gengwall

Hi Hamish,

There is nothing in 1 Peter 3 for women, western or otherwise, to explain away. Peter isn’t giving a command here, he is making a suggestion for women who are in a particular situation. Peter isn’t calling for women to be under the authority of their husbands, especially the type of husbands in the immediate context – those who are not obeying the word (1 Peter 3:1b – a part you interestingly left out). Peter is showing women how they can win over such sinful husbands by showing unconditional respect even though the husband may not deserve it. This is no different than the Lord’s command to turn the other cheek. Such an attitude is one we all should take as we all subject ourselves one to another (Ephesians 5:21). But in the immediate context that Peter is dealing with here, it is especially effective when wives do it for their badly behaving husbands.