1 Peter 3:1-7
"Authority Part IV: Your Husband"
Read 1 Peter 3:1-7: God's Design for Marriage
1) Scripture teaches that wives are equal to their husbands with regards to
their dignity, value, and worth. But those of you who are married know
that men and women are quite different. Men and women are generally
wired differently, have different gifts, and different needs. Scripture does
teach that in marriage, husbands and wives are equal, but they do have
different roles to play as they complement one another. Peter addresses
the role of wives likely because in 1st century Asia Minor many women
became Christians but were already in a marriage to a non-believer.
2) Why do Peter's statements about submission stir up so much controversy in
our culture?
3) What are the distortions about headship and submission that pervert it?
4) In 3:1, Peter writes: "Wives be subject to your own husbands." What is the
goal of submission?
5) How does a wife being subject to her husband bring about oneness and
unity in marriage?
6) Wives, in what areas could you empower your husband more?
7) What does this teaching imply for the leadership, responsibility, and
accountability of husbands?
8) In 3:1, Peter describes a situation that is pretty common in churches today.
Christian wives who are married to non-Christian husbands. How does
Peter instruct women on how to win their non-believing husband over to
Christ? Why do you believe that Peter instructs wives to win their
husbands over by their conduct rather then by persuasion?
9) In 3:2, Peter calls on Christian wives to have respectful and pure conduct.
The word translated "respectful" is also the word used in 1 Peter to
describe "fear" of God. How is a God fearing wife a blessing to her husband
and her children? Describe the influence that a God fearing wife can have
on her family.
10)
In 3:3-4, Peter describes the internal beauty of women and how that
is more important then external beauty. Proverbs 31:30 says: "Charm is
deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be
praised." Why is inner beauty more important then external beauty? This
teaching is not only applied to women in Scripture but also applied to men.
Have members of your group look up 1 Sam. 16:7; 2 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 3:16.
What do you spend more time adorning: the internal or the external?
11)
How does our culture cause women to have low self esteem and
feelings of insecurity?
12)
In 3:4, Peter describes a gentle and quiet spirit. Gentleness is a fruit
of the Holy Spirit and a quiet spirit is spoken of by the Apostle Paul as well.
What is a quiet and gentle spirit? Proverbs 21:9 says: "It is better to live in
a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife."
13)
In 3:1-6, we can see that Peter, like Paul, believes that a man
desperately needs respect for a marriage to function well. Ephesians 5:33
says: "Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that
she respects her husband." Why is it important for husbands to feel
respected as competent and responsible?
14)
In 3:7, Peter addresses husbands and calls on them to live with their
wives in an understanding way. What happens when husbands fail to listen
and understand the needs and emotions of their wives? Husbands, in what
areas can you seek to understand and appreciate your wives more?
15)
Peter also asks husbands to honor their wives. Husbands, do you
spend most of your time thinking about how your wife could serve you
better? Or, do you spend your time thinking about how you can honor her
better?
16)
How is honor similar to love? In Ephesians 5:25, Paul says:
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up
for her." In what ways can you sacrifice more for your wife?
17)
How is God's design for marriage countercultural in our world? What
difference would it make if Christian couples sought to follow God's design?
18)
Your Growth Group is invited to attend a very important Growth
Group Conference this Sunday, March 27th after worship. Pastor Andrew
will primarily be talking about how Growth Groups can become more active
in reaching out with the love of Jesus to our community.