Friday, August 19, 2016

In our last visit we began a chapter study of 1st Peter chapter 3. We established the title: Cultivating healthy relationships. Then we amplified the title into a sentence, and mentioned some cross references. We also suggested some difficulties or questions some might find in studying the chapter. Now let’s develop an outline. The three points I came up with were these: developing a healthy relationship in marriage, in the family of believers, and with enquiring unbelievers. The chapter concludes by pointing out Jesus did all He could to initiate a healthy relationship with everyone, but not all did respond by faith. Our best efforts at cultivating healthy relationships might not succeed, but we are called to do our part and leave the outcome to God. Peter amplified the first point by explaining how a believing wife can win an unbelieving husband to faith without trying to persuade him verbally. Men often challenge a verbal confrontation, either by retaliating or retreating from the wife. Peter suggests a different strategy: be submissive rather than confrontational, and let your behavior persuade. Peter says, let your husband see the purity and reverence of your life, a beauty of your “inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (verses 3-4). In other words, let God be the persuader, using what is of great worth in God’s sight, the spiritual beauty of the wife’s inner self. It is hard for a man to fight what God chooses to bless.