First Peter Three Eighteen Exposition Part One
Charles e Whisnant, October 28 2015
A New Slant on Suffering, Survival and Suffering, The Suffering of Christ, After the Crucifixion, The Days of Noah, Strengthened to Suffer, The Mission of Our Savior, Remembrance of our Lord's Atonement Help to Persecuted, Crucified Savior Quickened in Spirit Preaching to the Spirits, How Should we Respond to Personal Intimidation?
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
First Peter 3:18 FOR CHRIST ALSO DIED 3968 (suffered) FOR SINS 266 ONCE FOR ALL:
Isa 53:4-6; Romans 5:6-8; 8:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; 3:13; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:26,28)
For (3754) (hoti) means because, since. For shows us that Peter is beginning to explain why it is sometimes God's will for us to suffer for doing what is right as he has just discussed. He wants to remind them not to be surprised nor discouraged by suffering. Peter offers encouragement to his suffering readers because any suffering they might endure for Christ pales in comparison to His glorious suffering in our place, which is similar to what the writer of Hebrews said to his suffering Jewish audience...You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin Hebrews 12:4
Died (3958) (pascho) describes in its essence what one experiences or undergoes and virtually always refers to a bad sense.
For (peri) sins - Literally reads concerning sins (see similar use in Hebrews 5:3) because the preposition peri means with regard to, with reference to, in relation to.
Sins (266) (hamartia) originally conveyed the idea of missing the mark as when hunting with a bow and arrow then missing or falling short of any goal, standard, or purpose.
Sins (266) (hamartia) originally conveyed the idea of missing the mark as when hunting with a bow and arrow then missing or falling short of any goal, standard, or purpose.
Christ suffered for doing what is right. He is our example (1Peter 2:21) and we are to follow closely in His steps. Peter emphasizes Christ's example, because Peter learned (denying Him 3x when faced with the possibility of suffering for His Name's sake) that keeping a good conscience (1Peter 3:16) and suffering even though one does what is right (1Peter 3:17 is not something which frail, sinful flesh can accomplish in its own strength but can only be accomplished in Christ's strength (filled with, controlled by, empowered by His Spirit, see Acts 1:8, 2:2ff, Ephesians 5:18).
THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT BRING US TO GOD
Just (1342)(dikaios from dike = right, just) defines that which is in accordance with high standards of rectitude. It is that which is in right relation to another and so in reference to persons defines the one who is morally and ethically righteous, upright or just
Unjust (94) (adikos compare adikia from a = without + díke = justice) means falling short of the righteousness required by divine laws. In order that (2443) (hina) introduces the purpose for which the perfect Righteous One suffered and died for unrighteous sinners.
Bring us to (4317) (prosago from pros = toward, facing + ago = to go) is used of a person who brings another into the presence of a third party. describes someone’s being introduced or given access to another.
In classical Greek the noun form prosagoge 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. He opened the way of access to God.
・E Luke 9:41 ・EActs 16:20 ・EActs 27:27 ・E1 Peter 3:18
The meaning here is the aim of Christ's work to bring about man's reconciliation with God so that the cleansed sinner can be brought into the presence of the King by Christ, our Redeemer.
To bring us to God was Christ's mission
(Mark 10:45). (John 4:34). (John 17:4) (Matthew 27:51) Hebrews 10:19-21 Ephesians 3:12
In summary, 1 Peter 3:18 is one of the riches summaries in the Scriptures of the meaning of the Cross of Christ.
HAVING BEEN PUT TO DEATH IN THE FLESH: thanatotheis (APPMSN) men sarki: (1Peter 4:1; Daniel 9:26; Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 13:4; Colossians 1:21,22)
Put to death (2289) (thanatoo) means to kill or cause to be put to death and leaves no doubt that on the Cross Jesus’ physical life ceased. The passive voice (speaks of action that comes to the subject from an outside source) indicates the total culpability of His executioners and stresses what man did to Him.
Flesh (4561) (sarx) refers to Jesus' physical body, His "flesh and blood" body.
BUT MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT: : (Romans 1:4; 8:11)
Made alive (2227) (zoopoieo from zoos = alive + poieo = to make) literally means to make alive. This verb is in the passive voice which indicates that there is operation of power from an outside source, the Spirit of...
In the spirit (4151) (pneuma) is a reference to Jesus’ eternal inner person. Christ's eternal spirit has always been alive, although His earthly body was then dead; but three days later His body was resurrected in a transformed and eternal state.
John MacArthur writes that... The phrase made alive in the spirit refers to the life of Jesus' spirit--not to the Holy Spirit. There's no article in the Greek text indicates that Peter was referring to the Holy Spirit. Rather, he seems to be contrasting what happened to the flesh (or body) of Jesus with what happened to His spirit. His spirit was alive but His flesh was dead.
