1 Peter 3:1-2 In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, 3:2 when they see your pure and reverent conduct.

It is fashionable these days for people to ‘big up’ this text in order to excuse themselves and others from the responsibility to witness verbally to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We say:

‘Actions speak louder than words’.

Or, in words (mis)attributed to St Francis of Assisi:

‘Preach the gospel at all times.  Using words, if necessary.’

The following is rather typical:

‘Our sermon is not in a building.  Our sermon is lived out each day in our lives – without words.’ (Source)

For example, we are advised that we can ‘witness without appearing to witness’ by:

1. Keeping our word
2. Avoiding hypocrisy
3. Treating everyone equally well
4. Remembering that we are sinners

These are, indeed, commendable virtues.

I hope we can agree that, if faced with a choice between Christian acts and gospel truth, the former wins over the latter hands-down.  True words unaccompanied right attitudes and actions constitute mere hypocrisy.

But we do not have such a choice.

The virtues just mentioned are among the essential accompaniments of witnessing: they do not constitute witnessing itself.

That Peter highly valued the verbal communication of the gospel is clear:

• The prophets ‘spoke of the things that have now been told to you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven’ (1 Pet 1:12).
• We are ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that [we] may declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light’ (1 Pet 2:9).
• We are to ‘always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [us] to give the reason for the hope [we] have.’  And, of course, we are to do this ‘with gentleness and respect’ (1 Pet 3:15).

See this by Paul Akin.