Dave

I think we need to realise the full context of 1 Peter. IMHO Peter is suggesting Christians submit to the authorities (emperor and governors), slaves to masters and wives to husbands. This is so that unbelievers might become believers and so Christians will not be accused of doing the wrong thing.

The one thing in common with all three relationships is that they WERE legal. Slavery was legal, husbands essentially ‘owning’ wives (and being able to beat them) was legal, and of course submitting to the authorities was legal!

Today, however, slavery AND wife beating are both illegal! In fact according to the authorities husbands who beat their wives MUST be reported to the relevant authorities.

Peter encourages the believers to not be seen as stirring up trouble, but rather undermine relationships such as slavery and husband hierarchy through choosing to submit. After all, you cannot take from someone what they have freely given.

When the Church lives out hierarchy in a away that even society has rejected, then we have failed to do what Peter is encouraging the Church to do in his letter. We will not win people over in society today by suggesting that wives should put up with any amount of physical abuse.