Sermon notes

November 24th, 2024

1 Peter 3

Peter has stressed the obligation of Christians to submit to human government and to earthly masters. He now takes up the submission of wives to their husbands. In today’s world I will be criticized for preaching this exactly the way Peter intended it to be preached. Ladies and gentlemen don’t get mad at me, I’m reading the Bible and don’t let our culture influence you and convince you that this does not apply to us in our world today.

1 Peter 2:24-25: New King James Version

24   who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 

25   For you were like sheep going astray but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1. So, now that we’ve returned to the Shepherd, Jesus:

1 Peter 3:New King James Version                                                                     

1   Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 

1. Every wife is to be submissive to her husband, whether he is a believer or not. God has given to the man the place of headship.
2. It is His (God’s) will that the woman should acknowledge the authority of the man. The relationship between husband and wife is a picture of that between Christ and the church. The woman should obey her husband just as the church should obey Christ.

2   when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.   

1. This is considered passé in our society. Today, women are rising to places of authority over man, and our society is becoming increasingly (may-tree-aar-kl) matriarchal. 
2. In many churches, women seem to be more active and gifted than the men. But God’s word stands. The headship of man is the divine order. 

 

3. No matter how reasonable the arguments may sound, nothing but trouble and chaos can ultimately result when woman usurps authority over the man.

Even when a woman’s husband is an unbeliever, she should still respect him as her head. This will be a testimony to him, of her faith in Christ. Her conduct as an obedient, loving, devoted wife may be used to win him over to the Savior.

 

4. And she may win him without a word. This means that the wife need not be preaching to her husband constantly. Possibly great harm has been done by wives who nagged their husbands concerning the gospel, cramming it down their throats. The emphasis here is on the wife’s winning her husband by living for Christ daily before him, reminds me of Proverbs 27:

Proverbs 27:15-16: The Message (MSG)

A nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet; You can't turn it off, and you can't get away from it.

5. But suppose a husband interferes with his wife in her Christian life. What should she do then? If he requires her to disobey a plain command of Scripture, then she must disobey her husband and be true to the Lord. If, however, the matter involves a Christian privilege rather than a clear duty, she should be subject to her husband and forego the privilege.

 

6. When Paul speaks about a Christian wife having a pagan husband, he does not thereby condone a believer’s marrying an unbeliever. 

2 Corinthians 6:14: New King James Version

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness

1. This is never God’s will. The apostle Peter here deals primarily with cases where the wife was saved after marriage. Her obligation is to be submissive even to an unbelieving husband. This reminds me of a story:

George Müller told of a wealthy German whose wife was a devout believer. This man was a heavy drinker, spending late nights in the tavern. 

1. She would send the servants to bed, stay up till he returned, receive him kindly, and never scold him or complain. At times she would even have to undress him and put him to bed.

One night in the tavern he said to his cronies, “I bet if we go to my house, my wife will be sitting up, waiting for me. She’ll come to the door, give us a royal welcome, and even make supper for us, if I ask her.”

1. They were skeptical at first but decided to go along and see. Sure enough, she came to the door, received them courteously, and willingly agreed to make supper for them without the slightest trace of resentment. After serving them, she went off to her room.  As soon as she had left, one of the men began to condemn the husband. “What kind of a man are you to treat such a good woman so miserably?

The accuser got up without finishing his supper and left the house. Another did the same and another till they had all departed without eating the meal.

1. Within a half hour, the husband became deeply convicted of his wickedness, and especially of his heartless treatment of his wife. He went to his wife’s room, asked her to pray for him, repented of his sins, and surrendered to Christ. 
2. From that time on, he became a devoted disciple of the Lord Jesus. Won without a word!

George Müller advised:

1. Don’t be discouraged if you must suffer from unconverted relatives. Perhaps very shortly the Lord may give you the desire of your heart and answer your prayer for them. But in the meantime, seek to commend the truth, not by reproaching them on account of their behavior toward you, but by manifesting toward them the meekness, gentleness and kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ

1 Peter 3:3-6   Peter is still talking to the women:

3   Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 

4   rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 

1. Men think jewels are precious; God considers precious the jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit.

5   For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 

1. Sarah is cited as an example. She obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. This takes us back to Genesis 18:12 where we read that Sarah said this “within herself.” She did not go around and make a loud profession of submission to Abraham by publicly calling him lord. Rather, in her inward life, she recognized him as her head, and this recognition was displayed by her actions.

Genesis 18:12: New King James Version

12   Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

1 Peter 3:6

6   as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

1. They should do good and let nothing terrify them. This means that a Christian wife should fill her God-appointed role as an obedient helpmate, and not be terrified even if she must suffer the unreasonable conduct of an unbelieving husband, except, of course, when it becomes violent or life-threatening behavior.

1 Peter 3:7: Husbands:

7   Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. 

1. Now the apostle turns to husbands and shows the corresponding duties they must fulfill. They should live considerately with their wives, showing love, courtesy, and understanding. They should bestow the tender regard on their wives that is appropriate for members of the weaker sex. In this day of the women’s liberation movement, the Bible might seem out of step with the times in speaking of women as the weaker vessels.

 

2. But the fact is that a woman is weaker in some ways does not mean that she is inferior to man; the Bible never suggests this. Neither does it mean that she might not actually be stronger, or more competent in some areas. Remember Debra in the book of Judges, what a mighty warrior and leader she was. As a matter of fact, women are generally more devoted to Christ than men. And they usually are better able to bear prolonged pain and adversity.

 

3. A man’s attitude toward his wife should recognize the fact that she is a fellow heir of the grace of life. This refers to a marriage in which both are believers. Though weaker than the man in some ways, the woman enjoys equal standing before God and shares equally the gift of everlasting life. Also, she is more than her husband’s equal in bringing new physical life into the world.

 

4. When there is discord, prayers are hindered. “The sighs of the injured wife come between the husband’s prayers and God’s hearing.” Also, it is very difficult for a couple to pray together when something is disrupting their fellowship. For the peace and welfare of the home it is important for the husband and wife to observe a few basic rules:

 

1. Maintain absolute honesty in order to have a basis of mutual confidence.
2. Keep lines of communication open. There must be a constant readiness to talk things out. When steam is allowed to build up in the boiler, an explosion is inevitable. Talking things out includes the willingness for each to say, “I am sorry,” and to forgive—perhaps indefinitely.
3. Overlook minor faults and i-di-o-syn-crasies. Love covers a multitude of sins. Don’t demand perfection in others when you are unable to produce it in yourself.
4. Strive for unity in finances. Avoid overspending, installment buying, and the lust to keep up with the Joneses.
5. Remember that love is a commandment, not an uncontrollable emotion. Love means all that, is included in 1 Corinthians 13. 
6. Love is courteous, for instance; it will keep you from criticizing or contradicting your partner in front of others. Love will keep you from quarreling in front of your children, which could undermine their security. In these and a hundred other ways, love creates a happy atmosphere in the home and rules out strife and separations.

1 Peter 3:8-9   Now to the Church:

8   Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 

9   not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 

1. This whole Epistle (this letter) is written against a backdrop of persecution and suffering. From this verse to 4:6 the subject is the Christian and his relation to persecutors. Repeatedly, believers are urged to suffer for righteousness’ sake without retaliating. We are not to repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling. Instead, we are to bless those who mistreat us, and to repay insult with kindness. 
2. As Christians, we are not called to harm others but to do them good, not to curse but to bless. Then God rewards this type of behavior with a blessing.

In verses 10–12, Peter quotes Psalm 34:12–16a to confirm that God’s blessing rests on the one who refrains from evil deeds and evil speech, and practices righteousness.

1 Peter 3:10-12

10   For “He who would love life And see good days,

Let him refrain his tongue from evil,

And his lips from speaking deceit.

11   Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.

12   For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 3:13

13   And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 

1. Peter resumes his argument with a question: “And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?” The answer implied is “No one.” And yet the history of the martyrs seems to prove that enemies of the gospel do harm faithful disciples.

There are at least two possible explanations of this paradox:

1. Generally speaking, those who follow a path of righteousness are not harmed. A policy of nonresistance disarms the opposition. There may be exceptions, but as a rule, the one who is eager for the right is protected from harm by his very goodness.

2. The worst that the foe can do to a Christian does not give eternal harm. The enemy can injure your body, but he cannot damage his soul.

During World War II a Christian boy of twelve refused to join a certain movement in Europe. “Don’t you know that we have power to kill you?” they said. 

1. “Don’t you know,” he replied quietly, “that I have power to die for Christ!” He had the conviction that no one was able to harm him.

1 Peter 3:14-15

14   But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 

15   But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 

1. To reverence the Lord means to make Him the supremacy of our lives. All we do and say should be in His will, for His pleasure, and for His glory. The Lordship of Christ should dominate every area of our lives—our possessions, our occupation, our library, our marriage, our spare time—nothing can be excluded.
2. The verse is also applicable to everyday life. People often ask us questions which quite naturally open the door to speak to them about the Lord. We should be ready to tell them what great things the Lord has done for us. This witnessing should be done in either case with gentleness and reverence. 
3. There should be no trace of harshness, bitterness, or flippancy when we speak of our Savior and Lord.

1 Peter 3:16-17

16   having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 

17   For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

1. If a Christian must suffer, which might sometimes be God’s will for him, it should be for doing good. But he should not bring suffering or complaining on himself for his own misdeeds.
2. There is no virtue in that except for repentance and doing your time as doing it for the Lord.

18   For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 

19   by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 

1. Verses 19 and 20 constitute one of the most puzzling and intriguing texts in the NT. It has been made the pretext for such unbiblical doctrines as purgatory on the one hand and universal salvation on the other. However, among evangelical Christians, there are two commonly accepted interpretations.

 

2. According to the first, Christ went to Hades in spirit between His death and resurrection and proclaimed the triumph of His mighty work on the cross. 

 

3. There is disagreement among proponents of this view as to whether the spirits in prison were believers, unbelievers, or both. But there is fairly general agreement that the Lord Jesus did not preach the gospel to them. That would involve the doctrine of a second chance which is nowhere taught in the Bible.

 

4. Those who hold this view often link this passage with Ephesians 4:9 where the Lord is described as descending “into the lower parts of the earth.” They cite this as added proof that He went to Hades in the disembodied state and heralded His victory at Calvary. They also cite the words of the Apostles’ Creed—“descended into hell.”

The second interpretation is that Peter is describing what happened in the days of Noah. It was the spirit of Christ who preached through Noah to the unbelieving generation before the flood.

1. They were not disembodied spirits at that time but living men and women who rejected the warnings of Noah and were destroyed by the flood. So now they are spirits in the prison of Hades.

 

2. This second view best fits the context and has the least difficulties connected with it. Let us examine the passage phrase by phrase.

v.19 By whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison. The relative pronoun whom obviously refers back to Spirit at the end of verse 18. We understand this to mean the Holy Spirit. In 1 Peter 1:11 of this Letter the “Spirit of Christ,” that is, the Holy Spirit, is described as speaking through the prophets of the OT. And in Genesis 6:3, God speaks of His Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, as nearing the limit of endurance with the people before the flood. 

3. before the flood He went and preached. As already mentioned, it was Christ who preached, but he preached through Noah. In 2 Peter 2:5, Noah is described as a “preacher of righteousness.” It is the same root word used here of Christ’s preaching.

 

4. To the spirits now in prison. These were the people to whom Noah preached—living men and women who heard the warning of an impending flood and the promise of salvation in the ark. They rejected the message and were drowned in the deluge. They are now disembodied spirits in prison, awaiting the final judgment.

 

5. So, the verse may be amplified as follows: “by whom (the Holy Spirit) He (Christ) went and preached (through Noah) to the spirits now in prison (Hades).”

 

6. But what right do we have to assume that the spirits in prison were the living men in Noah’s day? The answer is found in the following verse.

1 Peter 3:20-21

20   who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

1. Here the spirits in prison are unmistakably identified. Who were they? Those who formerly were disobedient. When were they disobedient? When once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared. What was the final outcome? Only a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

 

2. It is well to pause here and remind ourselves of the general flow of thought in this Letter which was written against a general background of persecution. The Christians to whom Peter wrote were suffering because of their life and testimony. Perhaps they wondered why, if the Christian faith was right, should they be suffering rather than reigning? 

 

3. If Christianity was the true faith, why were there so few Christians?

 

4. To answer the first question, Peter points to the Lord Jesus. Christ suffered for righteousness’ sake, even to the extent of being put to death. But God raised Him from the dead and glorified Him in heaven (see v. 22). The pathway to glory led through the valley of suffering.

 

5. Here the spirits in prison are unmistakably identified. Who were they? Those who formerly were disobedient. When were they disobedient? When once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared. What was the final outcome? Only a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

 

6. It is well to pause here and remind ourselves of the general flow of thought in this Letter which was written against a general background of persecution. The Christians to whom Peter wrote were suffering because of their life and testimony. Perhaps they wondered why, if the Christian faith was right, they should be suffering rather than reigning. If Christianity was the true faith, why were there so few Christians?

 

7. To answer the first question, Peter points to the Lord Jesus. Christ suffered for righteousness’ sake, even to the extent of being put to death. But God raised Him from the dead and glorified Him in heaven (see v. 22). The pathway to glory led through the valley of suffering.

 

8. Next Peter refers to Noah. For 120 years this faithful preacher warned that God was going to destroy the world with water. His thanks were scorn and rejection. 

 

9. But God vindicated him by saving him and his family through the flood.

 

10. Then there is the problem, “If we are right, why are there so few of us?” Peter answers: “There was a time when only eight people in the world were right and all the rest were wrong!” Characteristically in the world’s history the majority has not been right. True believers are usually a small remnant, so one’s faith should not falter because of the small number of the saved. There were only eight believers in Noah’s day; there are millions today.

 

11. At the end of verse 20, we read that a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. It is not that they were saved by water; they were saved through the water. 

 

12. Water was not the savior, but the judgment through which God brought them safely.

To properly understand this statement and the verse that follows, we must see the typical meaning of the ark and of the flood. The ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. The flood of water depicts the judgment of God. The ark was the only way of salvation. When the flood came, only those who were inside were saved; all those on the outside perished. So, Christ is the only way of salvation; those who are in Christ are as saved as God Himself can make them. Those on the outside could not be more lost.

1. The water was not the means of salvation, for all who were in the water drowned. The ark was the place of refuge. The ark went through the water of judgment; it took the full brunt of the storm. Not a drop of water reached those inside the ark. 
2. So, Christ bore the fury of God’s judgment against our sins. For those who are in Him there is no judgment (John 5:24).

 

3. The ark had water beneath it, and water coming down on top of it, and water all around it. But it bore its believing occupants through the water to safety in a renewed creation. So those who trust the Savior are brought safely through a scene of death and desolation to resurrection ground and a new life.

 

4. Next Peter refers to Noah. For 120 years this faithful preacher warned that God was going to destroy the world with water. His thanks were scorn and rejection. But God vindicated him by saving him and his family through the flood. Then there is the problem, “If we are right, why are there so few of us?” Peter answers: 

 

“There was a time when only eight people in the world were right and all the rest were wrong!” Characteristically in the world’s history the majority has not been right. True believers are usually a small remnant, so one’s faith should not falter because of the small number of the saved. There were only eight believers in Noah’s day; there are millions today.

 

At the end of verse 20, we read that a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. It is not that they were saved by water; they were saved through the water. Water was not the savior, but the judgment through which God brought them safely.

1. To properly understand this statement and the verse that follows, we must see the typical meaning of the ark and of the flood. The ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. The flood of water depicts the judgment of God. 
2. The ark was the only way of salvation. When the flood came, only those who were inside were saved; all those on the outside perished. So, Christ is the only way of salvation; those who are in Christ are as saved as God Himself can make them. Those on the outside could not be more lost.

The ark had water beneath it, and water coming down on top of it, and water all around it. But it bore its believing occupants through the water to safety in a renewed creation. So those who trust the Savior are brought safely through a scene of death and desolation to resurrection ground and a new life.

1 Peter 3:21-22

21   There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 

The verse cannot mean that we are saved by ritual baptism in water for the following reasons:

1. That would make water the savior, instead of the Lord Jesus. But He said, “I am the way” (John 14:6).
2. It would imply that Christ died in vain. If people can be saved by water, then why did the Lord Jesus have to die?
3. It simply doesn’t work. Many who have been baptized have proved by their subsequent lives that they were never truly born again.
4. Neither can this verse mean that we are saved by faith plus baptism.
5. This would mean that the Savior’s work on the cross was not sufficient. When He cried, “It is finished,” it wasn’t really so, according to this view, because baptism must be added to that work for salvation.
6. If baptism is necessary for salvation, it is strange that the Lord did not personally baptize anyone. John 4:1, 2 states that Jesus did not do the actual baptizing of His followers; this was done by His disciples.
7. The Apostle Paul thanked God that he baptized very few of the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:14–16). This would be strange thanksgiving for an evangelist, if baptism were essential for salvation! The fact that Paul did baptize some shows that he taught believer’s baptism, but the fact that he baptized only a few, shows that he did not consider it a requirement for salvation.
8. The penitent thief on the cross was not baptized, yet he was assured of being in Paradise with Christ (Luke 23:43).
9. The Gentiles who were saved in Caesarea received the Holy Spirit when they believed (Acts 10:44), showing that they then belonged to Christ (Rom. 8:9b). After receiving the Holy Spirit, that is, after being saved, they were baptized (vv. 47, 48). Therefore, baptism was not necessary for their salvation. They were saved first, then baptized in water.
10. In the NT, baptism is always connected with death and not with spiritual birth.
11. There are about 150 passages in the NT which teach that salvation is by faith alone. These cannot be contradicted by two or three verses that seem to teach that baptism is necessary for salvation.

22   who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.