1 Peter 3

1 Peter 3:1-7

Wherein the apostle describes the duties of husbands and wives, vers. 1—2. His exhortio Christiana to marry, love, compulsion, peace, and patience under sufferings; to oppose the slander of their enemies, not by returning evil for evil, or raiding for raiding, but by blessing, by a ready account of their faith and hope, and by keeping a good conscience, vers. 8—17. To encourage them to this, he proposes the example of Christ, who suffered, the loss for the unjust, but yet punished the old world for their disobedience, and saved the sins that were faithful in the days of Noah.

1. LIKEWISE, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives. 2. While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3. Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of planting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel? 4. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in this which is not corruptible, even the armament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 5. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands; 6. Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 7. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

The apostle proceeds to the duty of husbands and wives.

1. The duty of wives. Likewise ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, whether Christian, Jewish, or heathen, regarding them as your superiors by creation and the ordinance of God; that, if any obey not the word, and are yet strangers to the faith of Christ, they also may without the word, though they should refuse to attend the preaching of the gospel, be won by the conversation of the wives, struck with your exemplary, engaging, and amiable conduct, while they behold your single conversation, circumspect in every word and action, and your chastity coupled with fear, shewing them that reverence, attention, desire to please, and fear to offend, which cannot but attract their notice and gain their high esteem. Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of planting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; not making dress and finery your study, expensive, negligent of your family concerns, or deference to attract others eyes besides your husband’s; but, whilst careful of modest manners of person, most careful of that which will render you above all other things amiable in their eyes, putting on the hidden man of the heart, the adorning of grace, truth, and business; so that which is not corruptible, and infinitely preferable to the poor and fading splendor of gay apparel, even the armament of a meek and quiet spirit, gentle, mild, tractable, blaming every rising of anger, and the emotions of brotherhood, which is the great secret of happiness in a married state, and in the sight of God of great price, and highly approved by him. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands, diagnosing in their fashion, and never deferring to invest in change—that is, the abhorrent order; even as Sarah stayed Abraham with all detailed subsistence, calling him lord, and paying him due armament—and respect to her superior: whose daughters ye are, in a spiritual sense, as long as ye do well, and copy her meek, dur-

ful, and humble example, and are not offended with any amazement, not terrified from your duty by any manners, not obedient through Jewish fear of your husbands, but from the nobler prize copies of love and duty. Note, Where should seriously consider this word of God, and make confidence of observing it: the advice is of infinite importance, not only to their comfort in this world, but is essential to all their hopes in a better.

2. The duty of husbands. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, delighting in their company, their persons, their conversation; with purity and tender affection discharging every duty of the conjugal state; giving honour unto the wife, treating her with respect, making her your bottom friend, consulting her comfort and happiness, providing in the best manner for her which your circumstance will afford, bearing with and concealing her infirmities, considering her as the master will, to whom peculiar delicacy and tenderness is due, and as your equal to all Christian privileges, being here together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered, or the effects of them defeated, as they must be by unchristian fifties, or authority. Let those who bear the honoured name of husband then remember the duties of their station. Such a conduct will engage affection and submission, and supersede the exercise of authority.

3. Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9. Not rendering evil for evil, or raiding for raiding; but contrariwise, blessing: knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing. 10. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. 11. Let him echew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and refuse it. 12. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14. But and if ye suffer for righteousness, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15. But fancily the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready to give an answer to every man that afketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16. Having a good conscience; that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil-doers, they may be ashamed that failly accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.

1 Peter 3:8-17

The apostle passes on to more general exhortations.

1. He enjoins the exercise of Christian charity. Finally, be ye all of one mind, united in the great points of Christian doctrine, and harmonizing in mutual affection; having compelled one of another, bearing with tender sympathy each others but elects; love as brethren, and of a pure heart, fervently, be pitiful of each other’s wants, weakness, and infirmities; be courteous, obliging, friendly, condescending: not rendering evil for evil, or raiding for raiding, however cruelly or unkindly treated by professed enemies or pretended friends; but, contrariwise, blessing, praying for those who must delightfully use you: knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing, both temporal, spiritual, and eternal, which promise God hath annexed to such a gracious conduct. Note, To love those who are kind to us, is in some sort but natural; but to love our enemies, and return their bitterness with blessings, this is the work of supernatural grace.

2. Having mentioned the blessing which they should inherit, who walked according to the rule laid down, he quotes a passage from the Book of Psalms, shewing the way to a truly happy life. For he that will love life, and see good days of prosperity and comfort in this world, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile, sincere in all his conversation, without disillusion, and cautious never to utter a rash, hasty, or passionate expression: let him echew and avoid evil of every kind, which misery, as its shadow, ever attends; and do good to all, according to his abilities and opportunities: let him seek peace, as the richest acquisition, and enjoy it, using every lawful means to preserve it inviolate in all his connections and relations, and to heal every breach which may be made. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, observing, appearing, and directing them in all their holy conversation; and his ears are open to their prayers, regarding every request they make, and ready to fulfil all their petitions: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, with frowns of righteous indignation he beholds their crooked ways, and winged vengeance ears off the remembrance of them from the earth; see Pl. xxxiv. 16. Note, (1.) Godliness hath the promise of this life, as well as of that which is to come. (2.) When an encouragement have we to approach a throne of grace, when God affures us of his constant attention to our

prayers! (5.) They who persist in their iniquities must persist without mowing.

3. He suggests the most encouraging motives for their patient suffering. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? What have you to tear from men or devils, if God is on your side? And will not such an ineffensive conduct inform even your very enemies? But and if ye suffer for righteousness, and your religion exasperates your persecution, happy are ye in this honourable crisis, and do not afraid of whatever, neither be troubled at any of their menaces, frowns; or cruelty; but forcibly the Lord God in your hearts; let him before you, that, filled with holy fear of offending him, relying on his powers, faithfulness, wisdom, and mercy, you may defy all the impotent wrath of men, and be ready always to give an answer, and to make your defence and apology to every man that allows you a reason of the hope that is in you with menacey and fear, with all disinclined calmness and holy experience of God, whose cause you plead; or this may refer to him that affects the reason of their Christian hope; if he appears with menacey and fear, willing to hear your defence, then faithfully deliver your souls; having a good conscience towards God and towards men; and acting to uprightly and irreproachably, that whereas they found evil of you as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that fully accept your good conscience in Christ, and let your lives give the lye to their slanders, and turn them to their own conclusion. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye are appointed to suffer, that ye suffer for well-being than for evil doing; for it is better indeed when for and suffering meet together, the burden is then grievously indispensable. Note, (1.) To suffer for righteousness, take is our honour and happiness. (2.) The more we live in the fear of God, the less shall we be ashamed by the fear of men. (3.) We never need be ashamed of our principles, but should readily and freely vindicate them, whenever we can gain an attractive hearing. (4.) The purest innocence is not a distaste from the aftersome of malice. (5.) The forfeit way to confound the slanders of malevolence is to live them down.

4. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, (that he might bring us to God) being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20. Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, right souls, were saved by water. 21. The like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now, save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 22. Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

1 Peter 3:18

22. We have here.

23. The example of Christ proposed is our encouragement to suffer patiently for him. For Christ also hath once suffered for him, the not for the unjust, he who was perfectly pure and free giving himself a sacrifice for us, to bear the sins of such polluted us, to be an act, that, having made a perfect and full satisfaction to Divine Justice, and obtained reconciliation through his own blood, he might bring us to God, into a state of favour and acceptance with him, being put to death in the flesh, and suffering in his human nature the penalty of sin, but quickened by the Spirit, by that eternal Spirit of the Son of God, which had taken the human nature into union with himself; or by the Holy Ghost, who is one in operation and agency with the Son. Note (1.) The sufferings of Jesus were the real penalty due to our iniquities, and God had them upon him in all their bitterness. (2.) He was the joy of one; had he not been so, he could not have finished for the unjust. (3.) By the sufferings of Jesus sinners have access to and acceptance with God. (4.) If he voluntarily endured to much for us, shall we shrink from any cross which we may be called to bear for him?

24. He mentions what Christ did in the old world. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits which are now in prison, by his spirit enlightening Noah, and sending him forth as a preacher of righteousness to them; which sometime were disobedient, and would neither believe nor attend to the warnings, which Christ lost them, when once the long-suffering of God waited, during an hundred and twenty years, in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, who continued preaching, and building that immortal structure which was a living sermon to them, wherein Jesus, that is, right souls were saved by water, pailing safely through the deluge which covered the earth, whilst the rest of the world perished in the waters, and went down into the prison of hell. The like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now, save us, as the antitype of the ark, (not the more external ordinance, the applying water to the body for the putting away of the filth of the flesh, which of itself could be of no avail, but as the outward visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, even the answer of a good conscience towards God, pledging our fidelity

to him in return for the privileges to which we are admitted, by the reformation of Jesus Christ, who is the matter of our life and salvation, being raised for our justification, the head of vital influence to his people, and shall raise them up at the last day. Note, (1.) God warns before he strikes. (2.) Though he is long-suffering, he will not always bear with sinners. (3.) They who reject the evanced of God against their own God, have themselves only to blame for their destruction. (4.) Few ever were or will be saved in any age. (5.) Baptism saveth, not as a mere ceremony performed, but as a soul of that covenant which is established through a Redeemer, and a symbol of that grace, which out of his talents we have received.

3. Christ is now exalted to the throne of majesty on high. (The is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, erged and apathed and power being made subject unto him; he is published of universal dominion, appointed to be head over all things to his church; and whatever any of his members may endure, he will support and bring them safely through; and, as surely as they suffer with him, they shall reign with him.