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RELATIVE DUTIES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES: EXHORTATIONS TO LOVE AND FORBEARANCE: RIGHT CONDUCT UNDER PERSECUTIONS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE, AFTER CHRIST'S EXAMPLE, WHOSE DEATH RESULTED IN QUICKENING TO US THROUGH HIS BEING QUICKENED AGAIN, OF WHICH BAPTISM IS THE SACRAMENTAL SEAL. (1Pe. 3:1-22) Likewise--Greek, "In like manner," as "servants" in their sphere; compare the reason of the woman's subjection, Co1 11:8-10; Ti1 2:11-14. your own--enforcing the obligation: it is not strangers ye are required to be subject to. Every time that obedience is enjoined upon women to their husbands, the Greek, "idios," "one's own peculiarly," is used, while the wives of men are designated only by heauton, "of themselves." Feeling the need of leaning on one stronger than herself, the wife (especially if joined to an unbeliever) might be tempted, though only spiritually, to enter into that relation with another in which she ought to stand to "her own spouse (Co1 14:34-35, "Let them ask their own [idious] husbands at home"); an attachment to the person of the teacher might thus spring up, which, without being in the common sense spiritual adultery, would still weaken in its spiritual basis the married relation [STEIGER]. that, if--Greek, "that even if." Even if you have a husband that obeys not the word (that is, is an unbeliever). without the word--independently of hearing the word preached, the usual way of faith coming. But BENGEL, "without word," that is, without direct Gospel discourse of the wives, "they may (literally, in oldest manuscripts, 'shall,' which marks the almost objective certainty of the result) be won" indirectly. "Unspoken acting is more powerful than unperformed speaking" [Å“CUMENIUS]. "A soul converted is gained to itself, to the pastor, wife, or husband, who sought it,…

Wherein the apostle describes the duties of husbands and wives one to another, beginning with the duty of the wife (Pe1 3:1-7). He exhorts Christians to unity, love, compassion, peace, and patience under sufferings; to oppose the slanders of their enemies, not by returning evil for evil, or railing for railing, but by blessing; by a ready account of their faith and hope, and by keeping a good conscience (Pe1 3:8-17). To encourage them to this, he proposes the example of Christ, who suffered, the just for the unjust, but yet punished the old world for their disobedience, and saved the few who were faithful in the days of Noah (Pe1 3:18 to the end).

3:19-20 This difficult passage has been widely interpreted in three ways: (1) One interpretation holds that it refers to the spirits of people who have died and that Christ, after his resurrection, preached the Good News to these spirits. However, the idea that people might hear the Good News and respond after their deaths is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, and this meaning of spirits is not the most likely. (2) A second interpretation sees 3:19-20 as describing Christ’s preaching through Noah to people who are now spirits in prison. This interpretation does justice to 3:20 but does not fit well in the discussion of Christ’s death and resurrection (3:18). (3) In the third interpretation, the spirits in prison are evil spiritual beings. Jewish tradition, based on Gen 6:1-4, held that many angels fell in the time of Noah (see also Jude 1:6; 1 Enoch 6–10). Peter’s point would then be that Christ proclaimed his victory over the evil spiritual powers after his resurrection (cp. 1 Pet 3:22).