ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for 1 Peter 3

1 Pet. 3:1–2 A husband is to be the leader in the home (compare Eph. 5:22–33; Col. 3:18–19). A wife is to be subject to (see 1 Pet. 3:5–6) and follow her husband’s leadership. If a wife has an unbelieving husband who is disobedient to the word (that is, the gospel), she should not try to pressure him into converting. Instead, her godly conduct will demonstrate the truth of the gospel without a word. your own husbands. Scripture never says that women in general are to be subject to men in general. It does support male headship in the home (see also Titus 2:5) and in the church (see 1 Tim. 2:11–15; 3:2–3; and notes on 1 Timothy 2:12–15). Scripture also establishes the equality of man and woman as being made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27; see 1 Pet. 3:7).

1 Pet. 3:1 It was unusual for a wife to have a different religion than her husband in Roman culture. Peter calls on wives to submit to their husbands, but it was a different submission than was common. The wives’ devotion was first and foremost to Christ, not their husbands.

1 Pet. 3:3–4 Do not let your adorning be external. Examples of “external . . . adorning” can be seen in portraits and sculptures from the first century. The elaborate braiding of women’s hair and the wearing of attention-grabbing jewelry were common in upper-class Roman society. Peter is not literally prohibiting all braiding of hair or all wearing of gold jewelry. Instead, he warns against being more concerned about personal appearance than personal character.

1 Pet. 3:6 Sarah obeyed Abraham. Peter describes Sarah’s submission in terms of obedience. This does not mean the relationship between husbands and wives is like that of parents and children. It shows that a wife is to follow her husband’s leadership. calling him lord. See Gen. 18:12. do not fear. Peter calls on wives to trust God as Sarah did and not fear even the difficult things they face.

1 Pet. 3:7 Peter’s advice to husbands is briefer, perhaps because they are less likely to be mistreated than bondservants and wives. The word likewise is a transition (compare v. 1; 5:5). It does not imply that husbands should submit to their wives the way that wives submit to them (see Eph. 5:21–33). To live . . . in an understanding way probably includes understanding the needs of the wife. Weaker vessel probably means that men are generally physically stronger than women and therefore they may be tempted to threaten their wives through physical or verbal abuse. heirs . . . of the grace of life. Peter does not think women are inferior to men, for both are equally made in God’s image (compare Gal. 3:28). If husbands do not treat their wives in a godly way, the Lord will pay no attention to their prayers.

1 Pet. 3:8–9 Finally, all of you begins a list of godly virtues that all believers should model at all times.

1 Pet. 3:10–12 Peter draws on Ps. 34:12–16 (see note on 1 Pet. 2:3). To love life and see good days results from God’s “blessing” (3:9). Peter continues his quotation of Psalm 34: For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous (to observe and care for them) and his ears are open to their prayer (for various needs and concerns). This does not mean that God keeps obedient believers from suffering (compare 1 Pet. 2:19–23; 3:14; 17; 4:12–19). It means that God will provide his grace “to strengthen and establish” believers in times of suffering (5:10) and great need (compare 2 Cor. 12:9; Heb. 4:16).

1 Pet. 3:13–4:11 Believers are to endure hardship, knowing that they will receive a final reward (3:13–17). Christ suffered at his death but was raised from the dead, and thus has triumphed over all demonic powers (3:18–22). Christians are urged to give themselves wholly to God, being willing to suffer and do what is right (4:1–6). Expectation of the end times should motivate believers to live in a way that pleases God and to exercise their spiritual gifts (4:7–11).

1 Pet. 3:13–14 even if. Peter writes to Christians already suffering for their faith. Therefore he is not saying that such suffering is unlikely. His point is that no one will ultimately or finally harm Christians because no one can take Christ from them (see Rom. 8:31). Indeed, they will be blessed by God in their sufferings (compare Matt. 5:10).

1 Pet. 3:15–17 Believers should always be ready to provide a reason for their faith. They should do so kindly and engagingly. If they keep a good conscience because their behavior is correct, any accusations against them will prove false. Their accusers will be put to shame.

1 Pet. 3:18 This is a key statement on the substitutionary atonement of Christ. He suffered and died as the righteous one in place of the unrighteous, in order to bring us to God. being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. Jesus died physically but was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit.

1 Pet. 3:19 spirits in prison. There is much debate about the identity of these spirits. The Greek term can mean either human spirits or angels, depending on the context (compare Num. 27:16; Acts 7:59; Heb. 12:23). (1) Some interpreters say that “spirits” refers to the unsaved human spirits of Noah’s day. Christ, “in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18), preached the gospel “in the days of Noah” (v. 20) through Noah. Unbelievers who heard “did not obey . . . in the days of Noah” (v. 20). They are now suffering judgment. (2) Others believe that the spirits are fallen angels who were cast into hell to await the final judgment. In this case the message that Christ proclaimed is almost certainly one of triumph, after having been “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (v. 18). (3) Others have advocated that Christ offered a second chance of salvation to those in hell. This interpretation, however, is in direct contradiction with other Scripture (see Luke 16:26; Heb. 9:27) and with the rest of 1 Peter and therefore must be rejected, leaving either of the first two views as the most likely interpretation.

1 Pet. 3:21 Peter compares salvation in the ark and baptism. In both, believers are saved through the waters of judgment, since baptism portrays salvation through judgment. Baptism saves you because it represents inward faith. Without faith, baptism does nothing more than remove dirt from the body. Faith is shown by one’s appeal to God for the forgiveness of one’s sins (for a good conscience). Furthermore, baptism “saves” only because it is grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians have disagreed about the proper mode of water baptism from the early history of the church. Yet Christians have generally agreed that water baptism is an outward sign of the inward work of the Holy Spirit (compare John 3:5; Titus 3:5).