1. To Become Holy

We recently celebrated a marriage engagement with one of our members, and on that special occasion we read a passage from 1 Peter, which tells us how the relationship of a husband and wife should be.
To begin today’s meeting we will return to a reading from Peter, and seek some advice concerning husbands: “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers"¡Ê1 Peter 3:7¡Ë.
Though Peter repeats several times in this letter that wives must be submissive to their husbands, he tells husbands to only respect their wives. According to our modern thinking it seems a rather unfair attitude toward women.
So, in order to understand why he gave this apparently unbalanced advice, we shall take an overview of the letter. This letter is said to be dictated by Peter to his disciple Silas and addressed to various churches in Asia Minor which were suffering religious persecution. Peter says to those christians: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed"¡Ê1 Peter 1:6-7).
He doesn’t say that the Lord will dispense with their suffering, but he tells them to endure their trials, because worldly trails would grant them wealth in Heaven.
We also, as Christians, in wishing for a place in heaven, should choose a different lifestyle from others in the secular world, even though we might be excluded from, or even oppressed by that same society.
So the following advice which Peter gave to those christians concerns us here too, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy"¡Ê1 Peter 1:14-16).
But what does it mean exactly, to be holy? He explains: “Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect"¡Ê1 Peter 1¡§17−19).
One’s actions must conform to the call to holiness that is the Christians God-given destiny. Believers have been rescued from a life of futility for one with meaning and purpose. - a transformation effected through Christ’s death and resurrection.To be holy is to live in response to Christ’s love. This world is under the domination-obedience structure, indeed, but our behavior must be determined by a relationship based on love. That is the very way to be holy, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.¡Ê1 Peter 1:22). Further to love, is to surrender oneself. Parents give a lot to their children without expecting anything in return. Though they might be materially poorer, they feel a great joy from the giving of themselves. In a similar way we should renounce our self-centric lifestyle for the sake of others, because that was what Jesus did for us. To love as Christians, is to love by giving, not by receiving.

2. How to live the life of a Christian

In the second part of chapter 2, Peter talks to slaves and wives about their attitude toward their masters. In that era slaves and wives constituted the inferior class of society, a social structure which is vastly different from today.
But, in order to understand his point of view, we should see what Paul says about social distinctions according to race, civil status, and gender: “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28).
That teaching, which denies all hierarchical classifications, encouraged slaves and wives so much, that many of them came to believe in the church and its teachings. But in reality the society in which they lived didn’t accept that type of egalitarian thinking.
Once they left the church, they had no option but to respect the social orders of the day, superior and inferior. Women, who were always under patriarchal domination, had no legal rights. So much so, slaves and wives began to complain, which resulted in conflicts between believers. Against that background, the following advice was offered: “Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh"¡Ê1 Peter 2:18).
Peter’s teaching is at first to protect them from social sanctions, but also to tell them that such an attitude corresponds to the Christian way of living.
“But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed"¡Ê1 Peter 2:20-24).
In the above verses, slaves and wives of non-christian husbands are singled out, perhaps because of their vulnerability in a traditional and patriarchal society made them exemplars of heroic Christian life for the rest of the community. Slaves are encouraged to be obedient to their masters, even abusive ones, mindful that Jesus himself suffered unjustly. The slaves become a type of the suffering Christ and a reminder that through Christ’s suffering salvation ultimately came.

3. Christian Marriage

Guidance to slaves is followed by advice to wives. At that time wives were the property of their husbands, a status similar to that of a slave. Peter suggests that, “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over
without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives"¡Ê1 Peter 3:1-2).
Peter doesn’t counsel wives to leave even if their husbands don’t share the same faith but to stay with them because, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight"¡Ê1 Peter 3:3-4).
Taking a traditional perspective, the author encourages wives to accept authority of their husbands. In the case of non-christian husbands, the virtues of the Christian wife might ultimately win over her husband to the truth of the gospel. Christian wives are to forgo the usual external signs of beauty in favor of the inner beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.
Such exceptional charm could generate real love in a partner’s heart, which might lead them to God. In a patriarchal Jewish society, a woman was obliged to be submissive at first to her father, then to her husband, and afterwards to her firstborn son. Such an inferior status would make her feel very vulnerable, depressed and sad. Conditions that are conducive to a life which may lead her to Christ.
To the contrary, a husband, having economical capacities and a superior position to women, might easily consider himself to be independent and self-ruling, regardless of God’s mercy.
Therefore, a Christian wife, by her own love for Christ, can be instrumental in leading her husband to God and eventual salvation. She will achieve this, not by preaching, but by behaving towards him with Christian love, patience and cooperation. We might say Peter counts on women’s roles more than men’s to spread the good news of Jesus’ teachings.
And in turn: “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.¡Ê1 Peter 3:7).
While reading those verses I recognized that I, myself, did not consider my wife as an equal collaborator before becoming a Pastor. Actually, during the 27year period in which I was an office worker, domestic tasks were completely dependent upon my wife, because I was always out, earning a living.
It was my wife who took care of the children, and the household. But now, as a Pastor of this church, I really need my wife’s support. Without her collaboration I cannot carry out the church services.
When we see that Peter offers only one verse regarding the husband’s situation, and 6 verses to wives, we might say Peter seems to expect more from the wives contribution in raising a Christian family, than that of the husband. Because those who are considered to be inferior and weak should be more favored to meet God (Matthew 5:1-11).
To conclude this lecture, I am reading from Ephesians, 5:22-25 as today’s invocations verses, “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:22-25).
Paul draws the comparison between two relationships, Christ and church, husband and wife, which signifies that marriage is not just a simple human act, rather it is one of faith. The husband should love his wife as Christ loved the Church. So he should even sacrifice his own life to save her, as Christ did for us.
That point of view is confirmed by these verses: ” for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church” ( Ephesians 5:30-32).
These days, we look for a partner and get married, thinking we have found the most suitable one. And despite that, if the marriage collapses for some reason, we divorce and again seek a new partner. The Bible does not condone such an attitude, because marriage is an act of faith, like Baptism or Communion. So much so, that the action of reversing the original decision not only hurts each person, but also damages our faith.
In reality, we will always possess a human weakness and continue to make mistakes. Still, we should keep in mind that marriage is a act of faith, which compels us to love and help each other. It is the marital life that God wants for us.
So I finish today’s sermon by blessing the newly engaged couple, believing their bodies and souls will be united in Christ through the future union of marriage.