1 Peter 3:18-22 Sermon
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SCRIPTURE
SCRIPTURE
18 For 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, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because 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. 21 Baptism, 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, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Main Idea
Main Idea
Christ. The Victor and Motivator of the Believer.
Outline
Outline
His Death (v.18)
Verses 19-20 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because 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.
Verses 19-20 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because 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.
His Preaching (v.19-20)
His Resurrection (v.21)
His Exaltation (v.22)
Title/Main Idea
Title/Main Idea
Christ. The Victor and Motivator of the suffering Christian.
Context/Background
Context/Background
Verse 21 Baptism, 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,
Verse 21 Baptism, 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,
Verse 18 begins with for which begs us to look back at what Peter is referring to.
In verses 8 -17 we see Peter’s concern for every believer.
Responsibilities of all (3:8–17)
In verse 8 we see that he desires for God’s people to live in harmony.
8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
In verses 9-14 we see Peter’s concern for God’s people to reward good and evil with good.
Mainly, because in verse 12 it reads,
9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
In verse 15 he says,
Verse 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Verse 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Here we see Peter’s concern for God’s people to honor Christ and to always be prepared to make a defense for the hope that is in us. Doing it with gentleness and respect.
The tone of these passages are obvious.
They charge the Christian to have sympathy, a tender heart and a humble mind so that we do not return evil for evil, revile for revile. But instead we should bless. Loving life, keeping our tongues from evil and speaking deceit.
In other words, be like Jesus.
In verses 16 and 17 Peter reminds them that suffering should be undeserved (It reads: those who revile your good behavior) and suffering is God ordained (It reads: For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil).
Worship Christ as Lord, and always be ready to explain your faith (3:15).
Worship Christ as Lord, and always be ready to explain your faith (3:15).
16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
Be ready to defend your faith (3:16–17).
Verse 18 is the follow up of the prior concern over the Christian suffering undeservingly and their suffering being ordained/allowed by God.
Which perfectly describes the suffering of Jesus Christ. It was undeserved and ordained by God.
We will see Jesus as the Victor and Motivator that will compel believers to a life of perseverance and faith even in the midst of suffering!
Outline
Outline
Background
Background
H. L. Willmington, The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999), .
Main Idea
Main Idea
Christ. The Victor and Motivator of the Believer.
Outline
Outline
His Death (v.18)
His Death (v.18)
His Proclamation (v.19-20)
His Preaching (v.19-20)
His Resurrection (v.21)
His Resurrection (v.21)
His Exaltation (v.22)
His Exaltation (v.22)
Sermon
Sermon
Sermon
Sermon
1. His Death (v.18)
1. His Death (v.18)
Verse 18 For 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...
Verse 18 For 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...
Peter here reacts to what he had stated earlier with Christ suffering once for sin and Christ being a substitute.
First,
1. Christ suffered once for sins
Remember, that the sufferings of Christ was undeserved yet it brought us the forgiveness of our sins.
Peter’s concern
Here, we see a motivation given to us by Peter, which is pointed out as the example and motivation for suffering when doing good.
Christ suffered undeservingly, yet willingly. And in doing so He brought us to a holy God. Who is our Father.
His suffering should motivate us. In ,
1 Since 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,
Arm yourselves with this thinking!
Arm yourselves with the sufferings of Christ. So that when you suffer you can endure and obtain a blessing.
2. Christ suffered once for sins and Christ became a substitute.
2.
The righteous for the unrighteous.
The righteous being Jesus Christ and the unrighteous being us who were dead in our sins.
J.C. Ryle said about this passage:
Christ suffered for the sins of these people. He stood in their place. All the sins of all the elect were parceled up into one huge bundle and bound to his shoulders. The prophet speaks about them in this way: “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him” (Isaiah 53:5).
Christ (the righteous) substituted Himself in the place of the unrighteous so that He would bring us to God.
Arm yourselves with this thinking!
Arm yourself with remembering that the sufferings and death of Christ has brought you to God.
Remember that He “parceled up into one huge bundle and bound to his shoulders your sin!
His suffering and substitution led to His death but it led us into life!
That is what our present sufferings do. They make us more like Christ!
Jesus at His crucifixion in Luke 23:44-46,
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
Jesus died a physical death. And Jesus committed His spirit to the Father, meaning that He entrusted the Father with His spirit.
Showing the great mystery of the humility of the Son to the Father and also giving us an example. Namely, to entrust to the Father the end result of our lives. Even if it means our death.
Peter brings this to believers to be what motivates them to endure and suffer in a way that compels them to return good for evil.
Entrusting our Father also.
That is exactly what Jesus Christ did.
His suffering though undeserved was ordained by God so that He would bring us to God!
We see Peter highlighting the death of Jesus as the example and after he goes into what He preached.
2. His Proclamation (v.19-20)
2. His Proclamation (v.19-20)
Read Verse 18 For 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...
Verses 19-20 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because 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.
Verses 19-20 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because 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.
This is a verse that has had differences of interpretation.
Questions about who were the spirits in prison that Jesus preached to, make this verse a very hard one to interpret.
I want to cover three views of interpretation and then I’ll share where I landed and why.
1. The first view, which is the more traditional view, is that Christ proclaimed/preached to human souls in the realm of the dead in between the time of His death and resurrection.
It was said that Christ announced His victory to the spirits of Noah’s wicked contemporaries confined in the realm of the dead.
It was said that Christ announced His victory to the spirits of Noah’s wicked contemporaries confined in the realm of the dead.
Jesus descended into hell between his crucifixion and resurrection-when his body was dead. But his spirit remained alive (v. 18).
(a) Christ as preincarnate and preaching through Noah () to the people before the Flood (). Noah called them to repentance, but they disobeyed and are now imprisoned. The point of Peter’s argument would then be that as God vindicated Noah then, He would vindicate Christians now.
But his spirit remained alive (v. 18).
18 For 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,
When Jesus had preached it to either the souls of people who were disobedient in the days of Noah or to the fallen angels.
1. The first view is that the preincarnate/preexistent Christ preached/proclaimed through Noah to the wicked generation destroyed by the flood.
Noah was called a herald of righteousness in . Noah called them to repentance, but they disobeyed and there were the spirits in prison awaiting judgement.
At that time he preached either to the souls of people who were disobedient in the days of Noah or to fallen angels who had incited humans to such evil that God sent the flood at the time of Noah to destroy it ().
At that time he preached either to the souls of people who were disobedient in the days of Noah or to fallen angels who had incited humans to such evil that God sent the flood at the time of Noah to destroy it ().
(2) “The proclamation of the pre-existent Christ through Noah.”
Noah was called a herald of righteousness in . Noah called them to repentance, but they disobeyed and are now imprisoned.
(a) Christ as preincarnate and preaching through Noah () to the people before the Flood (). Noah called them to repentance, but they disobeyed and are now imprisoned. The point of Peter’s argument would then be that as God vindicated Noah then, He would vindicate Christians now.
The point of Peter’s argument would then be that as God vindicated Noah then, He would vindicate Christians now.
them to repentance, but they disobeyed and are now imprisoned. The point of Peter’s argument would then be that as God vindicated Noah then, He would vindicate Christians now.
2. The second view is that Christ preached/proclaimed to fallen angels.
The second view says that Christ’s resurrection and ascension was the proclamation made to the fallen angels who were imprisoned. Jesus’ victory over sin and death sealed their condemnation and itself was His proclamation to them.
(3) “Christ’s proclamation to fallen angels and/or giants”
The third view says that Christ’s resurrection and ascension was the proclamation made to the fallen angel who were imprisoned
A third view is that Christ’s resurrection and ascension were the proclamation of victory over the most extreme powers of evil the earth has ever known, which these “imprisoned spirits” represent. With Jesus’ victory over death, their condemnation was sealed.
and (3) “Christ’s proclamation to fallen angels and/or giants”
With Jesus’ victory over death, their condemnation was sealed.
(c) A similar idea is that Christ proclaimed His victory to fallen angels, often identified with the “sons of God” of , (cf. ; ), in their place of confinement.
(d) Christ proclaiming His victory to fallen angels after the Resurrection, at the time of His Ascension into heaven. The point of the last three interpretations is that just as Jesus was vindicated, so too Christians will be vindicated.
3. The third view, which is the more traditional view, is that Christ preached/proclaimed to human souls in the realm of the dead in between the time of His death and resurrection.
It was said that Christ announced His victory to the spirits of Noah’s wicked contemporaries. Those who were confined in the realm of the dead.
Jesus descended into hell between his crucifixion and resurrection-when his body was dead. But his spirit remained alive (v. 18).
When Jesus had preached it to either the souls of people who were disobedient in the days of Noah or to the fallen angels.
Question: Why did I side with the traditional view?
1. First, What preceded Peter talking about what he did in verse 19 was the suffering and death of Jesus.
Verse 18 For 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...
“Being put to death in the flesh” happened. This precedes Him proclaiming to the spirits in prison.
2. Those in prison are clearly those who formerly did not obey in the days of Noah.
Verses 19-20 he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah.
It is debatable whether these spirits in prison were the people who were disobedient in Noah’s day or if they were fallen angels that were bound. Or both.
Verses 19-20 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because 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.
Verses 19-20 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because 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.
Either case, the point of Peter’s concern was for believer’s to believe that God vindicates and saves like He did with Noah. He did it then and He would do it for Christians now.
The point of Peter’s argument would then be that as God vindicated Noah then, He would vindicate Christians now.
And He would do it through the resurrection of Jesus Christ which is the message that was preached!
Peter is anchoring the hope of suffering believers to the death and resurrection of Christ!
We are saved because of the death and resurrection of Christ!
We have a hope that is eternally fixed because of the death and resurrection of Christ!
In our suffering we can endure because Christ suffered for our sins and He stood in our place. Taking all of our sins and He were parceled them up into one huge bundle and bound them to His shoulders.
For the glory of the Father and the good of His people! All through His death and resurrection!
Just as God saved Noah through through the ark, God would save us through His Son. Through His death and resurrection!
3. His Resurrection (v.21)
3. His Resurrection (v.21)
Verse 21 Baptism, 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...
Verse 21 Baptism, 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...
In verse 21 we have to ask the question, Baptism which corresponds to what?
The word corresponds can be understood as a representation of. Or an example of.
So this is not meant to be a literal reference to water baptism, but it is meant to symbolize what Peter has spoken of prior.
We spoke of Noah being saved by the ark. And water was the instrument used by God for judgement.
It wasn’t the water that saved Noah. It was the ark.
God saved Noah through the ark from the flood (the water).
The following also confirms that it was not physical baptism that Peter was talking about.
21 Baptism, 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,
1 Peter 3:
Read verse 21a Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body
The removal of dirt from the body, water baptism, does not save you.
The removal of dirt from the flesh does not save you.
Question: What does save us?
Read verse 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God
Meaning that the removal of dirt from the body does not save us.
But the appeal to God (meaning the pledge to God) or we can say the declaration made to God, for a good conscious (meaning being free from a condemned conscious) is done through the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Remember ?
23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
We have a good conscious before God because through His resurrection we were declared righteous!
This saved us! Not the removal of dirt from the flesh. The death burial and resurrection saved us!
Noah was saved by being preserved in the ark by God. So it is with us! We are hidden in Christ being preserved forever from the wrath of God!
This is the message that the believers needed on Peter’s time and it is the message we need today!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is our guarantee!
And now He lives as the embodiment of our hope! He is our hope!
Read verse 21 Baptism, 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.
He lived a sinless life, died a grueling death, raised from the dead victorious and was exalted!
4. His Exaltation
4. His Exaltation
Read Verse 21 Baptism, 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
Verse 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Verse 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Jesus has gone into heaven. He ascended! He lives forever!
And He sits at the right hand of the Father.
Remember the Scriptures.
1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
Jesus in explaining to the Pharisees quoted this to make the point that He was the Son of David.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:6-8
6 though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus, the preexistent/preincarnate Christ, took the form of a servant.
He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus before His ascension, suffered and died!
But He resurrected and was highly exalted. And every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
That is where Jesus is.
His suffering led Him to heaven to be with the Father.
Our suffering with Him leads us to the same. We will be with God!
That is the end result.
His death brought us life.
He proclamation brought us life.
His resurrection justified us.
And His exaltation is the eternal reminder that everything is in subjection to Him. Even over those who cause us to suffer!
He sits and reigns over all angels, authorities, and powers. They are all subject to Him.
Close with Romans 8:31-39
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.