Both Peter and Paul give similar teaching about the behaviour expected of married Christians towards each other. What Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7 :2-5 and 10--16, and Ephesians 5 :22-23, is more detailed than what Peter says, but the instruction of each reflects the situation of the time when the wife was expected to be subordinate to the husband. Both writers, however, require a high standard of behaviour from the Christian husband towards his wife. Peter says that wives must submit to their husbands (3:1) but also that husbands must live with their wives with proper understanding, treating them with respect because the wife, as well as the husband, receives God's gift of eternal life (3 :7). Peter tells the Christian wife that what makes her really beautiful is not jewellery, extravagant dresses and hair styles,

but her inner purity and beauty of spirit. He gives Sarah as the example for her to follow. His encouragement to the Christian wife not to fear anything could be meant for the woman whose husband is not a believer and who opposes his wife's faith.

In the teaching of the early Church about the Christian marriage relationship, we should note that it was accepted that the Christian woman is equally loved by God as the Christian man. This is explicit in Galatians 3:28 and 1 Peter 3:7. This understanding comes directly from the attitude which Jesus himself showed to the women fie met in his ministry and the teaching given in Mark 10:6-9.