1 Peter Study #8

“The Reason for Our Hope”

1 Peter 3:7-16

Study #8 in 1 Peter Series

INTRODUCTION:

As we chat with people, we discover that many folks these days live without hope. They are pessimistic about the present, and fearful about the future. They look around and wonder what tomorrow will bring, fearful about what life will be like for their children and grandchildren. For this reason, many young couples are even choosing not to have children. But Christians should be different. We should be the most optimistic people on the planet because we know that our God reigns and holds our future securely in the palm of His hand. We have many reasons to be hopeful, and in this passage, Peter tells us that we should always be ready to share that hope with anyone who asks us about it.

TRANSITION:

In 1 Peter 3:1-6 the apostle described the actions and attitudes of a godly Christian wife toward her husband, including her voluntary submission to his leadership in their home. Now he turns the table and addresses their husbands, describing the actions and attitudes of a godly Christian husband toward his wife and his sacrificial Christlike love for her, putting her needs above his own, laying down his life for hers and showing her the honor that is her due. And as I explained in our last study, this is just one more example of the broader teaching that Christians, all Christians, whether masters or slaves or men or women or adults or children, we are all to live lives submitted first to God and then to other people. None of us is exempt. Jesus is our example; He came to earth in submission and obedience to the Father and fulfilled His mission by laying down His life for sinners, even those who despised and mocked Him.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 7: You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.  

• “You husbands in the same way…” – Peter has been addressing the subject of Christian submission; namely, submitting ourselves first to God in every way, and then, following the example of Christ, laying our lives down for the benefit of others, living to put others first. In our last study, looking at 3:1-6, we discussed what this submission looks like in the Christian home when the wife voluntarily submits to her husband’s headship. Now Peter is going to examine the other side of the coin and address husbands who, “in the same way,” are “…for the Lord’s sake” to do what Jesus did; namely, He laid down his life for His Bride, putting her needs before His own. Jesus died for us, in our place. He submitted Himself to the cross and to death, and He did that for us. He put our need of redemption before His need of glory and vindication.
• “…live with your wives…” – A godly husband truly lives with his wife. He doesn’t just house-share like some of us did back in our college days. These days we hear of a lot of cases where the husband and wife are nothing more than housemates, coming and going as they please, living independent lives. But according to Paul’s teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5:25, 28-30, Christ’s love for His Church is our template: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up for her… ²⁸ So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the Church, ³⁰ because we are members of His Body.” God has established the essential unity between husband and wife and patterned it after His own love for His Bride. The word Peter uses here for “live with” is the Greek verb, συνοικέω (sunoikéo), meaning “to dwell together, to reside together, to have intercourse together.”
• “…in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman;” – This is one of the passages that feminists have used to bolster their argument that the Bible’s view of women is out of date. They bristle at that idea that some people might think that women are somehow weaker than men. But Peter does not refer to strength of character, moral stamina, mental capacity, volitional fortitude, or battlefield courage. He is only talking about physical strength, the fact that most men are stronger than most women. Even a wimpy little dude can, in a fair fight, beat up most of the women who would dare step into the ring with him. It’s just a fact. Of course there are exceptions, but the exceptions do not disprove the rule.
• “…in an understanding way…” – A godly husband studies his wife, observing her, listening to her, and asking questions because he wants to understand her. By knowing her well, he is able to show his love for her more effectively and this helps to bring unity to the marriage and to the home. He needs to learn her love language and become fluent in it.
• “…as with someone weaker, since she is a woman;” – Again, Peter is not badmouthing the ladies. On the contrary, he is urging their husbands to treat them as valuable and precious, the way we might treat a priceless porcelain vase or a valuable work of art. Men should not treat their wives in the same way they treat their roughneck buddies and rowdy brothers. Men sometimes get pretty rough when they are just horsing around. Peter says, “Hey nitwit, don’t be doing that stuff to your wife. Treat her nice, with kindness and gentleness.”
• “…and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.” – Women experience the saving grace of God on equal terms with men. Your wife is a fellow heir of God’s grace. That means that she is not only your wife but also your precious sister in Christ, and she should be honored as such. And notice that Peter says, “Show her honor.” Showing honor to someone is more than just thinking honor in your head. But how do we demonstrate honor toward someone, you might ask? Well, a godly husband who has been observing and studying his wife will figure out how to make her feel honored. Even though she submits to him in obedience to the Word of God, he must be careful that she does not feel like she is an employee or a servant living under a tyrant. He must find practical ways in words and actions to make her feel honored and valued.
• “…so that your prayers will not be hindered.” – Peter tacks this phrase on the end of this verse, but it leaves us scratching our heads. “What does he mean by that?” we ask. Apparently, the failure to live as a godly husband has spiritual consequences. It can and it will hinder the husband’s prayer life. Commentators have long pondered what Peter meant by this, but I think we must take it at face value and understand it just as it is written. This is not figurative language. Peter is telling us that if we neglect, misuse, or undervalue our wives, God sees this as sin, and like all sin, it affects our relationship with Him. Sin always hinders our prayers. That is a universal biblical truth. Communication with God breaks down when we are walking in disobedience.      

Verses 8-9: To sum up, all of you, be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; ⁹ not returning evil for evil or insult for insult but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

• “To sum up, all of you…” – In verse 7 Peter has been addressing the husbands, but now he is widening the focus again and drawing conclusions for the whole argument, which started back in 2:13 where he said, “Submit yourselves [plural] for the Lord’s sake to every human institution.” So, here in verse 8 “All of you” refers to all believers regardless of social status, gender, or net worth. What Peter is about to say applies equally to every Christian.
• “…be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;” – In this phrase Peter strings together 5 adjectives to describe what kind of people we should be:

o   Harmonious = Greek word ὁμόφρων (homóphrōn), meaning of one mind, like-minded, concordant. See 1 Corinthians 2:16 – “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” We are all to seek to know the mind of Christ but that only comes through a knowledge of His Word.

o   Sympathetic = Greek word συμπαθής (sympathēs), meaning suffering or feeling the same with another, having compassion one for another.

o   Brotherly = Greek word φιλάδελφος (philádelphos), meaning loving someone like a brother or sister. In John 13:35 Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

o   Kindhearted = Greek word εὔσπλαγχνος (eúsplangchnos), meaning compassionate, tender-gutted, full of pity. Literally it means having good/strong bowels, because the Jews considered the gut to be the center of our emotions.

o   Humble in spirit = Greek word ταπεινοφροσύνη (tapeinophrosunē), meaning humbleness of mind or lowliness of mind. The idea is modesty, having a humble opinion of oneself and a deep sense of one’s smallness.

• “…not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult,” – The natural human response to mistreatment is to retaliate. As Americans we are programmed from an early age to defend ourselves, to stand up to a bully, to give back as good as we get, and to repay an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. That is our natural inclination, to always punch back. But here Peter calls all that logic into question. In the family of God there is no place for this kind of revenge mentality. We are to treat one another with love and kindness, even when we have been wronged by a brother or sister. Vengeance only exacerbates the problem. The terrible ethnic conflicts all over the world illustrate this truth – one group wrongs another, then as enemies, both sides dedicate themselves to repaying that wrong, resulting in blood-feuds like the one between the Hatfields and the McCoys. Only the love of Jesus for our enemies can break that terrible cycle. So once again, Jesus is our template. Peter made this point back in 2:23-24 but it is worth repeating – “²³ …and while being reviled, He [Jesus] did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”
• “…but giving a blessing instead;” – What? Is Peter nuts? There must be something seriously wrong with this translation. He can’t be serious! It’s one thing not to punch back, but to bless them instead? Is that even possible? The answer, of course, is “Yes, it’s possible with the Lord’s enabling.” In Matthew 5:43-47Jesus reminded us that it is no great credit if we just love those who love us back; the real test of love is to demonstrate compassion to our enemies or people who have hurt us in some way. ⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ Therefore you are to be perfect [i.e., lacking nothing necessary to completeness, Gr. τέλος], as your Heavenly Father is perfect.
• “…for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.” – So, here Peter gives us another reason for which God called us to Himself; namely, so that He might bless us. Notice the interplay of these two phrases in verse 9: to give a blessing, and to receive a blessing. God called us, we who formerly were His enemies, so that He might pour out blessings on us. And He wants us, in turn, to pour out blessings on those who are our enemies or who have hurt us. If we accept blessings from our Father’s gracious hand, can we refuse to love and bless other people? Of course not.  

Verses 10-12: For,

“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,

Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

¹¹ “He must turn away from evil and do good;

He must seek peace and pursue it.

¹² “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,

And His ears attend to their prayer,

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 

• To support his argument Peter here quotes Psalm 34:12-16a, which demonstrates the blessing that comes to those who “turn away from evil and do good.” But there is no guarantee that it is always going to work out perfectly. Doing good is often difficult because, as a rule, evil is rewarded immediately and the reward of doing good is often delayed, which is frustrating. But even so, based on the promises of God in this passage, the rewards of doing good are better and far more secure than the rewards of doing evil.    

Verses 13-14a: Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.

• “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?” – Peter asks a rhetorical question, the answer to which proves true most of the time. As a rule, no harm comes to us for doing the right thing. Telling the truth, being honest, going the extra mile, giving a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, being kind, treating others with respect, etc., will usually pay rich dividends in the long run. But, of course, there are exceptions when our good deeds and kindness are misunderstood and misinterpreted. So, Peter raises this possibility in the next phrase.
• “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.” – Although Peter says that Christians should always answer evil with good, he also lived in the real world, and he knew that people often repaid good with a response of evil. We live in a broken world with upside-down values, and people are often suspicious of Christians and our righteousness, mistaking good for evil because their own values are so screwed up.
• “But even if you should suffer…you are blessed.” – Peter reminds us that there is even a blessing for us when we suffer unjustly for righteousness’ sake, because God will still take care for us. Moreover, He sees, He knows, and He will one day make things right. He is the Avenger of His people, and He has a long memory.

Verses 14b-15: And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, ¹⁵ but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;  

• “And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,” – I think that Peter here is speaking of those times when Christians are called on the carpet and forced to defend themselves because of being misunderstood. Jesus spoke of such circumstances in Matthew 12:11-12, “When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” In Matthew 10:28 Jesus taught His disciples that they should never fear men because they are limited in what harm they can inflict on us. He said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
• “…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts” – This is very important! If we are to be good apologists for the Gospel, we must do it in the power of the Spirit rather that by our irrefutable logic, our dazzling wits, our stunning oratory, and in the strength of our personality. We must crown Christ on the throne of our life, elevating Him as Lord in our heart, giving Him all the glory. Only then are we ready to take on the job of opening our mouth to give our apología (ἀπολογία), our testimony, our verbal defense of our faith in Christ and in the Gospel.   
• “…always being ready” – This statement reminds me of Paul’s words in Romans 1:14-16 where he makes three personal statements about his eagerness to preach the Good News in Rome. He says, “I am a debtor…I am ready…and I am not ashamed.” Look especially at verse 15: “So, as much as in me is, I am ready [i.e., eager] to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also.” We too should always be ready and excited to share the Gospel wherever there is an open door.
• “…to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you,” – Unfortunately most Christians think this means that we all must be knowledgeable and outspoken about the Gospel and this scares them. They visualize a courtroom where they sit in the witness box getting grilled by skilled lawyers, intent on showing how little they really know about the Christian Faith. But that is not what Peter has in mind here. In truth, God calls very few people to be professional apologists for the Christian Faith. Men like Cornelius Van Til, Norman Geisler, Lee Strobel, Josh McDowell, Tim Keller, Frank Turek, and C.S. Lewis, etc. are few and far between. However, all of us can be witnesses, telling what Christ has done for us and how He has made us new from the inside out. We are all capable of telling our own story, using a few verses to support our arguments, telling people about our hope in Christ Jesus, and giving all the glory to God. And the more often we do it the better we get at it. It is like anything else, the more we do it the easier it gets. Certainly, Peter knew how important it is to be able to give a defense to anyone who asks you. He was called on many times to do this (see Acts 2:14-39, Acts 3:11-26, Acts 4:8-12, and Acts 5:29-32). In each case Peter relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to give him the right words at the right time and thus was able to give a defense of the Gospel and of his faith in Christ.
• “…yet with gentleness and reverence;” – It is not only important what we say but also how we say it. Our attitude is just as important as our words. If we come across as arrogant, preachy, and better-than-thou, we will drive people away rather than attract them. Our approach to people must always be gentle and humble, keeping in mind the words of that old Gospel song, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” Moreover, we must always keep in mind that we cannot argue or debate anyone into Heaven. We cannot save anyone by well-reasoned explanations. Only God can save, only the Holy Spirit can illumine the truth and draw a person to Christ.      

Verse 16: …and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.

• “…and keep a good conscience” – A good conscience is ours when we do the right thing for the right reasons, even when it is unpopular or misunderstood by others. Peter is concerned with us being able to look the Lord in the face without embarrassment or shame. Paul talked a lot about this too in his letters. In 1 Timothy 1:5 he said, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (See also 1 Tim. 1:19, 3:9, 2 Tim. 1:3, 1 Peter 3:16, 21)
• “…so that in the thing in which you are slandered those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.” – The only real defense we have is the righteousness of Christ and the rightness of our cause. Righteousness is its own reward. Those who hate us and misunderstand us might never come around to see life the way we see it. They might never agree with us or accept our arguments, but we need to live in such a way and express our faith in such away that they at least come to respect us and perhaps even lower their defenses long enough to consider the claims of the Gospel. Our behavior (i.e., lifestyle including our verbal witness) should be exemplary so that those who have adamantly rejected the Faith will feel ashamed and come under godly repentance.   

CONCLUSION:

So then, what is the takeaway from this passage? What is the Spirit of God saying to you? What needs to change to bring your life into conformity with what Peter lays out here? What might be a first action step to take right away? Pray and ask God what He wants you to do with what you have learned from these verses.