDERATE," THE KJV SAYS "DWELL WITH THEM ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE" 1. ANY IDEA WHAT THE KJV IS TALKING ABOUT? (THE GREEK WORD IS "GNOSIS," AND IT MEANS "A SEEKING TO KNOW.") 2. NOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS MEANS? (THAT WE SHOULD SEEK TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND OUR WIVES. THE NKJV TRANSLATES IT BEST WHEN IT SAYS, "DWELL WITH THEM WITH UNDERSTANDING." WHAT A WONDERFUL PICTURE!) D. THE WORD TRANSLATED "RESPECT" (KJV "HONOR") IN v.7 IS THE GREEK WORD "TIME" (TEE-MAY') WHICH IS THE SAME WORD TRANSLATED "PRECIOUS" IN 2:7 ("NOW TO YOU WHO BELIEVE, THIS STONE IS PRECIOUS" (SPEAKING OF CHRIST) 1. HOW PRECIOUS IS THIS STONE? (OF INFINITE VALUE.) 2. ARE WE JUST SPEAKING OF RESPECT HERE--OR JUST HONOR--FOR OUR WIVES? (WHAT A VIEWPOINT! THE SAME WORD THAT DESCRIBES THE PRECIOUS NATURE OF CHRIST IS THE WORD USED TO DESCRIBE THE WIFE.) E. DOES THIS PERMIT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES A CHRISTIAN HUSBAND PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY ABUSING HIS WIFE? (ABSOLUTELY NOT. UNTHINKABLE.) F. WHY DOES PETER SAY THAT IF WE DO NOT GET THIS RIGHT OUR PRAYERS WILL BE HINDERED? (STRONGS SAYS THAT THE GREEK IS EKKOPTO-- WHICH MEANS "TO CUT OFF!" VINES INDICATES THAT THE BEST MANUSCRIPTS HAVE ENKOPTO--TO HINDER.) 1. HOW ARE OUR PRAYERS GOING TO BE HINDERED? (a. PERHAPS IF PRAYING TO HAVE A GOOD MARRIAGE, YOUR PRAYERS WILL BE HINDERED IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE. b. PERHAPS IT MEANS THAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR WIFE IS KEY TO YOUR SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING. c. PERHAPS IT MEANS THAT CHRISTIAN COUPLES SHOULD PRAY TOGETHER--AND NOT TREATING OUR WIFE PROPERLY IS GOING TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.) III. ADORNMENT: BEAUTY OF CHARACTER A. LETS GO BACK NOW TO v.3-4. READ B. IS PETER NOW TURNING TO A NEW TOPIC? OR DOES THIS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE CONCEPT OF SUBMISSION AND WITNESS TO UNBELIEVING HUSBANDS? (HE IS ON THE SAME TOPIC. READ v. 5-6: PETER LINKS THE TWO IDEAS.) C. CONSIDER THIS: THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED "BEAUTY" (NIV) OR "ADORNING" (KJV) (v.3) IS KOSMOS! YOU KNOW THIS WORD--IT MEANS THE UNIVERSE, ORDER, ARRANGEMENT. D. SO YOUR KOSMOS SHOULD NOT COME FROM THE WAY YOU WEAR YOUR HAIR OR YOUR CLOTHES OR YOUR GOLD JEWELRY. 1. WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS MEANS? (THAT YOUR SELF-WORTH; YOUR ESSENCE SHOULD NOT COME FROM WHAT YOU HAVE.) E. DO YOU THINK THAT PETER IS GIVING ANY ADVICE AT ALL ON WEARING JEWELRY? F. OR DOES IT TELL THEM THAT WE SHOULD NOT RELY ON THESE THINGS FOR BEAUTY OR SELF-WORTH? G. WHAT THEN SHOULD WE RELY ON FOR OUR "KOSMOS?" (v.4 YOUR INNER SELF: A GENTLE AND QUIET SPIRIT.) H. OUR WORTH COMES FROM WHAT IS INSIDE AND NOT WHAT WE HAVE! I. 1. LETS LOOK AT THIS ISSUE IN MORE PRACTICAL DETAIL: DOES AN ENGAGEMENT RING TODAY MAKE A STATEMENT? WHAT IS THE PRIMARY PURPOSE (OR STATEMENT) OF AN ENGAGEMENT RING TODAY? (TO SHOW THE WORTH (WEALTH AND IMPORTANCE) OF THE HUSBAND OF THE BRIDE TO BE.) J. LETS READ AGAIN 1 PETER 3: 3-4. DOES THIS THIS FIT THE CONCEPT OF THE ENGAGEMENT RING? DOES PETER SAY THAT WORTH COMES FROM WEALTH? (NO! SEEMS TO BE EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. THE "GREAT WORTH" THAT IS OF VALUE TO GOD IS A GENTLE AND QUIET SPIRIT.) K. THE NKJV (AND NASB) HAS AN INTERESTING TRANSLATION FOR THIS. NKJV SAYS, "DO NOT LET YOUR ADORNMENT BE MERELY OUTWARD-- ARRANGING THE HAIR, WEARING GOLD, OR PUTTING ON FINE APPAREL--" L. THOSE OF YOU WHO THINK THIS IS TALKING ABOUT JEWELRY CONSIDER PETER'S EXAMPLE--SARAH: DO YOU THINK THAT SARAH WORE JEWELRY? OR THAT ABRAHAM WOULD GIVE HER ANY? 1. YOU REMEMBER THAT ABRAHAM WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING A WIFE FOR ISSAC AMONG THOSE OF HIS FAMILY (AND NOT HIS NEIGHBORS THE CANAANITES.) AND SO HE SENT ELIEZER HIS CHIEF SERVANT TO GO BACK TO HIS RELATIVES IN THE "OLD COUNTRY" AND FIND A WIFE (GEN 24) 2. AS PART OF THIS PROCESS WE FIND IN GEN. 24:10 THAT ELIEZER GETS FROM ABRAHAM THE "GOOD THINGS" THAT ARE TO BE GIVEN TO GET THIS WIFE. 3. ELIEZER GOES AND IN GEN 24: 15 HE SEES REBEKAH AND IN v.21 HE WATCHES TO SEE IF SHE IS THE ONE THAT THE LORD HAS IN MIND FOR ISSAC. 4. HE DECIDES THAT SHE IS, FOR IN 24:22 HE GIVES HER SOME OF THE "GOOD THINGS" FROM ABRAHAM: A ONE BEKA GOLD NOSE RING AND TWO TEN SHEKELS GOD BRACELETS! 5. WE FIND IN v. 30 THAT THIS CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF THE FUTURE IN-LAWS. LATER WE FIND REBEKAH GETTING A LOT MORE GOLD AND SILVER JEWELRY (v.53) 6. WHAT IS THE REASONABLE CONCLUSION TO BE DRAWN FROM THIS? WHY WAS THIS STUFF IN ABRAHAM'S HOUSEHOLD? IV. NEXT WEEK: 1 PETER 3:8-22. (DEFENDING THE FAITH.)
