WINNING WITHOUT WORDS

"...they may be won by...behavior ..." 1 Peter 3.1

Leonard Layne_______________________________________________________________________

"He that wins souls is wise." Proverbs 11.30. Winning the lost should be a special concern for every true Christian. However, knowing how to win souls may not be understood. There is a plethora of books on personal evangelism; how to give away your faith or how to be a successful soulwinner. Seminars have been given on the same theme. There are courses in personal evangelism in Bible schools and Colleges. Some of these espouse Biblical methodology, but some are merely institutes on how to win friends and influence people. The Bible is our manual, our final authority on matters of faith and practice. It offers effective guidelines in the matter of soul winning. This article does not attempt to exhaust the subject. Nor does it not offer a panacea for a decline in evangelistic success. It does attempt to look at one Biblical method of personal evangelism that works; Winning Without Words.

There are many methods suggested in the Bible: An evangelist may go to the mission field Acts 13.46-48. Timothy, for example, was exhorted to do the work of an evangelist at Ephesus 2 Timothy 4.5. A local congregation may have an effective witness in the surrounding communities Romans 1.8 and 1 Thess. 1.8. Despite the method, all have the responsibility to preach Christ crucified 1 Cor 1.23a.

John 1.40-45 records the individual evangelism of two Jewish men; Andrew and Philip. This provides an example of individual evangelism. " He (Andrew) first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, ‘We have found the Messiah...And he brought him to Jesus.’ " John 1.41-42. "Philip findeth Nathaniel, and saith unto him, ‘We have found him...’ " John 1.45.

When one spouse is converted before the other, God views this as a valid relationship to be cultivated and not ended (see 1Cor. 7.12-14). Furthermore, there is a recipe for winning that spouse to Christ. Peter gives that recipe in the case of a wife winning an unbelieving husband to Christ 1 Peter 3.1. In this article will look at the practical suggestions given in Peter’s 1st Epistle for a wife. Application will be made to other objects of personal evangelism: family members, friends, co-workers or neighbors.

To establish the context of our passage 1 Peter 3.1-3, etc., we will briefly examine three headings: 1. Suffering, 2. Submission, 3. Speech and finally 4. Style (the lifestyle that wins)

1. SUFFERING

A major theme of First Peter is Suffering. The great example of suffering is our Lord Jesus Christ 1.11; 2.21; 3.18; 4.1; 5.1 etc. We can learn how to endure suffering for our faith by learning the manner in which Christ suffered and endured. Having dealt with suffering servants 2.18-20, the writer turns to suffering women. They have to endure the often stressful situation of marriage to husbands who ("obey not the word" 3.1). An unbelieving spouse presents a special kind of suffering that is very difficult for many believers to endure. There may be genuine love between them. But there are differences in motivation, in morality, in destiny because these men "obey not the word". The expression "the word" (toi logoi ) here clearly denotes the Scriptures ( compare 1.23 "through word (logou ) of God" & 1:25 "The word (rema) of the Lord" & 2.8 "stumble at the word (logos )." Not obeying the Scriptures is one way of saying that a person is an unbeliever. "...in the view of the early Christians, the supreme disobedience was a refusal to believe their gospel." (Bauer). A Christian, suffering in a marriage to an a unbelieving man or woman can be hopeful. God has a recipe for success. That spouse can be won God’s way; by a lifestyle that points to Christ. But the believer must be willing to submit to God’s method. The woman must submit to her husband to accomplish God’s work of winning him to Christ. This may take time. It may involve suffering. But, it works, because it is God’s method.

2. SUBMISSION

Submission in the Epistles involves the thought of submission to love, not submission to tyranny. In Ephesians 5.25 the model is: wives submit, husbands love. The example is Christ’s sacrifice for the church, his bride. Would the church, his bride rebel against him ? Here in 1st Peter 3.1, the model is that of a believing wife submitting to a husband who does not follow the example of Christ; he is an unbeliever. Why would God recommend such a submission ? The husband may be actively antagonistic to the gospel. The reason is salvific. God’s desire is the salvation of that husband by means of the wife. She is to be a living witness to him of the grace of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 7.16 the Apostle exhorts "What knowest thou, O wife, whether thou wilt save thy husband ?

Headship, God’s familial economy, is not just a Christian institution. It bears its reflection in society. The husband is the head of the family. We will not attempt to remonstrate even if there are examples rendered in opposition to this view of matriarchal families or subcultures. They are the exception and not the rule.

Christ submitted himself to God’s will "O my Father...not as I will, but as thou wilt" Matt 26.39b & "when he suffered...committed himself to him that judgeth righteously" 1 Peter 2.23. Christ had a difficult task. He submitted to it. Wives of unbelieving men have a difficult task, submitting to unbelieving men. Christ’s submission issued in the deliverance from sin. A wives submission can issue in the winning of an unbelieving husband!!

3. SPEECH

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10.17. How shall they hear without a preacher ? Rom 10.14b. The Scripture is the agency of regeneration and conversion. It is also the final authority in matters of faith and practice. If an unbeliever doesn’t read the Bible, he may learn who God is by the witness of a preacher: an evangelist, pastor or teacher. A mother may tell her children about Jesus. A wife may tell her husband. Note well, the passage we are studying does not contradict the above. Rather, it applies wisdom. It is not always wise to preach or speak to people, no matter how much we desire to help them to see the truth. Our works may speak to them far more effectively than our words.

For example, the astonishing response of the Philippian jailer, " What must I do to be saved was the result of seeing the behavior of the suffering apostles not listening to their preaching. It was then that they had the full attention of the jailer (and his family). Let us examine more closely how to speak with our behavior.

"They may be won" 3.1 The word won= (from kerdaino to gain). It is used in Matt 18.15 for gaining someone for the Kingdom of God. An individual has sinned against you. You approach him. His positive response means that you have gained him. He is no longer fig. outside of the Kingdom, being outside of your fellowship. Restoration to your fellowship has brought him back, won them, gained him..."if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother."

"without the word" There is no article in this phrase without the word. It should be translated, without word (logou). The root meaning of the Greek word logou (from logos)=speaking (Bauer), hence "word", "something said (e.g. word; saying message, teaching; talk, conversation;...preaching 1 Tm 5.17 etc. (Newman @ UBS)

From the above it may be seen that unbelieving husbands may be won (reached) without word, without saying, without teaching, without talk on the part of the wife. AT Robertson, in his Word Pictures in the New Testament, states the following..."Without the word (aneu logou). Probably here ‘word from their wives’...By the behavior of their wives ...Won by pious living, not by nagging."

4. STYLE

The style of the wives in this matter has been alluded to. It is described as her behavior (KJV conversation). Behavior is crucial to the success of witness before the world. Jesus laid down this principle in John 13.35 "By this (a behavior) shall all know that ye are my disciples, if ye one to another." Love in the Johannine writings refers to an action, a behavior (see 1 John 3.16-18) "let us not love in word , neither in tongue; but in deed..." Deed pertains to behavior or actions. Perhaps the adage, "Actions speak louder than words" applies here. That is the sum total of Peter’s principle of evangelism.

This behavior is also described as pure (KJV chaste).To accomplish this task of essentially non verbal evangelism, she must be pure. She must exhibit a lifestyle that is consistent with the new life, the life of God within. This evangelistic "campaign" is to be accomplished by reverence or respect for her husband (KJV translates phobo, fear, although the context rules in favor of reverence or respect) The respect could be for God or her head, her husband or both. In either case, this respect produces a pure lifestyle, which, in turn, points to Christ.

The apostle Peter concludes his lesson on how to win the unbelieving spouse. The word adorning (kosmos)=an apt and harmonious arrangement (Thayer).

Every woman has an adorning, an apt and harmonious arrangement as she dresses and fixes her hair etc.The theme of this passage is not the prohibition of clothing, jewelry or makeup. It seeks to regulate it. 1st century women were fond of ostentatious displays of makeup and headgear, often weaving pearls and golden ornaments into lavishly decorated hair pieces, all of which would draw attention to themselves. The Christian woman in this passage desires to draw attention to her Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, not to her headgear or to her fashion statement. God desires expensive character 3.4: a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God "expensive" rather than expensive clothing 3.3 [Arndt and Gingrich translates great price as expensive or precious]

SUMMARY

A woman, who has an unbelieving husband and

a. submits to him
b. does not preach to him
c. exhibits a pure lifestyle
d. respects him
e. exhibits restraint in makeup and apparel
d. manifests a peaceful, gentle attitude

is winning without words. The results, as in all evangelism are in the sovereign hand of God. These principles are given to women, but can be employed by all believers.May the reader apply these principles to their family sphere, workplace or school and let their light so shine among men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven Matt 5.16. When unbelievers observe our lives, do they ask, "what must I do to be saved" ? Remember, in the book of Acts, the preaching of the apostles was preceded by or accompanied by evidence. "Winning without words" puts our lifestyle, our behavior ahead of our preaching and teaching. This method is effective for women, for men or for anyone who would win souls and be wise.