1In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word, 2seeing your pure behavior in fear. 3Let your beauty come not from the outward adorning of braiding your hair, and of wearing gold ornaments or of putting on fine clothing, 4but from the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. 5For this is how in the past the holy women who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands. 6So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are if you do well and are not put in fear by any terror.
7You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
8Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous, 9not rendering evil for evil or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,
“He who would love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit.
11Let him turn away from evil and do good.
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears open to their prayer;
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13Now who will harm you if you become imitators of that which is good? 14But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t fear what they fear, neither be troubled.” 15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear, 16having a good conscience. Thus, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ. 17For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing what is right than for doing evil. 18Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, 19in whom he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20who before were disobedient when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.
In these verses, Paul states that we are all “preachers”. The gospel has spread for approximately two thousand years by word of mouth. People will not hear the gospel unless someone shares it with them. In review, the gospel is that God came in the flesh as a man, and His name is Jesus. He submitted himself to the cruelty of men, and He was crucified on an old rugged cross as a blood sacrifice that paid for my sins, your sins, and the sins of the whole world. He was laid in a tomb and on the third day He rose from the dead. This was a free gift, and all who trust in that gift for their salvation are saved. That’s it. That is a short story, but it is the most important story that a person can hear. So, Paul says, it must be told.
Paul will later write the Corinthian church, telling them that they don’t need to use sophisticated arguments to share the good news of Jesus with others. He argues that the gospel itself is powerful enough. Not only that, it doesn’t take a powerful person to overwhelm the audience with the truth. Paul says, “4 My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2). When we think we’re not enough to share the gospel, we are putting our trust in our own persuasive abilities. That demonstrates a lack of faith in God's power. Faith stands not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Perhaps the problem is that we know the truth, but we hide it. In reality, all we are is one beggar showing the other beggars where the bread is. That’s easy enough, isn’t it?
Friend, pray that God will give you a burden for the lost. I know that this is what I pray for myself. Because no one will ever be presented with the choice of calling on Him if they don’t know about Him, and they do not know or understand whom they should call. Nor do they understand why they should call upon Him. So, are you sent? Some are sent with exceptional gifts to tell this story, and those are evangelists. It is one of the gifts given to the Church. However, that doesn’t let any of the rest of us off the hook. No one is given a pass. We should always be prepared to explain the hope within us. (1 Peter 3:16). So be hopeful. Be loving. Be bold. Be sincere. If you do these things, God says that you have beautiful feet. They are beautiful because they care enough to carry this gospel message to all who will hear. Reader, now go and do your part.