As we continue through the book of 1 Peter, we’ve been talking about the husband and wife relationship. The apostle now gives an exhortation to husbands.
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
1 Peter 3:7 NIV
In his opening statement, Peter makes it clear that his goal is for husbands to understand their wives. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many marriages. We seem to get all of our opinions from the world’s way of doing things.
Or, worse than that, so often we get teaching from those who totally misinterpret Scripture. They do this to perpetuate the false idea that the husband is the supreme dictator of the home.
In my last few posts, I dealt with this error. You can review them to see what the Scripture says about who the true Head of the home should be. Spoiler alert – it is Christ!
The first thing that Peter wants us to understand is that the wife is the weaker vessel. This does not mean that she is in any way inferior to her husband. It’s simply a statement of the medical fact that, statistically speaking, women are not as strong as men.
This is an important fact. It tells us, as husbands, that we should be taking care of things to make life easier for them. We don’t just sit back and make our wives do all the work around the house.
The next thing he says is to treat them with respect. This is a statement that literally means to bestow them with value. This flies in the face of how husbands considered their wives in ancient times.
Sometimes they were considered to property of the husband, just like a slave. Other times they were looked at like a beloved pet. Their priority was simply to bring children – especially sons – into the family.
This teaching from Scripture elevates the wife to a higher status. Peter even calls her a co-equal heir of the grace of life. Again, in those days, most women were not able to receive an inheritance. So, spiritually speaking, there are no second-class citizens in the kingdom of God.
As a matter of fact, I personally believe that in Christ there is no “glass ceiling” for women. To see my blog on that teaching, click here.
Finally, the apostle tells us, as husbands, the result of ignoring these exhortations. He says to walk in this way with your wife so that your prayers will not be chopped down. Yes, that’s the actual wording that Peter uses.
Think of your prayers as seed that you’re planting, watering, and nurturing. You want to see the blessing of God on your life, home, and ministry. When you don’t treat your wife in a godly way, you’re tearing down the very thing that could be bringing these good things into your life.
Remember, we should be treating our wives with the same love that the Lord shows to the church. We can all follow this path to God’s best. Let our homes be an example of Christ and the church.
Question: How have you seen these truths at work in Christian homes?
© 2025 Nick Zaccardi
The Spirit and the Word 