Wives, likewise
“Likewise” - like what? Like business and government mentioned in the previous chapter. Wives are to operate like business and government. All the institutions of business, government and marriage require order.
Peter makes the same argument for wives as he did for other categories. The word “likewise” indicates a further category. The new category is the wife. He will deal with husbands in verse 7.
“Likewise” means in a similar manner. “Likewise” indicates that the wife is to submit to her husband just like people submit to their government and Jesus submitted (chapter 2). Jesus also submitted to the Father. By submitting to the Father, Jesus demonstrated the dignity of submission. A person who submits is not weak but strong. Our society knows nothing of this.
The word “submit” occurred in 2:13 “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme.” The issue in this word is order instead of chaos in human institutions. Submission in this verse applies to human government. Each believer has the responsibility to submit to the national entity in which he or she resides.
Later in 2:18 Peter uses this term for slaves, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.” Today would be analogous to employer/employee relationships. The employee’s role is to arrange his working relationship under his boss. No business can operate without authority.
This submission is according to a divinely-willed order. This divinely willed order is submission to authorities in
Romans 13:1 ff., which acknowledges the legitimacy of government on the basis of their divine commission to reward good and punish evil.Titus 3:1 and1 Peter 2:13-14 echo this teaching. Christians do not submit to the state merely because it provides conditions for their life. They and all people owe subjection because government is by divine ordination.If authority is important in government and business, it is equally important for the husband/wife relationship. Egalitarianism is not a biblical value. Authority in role relationship is a biblical value. Egalitarianism assaults the role of authority in society. Authority gives stability to society. If I submit to the head of my government, I will live in orderly relationship to my fellow citizens. If I do not accept authority, chaos will result.
Role is crucial to government, business and family. Order for any institution requires organization. Someone has to have the authority to make the final decision. Someone takes the initiative and others respond to their leadership.
In any organization of more than one person, there must be authority. If I join the military, I fight under authority. If I drive down the street, I accept the authority of the traffic signal. Business has to operate on authority. Schools require the acceptance of the authority of the teacher in the classroom. Life under the philosophy of “kill or be killed” would be grim indeed. Life is made up of principles of authority. It is important for the wife to understand this.
Principle:
Order is crucial to a stable society and stable marriage.
Application:
What happens to society without clearly defined roles? Chaos, anarchy and dissolution. Countries without order do not have stability. Revolution upon revolution and coup upon coup occur. Putting this in a microscopic scale, this is what happens in marriage - revolution upon revolution in the relationship.
The principles of the first six verses are vital for the wife’s understanding of her husband’s needs. Otherwise she will live in drudgery and agony. Some who read this are in total misery by martial conflict. Psychology and sociology have some answers but basically they suggest “Do your own thing,” “Take a fling,” or “Find a new environment.”
The Bible takes an entirely different approach. This approach revolves around the wife meeting her husband’s needs and the husband meeting his wife’s needs. This is not self-centered but other-centered.
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