Christ is Our Victory
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Welcome
Good Morning, New Hope Community Church! I’m excited to be with you all this morning, particularly as we get ready to study a uniquely challenging text. Our text this morning is a perfect example of the importance of context - that is, how important it is to understand how a biblical text fits within the rest of the book. What motivated the author to write these particular verses at this particular point within the letter.
Our text this morning is 1 Peter 3:18-22. As I said, it is a uniquely challenging text and has brought about so much confusion. One scholar notes that there are approximately 180 different ways to interpret this passage. Martin Luther, when talking about this text, said this: “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.”
I wanted to share this with you, not to intimidate you, but to remind you that as we seek to better understand the Bible, we need to come to the bible with care, persistence, and humility. As we study this morning’s text, we could easily be sidetracked. We could easily devote all of our efforts in trying to determine what Jesus did between his death and resurrection. We can talk about whether this text teaches salvation after death or whether it teaches baptism saves a person. We can even question whether Peter’s reliance on 1 Enoch, an uninspired text, should change our view on the authority of this text.
It’s easy to get sidetracked by questions like these. While they aren’t unimportant, it’s imperative that we keep our eyes fixed on the main point. So, before we even begin, I want us to remember some very important truths.
All Scripture is inspired. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reads,
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Not all Scripture is equally clear. 2 Peter 3:16b tells us,
as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
The Bible, as the Word of God, does not contradict itself. Psalm 119:160 declares,
The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
Though God’s Word is sufficient, it is not exhaustive. Deuteronomy 29:29 concludes,
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Now, how should we go about approaching the Bible, knowing that it is inspired, but not exhaustive, not always clear, but never contradictory?
Commit to a careful study of Scripture. Be attentive to the details, to the tone, to the audience, to the situation, and to the author. Knowing that we interpret language and events through our own worldview, recognize that the biblical authors have a worldview of their own. It will take serious work as you try to understand the authorial intent of a biblical text.
Commit to a prayerful study of Scripture. As you come to the biblical text, come to it prayerfully, knowing that your ability to understand the Bible is dependent on the Holy Spirit’s illumination. Remember Jesus’ words in John 14:26,
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Commit to a humble study of Scripture. Always approach the Bible knowing that what you know or think about the Bible may be wrong or incomplete. When you and I approach the Bible in a way in which the verse we’re about to read must align with what we already believe, we are exercising our authority over the Bible, rather than submitting to its authority.
Commit to a persistent study of Scripture. Pray, read, study, repeat. You will never come to the point when you will fully understand the Bible. Nevertheless, the more you study the Bible, the better you’ll understand it. As you study the Bible, carefully, prayerfully, and humbly, you’ll find that your worldview - that is, how you see and understand the world - is being transformed. Truthfully, the more your perspective is shaped by Scripture, the better you’ll be able to understand the Scriptures.
Considering all that we’ve talked about so far, let’s turn our attention to 1 Peter 3:18-22. In this letter, Peter is writing to a group of Christians, who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ. They’re being insulted and slandered, rejected by their own communities. Peter refers to them as God’s “elect exiles”, chosen by God to live out their faith in a godless society. Last time, we talked about the benefits of a bold faith. Peter sought to encourage his readers by reminding them that suffering reveals the genuineness of their faith, while at the same time, revealing the glory of Christ. This morning, as we study 1 Peter 3:18-22 together, we’ll see that Peter is again encouraging his readers. He’s not telling them to shrink back or to privatize their faith, but to live boldly, even if it means that they suffer. How could he do that? In our text this morning, Peter reveals one important truth: Christ is Our Victory.
Reading
Our text this morning is 1 Peter 3:18-22. Please join us for the reading of God’s Word.
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, in which 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, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 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, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Prayer
Exposition
Many who preach this text often place a lot of emphasis on verse 18 and a lot of emphasis on verse 22 and brush over verses 19-20. We’re not going to do that this morning. Without a doubt, verses 18 and 22 contain glorious truths. And they are much easier to understand. But once we begin to understand what Peter is doing here, we’ll see that verses 19-21 actually amplify and illustrate Peter’s main point.
As we begin in 1 Peter 3:18, the first word we see is “for.” This word connects our passage this morning to the previous section, 1 Peter 3:8-17, and in many ways is a continuation of Peter’s thought. Specifically, Peter is continuing to encourage his readers, reminding them that it is better to suffer for doing good, rather than for doing evil. Those who suffer for righteousness reveal the genuineness of their faith and the glory of Christ. Now, as he transitions into verses 18-22, Peter tells his readers that those who suffer for doing good will find their vindication in Christ.
Peter writes, “For Christ also suffered once for sins...” Why is it better to suffer for doing good? Because Christ also suffered. This is a simple, yet pointed reminder that Christians suffer because Christ suffered. Recall Jesus’ words in John 15:18-19,
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Not everyone will suffer in the same ways. Not everyone will suffer unto death, as Christ did. No one will suffer all of the time. But, as you follow Christ, you will inevitably experience suffering.
Notice that Peter’s focus isn’t just on the fact that Christ suffered, but that “Christ suffered once for sins.” Much like ours, Christ’s suffering was not without purpose. Be encouraged that God allows suffering, not simply so that you might suffer, but in order to bring about a greater good.
What is that greater good? Peter tells us, “Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” God allowed Christ to suffer, not because he wanted Christ to suffer, but to bring about a greater good - that is, reconciliation. Within the very first verse of our text this morning, we read about Christ’s substitutionary atonement.
This means that Jesus Christ suffered to the point of death, once and for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous, which is all of us, in order to bring about reconciliation between us and God. Jesus suffered injustice. He didn’t deserve to suffer. He didn’t deserve to die. And yet he did, faithfully obeying what God had called him to do.
The apostle Paul puts it this way, in 2 Corinthians 5:21,
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Notice that Peter did not say, “Christ suffered so that you would not suffer.” That’s what I would like him to have said, but that’s not what he said. So, what did he say? Christ suffered to bring you to God.
The greatest tragedy in the world is not that people suffer, but that people are separated from God because of their sin. If you’ve ever sinned, then you’ve been separated from God and that is tragedy. For creation to be cut off from the Creator. For the image of God to be awaiting judgment from God. The greatest tragedy is not that humans suffer, but that they face eternal suffering, removed from the presence of God forever.
And so, this is why Jesus came. This is why Jesus suffered and died, that he might bring us to God. The righteous one suffered and died, in the place of the unrighteous, died for the sins of the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.
How can we say that we have victory in Christ? Because Jesus solved our greatest problem through his substitutionary atonement for our sins.
Now, we turn our attention to the final clause of verse 18 and verse 19, where most of the confusion begins. In this final clause, the Greek becomes less clear in how it should be translated. According to the ESV, Peter writes, “being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” This a relatively safe way to interpret the text, avoiding any controversy.
But, if you have the NIV, KJV, or NKJV, the text will read, “being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in/by the Spirit.” In these translations, the Spirit of verse 18 is referring to the Holy Spirit.
Now, this translation sounds nice. Jesus was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Holy Spirit. Although this translation is theologically accurate (The Holy Spirit is the agency that brought about new life to Christ), it fails to represent the Greek well.
A reference to the Holy Spirit here fails to recognize that these two phrases, “being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” are written parallel to one another and ought to be translated the same way.
For example, if you say that Jesus was made alive by the Spirit, then you also have to say that Jesus was put to death by the flesh.
This is theologically possible; however, it is grammatically unlikely.
Instead, it is better to understand the clause this way: “being put to death in the fleshly realm, but made alive in the spiritual realm. This translation makes the best sense, in light of it’s grammatical construction and aligns well with other passages of Scripture, which we will soon discuss.
Now, as Peter continues in verse 19, we run into other interpretive issues. The text reads, “in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.” What in the world is Peter talking about? What does he mean by “proclaimed” and who are these “spirits in prison?” There are three common interpretations.
First, Peter could be saying that Jesus descended into hell or Sheol and preached the gospel to humans who had died prior to Christ’s death and resurrection. Some have pointed to 1 Peter 4:6 as support for this.
For 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.
There are serious issues with this interpretation. First, 1 Peter 3:20 identifies these spirits as those who were disobedient in the days of Noah. If humans were in view here, Christ would have only preached to a limited number of them.
Second, 1 Peter 4:6 does not refer to Christ’s preaching, but actually refers to Christians who were proclaiming the gospel
Lastly, there is zero evidence in the Bible that would support the possibility of conversion after death.
Secondly, Peter could be saying that, in Noah’s day, Noah preached in the Spirit of Christ, to those human spirits that are now in prison.
This view has some textual support in 1 Peter 1:11, which reads,
inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
Additionally, Noah is referred to a “herald of righteousness” in 2 Peter 2:5.
Nevertheless, this position is also difficult to defend, as the preaching is supposed to occur after Christ had been “made alive.”
Lastly, Peter could be saying that, after Jesus’ death, he could have entered the spiritual realm, descended into the realm of the dead, and preached to fallen angels or evil spiritual beings, that disobeyed in the days of Noah.
This view attempts to make sense of Ephesians 4:9-10, which references the descension of Christ.
(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
It also makes sense of 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6, which refer to the arrest of these fallen, spiritual beings. They read,
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;
And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
According to this view, after Jesus was made alive to the spiritual realm, he proclaimed his victory over the fallen angels who had rebelled prior to Noah’s day. Most modern scholars agree, that this is the most likely interpretation, as it makes good sense of the immediate text and of corresponding passages.
As we consider 1 Peter 3:20, we see that Peter is redirecting his attention to the situation in Noah’s day. Explaining why Jesus went to proclaim to these spirits in prison, Peter writes,
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.
As we mentioned, these spirits were evil, fallen angels, that rebelled against God around the time of Noah. In talking about this event, both Peter and Jude rely on Genesis 6, as well as the book of 1 Enoch, which is a non-canonical work written between 300 BC and 100 BC.
In Genesis 6, we read how the sons of God intermingled with the daughters of men and produced offspring. Their children were giants and, as they increased in number, the earth increased in wickedness. Eventually, earth became so wicked that God said in Genesis 6:7:
So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
The “Sons of God” in the Old Testament and in other ancient Hebrew literature was a common expression, referring to angelic beings. But what made the situation in Genesis 6 so dire? This is where the supplemental account from 1 Enoch fills in the gaps.
According to 1 Enoch, the earth in Noah’s day was full of fallen angels and the Nephillim. The angels, rather than praising God, were in rebellion against God. They didn’t honor God, but instead taught man in the ways of violence, prostitution, and sorcery. As wickedness increased on the earth, humanities cries reached the heavens. And it was then, at that time, that the LORD responded in judgment, promising to bring the flood to destroy the earth and imprison these fallen angels, until the final or great day of judgment.
Remember, the book of 1 Enoch is not considered Scripture, as it failed to pass the test of canonicity for both the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Bible. This doesn’t mean that this account is untrue; rather, it simply means the book as a whole was not believed to be inspired by God.
And so the LORD planned to bring destruction on the earth through a flood. Yet, as we read in Genesis 6:8, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”
In the midst of a godless world, Noah was righteous. Noah was blameless. And Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9). Noah exhibited a relationship with God, faithfully obeying him and displaying his righteousness to the world. Because of this, God decided spare Noah’s life, along with his family. Hebrews 11:7 tells us,
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Noah modelled everything that Peter wanted his readers to emulate. He proclaimed the righteousness of God through his words and his works. Just as Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:12, Noah kept his conduct honorable amidst a godless generation. We don’t have any record of Noah suffering. We don’t have any knowledge of insults or ridicule. Yet, as Noah built an ark for a coming flood when there had never been in the history of the world even a drop of rain, it’s hard for me to imagine that he wasn’t slandered. As he cut the wood and pieced it together, as he gathered the animals and the food, it’s hard for me to imagine that he wasn’t treated like an outcast.
By his works, by his faithful obedience, by his belief in God’s promise, he condemned the world.
Noah modelled the type of life that Peter wanted for his readers. And yet, his words also were intended to encourage. Peter reminds them that only a few, only eight in number, survived the flood. God eventually brought judgement against the godless generation, but spared the righteous. They suffered insults and ridicule, but in the end, their faith brought them vindication. In the end, their faith brought them salvation. In the end, their faith brought them victory.
And this is Peter’s primary point. Continue entrusting yourself to God. Though you may suffer now, in the end, your faith in Christ will result in your salvation.
Our next verse seems out of place, but it’s actually linked thematically to what Peter had just written. 1 Peter 3:21 reads,
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,
Why does Peter now turn his attention to baptism? Of course, baptism was an important practice within the early church and still is today. Throughout the New Testament, those seeking salvation are often told to be baptized.
Mark 16:16 reads,
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Acts 2:38 reports
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
There is an inextricable link between salvation and baptism. Why is that? In Romans 6:4, Paul explains the significance of baptism, writing,
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Throughout the New Testament, baptism signifies the Christian’s identification with Christ, in his death and his resurrection. As Christ has died, so we too put to death our former way of life. In this way, baptism signifies God’s judgment concerning how we used to live. But, as Christ was raised, so we too are raised in newness of life, taking his life as our own, through faith.
Baptism is a picture of both judgment and salvation, just as the flood signified God’s judgment toward a godless generation and his salvation offered to the righteous through faith.
In verse 21, Peter tells reminds his readers that baptism has saved them. Now, if he simply ended the sentence there, we would have had a problem. The physical act of baptism does not save. It has zero power to remove the stain of sin from your life. This is why he continues, “not as a removal of dirt from the body.”
Here, Peter clarifies that he’s not talking about the physical act. If you could be saved by taking a bath, heaven would be full. But that’s not what he’s saying here.
Instead, Peter refers to baptism as “an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Through baptism, we acknowledge the judgment of God toward and the putting to death of our former way of life. And through baptism, we acknowledge the newness of life we have in Christ, no longer carrying the weight of condemnation for our sins, because Christ has dealt with that on the cross.
Remember, “He suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” We have a clear conscience before God, knowing that our righteousness is found in Christ.
What does this mean? It means that we can approach God with confidence. It means that we can rest in his promises. It means that we can trust in his salvation. We declare, along with the writer of Hebrews 10:22-23,
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
In our final verse this morning, Peter draws our attention back to Christ. It was this Christ who suffered once for sin, that he might bring us to God. It was Christ who went to proclaim his victory to the spirits who rebelled against God and brought devastation to our world. And it is this same Christ we read read about in 1 Peter 3:22,
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Peter tells us that Christ has not only died, but has also been resurrected in verse 21. Now, in verse 22, we learn that Christ has not only been resurrected, but also exalted. He now sits at the right hand of God, signalling the power and authority he shares with the Father.
Peter tells us that Christ sits at the right hand of God, and the angels, and the authorities, and the powers have been subjected to him. Once suffering, Christ now rules. Once humiliated, Christ is now exalted. The same victory he declared after his death, he now exclaims from the right hand of God.
For Peter’s readers, this would have been such an encouragement. Christ suffered, but is now exalted. Noah and his family suffered, but were ultimately vindicated. Baptism signifies God’s judgment against our former, sinful lives, but offers us newness of life and ultimate salvation in Christ. We can endure suffering for doing good, because we know that Christ is our victory.
Application
What do we do with a message like this?
First, I think we have to consider Peter‘s warning. He says it’s better to suffer for doing good if that it should be God‘s will than it is for doing evil. We know from our passage this morning that if we suffer for doing a good we can have confidence knowing that Christ is our victory. If you suffer for doing good you know that your ultimate vindication your ultimate salvation is in Christ. On the other hand if you supper for doing evil, the only thing you can expect is God’s righteous judgment. Take a moment to consider whether or not you’ve experienced baptism - that is, not of the physical nature, but a baptism of the spirit, whereby you count yourself dead in your sinful flesh, but alive in Christ.
Second, I think we need to take some consolation in the fact that Christ died once for all sin. Even Noah sinned after the flood, yet he was regarded as righteous through faith. Sin is our present reality, but it’s not our final reality. Sin is our present reality, but Jesus Christ is our ultimate hope. In Christ, we have victory over sin and death. Reckon on the righteousness and salvation he provides, for he who promises is faithful.
Lastly, the Bible can be hard to understand. Remember what we talked about at the beginning of the sermon. Commit yourselves to studying the Bible carefully, prayerfully, humbly, and persistently. If you encounter a text that seems confusing or conflicting, don’t brush it off. Continue to plumb the depths of God’s Word, knowing that he has given his Holy Spirit and his people to help you.
Prayer