1 Peter 3:18-22 - Get into Christ

“Get into” Christ

The gap between heaven and earth is closed by the righteous suffering for the sake of the unrighteous.

RECAP

Who is there to harm you?

If you suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Because you won't have fear.

And instead of fear, you can be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks - with Gentleness and Respect. Having a good conscience.

For it’s better to suffer for doing good...

1 Peter 3:17–22 ESV

17 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.

How do we get into Christ? - Start with his example.

VS 18

Christ suffered ONCE for sins

Not just Holy Week, but his whole life

Don’t look at moments of your life as suffering - look at it from an enteral perspective

Not one and done but a lifetime.

Bring us to God

The gap between heaven and earth is closed by the righteous suffering for the sake of the unrighteous.

VS 19

Jesus preached to the spirits in prison.

Who are the spirits and where is the prison?

Marten Luther

This is a wonderful text and a more obscure passage than any other in the New Testament. Therefore, I have no idea what the heck Peter is talking about.

Really unclear and confusing - Did where they:

Fallen angels or those who died prior to the flood - Did Jesus Descended into hell?

Where the spirits Noah’s contemporaries who needed to hear the word of God - Preexistence Christ view?

Was this a triumphal proclamation - “in your face demon world?

Don’t let the hard aspects of the Bible Scare you. Like...

Underlining all these questions is what happens to souls prior to Jesus? Like people who lived with Noah?

We don’t know and don’t need to know how God works out the salvation of every human of all time.

I need to focus on working to suffer for those in my life now is enough work for me.

Themes scholars agree on

1) Jesus endured suffering in different ways and experienced opposition to his preaching

There is no one size fits all for suffering

Opposition to love and mercy is a reality

2) Jesus’ ministry continues is not contained to the time he walked on earth

Your work in the kingdom is not contained to the time you walk on earth

3) Jesus was vindicated before his opponents

You will be vindicated as well

Vindication = Clear of blame or shown to be right or justified (alibi)

VS 20 & 21

The examples of Noah and Water Baptism show how the righteous suffer for the unrighteous and close the gap between heaven and earth.

Noah

Gen 1:1 Water is Chaotic

Noah, Wife, 3 sons their wives - suffered for the sake of God’s kingdom - they went through the waters

The word “Through” is dia where we get diameter - It can mean from or by

On the arch, they were saved “from” the waters and they were saved “by” the waters

They gave up everything for the faith that God would vindicate them and got into the arch expecting to be saved

You and I need to get into Christ in the same way Noah got into the arch

Giving up the things of this world and stepping into faith.

How? give up bitterness and hate and get into forgiveness

Baptism

Like Noah, we go through the chaos of life and die to it so that we are raised with Christ.

Saved through Water Baptism? No not saved through WB but the removal of “dirt/Sin” but saved through faith that Jesus clears you (vindicates)

God waited, but when he brought judgment - WB is proof that Death doesn’t have the last word if you are “In Christ”

Passage Outline

3:18 Christ suffered once for sins,

the righteous on behalf of the unrighteous,

so that he might bring you to God.

Christ was put to death in the flesh.

He was made alive in the Spirit.

3:19 He went and preached to the spirits.

3:22 He went into heaven.

Angels and authorities and powers are subject to him.

VS 22

Christ is exalted to full authority - we have nothing to fear because we go with Christ to where heaven and earth meet again.

The strategy of the kingdom is for the righteous to suffer for the sake of the unrighteous so that we can bring heaven back to earth by participating with Christ - as seen in water baptism.