SAME WAY

[Brentwood Women]

In 1 Peter 3:1, to what "same way" is Peter referring?

[Christiana]

From looking at the preceeding verses, it seems to me that the 'same
way' is referring to the way Christ bore up unjust suffering. It
makes me think that Peter is speaking primarily to wives whose
husbands are not believers and who may be suffering either from
persecution by their spouses or suffering as the only Christian in
their households. Peter tells them that their husbands will be won
over (in other words, become believers) by their gentleness and
goodness. When I've read Paul's charge for wives to be submissive in
Ephesians, he seems to be saying that wives are to be submissive
either because that's the role God created them to fill or because of
their part in the Fall (I could be misunderstanding and
oversimplifying this). Peter seems to have a different take on
submissiveness. He seems to be saying that submissiveness is
necessary not because of the consequences of the Fall or the natural
order of things but because their husbands are in need of a positive
example. A kind of 'heaping burning coals' on their heads. I'm sure
there is more to it than this, but that's the way I see these verses.
I think Peter was married and Paul was not...something very telling in
my opinion.

On Oct 26, 7:37 am, Brentwood Women <brentwoodwo...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Kimberly]

The submission discussion seems to start around I Peter 2:13 when it
talks about submitting yourself to every kind of authority instituted
by men, then again in verse 18 when stating about slaves submitting
themselves to their masters, and finally in verse 21 about Christ's
ultimate sacrifice for us. My take is that it is still referring to
that kind of behavior around submission and should also exist between
the husband and wife relationship. Per Christiana's comment, my bible
says something very similar that believing wives are not to rely on
argumentation to win over their unbelieving husbands, but rather
through the quality of their lives and their actions. I can only hope
this does not imply that men are far superior to women and that women
should submit to physical and mental abuse in order to be
"submissive." I just think we are to be submissive through a gentle
and quiet spirit where actions speak louder than words.

On Oct 26, 7:37 am, Brentwood Women <brentwoodwo...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Melinda]

My attention keeps coming back to the related phrase, 'so that'.
Wives
are to be submissive 'so that' their husbands will be won over. The
phrase reoccurs in my English bible, at least, in 2:9 (we're God's
people so that we might praise Him); 2:15 (submit to authority so that
the
ignorant might be silenced);2:24 to slaves (Christ bore our sins so
that we
die to ours); 3:7 (husbands treat wives respectfully so that prayers
won't be
hindered; and 3:9 (all are not to repay evil so that we inherit a
blessing).
All these uses of 'so that' or something similar seem to me to
describe lives
lived on behalf of others rather than for self, just as Christ did in
his own life
and death. Maybe seeing the submission command to wives in this
broader
context helps to take the sting out of what seems like a harsh
requirement
on its own.

[Megan]

Thank you for pointing out the 'so that' theme running through 1
Peter. That has inspired me to go back and mark all of those
instances in the text. I just checked the Marking Key and it even has
a recommended symbol to use!