Fellow Heirs of Grace

Read aloud

Peter addresses wives, calling them to submit to their husbands. This includes a wife whose husband does not obey the word. Her pure, reverent conduct can bear witness to the gospel without a word. Peter holds out the possibility that such a husband may be won; he does not promise that a wife can produce faith in him.

He directs attention from outward adornment to the person within. A gentle, quiet spirit has lasting beauty and is precious to God. The contrast asks where a wife seeks her beauty and worth, beyond the clothing or jewelry others can see.

The holy women of the past hoped in God and submitted to their husbands. Peter names Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him lord. He describes those who do good without giving way to fear as her children. Their hope is in God, and their conduct is to reflect that hope.

Husbands receive a demanding instruction too: live considerately with your wives and honor them. Peter describes the wife as the more delicate vessel, then insists that she is a fellow heir of the gift of life. Her vulnerability calls for care, never contempt. Husband and wife share the same gracious inheritance before God.

Peter warns that a husband’s treatment of his wife can hinder his prayers. God does not separate a man’s worship from his conduct at home. Marriage should show reverence for Him through a wife’s respectful conduct and a husband’s understanding, honoring care.