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BEREAN COMMUNITY CHURCH

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1 Peter 3:1-7

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Wednesday April 6, 2022

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1 Peter 3:1–9 (NASB95)

¹In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 

²as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. 

³Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 

⁴but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 

⁵For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; 

⁶just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. 

⁷You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 

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⁸To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 

⁹not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

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Group Discussions

1. Share the inductive questions you came up with in your prep of 1 Peter 3:1-7.

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• Share some of the observations you made in your study of 1 Peter 3:1-7.

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• What are the objections (“fleshly/former lusts”) that rise up in and around you when you think through the ramifications of these verses?

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Purple Bold: imperatives

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Underlined: the institutions

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Red Bold: Key words / phrases

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Peach Text: the “how”

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Italicized: participle “submit”

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[First column]: Submission

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[Second column]: To whom we submit

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[Third column] subordinate ideas

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Review: God’s will for the Christian

1 Peter 1:13–15 (NASB95)

¹³Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

¹⁴As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 

¹⁵but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

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1 Peter 2:15 (NASB95)

¹⁵For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

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1 Peter 2:19–21 (NASB95)

¹⁹For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 

²⁰For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 

²¹For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

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Fearing God alone; not man

1 Peter 1:17 (NASB95)

¹⁷If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

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Some Notes on 1^st Century Family Structure

• Women viewed as inferior to men. Received little or no respect socially, economically, or politically.

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• Patria Potestas: The Father’s Power also applied to wives; adult women had few legal rights of their own. They could not vote or hold public office.

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• Wife becoming a Christian without husband 🡪 husband likely socially embarrassed and shamed by perceived act of defiance by his wife.

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• Women often had social clubs and religious cults on the side [viewed as hobby]

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• The family’s religion was that of the husband’s.

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• Culturally, women sought to submit well, primarily to satisfy a husband’s vanity or to promote his reputation.

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• Modest adornment for women was usually the societal norm.

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“A wife should not acquire her own friends, but should make her husband’s friends her own. The gods are the first and most significant friends. For this reason, it is proper for a wife to recognize only those gods whom her husband worships and to shut the door to superstitious cults and strange superstitions.”

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(Plutarch – Greek philosopher & Priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi)

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What this passage is NOT saying:

• All women should be subject to all men.

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• The relationship between husband and wife is parallel to the relationship between master and slave.

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• It is okay for Christian woman to marry a non-Christian man (or obviously, vice-versa)

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• Holy wives address their husbands as “Lord.”

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• External beauty is of no value; External adornment is a sin.

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• It is a noble thing for a woman to remain married to an abusive husband.

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• Women are inferior to men, intellectually substandard or more prone to wickedness. (1 Peter 3:7;1 Corinthians 15:28; Galatians 3:28)

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1 Peter 1:3-7 (NASB95)

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

⁴to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 

⁵who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

⁶In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 

⁷so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

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For Next Bible Study (Wednesday 4/20)

1. Carefully read 1 Peter 3:8-16.

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• Ask inductive questions of these verses and come up with observations.

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• How do these verses fit into the context of the rest of the section, chapter, and letter?

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• What are some practical and measurable applications you can draw from these verses?�
• What does it mean for you to sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart?

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Group Discussions

1. Married folks: In what specific areas do you need help in better applying these verses? Any sins to confess or practical applications to make? Unmarried folks: In what practical ways do you need improvement in the way you are interacting with the human institutions nearest to you?

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• Are there specific ways your group members can pray for you as you grow in fearing God over consequence?

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