1Peter 3:18-4:6 includes one of the more difficult passages in the New Testament. However we understand this section, the context suggests that the main point should be related to patiently enduring suffering for the sake of another.
Review
18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. 4:1Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. – 1Peter 3:18-4:6 ESV
The (relatively) Clear
- Jesus Christ suffered to the point of death for the sins of others.
- Jesus’s suffering had a redemptive purpose.
- Jesus’s suffering was temporary.
- Jesus Christ willingly suffered for the sake of sinners who were persecuting him and we are called to follow the same path.
- Like Noah, Peter’s readers live in a hostile world. Like Noah, they need to be saved from the coming judgment. Christ is the means of their salvation from judgment just as the Ark was the means of salvation for Noah and his family.
- Peter says the ark was a “type” of baptism. A shadow is a type of the person casting the shadow. It is an image of the real thing, like or corresponding to the real thing. A type is NOT a hidden symbol. It foreshadows a truth to come.
- In general Peter’s main point is: God intends to save His people from the coming judgment like He did for Noah. But the means of salvation is not an ark, it is the suffering of Christ. And the salvation secured is not rescue from drowning, it is the forgiveness of our sins.
- The one who has “ceased from sin” has stopped pursuing a sinful lifestyle. The more we become like Christ, the more the world grows hostile toward us and suffering will result.
The Problem Verses
18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. – 1Peter 3:18-20 ESV
The problems in this text center around 4 main questions. The chart gives the main interpretative options, although there are many nuances and variations on these answers. I have simplified and condensed the interpretative options into their main categories. Granted, I may be guilty of oversimplifying.
| Interpretative Questions | Options | Options | Options |
| 1. Who are the spirits? | People who died in the flood | Angels of Genesis 6 | . |
| 2. Where are the spirits? | In bondage to sin | Restrained in Hades or spirit dimension | . |
| 3. When did Christ preach to them? | Through Noah | Between Christ’s death & resurrection | After Christ’s resurrection |
| 4. What was preached? | repentance | Proclaimed victory | Second chance for salvation |
Putting these options together, here are the 3 most popular views. You are more likely to find options 1A & 1B in older commentaries.
Option 1
| Interpretative Questions | Option 1 A | Options | Options |
| 1. Who are the spirits? | People who died in the flood | Angels of Genesis 6 | . |
| 2. Where are the spirits? | In bondage to sin | Restrained in Hades or spirit dimension | . |
| 3. When did Christ preach to them? | Through Noah | Between Christ’s death & resurrection | After Christ’s resurrection |
| 4. What was preached? | repentance | Proclaimed victory | Second chance for salvation |
| Interpretative Questions | Option 1 B | Options | Options |
| 1. Who are the spirits? | People who died in the flood | Angels of Genesis 6 | . |
| 2. Where are the spirits? | In bondage to sin | Restrained in Hades or spirit dimension | . |
| 3. When did Christ preach to them? | Through Noah | Between Christ’s death & resurrection | After Christ’s resurrection |
| 4. What was preached? | repentance | Proclaimed victory | Second chance for salvation |
Option 2
You are more likely to find option 2 in modern commentaries.
| Interpretative Questions | Option 2 | Options | Options |
| 1. Who are the spirits? | People who died in the flood | Angels of Genesis 6 | . |
| 2. Where are the spirits? | In bondage to sin | Restrained in Hades or spirit dimension | . |
| 3. When did Christ preach to them? | Through Noah | Between Christ’s death & resurrection | After Christ’s resurrection |
| 4. What was preached? | repentance | Proclaimed victory | Second chance for salvation |
Option 3
You are more likely to find option 3 in modern commentaries. This is the option I lean toward at this time because I think it best fits the context.
| Interpretative Questions | Option 3 | Options | Options |
| 1. Who are the spirits? | People who died in the flood | Angels of Genesis 6 | . |
| 2. Where are the spirits? | In bondage to sin | Restrained in Hades or spirit dimension | . |
| 3. When did Christ preach to them? | Through Noah | Between Christ’s death & resurrection | After Christ’s resurrection |
| 4. What was preached? | repentance | Proclaimed victory | Second chance for salvation |
How do I decide?
- Give more weight to clear passages of Scripture.
- Avoid building doctrine on a single verse or a single passage.
- Context is always the determining factor.
- The more confusing or obscure the passage, the more we ought to hold our conclusions lightly.
Please listen to the podcast for more detail and explanation.
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