Paula

Cheryl,

First let me clarify that I have no issues with “submit”; I know what it does and doesn’t mean, so that did not factor into my view of this passage at all. While there are indeed many who base an argument on a flawed understanding of a word, that isn’t the case here. And in turn, presuming this was my motive could have colored your response as well.

Of course you know also that I believe the Bible teaches mutual submission, such that Christian women are told to support Christian men, and vice versa. But, as you mentioned (… submission is given with the purpose or goal of winning the husband…), and that is Peter’s focus. A Christian wife of a non-Christian husband had a tough job, because she often could not say a word to him about religious matters. Her actions were her only witness, and such actions went beyond the norm for the society, which considered women to lack the depth of character Peter encourages here.

As for Sarah, I think the OT shows both from Abraham’s actions and Sarah’s demands on him concerning Hagar that she did not hesitate to openly scold him at times. And since both husbands and wives are to respect each other, especially in public, the wife is under no greater constraint than the husband. So Peter is not giving all Christian wives a more restricted range of behavior than husbands, but advising believing wives on how to achieve the difficult task of witnessing to unbelieving husbands. It was a delicate balance, much like the head covering issue. And again, my interpretation is not driven by fear of the word “lord”; I am well familiar with its usage.