While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
The verse speaks to wives living in subjection to their own husbands, whose conduct toward them is to be pure and marked by reverence and respect for God. Conversation here means the whole life and conduct, which is to be converted and become chaste, godly and well-ordered in conformity to the divine will, and chaste means purity seen in daily life in modest apparel and good works and the unfading ornament of a meek and quiet spirit rather than outward adornment and show. Husbands who do not obey the word may be won without words as they observe that chaste, reverent way of life in their wives. The believing wife wins him by giving Christ heart, soul, mind and strength and representing Him in character, being patient, forbearing, considerate and faithful in duty, fixing her affections on her husband and pleasing him in every right way without yielding one principle of truth, so that her refined, sanctifying influence touches his heart and helps lead him toward God and holiness. Beyond the home, unbelievers are won without words by the witness of such a godly life where pulpit appeals and eloquence may fail, for those who teach truth must embody it in chaste, heavenly conduct, neat and modest dress, temperance and blameless deportment, letting good works be seen to bring glory to God.
Words and Setting
Conversation in the verse means the whole life and conduct. That conversation must be converted and become chaste, godly, and well-ordered in conformity to the will of the divine Saviour. It is fruit presented to the Lord to show whether He is pleased with it, and it must be such as will grace heaven, requiring the whole heart in service to God.
Chaste means pure conduct seen in daily life. It is expressed in modest apparel becoming women professing godliness, with good works. It is the hidden person of the heart in that which does not decay and is not corruptible, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is of great price in the sight of God. This is set instead of outward adornment of plaiting the hair and wearing gold and putting on of clothes, and instead of pride and showy display.
Fear coupled with that conduct means reverent fear, reverence and respect for God. The setting is wives living in subjection to their own husbands. In that setting the wife's conduct toward her husband is to be pure and marked by reverence.
Winning Unbelieving Husbands
Husbands who do not obey the word may be won without the word, without words, as they observe the chaste, reverent conduct of their wives, so that the wife's very way of life becomes a witness to him. Wives are to live in subjection to their own husbands, with conduct toward the husband pure and marked by reverence, chastity joined with reverent fear and respect for God. That chaste conduct is modest apparel becoming godliness with good works, not outward adornment of plaiting the hair and wearing gold and putting on of apparel and clothes, but the hidden person of the heart in what does not decay and is not corruptible, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is of great price in the sight of God. The heavenly adorning is to be secured and maintained in all duties and walks of life, giving influence for good on earth and prized in heaven, and those who wear it must recommend and ornament it by neatness, cleanliness, taste, order, sobriety, meekness, propriety, modesty, and devotion to family and to God, while those who cannot obtain and maintain this inner character should lay off the reform dress rather than disgrace it.
The believing wife wins by giving Christ heart, soul, mind and strength and representing Him in character, so that her husband sees the Holy Spirit working in her. She is careful and considerate, patient and forbearing, does her duty as a wife should, keeps her affections fixed on her husband, pleases him in every way possible, and does not let her religious faith draw her apart from him. She conscientiously obeys God while pleasing her husband wherever she can, and by that chaste, reverent conduct his heart is touched, winning him without urging the truth upon him, by the witness of her life. A wife tried by her husband is to win him by drawing rather than driving, giving him to see each day a living example of patience and self-control, making every effort to please him and yet never yielding up one principle of the truth.
The wife's influence is refined, dignified and sanctifying, acting from sincere love for God and her husband with wisdom, patience, moral courage and fortitude. Her chaste, reverent manner can help lead her husband toward God and toward holiness, and can help save both of them. A converted spouse remains obligated to be faithful even when the couple differs in religious belief, while placing God's claims above every earthly relationship, and love and meekness may help win the unbelieving spouse toward God. The verse gives a message of great importance to ministers and ministers' wives, warning that dangers to ministers of the gospel often come through unsanctified, unconverted wives and companions leaving an irreligious element in the home. It calls every minister to labor with the same zeal needed in the churches for the convicting, converting power of the gospel to search and convert his own companion and family.
Wider Godly Influence
Unbelievers are won without words by the witness of a godly life, for thrilling appeals from the pulpit, logic and eloquence may fail to move men to see and accept the truth. Meekness and piety exhibited in daily life and in the right training and management of families has a power that even disarms the infidel. This winning influence is the living word in the heart, shining upon the countenance, expressed by the lips, and exemplified in the conduct.
Chaste conduct and deportment are to be visible in practical daily life, so that others see a faithful life and are influenced for good toward Christ, and such a life is prized in heaven. Those who preach and teach others must embody the truths they teach so that example accords with message. That embodiment includes temperance in eating and drinking as well as in behavior.
The heavenly adorning must be secured and maintained in all duties and walks of life, where true beauty is not outward plaiting of hair and wearing of gold and putting on of clothes but the hidden person of the heart in what does not decay, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is of great price in the sight of God. Such an ornament and course of life gives influence for good on earth and is prized in heaven. It recommends and ornaments itself by neatness, cleanliness, good taste, order, sobriety, meekness, propriety, modesty, and devotion to family and to God. Those who cannot obtain and maintain this inner character should lay it aside rather than disgrace it.
Christians must have chaste and heavenly conduct joined with neat and modest dress and blameless deportment. As the light of the world and the salt of the earth, they must not go out of the world to be out of fashion and must not become odd or singular for the sake of differing from the world. They are to keep a neat, plain, modest and comfortable manner even if worldlings dress the same, lest they be despised and lose influence.
A woman's chaste, reverent conduct bears witness to the truth through modesty in dress and circumspect behavior. By letting good works be seen she brings glory to God. Through godly influence she encourages and blesses those around her, including her husband in his work.
The verse speaks to wives living in subjection to their own husbands, whose conduct toward them is to be pure and marked by reverence and respect for God. Conversation here means the whole life and conduct, which is to be converted and become chaste, godly and well-ordered in conformity to the divine will, and chaste means purity seen in daily life in modest apparel and good works and the unfading ornament of a meek and quiet spirit rather than outward adornment and show. Husbands who do not obey the word may be won without words as they observe that chaste, reverent way of life in their wives. The believing wife wins him by giving Christ heart, soul, mind and strength and representing Him in character, being patient, forbearing, considerate and faithful in duty, fixing her affections on her husband and pleasing him in every right way without yielding one principle of truth, so that her refined, sanctifying influence touches his heart and helps lead him toward God and holiness. Beyond the home, unbelievers are won without words by the witness of such a godly life where pulpit appeals and eloquence may fail, for those who teach truth must embody it in chaste, heavenly conduct, neat and modest dress, temperance and blameless deportment, letting good works be seen to bring glory to God.
Words and Setting
Conversation in the verse means the whole life and conduct. That conversation must be converted and become chaste, godly, and well-ordered in conformity to the will of the divine Saviour. It is fruit presented to the Lord to show whether He is pleased with it, and it must be such as will grace heaven, requiring the whole heart in service to God.
Chaste means pure conduct seen in daily life. It is expressed in modest apparel becoming women professing godliness, with good works. It is the hidden person of the heart in that which does not decay and is not corruptible, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is of great price in the sight of God. This is set instead of outward adornment of plaiting the hair and wearing gold and putting on of clothes, and instead of pride and showy display.
Fear coupled with that conduct means reverent fear, reverence and respect for God. The setting is wives living in subjection to their own husbands. In that setting the wife's conduct toward her husband is to be pure and marked by reverence.
Winning Unbelieving Husbands
Husbands who do not obey the word may be won without the word, without words, as they observe the chaste, reverent conduct of their wives, so that the wife's very way of life becomes a witness to him. Wives are to live in subjection to their own husbands, with conduct toward the husband pure and marked by reverence, chastity joined with reverent fear and respect for God. That chaste conduct is modest apparel becoming godliness with good works, not outward adornment of plaiting the hair and wearing gold and putting on of apparel and clothes, but the hidden person of the heart in what does not decay and is not corruptible, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is of great price in the sight of God. The heavenly adorning is to be secured and maintained in all duties and walks of life, giving influence for good on earth and prized in heaven, and those who wear it must recommend and ornament it by neatness, cleanliness, taste, order, sobriety, meekness, propriety, modesty, and devotion to family and to God, while those who cannot obtain and maintain this inner character should lay off the reform dress rather than disgrace it.
The believing wife wins by giving Christ heart, soul, mind and strength and representing Him in character, so that her husband sees the Holy Spirit working in her. She is careful and considerate, patient and forbearing, does her duty as a wife should, keeps her affections fixed on her husband, pleases him in every way possible, and does not let her religious faith draw her apart from him. She conscientiously obeys God while pleasing her husband wherever she can, and by that chaste, reverent conduct his heart is touched, winning him without urging the truth upon him, by the witness of her life. A wife tried by her husband is to win him by drawing rather than driving, giving him to see each day a living example of patience and self-control, making every effort to please him and yet never yielding up one principle of the truth.
The wife's influence is refined, dignified and sanctifying, acting from sincere love for God and her husband with wisdom, patience, moral courage and fortitude. Her chaste, reverent manner can help lead her husband toward God and toward holiness, and can help save both of them. A converted spouse remains obligated to be faithful even when the couple differs in religious belief, while placing God's claims above every earthly relationship, and love and meekness may help win the unbelieving spouse toward God. The verse gives a message of great importance to ministers and ministers' wives, warning that dangers to ministers of the gospel often come through unsanctified, unconverted wives and companions leaving an irreligious element in the home. It calls every minister to labor with the same zeal needed in the churches for the convicting, converting power of the gospel to search and convert his own companion and family.
Wider Godly Influence
Unbelievers are won without words by the witness of a godly life, for thrilling appeals from the pulpit, logic and eloquence may fail to move men to see and accept the truth. Meekness and piety exhibited in daily life and in the right training and management of families has a power that even disarms the infidel. This winning influence is the living word in the heart, shining upon the countenance, expressed by the lips, and exemplified in the conduct.
Chaste conduct and deportment are to be visible in practical daily life, so that others see a faithful life and are influenced for good toward Christ, and such a life is prized in heaven. Those who preach and teach others must embody the truths they teach so that example accords with message. That embodiment includes temperance in eating and drinking as well as in behavior.
The heavenly adorning must be secured and maintained in all duties and walks of life, where true beauty is not outward plaiting of hair and wearing of gold and putting on of clothes but the hidden person of the heart in what does not decay, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is of great price in the sight of God. Such an ornament and course of life gives influence for good on earth and is prized in heaven. It recommends and ornaments itself by neatness, cleanliness, good taste, order, sobriety, meekness, propriety, modesty, and devotion to family and to God. Those who cannot obtain and maintain this inner character should lay it aside rather than disgrace it.
Christians must have chaste and heavenly conduct joined with neat and modest dress and blameless deportment. As the light of the world and the salt of the earth, they must not go out of the world to be out of fashion and must not become odd or singular for the sake of differing from the world. They are to keep a neat, plain, modest and comfortable manner even if worldlings dress the same, lest they be despised and lose influence.
A woman's chaste, reverent conduct bears witness to the truth through modesty in dress and circumspect behavior. By letting good works be seen she brings glory to God. Through godly influence she encourages and blesses those around her, including her husband in his work.