22 Paula,

To say Peter is giving Christian wives a more stringent level of respect for their husbands than the other way around is to agree that men need more respect than women.

I didn’t say that. Not sure where you are reading past my words, but perhaps is good to clarify. Peter isn’t giving Christian wives a “more stringent” level of respect for their husbands. He is noting that the Christian attitude towards others does not exclude husbands. Women who have been treated as shoe horns for their husbands because of the “I rule, you drool” patriarchical attitude of many of the men may naturally balk at submitting in any way to their husbands because of the way that they have been treated.

I would think that when it comes to unbelievers observing the whole Christian community, the greater and stronger witness would be for the men to respect the women.

I am not so sure. For women looking at this respect, yes it would be a great witness. But perhaps men seeing the respect for the women might be seen as a sign of weakness. It may not be considered a “greater witness”. However I have no doubt that in that culture women acting in a godly and supportive way towards their unbelieving husbands would be a strong witness to them.