1 Peter 3 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 1 Peter 3:1-7

1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

7 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.

A. Find Out:

1. Who are told to submit to who? v.1a
2. So what may happen, when? v.1b,2
3. How should beauty not come, but come? v.3,4
4. Who did this, in what way? v.5
5. Who was an example and what are her followers? v.6
6. How are husbands to treat their wives, why and with what effect? v.7

B. Think:

1. How would you sum up the teaching for Christian wives in respect of unbelieving husbands?
2. What is the balanced teaching for Christian husbands?

C. Comment:

     Peter has been talking about submission to authority. The New Testament teaching is that the husband is the head (authority) of the wife (see 1 Cor 11:3-16: Paul using a cultural practice to explain a spiritual principle).

      So, says Peter, Christian wives, when you have come to the Lord and your husband is still unsaved, still be submissive to him (let him learn to be the gracious responsibility holder that God wants him to be) in the same way Sarah was submissive to Abram, even when he was getting it wrong! (see Gen 12:10-20 & 20:1-18). She completely trusted God and in each case the Lord stepped in for her and protected and vindicated her.

     Trusting in God and not in nagging, showing the husband up, or relying upon argument, is the way to win the unbelieving husband. Give God space to move!

     Peter also has words for Christian husbands. This authority thing is not to be abused!  “Be considerate” and “treat them with respect”. Do you do that men? God holds you responsible to do it, for your wife is (probably) weaker (often physically and emotionally) than you but is also your equal “partner” and an equal “heir” of the Christian faith and all that comes with that. You are not superior, but simply held responsible by God for what goes on. The buck stops with you!

D. Application:

1. Unbelieving husbands can be saved through wives who trust God.
2. Christian husbands hold the responsibility, and that is serious.

Passage: 1 Peter 3:8-12

8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,

‘Whoever would love life
    and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
    and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
    they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’

A. Find Out:

1. What 4 ways are we told to live in harmony? v.8
2. What 2 things are we told not to do? v.9a
3. What are we told to do instead, and why? v.9b
4. What also must we do? v.10
5. And what further? v.11
6. What reason is given for all this? v.12

B. Think:

1. What are the negatives we are to turn away from?
2. What are the positives we are to do?
3. What motivation is given for this?

C. Comment:

      Back in 1:15 Peter exhorted his readers to be holy, and all that follows is really how we are holy and are to be different. He has just written about marriage relationships and now he speaks generally.

      Looking at the verses as a whole let’s first consider the things we are NOT TO DO:

•  we’re not to be nasty back to nasty people (v.9a),
•  we’re not to tell lies or speak wrongly (v.10),
•  we’re not to be involved in anything evil (v.11).

      But next let’s look at the positive things, the things we ARE TO DO:

•  we are to live in harmony (v.8) [a positive opposite to the negatives of   2:1], being caring, loving etc.,
•  we are to bless those who seek to curse us (v.9),
•  we are to seek good and peace for all (v.11).

      Now let’s look at the motivations for these things:

•  First, because God is watching (v.12) and he will deal with those who do wrong!.
•  Second, because the good things are part of the inheritance to which we’ve been called (v.9).

      When we are not doing the positive but are doing the other negative things, then we cannot be enjoying the sort of blessed life that God wants for us.  The calling is quite clear: don’t do this… (wrong) but instead do this… (good). Is that how it is with us?

D. Application:

1. Christians are called to forsake what is wrong.
2. Christians are called to positively do good.

Passage: 1 Peter 3:13-17

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

A. Find Out:

1. What does Peter maintain about suffering? v.13,14a
2. What does he instruct? v.14b,15a
3. What are they to be ready to do? v.15b
4. Yet how are they to do it? v.15c,16a
5. With what result in mind? v.16b
6. So what does he conclude? v.17

B. Think:

1. What attitude should we have towards wrong done against us?
2. How are behaviour and witness linked in this passage?
3. What should be the outcome?

C. Comment:

      Remember this is a letter of encouragement and Peter is aware that many of his readers live in tough circumstances, some as slaves, many as servants, and all of them in an alien world. Before he spoke about specific groups, he wrote about not retaliating ( 2:23 -) and now he picks up the theme again: do good and no one will harm you, but even if they do, handle it rightly. How do we do that?

      First, see yourself as blessed, sharing in similar sufferings to Jesus.

     Second, don’t be afraid, the Lord will look after you.

     Third, simply let Jesus be Lord over your life in all circumstances.

     Fourth, look on every situation as an opportunity to be a witness for Jesus, by your behaviour and then by your words as people question you.

     Observe carefully what it says there in verse 15: “be prepared to give an answer”, i.e. Your righteous response to wrongs done against you will be seen by others and they will ask what it is that enables you to live like that.

      In other words, your behaviour will in itself be a testimony to others who will ask, and all you have to do is answer.   So often we feel we have to initiate the talking, but Peter says, others will start the conversation when they see the type of life you live. That is a real challenge: lifestyles that provoke comment!

D. Application:

1. When wronged, receive God’s grace to cope well in it.
2. Live a life that others ask about and then graciously share.

Passage: 1 Peter 3:18-22

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive,  he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits – 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience towards God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

A. Find Out:

1. Why did Christ die? v.18a
2. What also happened to him? v.18b
3. Where did he go and what did he do? v.19,20a
4. What happened and what did it symbolize? v.20b,21a
5. How does that save us? v.21b
6. What is Jesus’ position today? v.22

B. Think:

1. What does the passage seem to say about what Jesus did, possibly after death?
2. How does Noah’s ark give a helpful picture?

C. Comment:

     A difficult passage. First note that, in line with Peter’s previous argument, he says Jesus died righteously for unrighteous people, actually to take the sins of the unrighteous (all of us). Not only did he die but he also came alive, by the power of the Spirit (see Rom 8:11). In the Spirit (implying therefore not in his body which was lying in the tomb) he went to those “spirits in prison”. Now this can, surely, only refer to those who have already died and are in eternal punishment.

      Why?  Well there seems no possibility of after-life salvation (see Lk 16:19-) but if Jesus was fully to take the entire penalty of our sin then he would have to go all the way to hell.   While there it seems, he confirmed to those who were there the reason for their being there and declared his finished work. Beyond that it is a mystery.

      Peter picks out those who disobeyed at Noah’s time, as they were some of the earliest to disobey the preached message, and the ark is a picture of baptism. Noah’s family went into the ark (Christ) and the floods came and destroyed everything else. Only those in the ark were saved. As we are “in Christ” we can similarly rest at peace, free from the fear of judgement from God, and this was all ratified by God, endorsing what Jesus did by raising him from the dead.

D. Application:  

1. In Christ we are free from the fear of death and hell.
2. One day we’ll meet Jesus who is now reigning on high in heaven.