The Victory of Christ over Unjust Suffering
1 Peter 3:18-22
Hanley Liu
10.2.09

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.

Notes:

1. The suffering of Christ led us to God
   1. Jesus did not deserve to die, but He agreed to die (unjust suffering)
   2. The purpose of Christ’s suffering was to lead us to God
   3. (v.18) two arenas of life, 1) physical arena of life, 2) spiritual arena of life (life in the Spirit)
   4. Man is born into separation from God, but Christ came and lived as a sinless man and died for sinners on the cross.
   5. Recognize that 1) There is a God, and 2) He has a Son. God wants you to believe in His Son. Repenting sin = change in life
2. The Work of Christ Proclaims Victory over Evil (v.19-20)
   1. The work of Christ: 1) His work in life, 2) His death and resurrection on the cross.
   2. Views (using Noah and the ark)
      1. When Noah was building the ark, Christ, in spirit, was in Noah preaching repentance and righteousness through him to unbelievers who were on the earth then but are now spirits in hell. (1 Pet. 1:11)
         1. Spirits in hell were human souls bound in hell.
         2. Noah preached a message of repentance
         3. Fits Peter’s message for suffering for righteousness’ sake. (1 Pet. 3:13-7)
         4. View taken by W. Grudem and J. Piper
      2. After Christ died/rose, he travelled to hell and proclaimed triumph and victory over the fallen angels who had sinned by marrying human women before the flood (Gen. 6:1-4). (Dominant view today.)
         1. Strengths of view
            1. Spirits refers to supernatural beings
            2. Makes sense to Peter’s readers, because of “victory parades” which happened at that time, and Christ similarly proclaimed victory over the demons
            3. Extra-Biblical book (1 Enoch) connects to this view.
         2. Difficulties of view
            1. Why would Christ go to proclaim victory only to the demons?
            2. Demons are still active in the world, so why are these particular demons in prison?
         3. Answers
            1. Reference to demon-possessed humans who took human wives and bore children with them. (Genesis 6:1-4)
            2. Some demons indulged in sexual relations w/ humans: unnatural desires (Jude 6-7), thrown into Abyss (Revelation 9:2)
         4. Defended by John MacArthur and majority of NT commentators
      3. After Christ died, he went and preached to people in hell, proclaiming to them that he had triumphed over them and their condemnation was final. (incorrect)
      4. After Christ died, he proclaimed release to people who had repented just before they died in the flood and led them out of purgatory into heaven. (Roman Catholic) (incorrect)
      5. After Christ died, he went and preached to people in hell, offering them a second chance for salvation. (incorrect)
   3. God preserves Noah. God’s judgment during Noah’s time was the flood, while God’s judgment for our time is hell.
3. The Suffering of Christ delivered us from Judgment
4. The Suffering of Christ gives us new life under His Lordship (v.21-2)
   1. Analogy of Baptism and Noah’s flood
      1. Baptism symbolizes rising in Christ; outward expression of one’s inward conversion to Jesus Christ.
   2. Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, equal authority as God, Lord over everyone.
   3. Main point of message: It’s worth it to share in Christ’s suffering, because we also share in His victory.
   4. Christ’s eternal victory over all evil and all sin.
   5. Illustrations: Losing friends, gossip

 

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