How Husbands should treat their Wives
HOW HUSBANDS SHOULD TREAT THEIR WIVES
Introduction: “A good wife is the crown of her husband” (Proverbs 12:4). “Crown” serves as a symbol of the honor she brings to husband and home. So, husbands, are you treating you wives like she is your crown or like she is your foot stool. God has much to say in Scripture about how husbands should treat their wives. That will be our focus with this lesson.
I. As equals
A. Galatians 3:28
B. I Peter 3:7
1. Co-heirs, joint heirs
2. She is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. New Living Bible
C. Ephesians 5:21
II. With love
A. Ephesians 5:25
B. I Corinthians 13:4-7
1. to be long-suffering, long-suffering, forbearance. be patient, wait patiently
2. be kind, be gentle, behave kindly
3. (1) as commendably striving for something desire, show zeal (for), set one's heart on; (2) of a strong personal concern for someone be zealous or jealous; (3) of an attitude of misplaced zeal be zealous for, eagerly seek, try to win over; (4) in a bad sense of hostile emotion based on resentment (be moved with) envy, be filled with jealousy, be jealous of
4. be conceited, brag; to praise oneself excessively; to behave as a windbag
5. cause conceit or arrogance; pass. be conceited or arrogant or puffed up
6. (1) as defying moral standards: act disgracefully, behave improperly; (2) as defying social standards: be ill-mannered or rude
7. not self seeking
8. literally sharpen; figuratively: arouse, excite, stimulate; in a negative sense: provoke, irritate, cause to be upset. parocunw to urge, prick or spur on, stimulate; to anger, provoke, irritate, exasperate
9. from a basic meaning: think according to logical rules; (1) as an objective reckoning; (a) as keeping a mental record: take into account, keep in mind, count; (b) charge or credit to someone's account, reckon to; as a subjective act of thought have in mind, ponder, think (about)
The Bad
10. rejoice, be glad / delighted
a generally disregard for what is right; (1) as disregard for divine law; unrighteousness, wrongdoing; (2) as disregard for human rights: injustice, unrighteousness, violation of justice; (3) as disregard for the respect and obedience due to God: wickedness, unrighteousness, wrongdoing; (4) as disregard for truth: wrong, evil
11. rejoices with truth
12. related to roof; (1) strictly put a roof on; hence: cover, keep silent about, keep confidential; (2) endure, bear; (3) refrain from, put up with
13. to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance - to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust
14. to look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial - to hope, to hope for, hope in.
15. endure, hold out, stand firm; bear, put up with; remain, stay behind; survive
to continue in an activity or state despite resistance and opposition - to continue, to remain, to endure.
C. Colossians 3:19
1. Same love as above
a. It involves his unceasing care and loving service for her entire well-being. WBC
b. It is a love that is sacrificial, that disregards itself, which is defined by Christ’s action. WBC
2. to make sharp or bitter to the taste; metaph. in Pass. to be exasperated, foster bitter feelings
a. Do not irritate or annoy her (1. to disturb or irritate especially by repeated acts; 2. to harass especially by quick brief attacks; to upset a person's composure; annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness; vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety)
b. Especially in view is the bitterness vented on the wife though not caused by her. WBC
c. This could refer to the husband annoying his wife to anger on a continuing basis until she becomes bitter (Showing an intense persistent feeling of dislike, hatred or opposition.)
III. I Peter 3:7
A. With respect / honor
1. basically, the worth ascribed to a person or the value ascribed to a thing; the recognition of another's worth; (a) active - honor, reverence, respect; (b) passive - recognition, esteem, dignity bestowed; the value ascribed to a thing; (a) price, value, price received or paid back; (b) figuratively value, benefit, usefulness
2. honor - value, esteem; have a high opinion of; favor, admiration, appreciation
3. The honor of one who outranks others, pre-eminence
B. According to knowledge
1. Study your wife, examine every part of her mind, to know her and find out how to please her
2. to come to an understanding as the result of ability to experience and learn - to come to understand, to perceive, to comprehend
C. pertaining to being physically weak - “respecting the female as the weaker object” (1 Pe 3.7). Such a literal translation of this expression in 1 Pe 3.7, however, may be misleading, for in general ... is interpreted as a reference to one's wife. Therefore, one may translate as “treating with respect one's wife as the physically weaker partner” or “... as of the weaker sex.”
1. “as somebody weaker.” The weakness in view is physical WBC
2. The notion that women are “weak,” or “weaker” than men, was common-place in the ancient world, but Peter uses it not to denigrate (to deny the importance or validity of; belittle) women but to foster “respect,” the core of his advice to Christian husbands. WBC
IV. Never even consider or talk about or threaten divorce
A. Luke 16:18
B. I Corinthians 7:10-11
C. What you think about, you will do, if you have the opportunity.
V. Do not think of her as only a sex object I Corinthians 7:1-5
Conclusion: I don’t believe I’ve fully covered this topic because each woman here probably has some things to add. I hope the men will practice what the Bible says. Their eternal salvation depends on it.