What About Glory?

1 Peter 3:17-22 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 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.

Catching Up

Last Sunday, we looked at how it can be God’s will for His people to suffer for doing good.

One of the positive outcomes of our suffering is that through our enduring suffering for Jesus’...

We are used by God to draw people to Him in order for them to be reconciled to God through faith in the person and work of JC.

Another positive outcome of our enduring suffering for Jesus’ name is that we gain assurance that we truly belong to Jesus.

Another positive outcome is that we can show a glimpse of the treasure that Christ is...

And, the value of His presence in our lives.

So, we cannot forget the promise that Jesus makes in the sermon on the mount...

And, that the NT writers remind us of repeatedly...

We reminded of it here in 1 Peter 3:13-14a 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.

So, this morning, I want us to continue looking at this theme starting in v.17...

1 Peter 3:17-22 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 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.

These verses are not disconnected from the blessings that come through our enduring suffering for doing good.

I want us to see one more positive outcome of suffering for the name of Jesus.

But, before we see that let’s dig into the context of these verses.

Last Sunday, we made it through the first half of v.18.

I want to start in v.18 and work our way through the end of the Chapter in v.22.

Read...A lot is said here…some of the things can be a bit confusing.

What is Peter saying here?

Why is Peter saying what he’s saying?

In v.18 we have the gospel, redemption & reconciliation through life, death and resurrection of JC.

Now, what are we seeing in v.19?

preached/proclaimed = to announce publicly, to proclaim

This is what preaching is, but when we think of preaching we thing of a message of the gospel being proclaimed for the good of the hearers.

That is not what is going on here.

What’s going on here is that Jesus is proclaiming something.

And, from the text it shows that Jesus is proclaiming something after His resurrection.

1 Peter 3:18b-19 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,

He was put to death, but made alive in the spirit...

And, then He went and proclaimed a message to the spirits in prison.

What did He proclaim?

Who was He proclaiming to?

There is two main views to who is the spirits in prison.

There are variations of these two, but I’ll tell you the two views briefly...

And, then I’ll tell you which view I hold to and why.

Seeing the context of what Peter is using, which is the days of Noah and the ark...

That takes us back to Genesis 6:1-5 which reads...

Genesis 6:1-5 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The two primary/majority views are (1) that the spirits in prison are those who were disobedient to God...

and ignored the preaching of Noah as they practiced great depravity and wickedness.

This view comes from a view that holds that the sons of God in Genesis 6:2 are the line of Seth...

The Sethites, the godly line of men, started taking as wives women who were not godly...

IOW, they were taking for wives, women who were not believers in God...

And therefore there was no longer a dividing line between believers and unbelievers in the world.

And, so that caused wickedness to go rampant and God determined to wipe out humanity...

Except for Noah.

So, this view would say that Jesus went to the spirits of humans who were disobedient in the days of Noah...

And, he proclaimed that He triumphed over sin and death...

The Christ of the gospel message they rejected has triumphed over all who reject Him.

That is one of two primary views.

The second view is the one that I hold to…

And, as I tell you this view I think you’ll see why I hold to it...

This second view states that the spirits in prison are fallen, demonic angels who stepped out side of their proper abode and had relations with human women...

And, created a breed of humans who were horrifically depraved...

And, were well-known for their size (giants) and their strength.

They were men of renown, which means they had a reputation among the world.

Genesis 6:1-5 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Look at the context of Genesis 6:1-5...

Man/Humankind began to multiply and they started having daughters born to them...

the sons of God saw that the daughters of man and they had relations with them

That phrase bene elohim sons of God is only used for spiritual beings...

adam in v.1 & v.2

not daughters of Cain

Peter when speaking of angels sinning places the angels sinning in the days of Noah.

2 Peter 2:4-5 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

Our only record of angels sinning in the days of Noah is Genesis 6:1-5.

The only wording or phrasing of anyone in being held in prison is of angels.

Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison

So, for multiple contextual reasons...

And, the back up of what Peter and Jude say in other passages...

And, contextual reasons in other passages...

I believe that Peter is speaking about fallen angels...

Specifically the fallen angels of Genesis 6

One more huge reason...

22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

So, instead of this being a proclamation of victory over disobedient human beings...

This is a proclamation of victory over those who sought to corrupt mankind...

Who sought to corrupt the lineage of mankind...

Which, don’t forget, according to Genesis 3 would be from the seed of the woman.

So, the fallen angels who stepped out of their proper place...

And, had relations with human women...

Did not win.

They did not thwart the purposes of God.

They did not ultimately corrupt the lineage of mankind for the purposes of the Messiah coming through the lineage of God’s people.

They did not thwart the plans and purposes of the Messiah.

Christ did incarnate.

He did live a perfect life, in spite of temptations...

He did die on the cross...

And, as He was dyeing on the cross...

I’m sure they were cheering.

I’m sure they felt they had won.

I’m sure they thought they’d defeated the Messianic plans of God.

But, Christ, upon His resurrection...

Went to them in their captivity...

And declared His victory over them...

And His victory over all evil forces that oppose God and His good purposes...

And, He proclaimed His victory and their eternal doom.

And, we see this in how the passage ends...

22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Not only did He proclaim victory...

But His victory was rewarded with all angels, authorities, and powers being eternally subject to Him.

Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father...

And, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

But, listen, His suffering led to reward.

And, Peter is telling us too, that our suffering will lead to reward.

Our loyalty to the Lord in our suffering will lead to our vindication over those who persecute us...

Our loyalty to the Lord in our suffering will lead us in triumphant victory to those who persecuted us...

Those who did not turn to the Lord.

Christ will be vindicated before all...

And, in His triumphant vindication...

We will be in the victory procession as those who are on His side.

Listen to how Paul states it...

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Suffering may look like defeat...

But it is a procession leading to a glorious triumph over the enemies of our Christ.

Romans 8:37-39  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.

Every ounce of suffering that we endure in this life...

Is an investment into future glory.

Every ounce of suffering for doing good that God allows into our life...

It may cause pain, tears and sorrow...

But it is all bottled up and invested in the future glory that we will enjoy with God...

And Christ, forevermore.

Amen and hallelujah, what a Savior!

What a God!

What a future inheritance that awaits us!

Next time, we’ll look at what Peter says about baptism in this passage.

Closing Prayer