OVERVIEW: Christian women must respect their husbands and try to win them to Christ by their behavior. They must not dress up in the latest fashion but cultivate the inner virtues that are their true beauty. Peter and Paul agree on modest dress (TERTULLIAN). Peter wants wives to show their husbands the path of virtue through their actions (HILARY OF ARLES). Women’s example is communicated to husbands by deeds (BEDE). There is nothing wrong with ornaments in themselves, but they are unnecessary extras for the faithful (HILARY OF ARLES). The proper beauty of women is not an outward matter but a matter of purity of heart (EUSEBIUS OF EMESA, HILARY OF ARLES). The adornment of women should be focused on the inner life of the heart, in the imperishableness of a quiet spirit, which is of great value in the sight of God (CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA). This applies equally to women and men (AMBROSE). Christ wants these invisible riches (AUGUSTINE) and desires to see the faithful clothed in this way (BEDE). Just as Abraham is the father of all who believe, so his wife Sarah is the mother and example for Christian women today (DIDYMUS, BEDE).
Husbands also must respect their wives and treat them properly. Husbands owe the duty of protection to their wives (HILARY OF ARLES). Husbands are to bear patiently with wives, that their prayers may not be hindered (HILARY OF ARLES, BEDE). The pure and united marriage of a man and woman speeds them toward the gates of heaven. They bear the image of conjunction by which the church is mystically conjoined to Christ as his bride (SEVERUS).
SHOW HUSBANDS THE PATH OF VIRTUE. HILARY OF ARLES: The husband is the head of the wife, and so she must be subject to him just as the other members of the body must be subject to the head. Peter wants wives to show their husbands the path of virtue with just the same vitality as so many of them lead their husbands in the opposite direction. INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER.1
THROUGH ACTIONS. HILARY OF ARLES: Actions speak louder than words, and the husbands will be persuaded by what they see, not by what they hear from their wives. INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER.2
WOMEN’S EXAMPLE COMMUNICATED TO HUSBANDS. BEDE: Note how Peter wants good and honest women to be submissive to their husbands, so that not only will they not fail to heed their commands but also that they will be so firm in their pure behavior that their example will be communicated to their husbands as well. ON 1 PETER.3
ADORNMENT OF THE FAITHFUL. TERTULLIAN: But he who is both the head of the man and the beauty of the woman, the husband of the church, Christ Jesus, what sort of crown did he put on, for both male and female? A crown of thorns! ON THE CROWN 5.14.4
PETER AND PAUL AGREE ON MODEST DRESS. TERTULLIAN: Touching modesty of dress and ornament, the rule of Peter is also plain, because he speaks with the same spirit as Paul against the empty glory of apparel and the pride of gold. ON PRAYER 9.20.5
ORNAMENTATION UNNECESSARY. HILARY OF ARLES: There is nothing wrong with these ornaments in themselves, but they are unnecessary extras for the believer and should therefore be avoided. Most of them were invented by the daughters of Ham, which explains why the prohibition is directed to women rather than to men. INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER.6
INWARD ADORNMENT. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Women should not indulge in the outward adornment of braiding the hair or of wearing gold, or of putting on robes. Their adornment should be in the inner life of the heart, in the imperishableness of a quiet and gentle spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God. THE TEACHER 3.11.66.7
WOMEN AND MEN. AMBROSE OF MILAN: When reading the apostle Peter I noticed that every wise man is rich. Note that Peter does not exclude women from this. Neither the wise man nor the rich one needs to hoard riches for himself. Peter has mentioned very beautifully the inner life of the heart, because the whole man of wisdom is invisible, just as wisdom itself is invisible, though understood. No one before the time of Peter used such an expression in speaking of the inner man. LETTERS TO PRIESTS 55.8
INVISIBLE RICHES. AUGUSTINE: God would not give riches to the outer man and leave the inner man in need; he has given invisible riches to the invisible self and invisibly adorned it. SERMONS 161.11.9
PURITY OF SPIRIT. BEDE: Since the outer man is corrupt and you no longer possess the beauty of integrity which is proper to virgins, imitate the purity of your spirit by strict abstinence and do with your mind what you cannot achieve in your body. For Christ wants these inward riches. He desires to see you clothed in this way. ON 1 PETER.10
PROPER BEAUTY NOT OUTWARD. EUSEBIUS OF EMESA: Outward beauty is not the real thing but rather something quite superfluous. A woman’s proper beauty is obedience to her husband. The truth of this statement is made manifest by the examples of the holy women of the past, like Sarah. CATENA.11
REMAIN HOLY. HILARY OF ARLES: Women must remain holy in every state of life, whether they are married, single or celibate. INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER.12
THE DAUGHTERS OF SARAH. DIDYMUS THE BLIND: Peter commands women to imitate their holy forebears, and in particular Sarah. He urges them to submit to their husbands just as she submitted to Abraham and says that they have become her children by their good behavior. For just as a man who does the works of Abraham and has his faith becomes his child, so also believing women who do good have Sarah as their mother. CATENA.13
THE MOTHER OF ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. BEDE: Since Sarah had become a companion to Abraham of such great faith, God called her the mother of all the righteous,14 and when Peter was urging believing women among the Gentiles to practice the virtues of humility, chastity and modesty, he remembered our mother Sarah with due praise. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.11.15
BESTOW HONOR UPON THE WOMAN. AUGUSTINE: Is it true that such spouses do not think about the things of the Lord, how they might please him? They are very rare. Who denies this? ON THE GOOD OF MARRIAGE 12.14.16
DOMESTIC TROUBLE HINDERS GOD’S WORK. SEVERUS OF ANTIOCH: The pure and united marriage of a man and woman speeds on toward the gates of heaven. For if they bear the image of conjunction by which the church is mystically conjoined to Christ as his bride, they can pray that they will be elevated to a position equal to that of the church. Peter enjoins obedience on wives and tells husbands to bear patiently with them. . . . He also shows that there is another reason for being patient, which is so that their prayers will not be hindered. For nothing hinders the work of God like trouble in the home. CATENA.17
THE HUSBAND’S DUTY TO PROTECT THE WIFE. HILARY OF ARLES: The head can easily corrupt the members of the body, but Peter addresses himself to the latter first, lest it be thought that the lesser might somehow despise the greater. But then he goes on to exhort the greater to treat the lesser members properly. This means, first, husbands must respect the times set aside for prayer and fasting and not demand their marital rights if these are going to be a distraction from other things. Second, men must accept that they are stronger than their wives and therefore have a duty to protect them. Third, both parties are heirs of eternal life which God gives by grace, not by any merit which we may possess, and we do well to remember that “It depends not on man’s will or exertion, but on God’s mercy.”18 INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER.19
SEX AND PRAYER. BEDE: What Peter demanded of wives he now demands of husbands as well, for husbands must find out what God wants and give honor to the weaker vessel. If we abstain from intercourse we honor one another, but if we do not abstain, it is obvious that the intercourse, which we have is contrary to the demands of honor. Sexual intercourse is a barrier to prayer, as Paul also implied.20 This means that whenever I have intercourse I cannot pray. But if we are supposed to pray without ceasing, as Paul also said, it is obvious that I can never have sexual intercourse, because if I do so I shall have to interrupt my prayers. ON 1 PETER.21