<p>3:1 <em>In like manner</em>- Just as the Jewish Christian slaves were to be subject even to bad masters, so that principle continues in family life.</p><p><em>You wives be in subjection to your husbands- </em>As slaves were to be subject even to bad masters, likewise wives to, presumably, bad husbands, on the principle of &quot;as unto the Lord&quot;. This is how slaves have just been asked to be in subjection to bad masters. The women were converts from Jewish orthodoxy; perhaps their husbands had now left the faith due to the persecution or being caught up with the worldly stress of being refugees in Turkey. But :7 speaks of &quot;husbands&quot; as if believing husbands are in view; Peter is therefore addressing the situation of sisters whose believing husbands are not believing and behaving as they ought to.</p><p>The church is <em>subject</em> to Christ, as wives are to their husbands (1 Pet. 3:1). Yet because the wife too represents the body of Christ, all of us are to be subject to each other (1 Pet. 5:5).&nbsp; See on Eph. 5:31.</p><p><em>That, even if any do not obey the word</em>- Peter has used this word for 'disobedience' in reference to Jews who refuse to obey the Gospel of Jesus- see on 2:7,8. So their husbands were Jews who now didn't believe in Jesus as Messiah. Or perhaps they never had done, and had had to flee Jerusalem because of the persecution of their Christian wives.</p><p><em>They may without the word be gained by the behaviour of their wives</em>- But is not the word of the Gospel what ultimately wins converts to Christ? It is, but that word must be made flesh in persons, and it is therefore their witness to that word in life lived which is equally the preaching of the word to a person. This statement is disproof of extreme Biblicism, whereby it is held that the word alone is all sufficient to save someone.</p>