Husbands and Wives
1 Peter 3:1-7
Chris Patton
June 8, 2025
Sermon Recap PDF
Sermon Summary
- In chapter 2 verse 9, the Apostle Peter exhorts his original readers and us: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” Peter says, “a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
- In our text, in keeping with God’s created order and beautiful design, Peter is saying — this is how regenerate, saved, holy, Christian married men and women ought to live…in order to shine God’s light in the darkness.
I. An Exhortation to Wives
Ephesians 5:22–24 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”
The headship of the husband is a fact, not a command. The Bible does not teach that a husband ought to be head of his wife and his household. It teaches that he is the head of his household, whether he wants to be or not. Male headship is a given. It may be a domineering headship. It may be an absentee headship. But one way or another, the husband is the head. Period. The only question is whether he will be an unfaithful head like Adam, or a faithful head like Christ. — Dr. Joe Rigney
Gentleness or meekness…stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation….This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will. (Ga 5:23) – NET Bible Study Notes
II. An Exhortation to Husbands
1 Peter 3:7 “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”
- This recalls Ephesians 5, where the Apostle Paul calls husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
- Here Peter helps husbands to see that part of loving their wives well; part of cherishing them and loving in them in a Christ-like manner is living with them in an understanding way.
- Consider the beauty of God’s design: A husband tenderly, with knowledge, sacrificially, lovingly, tenderly courageously leading His wife and a wife… gladly, joyfully, willingly submitting to her godly husband.
Conclusion
- God’s design is beautiful and God’s way always best; so may we walk in it.
Questions for Discussion/Application:
- Consider taking time to read 1 Peter 3:1-7 out loud. What initial insights or observations of the text do you have?
- What is truly beautiful about God’s design for marriage?
- In your role as a husband or wife, what principles, what reminders from God’s Word on in the sermon did you find most helpful?
- How would you summarize God’s call to wives in this text? Wives, what ways are you stirred to apply this call to your own life?
- How would you summarize God’s call to husbands in the passage? Husbands, what ways are you stirred to apply this call to your own life?
- Consider taking time to pray for God to help those of us who are married to walk in keeping with God’s design for our marriages.