Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 129th. Edition.
Dear Servants of the Most High,
Today’s passage (1 Peter 3:3-4) is a continuation of the theme of wifely submission begun in the previous passage. The submission of the wife needs to be seen in the broader context of submission to established authority. The first two items of this theme are found in the previous chapter: Submission to the governing authorities (2:13-17) and submission to masters (2:18-21). There will be one more, submission to elders (5:5) but that is for later, in its context. Today’s topic is the second in this series.
The first was Testimony, today it is Temperance (3:3-4). Minimize the Outward (v. 3). This verse is often misunderstood. It has been misread to mean that women should not adorn themselves and pay attention to outward beauty. That is not the import of this verse. The clear implication is that women should not make outward beauty their primary focus. Moderation is the key here. If a woman is beautiful, her beauty should be appreciated. It would be dishonest to admire a beautiful flower and pretend to be indifferent to a beautiful woman. Her beauty is God-given and should be admired.
If she can enhance that beauty with hair, makeup, and jewelry, let her. But let not her mind be consumed with that outer beauty because it is vain. Instead, she should Maximise on the Inward (v. 4). The inner beauty is characterized by a gentle and quiet spirit. Quiet here means peaceful. This is important in a wife because she supplies a sense of peaceful support for the husband. The world of men is hectic and one of competition and at times, strife.
There is no greater gift for a man than to come home to a wife who is not destabilized by competition and strife. Many a great man has been made greater by a supportive wife and many a useless man has been saved from shame by a respectable wife. Modern, individualized reasoning frowns upon this, but many women have tamed men by applying a quiet and gentle spirit.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.