1 Peter 3:1

The apostle in this chapter continued giving instructions to classes or groups of people: (1) to wives (1 Peter 3:1-6); (2) to husbands; (3) to the community of Christians as a whole; and then, perhaps with the looming terror of the Neronian persecution in mind, he spoke of the blessedness of suffering for righteousness sake (1 Peter 3:13-22).

In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if they obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives; beholding your chaste behavior coupled with fear. (1 Peter 3:1-2)

Be in subjection to your own husbands ... This is in agreement with other extensive teaching on this in the New Testament, as in Ephesians 5:22ff, Colossians 3:18ff, and Titus 2:5. Note also that this is extended to include the submission of a Christian wife to a pagan husband. Although it may be supposed that both the husband and the wife, many times, would be converted together, there would inevitably be occasions when only the wife would become a Christian with her husband continuing in paganism. As Hart said, "Paul found it necessary to impress upon the Corinthian church that this incompatibility of religion did not justify dissolution of marriage (1 Corinthians 12:10ff)."[1] As a matter of fact, there is no evidence that conversion to Christianity was ever considered to be a cancellation of any legal contract, not even the status of slavery.

If they obey not the word ... "The word here is the gospel, and the clause means, `If any are not Christians.'"[2] In this verse Peter means, "The husband should be the head of the house, and the wife should recognize the fact."

Beholding your chaste behavior ... The literal meaning of 1 Peter 3:2 is, "Having kept, or when they have kept an eye on your chaste conversation."[4] The husband in such a marriage would be jealously on the watch to see what effect would show in her life after embracing those foolish notions, as they might have appeared to him.

[1] J. H. A. Hart, Expositor's Greek Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 63.

[2] Archibald M. Hunter, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (New York and Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 121.

[4] A. J. Mason, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 412.