It is important when we come to the
Bible that we realize that it is written in a certain context. Does that mean that we can’t relate to it
today? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that in order to
properly understand what the Bible is telling us, we have to properly
understand what it told its first readers.
This issue of context is seldom more critical than when dealing with
sociological issues, especially those relating to gender. To prove my point, I’d like to share with you
a literary exert from the era when I Peter was written, that may help shed some
light on how women were viewed in that culture:
“How can one reach agreement with a
woman?’ ‘By recognizing,’ he replied, ‘that the female sex is bold, positively
active for something which it desires, easily liable to change its mind because
of poor reasoning powers, and of naturally weak constitution. It is necessary to have dealings with them in
a sound way, avoiding provocation which may lead to a quarrel. Life prospers when the helmsman knows the
goal to which he must make the passage.
Life is completely steered by invocation of God.” – Letter of Aristeas
I would agree that when dealing with
women, it is sound advice to avoid provocation which may lead to a
quarrel. That is a tidbit of advice that
is not unique to the above passage, and that stands the test of time. Likewise, we would agree that life is
completely steered by invocation of God.
However, we would disagree that women have poor reasoning powers. The idea that women are inferior
intellectually is a relic of a bygone era.
Too many of us have received our education from women to argue that they
are in any way intellectually inferior.
As the percentage of those obtaining a higher education continues to tilt
in favor of females, if anything the empirical evidence would argue the exact
opposite. But I digress…
So if I Peter was written in an era
whose view of women differs starkly from our own, what if anything can we learn
from it regarding the marriage relationship?
Despite its “dated”, and some would say “antiquated” nature, there are
some eternal truths that emanate from the text.
First of all, we should not judge a book
by its cover, or in this instance, a woman by her outward appearance. How desperately do our little girls, our
teenager girls, and our young women need to hear this? In a society that judges us largely by our
outward appearance, how important is it for us as a church to send a message to
our young women, and young men, that clothes and physical beauty are far less
important than what is in their hearts.
Only a little more than ten years removed from high school, I can tell
you that the things I remember most about my classmates have nothing to do with
their clothes, or even with their appearance.
Believe it or not, when looking at some of the photos from my reunion
last year, there were some attractive girls from my class that I had forgotten
existed. My memory of my classmates from
so many years ago is centered on the relationship I had with each one of
them. It focuses on shared experience,
not what they wore, what they drove, or how they looked. If the church doesn’t advocate for the
surpassing value of judging others by their heart, and the content of their
character, who will?
Second, we learn that wives should be
honored and protected. The very things
that make them the weaker vessel physically are also the very things that make
them a blessing to society, and a perfect match for their husbands. I know it’s a faux pas to speak in terms of
weakness and strength, especially when referring to how the genders relate to
one another, but what we see related in I Peter is just one side of the coin. Generally speaking, women might not be able
to bench as much or run as fast as men, but that does not mean they don’t make a
vital contribution every bit as important as men. Why do you think Peter insists on husbands
honoring and protecting them?
Third, we are taught that women are
co-heirs, or equals with men spiritually.
Women are not second-class Christians.
Furthermore, by giving them moral instructions motivated by a missionary
outlook, Peter shows that they have a unique role to play in the church’s
evangelistic efforts. Anyone who has
spent much time around a church knows that women do a large percentage of the
work. They not only function in the
roles that have traditionally been ascribed to women, but they teach, preach,
and witness to the love of Christ in ways seldom recognized, but always
impactful.
Finally, we learn that for husbands, our
ability or inability to honor our wives will directly impact God’s willingness
to hear our prayers. We cannot display
ingratitude by neglecting, dishonoring, or God-forbid abusing the wives that
God has blessed us with, and then expect beneficial answers to our
prayers. Faith is not just mental assent
to a certain belief, it is living our lives in such a way that we show to
others the truth of what we believe. If
we can’t manifest faithfulness in our homes, what chance do we have of
manifesting it in the world?
May my faith, and my gratitude to God, be displayed for all to see in the way that I honor the wife God has blessed me with.
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