Jul 15

1 Peter 3:1-7–Wives, Husbands, and Submission to Christ



The previous passage in the second part of 1 Peter 2 gives context for the “likewise” at the beginning of this next section. As Peter gets into the practical implications of different relationships – people to the government, slaves to masters, and here wives to husbands – all of this is rooted in what he has built upon in this letter – that those who believe in Jesus Christ are called out of their former lives and into a new identity in Christ which impacts every area of life. Those in Christ are under a new authority, the authority of Jesus himself. He is both the example and the power behind believers’ ability to live and persevere under other authorities which at times might lead to suffering.

Peter has spent the first two chapters of this book laying the groundwork for the hope that the believer has in the midst of difficulty, persecution, and suffering. Reasons for this hope are evidenced in the inheritance that awaits us, in the immovable foundation we are being built on (Jesus as the cornerstone), and in the opportunity and privilege to live lives in such a way that even a non-believing world could see our good deeds and be driven to give glory to God.

In this 1 Peter 3:1-7 passage, Peter focuses on the relationship between husband and wife, addressing how their roles within the marriage context are a picture of our true submission to Christ and our acknowledgment of his ultimate authority in our life.