Eleventh Avenue Church
The following is reprinted with permission
of The Timely Messenger
AN INFORMAL SURVEY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
A Dispensational Approach
I PETER
By: R B. Shiflet
I. THE REALITY OF SALVATION 1:2-21
II. THE REQUIREMENT OF BROTHERLY LOVE 1:22-25
III. THE READINESS FOR WORSHIP 2:1-3
IV. THE "ROYAL PRIESTHOOD" AND THE BODY OF CHRIST 2:4-10
V. THE REMINDER TO LIVE HOLY LIVES 2:11-12
VI. THE RESPONSIBILITY TO AUTHORITIES 2:13-17
VII. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WIVES AND HUSBANDS 3:1-7
A. Instructions to Wives 3:1-6
B. Instructions to Husbands 3:7
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.
It may seem strange that the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write six verses about the wife's responsibility to her
husband, and only one verse instructing husbands. But the one verse is packed with such strong admonitions that it
covers it all. Just as the Apostle Paul covered much territory in one verse in Ephesians 5:25; "Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" Peter covered much territory in his
admonition.
One has to be familiar with conditions in the Roman Empire of that day to appreciate the stark contrast in the
pagan culture and the Christian ethic. For example, Cato wrote: "If you were to catch your wife in an act of
infidelity, you can kill her with impunity without a trial; but if she were to catch you, she would not venture
to touch you with her finger, and indeed, she has no right." Roman culture gave all the privileges to the man
and all the obligations to the woman. By contrast, Christian ethic has been called a reciprocal ethic -- it
never places all the responsibility on one side. It speaks of the duties of slaves, but also of the obligation
of the masters. It speaks of the duties of children and of the obligation of parents, and it speaks of the duties
of the wife and the obligations of the husband.
Note some of the obligations of the husband that Peter listed:
1. The Husband Must be Understanding--e must be considerate of his wife's needs and sensitive to her feelings.
A famous author had a beautiful mother and a very homely father. Someone once asked this lovely lady why she had
stayed with this ugly little man. Her answer was, "Because he never hurts me."
2. The Husband Must Remember that the Wife is the Weaker Vessel. This, of course, refers to the fact that as a rule,
the woman is not as strong physically as the man. A Christian husband should practice the chivalry that shows the
respect he has for his wife and other ladies. On a personal note, I was brought up to open doors for anyone who was
approaching a building as I was; it was simply the courteous thing to do. I made a mistake recently by opening the
door for a "liberated" woman. She glared at me and in a rather stem voice said, "Go ahead; you got there first." I
saw that I had offended her by trying to act as gentleman to a lady. If chivalry is dead, perhaps it was murdered by
those who did not appreciate it!
3. The Husband must Remember That the Wife Has Equal Spiritual Rights -- She is a fellow-heir of the grace of life.
Again, we have a stark contrast with the pagan, and even the Jewish world. Women had no part in the worship in Greek
and Roman religions. If they attended a synagogue, they were required to sit in a separate part of the building,
curtained off from the men. Even today in orthodox synagogues, women have no part in the worship.
4. If Husbands Fail in These Obligations, Their Prayer Life Is Hindered. One writer expressed it in these words:
"The sighs of the injured wife come between the husband's prayers and God's hearing." This alone should be an
incentive for husbands and wives to show mutual love and respect.
In these verses we see another striking parallel between God's instructions to these believers who were among the
Jews of the dispersion and His instructions to members of the joint-body.
To Be Continued