1 Peter 3:1–7

Context

1 Peter is a letter addressed to Christians scattered throughout various regions of Asia Minor (1 Peter 1:1). It has traditionally been attributed to the apostle Peter, though other views on its authorship exist. Beginning at 2:11, the letter urges believers who face slander to live honorably. It then addresses how believers should conduct themselves in their particular stations, turning in order to governing authorities (2:13–17), servants (2:18–25), and wives and husbands (3:1–7). Scholars call this kind of arrangement a "household code."

Verses 1–6 have particularly in view wives with unbelieving husbands, urging them to win their husbands to faith by their conduct rather than by words (1 Peter 3:1). Verse 7 exhorts husbands "likewise" to dwell with their wives "according to knowledge" and to give them honor.

Interpretation

• Complementarian reading: Men and women are equal before God. Nevertheless, the order in which the husband leads and the wife submits within the household is regarded as a principle grounded in creation and still valid today. Verse 7 is read as describing the responsibility the husband bears within this order. This reading is widely held in conservative denominations and churches.
• Egalitarian reading: The exhortation is seen as missional instruction intended to keep the gospel from being misunderstood in the patriarchal society of the first century. Its enduring core is held to lie in verse 7, which calls wives "heirs together of the grace of life," and in the teaching on mutual submission (Ephesians 5:21).
• Missional emphasis: This explanation is accepted in large part by both positions. It holds that the purpose of the passage is to bear witness to the faith before slandering neighbors (1 Peter 2:12). Some also note that, since it was customary at the time for a wife to follow her husband's religion, a wife's holding to a different faith in itself required courage.

Debates and Issues

• Adornment (vv. 3–4): Some churches applied these verses literally as rules forbidding braided hair or gold jewelry. Many commentaries, however, read them not as a prohibition of outward adornment but as a contrast urging that the inner person take priority over outward appearance.
• The example of Sarah (v. 6): This is understood to refer to the scene in which Sarah, speaking within herself, called Abraham "my lord" (Genesis 18:12). On the basis of the phrase "are not afraid with any amazement," some interpret this obedience as not arising from fear.
• "The weaker vessel" (v. 7): The phrase is commonly explained as referring to a physically and socially weaker position. Interpreters across various positions generally agree that it does not imply inferiority.
• The limits of submission: Voices in a number of denominations caution that this passage must not be used to demand that a wife endure violence or abandon her faith. In support, they cite the text's condition "as long as ye do well" (1 Peter 3:6) together with the principle of Acts 5:29.
• The passage is also cited in the debate over women's ordination. Some point out, however, that a distinction should be maintained, since the text addresses the marriage relationship rather than church office.

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently read alongside Ephesians 5 in sermons at wedding services. In Korean churches, a considerable number of women attend without their husbands. In this context, verses 1–2 are often cited in sermons and counsel concerning the evangelization of unbelieving husbands.

Related Passages

• Ephesians 5:21–25
• Colossians 3:18–19
• 1 Corinthians 7:12–16
• Galatians 3:26–29