For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. 1 Pet 3:18-22
Having already discussed the topic of undeserved suffering with reference to Christ’s crucifixion in 1 Pet 2:21-25 the author now deals with it in terms of Christ’s resurrection and ascension. Note that the passage begins and ends with the resurrection of Christ. The flow of thought in these verses is as follows:
- Christ suffered once for sins
- he was put to death
- he was made alive
- he preached to imprisoned spirits
- they had been imprisoned because they had been disobedient
- they had been disobedient during Noah’s time
- when only eight people had survived the flood
- this reminds us of baptism
- it ‘saves’ us because of Christ’s resurrection
- when he ascended into heaven to sit at God’s right hand
[18] ‘For’ ‘because’ (hóti) – this is a link with the thought of vv.13-17. It does not link back to v.17 alone. If so Peter would be telling them that they are suffering innocently but are to be happy because Christ also suffered innocently as the pattern of innocent suffering. That interpretation is not possible because Christ’s suffering was unique, it was ‘for sins once for all.’ The link is to the entire thrust of vv.13-17 that they are blessed because they are suffering innocently. Peter is telling these Christians in Asia Minor that just as Christ seemed defeated by his suffering but emerged triumphant so they too will be triumphant. He is thus preparing them for fiery trial ahead and encouraging them to stand fast throughout.
‘For’ may also introduce a quotation from an early Christian hymn (cp. 2:21), the relevant extract here being v.18 and v.22.
‘also’ You are suffering but remember that Christ suffered too.
‘once’ (hápax) once for all. For similar see Rom 6:10; Heb 7:27; Heb 9:12, 26, 28; 10:10). Christ’s sacrificial death was of infinite value.
The argument here is not that of Hebrews (chapters 7-10) that Christ’s once for all sacrifice does away with the need for more sacrifices. The point here is the one brought out in 4:1-3; that just as Christ dealt with sin once and then began a new phase of life so these Christians should be finished with sin and not return to pagan practices.
‘suffered for sins, the just for the unjust’ Note the two different words translated ‘for:’
1) ‘for sins’ (perí) concerning or with regard to (see also Rom 8:3; 1 Jn 2:2; 1 Jn 4:10). Christ’s suffering was related to sins, but not his own sins for he was righteous.
2) ‘for the unjust’ (hupér) on behalf of. Christ’s death was vicarious, a substitutionary atonement.
Peter stresses the innocence of Christ’s character and therefore that his suffering was undeserved. Peter refers to Christ by the title ‘the Just One’ in Acts 3:14.
The purpose and intention of Christ’s suffering was that he might lead us to God i.e. to provide access to God or to bring us into God’s presence, in the sense of presenting us at a royal court.
Christ was able to provide this access to God by ‘being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.’ Watson & Callan (2012, p.88) explain:
“Christ,” the subject of the sentence, is modified by two passive participles: “put to death” (thanatōtheis), with the human authorities in Jerusalem as implied agents, and “made alive” (zōopoiētheis), with God understood as the agent (cf. 1 Pet. 1:3, 21), for the latter verb typically refers to the resurrection (John 5:21; Rom. 4:17; 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:22; Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13.
These parallel participles, each connected to a noun, are contrasts.
mén……dé on the one hand……on the other hand. This same expression denoting contrast appears elsewhere in 1 Peter, for example, 1:20; 2:4; 4:14.
What is meant by ‘in the flesh’ and ‘by the spirit?’ According to Vinson, Wilson & Mills (2010, p.174) there are three options :
- in the flesh – as a human being , in the spirit – as a spiritual being. 1 Pet 4:6 makes it clear that the spirit is God’s spirit.
- in the flesh – in the human realm, human sphere of existence, in the spirit – in the realm of the spirit, spiritual sphere of existence, i.e. Jesus was put to death in the human realm and made alive in God’s realm.
- by the flesh – Jesus was killed by human beings, by the spirit – Jesus was raised by the action of God’s spirit i.e. by God’s power.
[19] ‘in/by which’ This refers back to ‘spirit’ (v.18b) and the three possible meanings are:
- ‘in which realm’ i.e in the Spirit’s realm, in his mode of existence as a spirit.
- ‘by which’ i.e. by the Spirit’s enabling.
- in which’ i.e . this refers to the event (the resurrection – when the Spirit made him alive).
‘also’ This does not refer to the ‘spirits in prison’ as that would infer that Christ had made a previous proclamation to others. It indicates that another point about Christ’s activity has occurred to the writer. The previous point is that Christ died to bring us to God, this next point is that he made a proclamation to the spirits in prison.
‘spirits in prison’ This expression does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. Peter’s readers obviously understood the reference to these imprisoned spirits as it is not presented as a new revelation nor does Peter give an explanation. Unfortunately, since we do not understand the reference we can therefore only speculate upon the answers to the following questions:
- Who are the imprisoned spirits?
- Where are they located?
- What is meant by ‘went?’ In which direction did Christ travel?
- What was the nature and content of his preaching?
- When did the preaching occur?
‘spirits’ (pneúma) This word refers to supernatural beings (Mt 12:45; Lk 10:20; Heb 1:14). In the New Testament dead human beings are called nekroi, dead ones, or psychoi, souls. Peter had Genesis 6:1-4 in mind, where we read about the ‘sons of God’ (rebellious angels, Jude 6) who were attracted by and raped human women (1 En 15:3-7).
‘prison’ (phulakḗ) This is the usual word for prison, a place where criminals are held. It is used with regard to spirits in Rev 20:7 and probably also in Mt 5:25 – referring to ‘Gehenna of fire’ in Mt 5:22. Jude 6 ‘chains’ also suggests imprisonment of spirits. In Isa 24:21-22 we read about the imprisonment of ‘the host of the high ones on high’. Since it is spirit beings, not human souls, that are said to be imprisoned, the location is not the abode of the dead (Sheol or Hades, never viewed as a prison in the Bible) but seemingly an undisclosed location in the upper regions where disobedient spirit beings are held.
‘went'(poreúomai) In what direction did Christ travel? This word itself gives no clue. Since, however, it occurs again in v.22 where it obviously refers to Christ’s ascension (as in Acts 1:10), logically the direction is ‘upward.’ The preaching occurred after Christ’s resurrection (v.18b having been made alive in the spirit) so it makes sense that the reference here is to the Ascension.
‘preached’ (kērússō) – to announce or proclaim. This was not a proclamation of the gospel as Peter uses another word for that (euaggelízō) in 1 Pet 4:6 but most likely an announcement of judgement. It would have brought comfort to the Christians experiencing trials to know that the judgement of the wicked, even powerful spirits, was assured.
[20] ‘sometime’ (poté) at one time or another, formerly
These imprisoned spirits are said to have been disobedient.’ They are now in prison but the main focus is on their past disobedience rather than their present condition. They failed to heed the warning that they were given ‘in the days of Noah’. Mention of this time in history enables Peter to introduce the topic of the Flood (Gen 6-8). This story is referred to elsewhere in the New Testament in Mt 24:37-39; Lk 17:26-27; Heb 11:7; 2 Pet 2:5; 3:6.
‘the patience of God waited’ This does not just mean that a long-suffering God waited with patience while the ark was was under construction. The sense of ekdéchomai is eager expectation. God’s patience is personified as eagerly awaiting the time when it could be demonstrated in the saving of a few people, in this case eight.
‘in which’ lit. into which. Kelly (1969, p.158) points out: ‘eis conveys the double sense of going into the ark and so being saved in it.’
‘a few’ ‘eight souls (persons). Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives.
‘were saved by water’ Just as the water effected Noah’s deliverance from the evil world of his day so baptism symbolized the deliverance of the Asian Christians from the evil society in which they lived.
‘BAPTISM NOW SAVES’
[21] What is meant by this dramatic statement in v.21?
‘now’ This refers to the present age in contrast to the time before Christ came.
‘figure’ (antítupon) – a type, pattern or model
‘flesh’ (sarkós) – the flesh of a living creature i.e. body.
‘filth’ (rhúpos) a coarser word than ‘dirt.’
‘answer’ (eperṓtēma) declaration, pledge, profession, agreement, contract, question, inquiry. This word occurs only here in the New Testament but is used in the LXX of Dan 4:17 to mean ‘decision.’
Others would argue that here eperṓtēma means ‘request’ (see Mt 16:1 KJV ‘desired him’). The following interpretations are possible:
• a request to God from a good conscience
• a request to God for a good conscience
• a declaration to God from (or ‘of’ ) a good conscience
• a pledge to God to maintain a good conscience
‘conscience’ (suneídēsis) consciousness of, awareness of an important situation, circumstance or attitude (comes from the words meaning co-knowlege or knowledge shared with another). The Christian receives a good/clear conscience as a result of cleansing at conversion. The idea is not that of absence of guilt but of submission and obedience to God’s will (2:19; 3:16).
Addressing his first readers, Peter tells them that ‘a few, that is, eight people were saved through water, which even in reference to them is a pattern. Baptism now saves, not as a removal of filth from the body but as a declaration of an appropriate awareness toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.’
Baptism corresponds to the water and thus to Noah’s experience of salvation. As Noah passed through the water from evil and death to life, so Christians pass through water as a symbol of their transition from evil and death to new life at conversion.
Peter negates any idea that there is something miraculous about the baptismal water and goes on to explain how baptism saves. He defines it in terms of a declaration.
‘baptism saves’ Brooks (1974, p. 293) comments: ‘It spares from the unfavorable circumstance of judgment. It does so because it is the declaration of the individual’s appropriate conscious awareness in reference to God. He can have this appropriate awareness because of the resurrection of Christ. Baptism saves in that it is the moment when the individual testifies to the fact that he shares something in common with God. He makes known that he has the right attitude and relationship toward God. He willingly responds with his declaration to anyone who interrogates him. He has become a “co-knower” with God and other Christians that in the resurrection of Christ there is salvation. The baptized is saved because he recognizes the authenticity and divine origin of the message that in Christ God has offered man the ultimate revelation of His grace.’
The declaration of a good conscience is made possible ‘by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.’ See 1:3.
[22] Peter returns to what he has been saying about Christ in v.18 (and about Christ’s journey in v.19) and reminds his readers that Christ has been raised by the Father, that he has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with all angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. He thus reassures them that just as Christ has emerged triumphant from suffering, so too will they. There is no need to be afraid (v.14).
‘right hand of God’ The place of authority. This was a fulfillment of Psa 110:1. For Christ at God’s right hand see Mt 22:41-46; 26:64; Mk 12:35-37; 14:62; 16:19; Luke 20:41-44; 22:69; Acts 7:55–56; Rom. 8:34; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2
‘has gone into heaven’ Refers to an event i.e. the Ascension.
‘has gone’ This is the same participle as in v.19.
For the Ascension see: Mk 16:19; Lk 24:51; Acts 1:6-11.
For the subjection of supernatural beings see 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:20-21; Phil 2:9-10; Col 2:15. Angels are listed along with authorities and powers in Rom 8:38 and in this verse (v.22). This makes it even more likely that the imprisoned spirits of v.19 are disobedient angels.
1 PETER 4:1-6 THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THE DEAD
1 PETER 4:7-19 LIVING WITH ‘THE END’ IN VIEW
Written Exposition 