Noah way, dude.
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Previously on 1 Peter....
Previously on 1 Peter....
This morning as we genuinely struggle with some difficult text, we need to make sure we keep the main thing, the main thing. When I say we will struggle, I don’t mean that the text is difficult to hear. Sometimes I get into the word and I read things that remind me of how much I have messed up in the past, and it is difficult only until am reminded of God’s grace and forgiveness. Other times, I read text that remind me of the conflict between God’s will and my own selfish ambition, and it is difficult to hear until I wholly submit to God. But sometimes, and today will be one of those times, when I read text that challenge my understanding of who God is. When you have been taught one thing by people, and then get to a difficult text that challenges what you have heard, it is difficult.
An example of some of those verses is found in where it says that the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children.
Many verses talk about God the father and call us children of God or refer to us as sons and daughters, but the only other place in the bible where the phrase sons of God (ben elohim) is two places in Job and in both verse is it referring to angels or fallen angels.
Angels aren’t given in marriage like we are.....
But we know that angels interact with the physical world.
Remember that Lot offered his daughters to the mob that were intent on sexually assaulting the angels that visited him.
It was an angel, we are told that moved the stone.
We are told that we may be visited by angels when we think they are people.
One possible meaning of that text is that the sons of God are noble men or men that are loyal and followers of God. That’s easier to swallow than the other possible meaning.
Which is that demons had sexual relations with women and had children. That’s crazy right?
But look at the gospel. God caused Mary to be pregnant without being with a man. That Jesus was both God and man, that he performed miracle after miracle including raising the dead. That he himself was killed and on the third day raised from the dead. Walked around for a while and then ascended into Heaven.
But in taking our mortal human brain and trying to understand the mind of God, it’s important not to lose sight of what’s important. God loves you. He wants to spend eternity with you and because we are sinners, we need God’s forgiveness that can only be found in accepting Christ. Believing that Jesus accepted God’s punishment for your sin on the cross and then rose on the third day. That is what is important.
The important verse in 1 Peter to keep in mind is found in .
12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
That people may be saved because you reflected God’s love for them.
It is why we as Citizens should submit to the government.
Why we as employees should submit to our employers.
Why wives should submit to their own husband,
Why Husbands should love and honor their wives.
so that we might:
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
If you do this, you are likely to be left alone.
13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
Caveat
14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
1 Peter 3:14-
Can you imagine being put in a situation when the old you and everyone else you know would react with violence, anger, hatred and you hold your tongue. You instead offer grace?
1 Peter
People will ask why?
Peter shows us why this is important.
17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
Football fight. Refs only see the second punch.
Ch
Now for the fun:
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,
20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
1 Peter 3:1
This first part of 18 is the Gospel
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
but made alive in the spirit.....where is he going with this?
19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,
1 Peter
20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
1 Peter
So Jesus, in the spirit, made proclamation (preached) to the spirits;
we know that these spirits were disobedient spirits and these spirits were disobedient prior to Noah’s flood
And we know that these spirits, at the times of Christ’s death on the Cross were in prison.
Beyond that, its a little fuzzy.
Were the spirits people in Noah’s time and that the Christ went to them in the spirit (through Noah) to proclaim the coming judgement of the flood?
We know it was when Christ was in the spirit, but doesn’t mean it was then. It could have been when He was in the spirit before.
NIV presumes this is not the case. “After being made alive....he went.
NKJV. says “in whom” meaning in the spirit, but like the NASB doesn’t presume when...
2. Were the spirits disobedient demons that Jesus went to proclaim victory?
a. Were they the sons of God that Jesus declared the judgement to come?
b. spirit is uses to describe angels, demons and God, the Holy Spirit.
c. Used to describe our inner being, but
d. Never used to describe people after death.
3. Were the spirits people obedient to God prior to Christ that Jesus proclaimed the gospel to and set them free?
a. That Christ did that is alluded to in Ephesians 4
Ephesians 4:
8 Therefore it says,
“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
This is the least likely possibility, because Peter says they were disobediant. He gives us the time frame of their disobedience.
Not arguing against what it says in Ephesians, that that didn’t happen, just saying that Peter in not talking about that here.
Depending on your prejudice, you may lean toward one explanation of this verse more than others.
I am conservative and a concrete thinker. I like the simple and down to earth answers. I ok when you talk about the Holy Spirit. But when you use the term Holy Ghost, I get a little up tight.
It’s like there is a part of me that is afraid if I think too much about the spiritual realm and less about the concrete, someone is going to jump out and put a hug-me coat on and haul me off to the nervous hospital.
But here is the deal. There is one truth and we may not know what that is on this side of Glory. And it may be the truth you are least comfortable with.
Martin Luther even said that he was not sure what Peter was referring to here.
Deep into the weeds
Deep into the weeds
21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
1 Peter
He just said baptism saves you....but you always say baptism is just a symbol of salvations.......
Noah and the flood
The ark saved Noah from the flood.
but the flood saved Noah from the evil of this world.
God’s judgement was necessary.
5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Genesis 6:
Without God’s Judgement, how long could Noah last. How long before either he and his family were killed, or worse, corrupted?
The flood was as much responsible for Noah’s salvation as the flood was.
Both of these are a picture, a symbol of what Christ did for us.
The punishment for sin in death insures that only Holy people will be in heaven.
Accepting Christ is like getting on the boat. The flood still happens, but you are carried safely through it. Your body will still die, but Christ will carry you through it.
It is the baptism of your heart into Christ Jesus, that saves you. The death of self and the acceptance of Him. That is the baptism that saves you.
Peter explicitly said this when he said,
21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
appeal to God for a good conscience…the forgiveness of sin…
Thats the main thing.
Then Peter finishes this thought with
22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
after angels, authorities, powers....may refer back to 3:19. That he declared victory over them...
