Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the epistle of 1 Peter. I feel a great sense of urgency to publish them because I’m not sure how much time we have left on this big, blue marble. Thank you for reading them. I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, early summer 2010, things are still looking pretty bleak with the economy and unemployment, and BP is taking a lot of heat over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked…Stacey
Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 3 of 1 Peter. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations…
3:1 – Christian wives should win over their non-believing husbands without words but rather by their behavior. Is your behavior speaking louder than your words in testimony to your belief in Christ?
3:2 – Ladies, is your life being lived out with an attitude of purity and reverence toward Christ? Share an example.
3:3-4 – Does your beauty come from outward adornment or your inner self? How can you cultivate an inner self beauty? Take a look at the next couple of verses.
I can testify that the best part of me is the Holy Spirit inside. I believe that’s the source of our inner beauty because that is the part of us that resembles Jesus!
3:5-6 – Submissiveness and obedience to your own husband is beautiful.
As the bride of Christ, Jesus is our Husband and Master and we should obey Him and submit to His authority.
3:6 – What does it mean to give way to fear? Fear of what?
3:7 – Husbands are to respect their wives as the weaker partner. This is about tenderness, fragility and protection. Wives are co- heirs with their husbands “of the gracious gift of life". If men don’t treat their wives this way, their prayers may be hindered.
3:8 – Are you living in harmony with others? Are you sympathetic? Do you love others? Are you compassionate and humble? What can you do to improve in these areas?
love as brothers – philadelphos.
3:9 – Are you able to repay evil and insult with blessing? This verse teaches that we are called to behave this way so that you may inherit a blessing.
3:10-12 – These verses offer some significant challenges: watching your mouth, doing good, pursuing peace. What will you change about your behavior based on these verses?
See Psalm 34:12-16.
3:13 – If you are eager to do good, I can tell you for a fact that you will experience opposition. DON”T BE DISCOURAGED! Keep doing good.
3:14 – It may be difficult to see suffering as a blessing. How do you remind yourself of this?
See Isaiah 8:12 – who are “they”? And what are they not supposed to fear?
3:15 – We are told in this verse to make Christ the Lord in our hearts. Have you done this? Have you accepted His free gift of salvation? If you haven’t, but would like to, pray with me the prayer at the top of this page. Then seek out a Christian friend or Bible teaching church.
We must be ready to share hope. Are you prepared to tell people why you have the hope that you do? The last time you shared your faith, did you do so with gentleness and respect?
3:16 – By sharing our faith respectfully and with gentleness, we put those who oppose us in the position to be ashamed of their slanderous words. This glorifies God and may even win over the opposition.
3:18 – Christ died for the sins of the righteous and the unrighteous. His death is meant to lead us to God.
3:19-21 – The Holy Spirit is how Christ preached to those who were disobedient prior to Jesus’ birth. The time of Noah building the ark is mentioned. The story of the great flood and Noah’s ark chronicles eight people being saved through water which symbolizes baptism. Baptism is symbolic of Christ’s resurrection.
3:20 – patiently – makrothumia – mercy.
3:22 – Christ now sits at the right hand of God. All angels, authorities and powers are in submission to Him. Does it comfort you to know that all authority placed over you answers to Him? Does this have any influence over how you will behave toward your bosses in the future? How so?
• First Peter illustrates several life lessons for Christians. What is God teaching you in this chapter of scripture? How will you apply it to your life this week?
• What attributes of God do you see in this book?
• What verse of scripture seemed to be God speaking directly to you? What is He teaching you in these verses? How does He want you to respond?
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