In this series of blogs contrasting a post-Christian culture’s understanding of marriage with the biblical portrait, we have previously seen how Christ’s submission to His heavenly Father is our example, and then how the wife is to follow her husband’s spiritual lead as both of them seek the Lord’s will to know God’s mission for their life and marriage.  Now with equal emphasis and treatment, it’s time to look at the husband’s submission to God, and how it is most practically seen in the way he treats his wife when no one is looking.

1 Peter 3:7 states: “husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”  Here, the apostle shows how the husband shows obedience to God’s leadership in his life and home in the way he treats his wife.  The adverb “in the same way,” first used in 3:1, is strategically situated as a “connective thread” (Arndt and Gingrich Lexicon, p. 570-571), tying the actions of husbands and wives in biblical submission together with the example of Christ previously seen in chapter 2.  The use of this adverb in both places reminds us that biblical submission is needed by both the husband and the wife in order for marital harmony to nourish the home.  Each person must exhibit specific roles and responsibilities in order for the marriage to thrive and to endure the trials and tests that life delivers.

In the husband’s case, Peter tells them to “be considerate” or more literally, “as you are living with your wives according to knowledge” (my paraphrase: “if you have any brains in your head and if you will give any thought as to how you should live with your wife, this is what you will do!”), “remember that you are to ‘treat them with respect’ or more plainly, ‘you are actively to show honorable reverence (Present Tense here) to your wife, the kind of honor that tells the world that she is a woman of treasured value, not only to you, but especially to God.’”

Importantly, Peter uses a participle AND a noun in this verse as a “double punch.”  Literally, the husband is called proactively to show “honorable honor” to his wife as he lives with her in the home.  This type of honor is noticeable to children, extended family, neighbors, the church and the community.  This shows how the wife possesses immense value in God’s sight, a worth so great that Peter shows husbands how honoring their wives is important for at least three reasons.

• Wives are the “weaker” partner (3:7b).  He uses the term “weaker” not to imply intellectual or moral inferiority, but in a majority of cases a physical weakness in comparison to her husband* (A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the NT, VI: 111).  Some have likened this language to the metaphor of a piece of fine china or a priceless work of art on display.  The idea conveyed is that the wife is a delicate, valuable life, worthy and deserving of honorable and careful treatment.

• Wives are joint heirs (3:7b).  Peter uses this rich term, found only here and in Romans 8:17, Ephesians 3:6 and Hebrews 11:9 to convey God’s equal inheritance for the wife as she stands alongside her husband.  In God’s sight, wives stand on level ground with their husbands.  In fact, because of their strategic place in the marriage relationship and the divine blessings that comes from faithful obedience, “in the eyes of God the wife may be superior to the husband, not merely equal”* (Ibid.).  Being a wife presents challenging roles in any generation, but the divine blessings that come from faithful obedience to God result in a rich compensation.

• A husband’s failure to do this brings consequences (3:7c).  Peter uses “so that” (purpose clause) with a negative (“not”) in conjunction with the verb “hinder” or “thwart”* (Arndt and Gingrich Lexicon, p.215) to paint a vivid picture for the husband who chooses not to honor his wife in God’s imperative.  Emphatically, Peter says that the husband’s prayers will be hindered, likened to the image of something or someone blocking the communication pipeline between him and God.  A wise word to husbands is in order:  if you want your prayers heard and answered, treat your wife the biblical way God wants her to be treated!

In 1 Peter 2 and 3, biblical submission is presented as a necessary component of a Christian’s calling before God.  Just as Christ was submissive to his heavenly Father’s mission, so wives and husbands are called to live in submission to God’s leadership for the home in their respective roles.  Wives are called to exhibit godly behavior, purity, reverence and biblical hope, qualities that produce an unfading beauty in God’s sight.  Husbands are called to show double honor to their wives because they are people of precious value to God, equal to their husbands in everything that is of importance in God’s sight.  When there is proactive love, respect and value given to each spouse by the other, God is honored, the Lord’s mission becomes fruitful and the world takes notice of the divine blessing that rests upon their home.

NEXT TIME: a series of blogs on the role relationships between a husband and wife in marriage…