Submission for the sake of others

Read 1 Peter 3:1-2

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In a world where women were generally regarded as inferior to men, Jesus consistently treated them with respect and kindness (e.g. Lk.7:37-50, 8:1-3,46-48), and in Acts we see the Spirit given to “both men and women” (2:17-18) with women as well as men counted and involved (Acts 5:14; 8:3,12; 16:13-15; 18:18,26; 21:9). Perhaps this new status was one of the reasons why many women became followers of Jesus.

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But this was a problem for a woman who believed and whose husband didn’t, as a wife was expected to be submissive to her husband including adopting her husband’s religion. It took great courage and commitment to be faithful to Christ in that situation, which is why Peter urges the wife to submit to her unbelieving husband in other respects as much as possible (1).

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This is always with the aim and hope that the husband will come to faith through what he sees of Christ in his wife’s behaviour (2). Such submission is therefore a positive quality, just as we see in Jesus who submitted to becoming human and to being a servant for our sakes (Jn.13:4-5; Ph.2:6-8; 2 Cor.8:9). He calls us all – men and women alike – to the same humble service for the sake of others (Mk.10:42-45).