here - The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

to their husbands under trying and disappointing circumstances.
Third, they “adorned themselves” with the
character trait of “submission.” With another reference
to submission, Peter returns to the primary theme of his
paragraph.
Sarah is highlighted as an example of this kind of
submissive attitude (3:6a). The reference that she called
Abraham “lord” (kyrios) is likely an allusion to Genesis
18:12. What is interesting in this passage is that Sarah
is referring to Abraham in an off-handed comment,
suggesting that even at this stage of their lives she still
showed him deference and respect. 8 This is astounding
considering the serious mistakes Abraham had made in
their marriage. The word translated “obey” carries the
thought of listening to someone and then carrying out
their instructions. In this passage “obey” refers to Sarah’s
deference to Abraham. Christian wives who follow her
example are her spiritual children. Two qualities further
delineate those who are Sarah’s spiritual children. First,
they “do what is right”; that is, they do what is right
in the Lord’s eyes as they interact with their husbands.
Second, they are not to be afraid (“without being frightened
by any fear”). They are not to be afraid of doing
what God has called them to do in relationship to their
husbands.
While Peter does not spend much time on the obligation
of the Christian husband to his believing wife, he
does address the subject briefly (3:7). Peter places two
responsibilities on the husband followed by a statement
designed to encourage his obedience. Husbands are to
live with their wives in an “understanding way.” The
thought is that the husband is to live with his wife in a
way that takes into consideration her needs and desires.
He should ever seek to learn more and more about his
wife. The word “weaker” should be understood that
the woman is weaker in a physical sense. Furthermore
husbands are to grant their wives honor (3:7b). This is
likely one way that a husband lives with his wife in an
understanding way. It is to treat one’s wife with respect.
The reason for treating her in this way is that she is a
“fellow heir” of the grace of life. She is a sister in Christ.
Peter gives an incentive for a husband to care for his wife
in this manner (3:7c). If they do not treat their wives in
this way their prayers will be affected. For one’s prayers
to be hindered is to have them “cut off ” from God.
Peter could not have put it more directly. If a Christian
husband does not treat his wife in a godly manner his
prayers will go unanswered.
While it is likely that Peter was writing mostly to
married persons with Christian spouses, it was not true
of all. Peter’s intention is to give wise council to those
women in particular that lived with unbelieving husbands.
He sought to encourage them, give them hope,
and a plan of “attack” in evangelizing their spouse. Thus,
while living out the gospel they were to demonstrate
themselves as an “alien” people passing through and on
the way to their eternal home.
IS DIVORCE AN OPTION?
(1 CORINTHIANS 7:12–16)
Many Christian women may have labored for years
caring for a godless and ungrateful husband who takes
advantage of their godly disposition. Some wonder if
they may not be better off single, especially if they have
children that are adversely affected by a lost husband.
Paul deals with this situation in 1 Corinthians 7:12–16.
In these verses Paul handles the issue of the permissibility
of divorce in the case where one partner is a
believer and the other an unbeliever. It may be helpful
to set this passage within its larger context in 1 Corinthians.
The preceding portion of this epistle has dealt
with matters brought to Paul’s attention by “Chloe’s
people” (1:10–6:20). Beginning in chapter 7 the discussion
takes a new direction. The reference to “the matters
you wrote about” suggests that Paul is responding to
questions and issues addressed to him in a letter from
Corinth (7:1). The reoccurring phrase, “now concerning”
(peri de), is used by the apostle to introduce the various
topics mentioned in their letter to him: marriage
and divorce (7:1), fathers giving their virgin daughters
in marriage (7:25), food offered to idols (8:1), spiritual
gifts (12:1), and the collection of the Jerusalem offering
(16:1). Paul is dealing systematically with a series of
issues over which the Corinthians were struggling.
Chapter 7 relates to a cluster of questions, having to
do in some way with marriage. When we study this passage
we must not separate it from the occasional nature
of its context. Paul is not writing a general treatise on
17