1 Peter 3:4 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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1 Peter 3:4

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‘But let it be the hidden man of the heart.’ That jewellery: it can all be lost or stolen. It can become no longer fashionable or attractive to you. Let her adorning not be that which is corruptible in any way, ‘but the ornament of a meek’ – a servant spirit – ‘and quiet spirit’, not rancorous, clamorous, bitter, insistent. There is a paradox in the verse. Peter is saying, let your adornment be something which is hidden. But the remarkable thing is that the hidden inner adornment is much more noticeable and attractive than the outward expensive adornment, and certainly more effective. It is hidden in comparison to the outward show of costume and jewellery. It does not parade itself, but it is content to be seen by acts of integrity, kindness, mercy without being ostentatious. You must concentrate on the inner adornment of the right spirit, a servant spirit. It applies to both men and women. These things are not corruptible, which partly means they will last for ever, they will be refined in eternity. They are in contrast to those things that are artificial, affected. Some people can behave very beautifully and gracefully and calmly one minute, and can fly off the handle and lose their temper the next. Such virtue isn’t real, it corrupts, it breaks down. This refers primarily here to something persistent and steady. Let the adornment of the woman – and of the man of course – be a matter of deeply rooted inner character, inner virtue. Of course Christian character isn’t totally hidden, because it is manifested in gracious speech, sensitivity to people’s needs, and friendliness and helpfulness. But the virtue itself is invisible, deep rooted in the heart. These words are not just directed at wives, because in other passages they are applied to men also. In 1 Timothy 3 very similar terms apply to office bearers also, and elsewhere to preachers. Then Peter explains, ‘even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.’ Meek – mild, yes, humble, a servant spirit, a serving spirit. Quiet – the Greek word literally means ‘keeping your seat’, in other words, somebody who isn’t easily ruffled, who is patient, not quarrelsome, not reactive. These are the characteristics which will win an unsaved husband in the goodness of God and which should be in all Christian wives.

Application

If not handled rightly external beauty can become our enemy. Giving overmuch attention to outward appearance works directly against the inner beauty which God wants to cultivate within us. What can we take with us from this world? This body of flesh will age and eventually be buried in dishonour, but the inner man being sanctified by God continues into the world to come. The character that we develop in this life will go with us into eternity. We are then building for eternity in the inner man, but the outer man will perish. Since the inner man is relatively so much more important, we should recognise this in the way we treat it and not give the outer man undue attention. Isaiah wrote of Christ that he had ‘no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him’ (Isaiah 53:2). The Christian loves his Saviour not because of any physical beauty – we know nothing about his physical appearance – but because of his inner beauty and grace, seen in his love for sinners and his willingness to lay down his life for his sheep.

What if you have a very active and effervescent personality, and you speak out? You take initiatives; there is fire in you. There is life in you. That’s your should personality. Some people are naturally quiet. Almost naturally they have a kindly servant spirit, but what if you have a much more exciting personality? Must you also smother it and contain it and be meek and quiet? You are a woman, but you are a person of initiative. You see what needs to be done and you attend to it straight away. Are you to be calm, tranquil, silent, held back, all the time, against your natural instincts? That kind of personality is an enormous advantage. God distributes aspects of personality and gifts differently. Some people are more contemplative, more thoughtful, more reflective. It takes them a bit longer maybe to get the point, but they get it more deeply. Others are very quick and active, but it's very sad if the muscles of self-control are not accompanying that personality, so that the first thing that comes into your head, even if it's a sharp word, even if it's an inappropriate word, which could be belittling, you can't control it. It's a tremendous asset to be an active person and an initiative taker, but it still has to be subject to self-mastery, self-control.

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1 Peter 3:4 Commentary and Bible Study