1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV),
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
The above verses came to mind recently followed by the thought that apostle Peter meant it literally, he did not intend it as metaphors: Having a gentle and quiet spirit can make someone beautiful. We note that it is by far the less costly, in terms of money, and most beneficial way, even health-wise, for a married woman to make herself beautiful. True, less costly but personally challenging as well considering our Fallen Nature….
I have read our text several times already and each time I couldn’t help but conclude that here the Bible reveals two types of beauty for married women: (1) the beauty that “come from outward adornment” -such as elaborate hairstyles, the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes, and, (2) the beauty that “is of your inner self” -the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit -Talking about a holistic view of beauty…. I must admit that I am yet to find biblical basis for concluding that the two types of beauty are inherently mutually exclusive (either one or the other?).
The structure and syntax of the text clearly suggest that one type of beauty was practiced (cultural norm) but the other was ignored or not practiced as much (kingdom culture): The expression “should not” indicates the former (beauty that come from outward adornment) and “rather” indicates what was ignored (beauty of the inner self). By the way, do you know that your face actually mirrors your inner state (the state of your inner self)?….
We are told that the beauty that is of the inner self is of great worth in God’s sight, this is significant because (1) God is perfection and (2) especially for any married woman who is mindful of God, not only her husband or the world in general. Here we recall prophet Samuel’s remark to Jesse: 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV), “…. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”….
The point is that a child of God is expected to pursue what is of great worth in God’s sight. Accordingly, Peter reminds us that the beauty of the inner self is of great worth in God’s sight because it doesn’t fade -Talking of the value system of the kingdom of God…
It is important to note that apostle Peter doesn’t use the comparative word “greater”, and the fact that he doesn’t tells us that the beauty “that comes from outward adornment” is not really of value in God’s sight…. Hence, claiming to dress smart on Sunday “for God”, for example, makes no sense in this context!
Please note, how we dress in church may matter even though we don’t dress for God…. Dressing for God is limited to the inner self so that it is hypocrisy when Sunday smart dressing does not reflect the state of the inner self that God desires.
It is important to note that what apostle Peter writes to married women (wives) in the church is true regarding human beings in general: Isn’t gentleness one of the fruit of the Spirit(Galatians 5:23)? However, he singles out married women most likely because historically/culturally most of them are preoccupied with beauty more than men are….
No, apostle Peter is not against the beauty that comes from outward adornment. He doesn’t even suggest that such beauty is sinful. However, he clearly remarks that it is not of great worth in God’s sight. Peter is more interested in the beauty of the inner self, which the world seems to know nothing about or have devalued, because it is unfading and thus of great value in God’s sight -the word “unfading” implies more impactful and lasting, which is significant in the context of Evangelism, for example, and in creating an environment conducive to peace and prosperity in the home.
Remember, apostle Peter is not writing to “worldly, unconverted” married women but to “godly, converted/born-again” ones (salt of the earth and light of the world) reminding them of, for some, and introducing them to, for others, the preeminence of the beauty of the inner self, the unfaded beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. I’m reminded that it is of great worth as something God needs to work and build with.
Before concluding, let me make the following remark: Some people have read 1 Peter 3:3-4 to suggest that the beauty that comes from outward adornment and the beauty of the inner self are mutually exclusive (it is either one or the other), which has led to dividing women into two groups in the church, with those who reject the beauty that comes from outward adornment altogether as ungodly labelling those who practice it accordingly (ungodly/worldly).
Accordingly, holiness or godliness is reduced and even equated with not having elaborate hairstyles and not wearing gold jewelry and fine clothes, which does not do justice to Peter’s valuable timely teaching on the subject. Sadly, however, in most cases not styling hair or wearing makeup and fine clothes is mistaken for what apostle Peter describes as “a gentle and quiet spirit”….
The fact is, not all the women who define godliness or holiness in terms of abstaining from outward adornment could be rightly identified as having a gentle and quiet spirit in their homes, on the contrary! This is evident especially when the same women indulge publicly in gossiping, criticizing and looking down on any other woman in church as ungodly/worldly simply on the ground of outward adornment….
It is important to note that in subsequent verses apostle Peter goes on evoking Sarah as a model for Godly married women in church. Hence, we remarked early that Peter meant his teaching on the subject of married women’s beauty in church literally, he was not speaking in parables. Sarah was beautiful, wasn’t she? She was so beautiful that her husband Abraham was afraid for his life on account of her beauty (Genesis 12)…. Reading about it in context does not suggest that Sarah made herself beautiful with outward adornment, but we know Peter argues that she had a gentle and quiet spirit (submissive)….
A gentle and quiet spirit can make a woman, especially a married woman, beautiful even without outward adornment such as elaborate hairstyles, and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. There is something about a woman’s inner state, the state of her inner self, that is such that it reflects out of her whole being…. A married woman with a gentle and quiet spirit is likely to not only carry beauty with her but also spread it all around her….
May God grant all married women in the church to desire after what is of great worth in his sight!
