1 Peter Chapter 3

In this transcription, Julie Callio discusses the main ideas from chapter 3 of 1 Peter. Peter wrote to encourage believers during persecutions, emphasizing that salvation comes through Jesus' sacrifice. He reminds readers of their identity in Christ and how it should influence their behavior. Peter addresses wives, urging them to be submissive even to unbelieving husbands, using Sarah as an example. Husbands are instructed to honor their wives. Peter then addresses all believers, emphasizing unity, compassion, and not repaying evil for evil. He quotes from Psalm 34, reminding believers to watch their words and seek peace. Peter discusses suffering for righteousness' sake and the example of Jesus. He mentions Noah and the ark as a warning of God's eschatological judgment. Peter compares the ark to baptism and assures believers of salvation through Jesus. He concludes by encouraging women to examine their hope, honor others, and seek peace, reminding them of the ongoing process of salvat I am Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at vab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are looking at chapter 3 of 1 Peter. As a review, Peter was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus who wrote to believers who lived in modern day Turkey, and his purpose was to encourage them in the faith, especially during persecutions. This is probably during the time of Nero's persecutions of Christians, and traditionally it is thought that Peter was in Rome. Peter reminded his readers that they are saved, they are in the process of being saved, and someday that salvation will be complete at the revelation of Jesus Christ. He stressed that the only way we are saved is because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross with his death, burial, and resurrection. Believers have hope because of what Jesus did when he shed his precious blood for us, and we have a faith that is more precious than silver. Peter reminded the readers of who they were in Christ Jesus, a living stone, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's possession, and then he explained that because we have this salvation, it affects how we live. He starts with the understanding of submitting to authority as unto the Lord. Chapter 2 verse 17 reads, Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Chapter 2 ends with servants being submissive to their masters, and then Peter gave the ultimate example of Jesus and how he was submissive even as he was being crucified because he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. In other words, he entrusted himself to God the Father. That's in verse 23. Then chapter 3 begins, In 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. One thing Jen Wilkins had in her Bible study of 1 Peter that I thought was so valuable was she said, We have nothing to fear within these pages of the Bible. There is nothing in here that can harm us. It can only be for our good. Ladies, another thing to keep in mind is that there is a difference between harm and hurt. An example is that when we go to the dentist, it can hurt, but it does not harm us. It is for our good. Sometimes words in the Bible hurt, but the intent is never to harm us. God loves us and is in the process of making us more like him. When Peter wrote, In the same way, it refers back to how everyone is to submit to authorities, chapter 2 verse 13, and how slaves are to submit to their masters, verse 18, but especially how Jesus submitted to the Father. Ladies, we are not the only ones who are to submit, and most of us get to choose whom we marry. That is why, if I have any young listeners out there, don't jump into marriage too quickly. Because of the Christian woman, when we say, I do, we are choosing to place ourselves under his authority. Verses 1-6 Peter talks of wives submitting to their husbands, and especially if a believing wife is married to an unbelieving husband. Their actions, without words, should show Christ so that they might come to believe. As Christian women, our beauty should come from within. He used Sarah, Abraham's wife, as an example from Genesis chapters 12-23. Two times Abraham told people that Sarah was his sister, and both times God protected her from advances by other men. Jen Wilkins said again, let your actions shout the gospel. Verse 7, Peter addressed the husbands and said again, in the same way, they were to live in understanding that the wife is a weaker vessel. Edwin A. Blum said, but this is not to be taken morally, spiritually, or intellectually. It simply means that the woman has less physical strength. The husband is to show his wife honor, because we are co-heirs of the grace of life. Then Peter said, if they do not, their prayers may be hindered. Then verses 8-12 addresses all believers again. We are to be like minded. This means live in harmony with each other. I like that explanation, because in harmony we sing different notes, but they go well together. As Christians, we don't sing the same notes, but what we do goes well together. We are to be sympathetic or share our sorrows and troubles. We are to love believers, and we do that because God loves us. We are to be compassionate, have a tender heart, be humble, to not look down upon any person as inferior, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult, but in contrast give a blessing, because this is what we are called to do. When we are a blessing to others, we inherit a blessing from God. Then verses 10-12 Peter quotes from Psalm 34 verses 12-16, which is a wisdom psalm. It reminds us to watch our tongue and to do good. We are to seek peace and run after it. Why? Because the Lord is watching, and his ears are listening. He blesses the faithful, but to the unfaithful, those that do evil, the face of the Lord is against them. Many times God rescues the faithful ones, like he did with Sarah, but sometimes he allows us to suffer, even if we are doing the right thing. In verses 13-16 Peter continued that even if we suffer because of our righteousness, we are blessed. We do not have to fear our persecutors. We are to remember Christ is Lord, and he is the Lord Almighty. Then he says, always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is in you. When we focus on Jesus, when we know that he has our back, when we truly understand that God is in control, we do not act like people of the world during difficult times because our trust and hope are in God. People should see that difference, and then when they ask, why aren't you afraid? We can tell them about Jesus, but we are to do it with gentleness and respect to our adversaries. Chapter 3 ends with some extremely difficult verses to understand, but the plus is that no matter how you interpret these verses, and there are many views on how to do that, it does not change our understanding of salvation or what we are to do since we are saved. Peter continued with the concept of suffering in the midst of doing good, and then he gave Jesus as the perfect example. Jesus died once for all, the righteous one for the unrighteous many, so that he would bring us to God the Father. Then Peter explained what happened to Jesus after his death, but before his resurrection. He was dead in the body, but his spirit was made alive in the spiritual realm. He proclaimed, the word is not evangelized, to the disobedient from the past. Then Peter mentioned Noah and the ark. Ray Summers said, every blow of Noah's hammer was a call to repentance in view of coming judgment. The call went unheeded, even though God's patience waited for a response. It is possible that Noah's time was mentioned because it was the first time that God destroyed all of the earth, all of humanity, except the eight who entered the ark. It could be a reminder that God will destroy the earth again, except this time through fire. Edwin A. Blum said, the flood judgment is a warning to humanity of God's coming eschatological judgment on the disobedient world. The ark that saved a few through water portrays the salvation now available in Christ. Eschatological, by the way, means the study of the end times. In Revelation, Peter compares the ark to baptism, but he made it a point that it was not the washing of our bodies, but the pledge, the declaration of what baptism means. The ark saved Noah and his family from the flood. People who associate with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection comes into life and we will be saved from that second destruction because Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of God, the father with angels, authorities, and powers all subjected to him. Since Jesus overcame those who believe in him, those who pledge in him, those who proclaim in him, they too will overcome. We have hope. So ladies, let me ask you, how is your hope? Is your spirit at peace? How are you doing at honoring people? Do you speak to people with gentleness and reverence? As Peter explained in the beginning of this letter, our salvation is a process. We are being saved. None of us are perfect. So the question is, am I better than I was? Ladies, if your heart is not at peace, if there is something not right in your soul, maybe you need to work through some anger or forgive someone. Are you angry with God? Tell him, he knows anyway. Are you struggling with submission in your marriage? With all these things, tell it to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is in the process of making us more like Christ and many times he uses difficult times to chip away the rough edges. If you have heard his voice today, ladies, please don't harden your heart. Instead, let's be women who submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and pray and obey. Until next time and thank you so much for listening.