BIG IDEA:
CHRIST’S DEATH (THE ULTIMATE SUFFERING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LIVING FOR ETERNITY AND IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMENDABLE CONDUCT) FULFILLED THE WILL OF GOD AND HIS RESURRECTION SECURED VINDICATION AND VICTORY
INTRODUCTION:
Peter Davids: As a reason why suffering for doing good is better than suffering for doing evil, Peter brings in the example of Christ, who himself suffered for doing good.16 In suffering in this way the Christian is identifying with Christ, and he or she will, according to Peter, also complete this identification in resurrection with Christ.
Peter has a number of points to make about Christ’s suffering.
- First, it was unjust suffering. It is the formula of substitutionary atonement, the death of the victim on behalf of the sins of another. Thus the traditional formula expresses the fact that Christ also suffered innocently, and not just innocently, but on behalf of others’ sins.
- Second, “the righteous on behalf of the unrighteous” Because of this passage, “The Righteous One” was used as a title of Christ in the early church (Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14; 1 John 2:1, 29; 3:7; possibly Jas. 5:6), and references to Isa. 53 in 1 Peter (2:22, 24, 25) make one suspect that it is being thought of here as well.
- Third, the purpose of the suffering of Christ was “to lead you to God.” Jesus died in order that, so to speak, he might reach across the gulf between God and humanity and, taking our hand, lead us across the territory of the enemy into the presence of the Father who called us.
- Fourth, the death of Christ did not destroy him, just as death will not destroy the Christian sufferer
Daniel Akin: John Stott wrote the finest book in the past one hundred years on the atoning work of Christ. In The Cross of Christ, Stott writes,
The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives that belong to God alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone. (The Cross of Christ, 159)
Stott’s words find support in 1 Peter. Peter tells us we have been ransomed with the precious blood of Christ (1:18-21). He said that Christ suffered for us as he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree (2:18-25). Now Peter tells us, “Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God” (3:18). God substituted himself for us on the cross.
The theme of victory rings throughout these five verses. These words would encourage those experiencing suffering and trials. Christ suffered. We will suffer. Christ is victorious, and we will be victorious too.
Daniel Doriani: This threefold declaration is the framework for the passage. Jesus was put to death, and then rose to life and ascended into heaven. Peter wants us to know that if we suffer and even die for the faith, God will raise and vindicate us, too. It is all too common for Western Christians to obsess over their pains and sorrows. But if we can discipline ourselves to lift our eyes from present troubles, we should find courage in knowing that we will follow the pattern of Christ, through suffering to resurrection and vindication.
John MacArthur: Christ’s perfect example of suffering unjustly and through that accomplishing the glorious saving purpose of God should give believers hope and confidence for the triumph of God’s purpose in the midst of their own suffering (cf. Rom. 8:17; 2 Cor. 2:14; Phil. 1:29). To give them a richer understanding of the blessed outcome of the cross’s injustice, Peter urged his readers to consider four elements of the Lord’s victory: His triumphant sin-bearing, His triumphant sermon, His triumphant salvation, and His triumphant supremacy.
I. (:18) CHRIST’S DEATH FULFILLED THE WILL OF GOD
A. His Righteousness — The Paradox of His Death
How could this be the will of God?
- The Anointed of God
For Christ
- The Just for the Unjust
the just for the unjust,
- On Account of sins
also died for sins
His suffering was a pattern in some sense for us and yet was unique since His death was substitutionary and atoning.
John MacArthur: Christ suffered in that He died for sins. Sin caused the sinless Christ’s death. This is the supreme example of suffering for righteousness’ sake (v. 18), and He willingly endured it on behalf of sinners (Isa. 53:4–6, 8–12; Matt. 26:26–28; John 1:29; 10:11, 15; Rom. 5:8–11; 8:32; 1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:15, 18–19; Gal. 1:4; Eph. 2:13–16; Col. 1:20–22; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Tim. 2:5–6; Heb. 2:9, 17; 7:27; 9:12, 24–28; 10:10; 13:12; 1 John 1:7; 2:2; 4:10; Rev. 1:5; 5:9). Earlier in this letter, Peter asserted that Christ “committed no sin” (2:22). He never had a single thought, word, or action that did not fully please God; rather His behavior in every respect was perfectly holy (Isa. 53:11; Luke 1:35; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 7:26; cf. John 5:30; Heb. 1:9).
So Jesus died for sins in that He was “offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28; cf. Rom. 8:3; Heb. 10:5–10). In the Old Testament economy, God required animal sacrifices to symbolize the need to atone for sin by the death of an innocent substitute (Ex. 29:31–33, 36; Lev. 1:4–5; 8:34; 16:2–16; 17:11; 23:26–27; Num. 15:25; 1 Chron. 6:49); the New Testament presents Christ as that perfect sacrifice who fulfilled all the symbols in the reality of atoning for all sinners who would ever believe (John 3:14–15; Rom. 5:6–11; 1 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 9:11–14, 24, 28; 12:24; 13:11–12).
B. His Reality — The Finality of His Death — It really did happen.
- Died once for all
once for all,
- Having been put to death in the flesh
having been put to death in the flesh,
C. His Resurrection — The Reversal of His Death
but made alive in the spirit;
He was made alive in the spiritual realm of existence, with His spirit united to His resurrection body (1 Cor.15).
Wayne Grudem: in view of the flesh–spirit contrast noted above, must mean ‘made alive in the spiritual realm, in the realm of the Spirit’s activity’. Here it refers specifically to Christ’s resurrection, because made alive must be the opposite of put to death in the previous phrase. ‘In the spiritual realm, the realm of the Holy Spirit’s activity, Christ was raised from the dead.’ This is important because in the New Testament generally this ‘spiritual’ realm is the realm of all that is lasting, permanent, eternal.
D. His Reconciliation — The Purpose of His Death
in order that He might bring us to God,
John MacArthur: The triumph in Christ’s death is expressed in the phrase that He might bring [believers] to God. The divine tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51) symbolically demonstrated the reality that He had opened the way to God. The heavenly Holy of Holies, the “throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16), was made available for immediate access by all true believers. As royal priests (2:9), all believers are welcomed into God’s presence (Heb. 4:16; 10:19–22).
The verb translated He might bring (prosagō) expresses the specific purpose of Jesus’ actions. It often describes someone’s being introduced or given access to another. In classical Greek the noun form refers to the one making the introduction. In ancient courts certain officials controlled access to the king. They verified someone’s right to see him and then introduced that person to the monarch. Christ now performs that function for believers. Hebrews 6:20 says concerning the inner court of heaven that He “has entered as a forerunner for [believers], having become a high priest forever.” Christ entered to bring the elect into communion with God (cf. Ps. 110:4; Heb. 2:17–18; 3:1–2; 4:14–15; 5:4–6; 7:17, 21–22, 25; 8:1–2, 6; 9:13–14).
II. (:19-20) CHRIST’S RESURRECTION SECURED VINDICATION
A. The Proclamation of Vindication
in which also He went and made proclamation
Daniel Doriani: If the essence of hell is separation from God, then Jesus “descended into hell” on the cross. He experienced separation from the Father while on the cross. The Apostles’ Creed declares that Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried and that he descended into hell. What the creed says is true, but the order of two phrases should be reversed to read, “He was crucified, descended into hell, was dead and buried, and rose again on the third day.” Jesus’ main descent into hell occurred on the cross. After his death, Scripture notes, he did not join the devil in hell; he joined the Father in paradise (Luke 24:34, 46).
B. The Prisoners Who Heard the Vindication
to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient,
when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah,
Peter Davids: The angels were “disobedient” to God (while not totally clear in Gen. 6, it is very clear in 1 Enoch 6), and with them in the time of the deluge the majority of people. But God did not immediately destroy them, for he was patient (“when the patience of God waited”). Gen. 6:3 was interpreted in Jewish tradition as an indication of this patience (so Targ. Onk.), or, as the Mishnah says, “There were ten generations from Adam to Noah, to show how great was his long-suffering, for all the generations provoked him continually until he brought upon them the waters of the flood” (m. Aboth 5:2). Furthermore, the ark was itself presumably some time in building, so there is a further indication of patience even after judgment was decided upon (2 Pet. 2:5 adds that Noah was preaching throughout this time).
On the other hand, in contrast to the spirits, eight people were saved (Noah, his three sons, and their wives). Although they were only “a few,” they formed the righteous remnant of the time. And these were saved “through water,” which captures the image of the ark passing through the water of the flood.
The stage is now set to draw the analogy together. Like Noah these Christians are a small, persecuted minority surrounded by a majority that is disobedient to God and, if Peter follows Pauline theology at this point, led controlled by disobedient spirits. But Christ’s triumphant proclamation and the citation of the narrative of the deluge remind them that they will be the delivered minority just as Noah and his family were, which is surely comforting in a time of suffering.
Vs. 21 — Furthermore, they have already experienced salvation in the same way Noah did, namely by passing through water to safety, the water of baptism (cf. the similar analogy in
1 Cor. 10:1-2). With this reference Peter both draws the readers’ experience close to that of Noah and produces one of the most difficult verses in the NT.
C. The Provision That Required Vindication
during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons,
were brought safely through the water.
III. (:21-22) CHRIST’S RESURRECTION SECURED VICTORY
A. The Proclamation of Victory = Baptism
And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—
not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience
Daniel Akin: The resurrection is God’s stamp of approval that the death of Christ takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Baptism is our answer and pledge of yes to God. Our conscience is clear. We can now “approach the throne of [God’s] grace with boldness” (Heb 4:16).
Peter Davids: The salvific aspect of baptism arises from the pledge of oneself to God as a response to questions formally asked at baptism. But this answer must be given from a good conscience. A half-hearted or partial commitment will not do, although it might fool people. It is the purity of the heart toward God that is important. This pledge, even in its most sincere form, however, would not be efficacious without the external objective means of salvation to grasp onto, that is, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Wayne Grudem: Baptism corresponds to escaping through water in that the water of baptism is in some ways a counterpart to the waters of the flood. For if, as is likely, baptism when Peter wrote was by immersion (going completely under the water – note how incongruous the mention of ‘removal of dirt from the body’ would be if Peter thought that only a few drops of water were sprinkled on the head), then going down into the waters of baptism was a vivid symbol of going down into the grave in death. (Cf. ‘We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death’, Rom. 6:4.)
We could paraphrase, ‘Baptism now saves you – not the outward physical ceremony of baptism but the inward spiritual reality that baptism represents.’ Thus Peter guards against any ‘magical’ view of baptism which would attribute saving power to the physical ceremony itself.
Those who support the view that only people who are old enough to profess faith in Christ should be baptized might well see in this verse some support for their position: baptism, it might be argued, is appropriately administered to anyone who is old enough personally to make ‘an appeal to God for a good conscience’.
B. The Provision That Accomplished Victory = Resurrection & Exaltation
- Resurrection
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- Exaltation
who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven,
Peter Davids: Jesus now reigns, for he sits in the place of power.
Daniel Akin: The resurrection and ascension are intimately connected. There can be no ascension and exaltation without the bodily, historical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The one who was resurrected from the dead (v. 21) “has gone into heaven” (v. 22). Resurrection and ascension are a double blow of defeat to the demonic powers (vv. 19-20). The grave could not hold him. He has risen and ascended back to heaven to his Father.
The ascension of our Lord is recorded only in the two-volume work of Luke (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11). It is an aspect of our Lord’s ministry that is often neglected. However, ten facts mark the ascension as important.
- It ended the earthly ministry of Christ. It marked the end of the period of self-limitation during the days of his life on earth.
- It ended the period of his humiliation. His glory was no longer veiled following the ascension (John 17:5; Acts 9:3,5).
- It marks the first entrance of resurrected humanity into heaven and the beginning of a new work in heaven (Heb 4:14-16; 6:20).
- It made the descent of the Holy Spirit possible (John 16:7). It was necessary for Christ to ascend to heaven in order that he could send the Holy Spirit.
- It is the necessary corollary of the resurrection. That is, it is the abiding proof that the resurrection of Jesus was more than a temporary resuscitation.
- It conveyed to the disciples the realization that the appearances, which had occurred at various times over a period of forty days, were at an end.
- It suggested that Jesus was no longer to be perceived by physical sensation but by spiritual insight.
- It provided the occasion for the commissioning of witness and the promise of the Spirit (Acts 1:1-8).
- It provided for our Lord the occasion to bless his church with gifted men (Eph 4:11).
- It provided the occasion for the promise that he would come again (Acts 1:9-11).
(Akin, “The Doctrine of Christ,” 419–20)
C. The Prisoners Who Tasted Defeat = angels, authorities, powers
after angels and authorities and powers
had been subjected to Him.
Wayne Grudem: Peter focuses here on Christ’s authority in the unseen spiritual world: he has angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. The three terms can be applied to both good and evil spiritual beings elsewhere in Scripture, and without specific restrictions in the context it is best to understand them as a reference to all spiritual beings in the universe, both good and evil. When Paul says not only that we have been raised with Christ but also that God has ‘seated us with him in the heavenly places’ (Eph. 2:6), it indicates that even now Christians have a share in the spiritual authority which belongs to Christ, an authority which finds expression in our lives especially in terms of power in spiritual warfare (2 Cor. 10:3–4; Eph. 6:10–18), freedom from fearing demonic powers (Eph. 6:13; Jas 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9; 1 John 4:4), and authority to rebuke, if need be, the demonic forces that oppose us (Luke 10:17–20; Acts 16:18).