The Old Testament Examples of Submission Peter illustrates what he means by submission by referring to the lives of holy women who hoped in God. Although he specifically mentions Sarah in verse 6, the plural women refers to godly women generally in the Old Testament. The pattern of their lives was that those who were hoping in God (the present participle suggests continuing in hope over time) used to adorn themselves in this way, or so (houtos, thus, referring to adorning with a gentle and quiet spirit). The word adorn (rsv; kosmeo ) is the verb related to the noun adorning in verse 3, and its imperfect tense indicates continuing or repeated action over time in the past, they were repeatedly or continually adorning themselves in this way. They were submissive to their husbands (verse 5) brings us back to the theme of verses 1-2 and indicates the relationship between such submission and the inward beauty of verses 3-4. Quiet confidence in God produces in a woman the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, but it also enables her to submit to her husband's authority without fear that it will ultimately be harmful to her well-being or her personhood. Peter uses Sarah's submission to Abraham as an example of such submissiveness to a husband. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands (verse 5) as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him her master (or lord ). Peter does not seem to be referring to any one specific incident here, for the main verb and both participles in verse 5 all indicate a continuing pattern of conduct during one's life (see above). The example of Sarah's obedience would be an appropriate encouragement to the wives to whom Peter was writing, for Sarah became the mother of all God's people in the old covenant (Isaiah 51:2; cf. Galatians 4:22-26), even though there had been many times in which following Abraham had meant trusting God in uncertain, unpleasant, and even dangerous situations (Genesis 12:1, 5, 10-15; 13:1; 20:2-6 [cf. verse 12]; 22:3). Yet Peter says believing women are now her children (or daughters ), the true members of her spiritual family. To be Sarah's daughter is to be a joint heir of the promises and the honor given to her and to Abraham. The condition for being Sarah's daughters is if you do what is right and do not give way to fear (verse 6). Both verbs are again present participles indicating a pattern of life continued over time: If you are doing what is right and not giving way to fear, then you are (more accurately, you have become ) Sarah's daughters. Peter's insistence on doing what is right is a reminder that no acts of disobedience in Sarah's life are to be imitated by Christian wives (cf. Genesis 16:2, 6; 18:15; perhaps 20:5); it is her submission to her husband and her trust in God that Peter commends. The condition if you . . . do not give way to fear is another way in which faith finds expression. A woman with a gentle and quiet spirit who continues hoping in God will not be terrified by circumstances or by an unbelieving or disobedient husband (cf. Genesis 20:6). |
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The Rewards of Submission Peter holds out one reward that wives are ordinarily to expect from this submission to their husbands: the unbelieving husband may be won to Christ. Those who do not believe the word are husbands who are unbelievers; the present tense verb (apeithousin) suggests a pattern of life characterized by unbelief or rejection not only of the gospel but also of God's standards in other areas of life. The word does not mean just that they do not believe the word (niv); it has a much stronger sense of active disobedience to the standards of Scripture and even rebellion against them. Note the use of this same word (apeitheo ) in Acts 14:2; 19:9; Romans 2:8; 10:21; 11:30, 31; 15:31; Hebrews 3:18; 1 Peter 3:20; 4:17. Some of these unbelieving, disobedient husbands (not all) would have been harsh and unkind to their Christian wives, but Peter says that even such husbands can be won for God's kingdom (note the same word for won in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 (five times); also Matthew 18:15, and in a commercial sense, Matthew 16:26; 25:20, 22; James 4:13. These unbelieving husbands can be won without a word-that is, not by continually preaching or talking about the gospel, but rather simply by the behavior of their wives, their Christian pattern of life. The word behavior (anastrophe ) is frequent in Peter's writings (eight of the thirteen New Testament occurrences are in 1 and 2 Peter). He uses it to refer to the evil pattern of life of unbelievers (1 Peter 1:18; 2 Peter 2:7) and the good pattern of life of believers that is intended to lead to the salvation of others who observe it. Peter does not exactly say that Christian wives should never talk about the gospel message to their unbelieving husbands (indeed, it is hard to imagine that the Christian wives among Peter's readers would never have explained to their husbands what it meant to become a Christian), but he does say that the means God will use to win their husbands generally will not be the wives' words but their behavior. This knowledge should increase prayer both for grace to live rightly and for God's silent working in the husband's heart. Another reward is to be daughters of Sarah (verse 6). As explained above, this certainly means being a member of the people of God, an heir of all the blessings of salvation. But it probably also includes a suggestion of sharing in Sarah's special dignity and honor, imitating the pattern of submission and trust in God that Sarah exemplified, and similarly receiving God's special approval as a result. Finally, the greatest reward will be the combined joy of honoring God and receiving His favor. Dorothy Patterson rightly says of this passage, "Submission primarily honors the Lord who established the relationship. Yet in honoring the Lord a Christian wife will also know His special favor." Peter says that the gentle and quiet spirit that accompanies such submissive behavior is of great worth in God's sight (verse 4). God will look on this behavior, which springs from a heart of faith, and will delight in this daughter of Sarah and show her His favor. |
Next Week: The Universal 'Rightness' of a Wife's Submission to Her Husband