1 PETER LESSON 5


     We will begin this lesson in I Peter 3:1 "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;"

     We have discussed in previous lessons that the husband is the
head of the family. The husband and the wife are one flesh, not
spirit. We see a very good example of that very thing here. The
husband, in the verse above, is not a believer. The wife who lives a
godly life before an unbelieving husband will probably win him to
Christ. Women who are Christians have a major role in the winning of
their households to Christ. At the time this was written, the customs
of the people had the wife in a very subordinate roll. It was not the
intention of Peter to go against the customs of the people. Wives who
are peacemakers, hold the family together. The husband is the head of
the family, but the wife is the heart. The husband builds the house,
the wife makes it a home. Women, do not nag your husband to become a
Christian, that will run him off. Show him the love that is in you
that was placed there when you became a Christian. He will almost
certainly come to Christ, if he can see Christ in you.

     I Peter 3:2 "While they behold your chaste conversation [coupled]
with fear."

     Just because the wife is a Christian, and perhaps her husband is
not, does not give her the right to rule over him. Show him that you
respect his authority in the home. Christians respect authority, as we
have been reading about.

     I Peter 3:3 "Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning]
of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of
apparel;"

     The beauty of woman should not be an outward beauty, but the
beauty of Christ within her. All of these things spoken of above, draw
attention to the flesh of the woman. True beauty comes from within.

     I Peter 3:4 "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."

     Notice the use of the word man above. You see, most of the time
when the word "man" is used, it means mankind, not someone of the male
gender. Christianity is having a brand new heart. The heart of the
Christian has been washed in the blood of Jesus. Beautiful actions and
words come from a heart stayed upon God. Women and men are saved the
same way. They must confess with their mouths the Lord Jesus and
believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the grave.

     I Peter 3:5 "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:"

     Again, we see the example of the role of women in the home in
regard to their husbands. We, also, know there were several women who
changed the course of their society by their stand for God. Esther,
risked her life to save her people. Deborah was one of the more
prominent judges in the Old Testament. Judges 4:4  "And Deborah, a
prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time." She
led her people [with her general} to victory over their enemies.
Judges 4:9 "And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding
the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the
LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose,
and went with Barak to Kedesh." Deborah, who was married to Lapidoth,
was in great authority in the land. Her authority, in God, did not
alter the fact that her husband was in authority over her flesh. Her
husband was not a weakling, by any means.  "Lapidoth" means lightning
strikes.  Huldah was a very prominent prophetess in the land who sent
the message of God to her king and saved her people. The role of a
woman and her husband is one thing, but the role of a woman with her
God is entirely different.  The spiritual calling always takes
precedent over the flesh calling.  The woman's role pertaining to her
husband has to do with the customs of the land.  Her relationship to
God is spiritual in nature.  There is no problem with women subjecting
themselves to their husbands in the flesh. It is the same thing as
women and men {who are Christians} subjecting themselves to Christ in
the spirit.

     I Peter 3:6 "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."

     Notice lord is not capitalized in the verse above. Sara's Lord is
God. This, again, is speaking of the authority the husband has over
the wife in the family. Women, we took their names. They did not take
our names. Sara obeyed Abraham, because he was her husband.

     I Peter 3:7 "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according
to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be
not hindered."

     We now see that in the things of God they are the same. The woman
is heir with faithful Abraham, because of her belief in Christ. The
same is true of the husband. The wife, as the weaker vessel, is in the
stature of the woman. She is generally of smaller stature than her
husband. Marriage, in the sense of the world, is a contract to live
together and raise a family. It is a contract to be physically one.
They two are one flesh. In the sense of the believers, marriage is a
holy union. The marriage symbolizes the relationship with Christ and
His church. One of the very important aspects of prayer is the prayer
of agreement. If husband and wife agree and are in harmony, this
activates the prayer. Look what Jesus said about this. Matthew 18:19
"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as
touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of
my Father which is in heaven."  God wants husbands and wives {on the
earth} to act as a single unit. Pulling apart gets you nowhere.
Working together gets the job done.

     I Peter 3:8 "Finally, [be ye] all of one mind, having compassion
one of another, love as brethren, [be] pitiful, [be] courteous:"

     This has jumped from husband and wife to the relations of
brothers in the church. The power on the day of Pentecost was the fact
that they were of one accord. A church body should be a family. They
should be more concerned with the needs of their brothers and sisters
than they are with their own needs. The song "Family of God" says it
so well. The love that God puts in the heart of the Christian,
overlooks the faults of others. That kind of love is unconditional.
Christians should be quick to forgive, knowing that God forgave them.
Forgive that you might be fogiven.

     I Peter 3:9 "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing:
but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that
ye should inherit a blessing."

     Look, with me, at what Jesus said about this. Matthew 5:44 "But I
say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you;"  Matthew 5:45 "That ye may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil
and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." The
fact that we do not take vengeance on those who abuse us, is what
separates us as being a Christian.

     I Peter 3:10 "For he that will love life, and see good days, let
him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no
guile:"

     The world's idea of good days, and the Christian's view of good
days are totally different. The world thinks to gain great wealth at
any cost is the good life. The Christian is storing up his treasures
in heaven. The tongue can kill, or make alive. It is a forceful
weapon. The truly good life is the life where you have no regrets.
There are no evil cutting words to take back. Usually that sort of
regret comes when a person has had too much to drink, and has said
things he did not intend to say. Speak healing words from a heart of
love.

     I Peter 3:11 "Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek
peace, and ensue it."

     The word "eschew" means avoid, in the verse above. The Christian
should be searching for peace. Jesus {our Leader} is King of Peace. To
be filled with Jesus is to be filled with peace.




                          1 Peter 5 Questions


1.  Wives be in subjection to your own _____________.
2.  What good will this do, if you have an unbelieving husband?
3.  The husband and the wife are one ______, not one _________.
4.  The husband builds the house, and the wife makes it a ______.
5.  What is wrong with outward adorning of the body?
6.  True beauty comes from _______.
7.  What does the word "man" generally mean?
8.  How are women saved?
9.  Where do beautiful words and actions come from?
10. Name several of the women who changed their society?
11. What was Deborah, besides a judge?
12. What does "Lapidoth" mean?
13. The woman's role with her husband is _________, not law.
14. What did Sara call Abraham?
15. Who is Sara's Lord?
16. Why did Sara obey Abraham?
17. What are husbands and wives heirs together of?
18. What does the world believe about marriage?
19. What is marriage in the sight of God?
20. What does marriage symbolize?
21. Quote Matthew chapter 18 verse 19.
22. Finally be ye all of one ________.
23. What was one important factor of day of Pentecost?
24. God's kind of love in ______________.
25. Quote Matthew chapter 5 verse 44.
26. He that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his
    tongue from _______.
27. What is the truly good life?
28. What does the word "eschew " mean?
29. To be filled with Jesus is to be filled with ________.