I Peter 3:17-22

Verse 17, For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

The better of two evils, if suffering must come, is to suffer for well doing, rather than for evil doing.

Stated again, the suffering spoken of is suffering for the cause of Christ, not because of sickness or our own sins.

II Tim. 3:12 - All that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

This passage is a terrible condemnation of Christian today.

We have been taught that we are doing something wrong if we suffer for what we believe.

We didn’t present the doctrine correctly, or we don’t understand correctly.

Gal. 5:11 states that Paul suffered persecution because he preached the gospel. It logically follows that we won’t suffer persecution if we cease to declare the gospel.

Gal. 6:12 emphasizes there are certain things we do that confirms the spiritual truths we believe and follow. If we don’t really believe in the purity of the gospel and its message, we will compromise so we won’t suffer persecution.

But we must remember that it may not be the will of God for us to suffer.

If it is God’s will that we suffer:

It doesn’t mean we are wrong to suffer.

We should suffer as a Christian, not complaining that it shouldn’t happen to us.

If it isn’t God’s will that we suffer:

We won’t suffer.

We should use our not suffering as an opportunity for faithfulness, not for riotous living.

Verse 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:

I. "Quickened by the Spirit".

A. The Spirit spoken of here is indubitably the Holy Spirit, which does the quickening work in the heart of sinners.

B. The closing thought of this verse ("but quickened by the Spirit:") and the next verse is that Christ went by this same Holy Spirit and preached to the spirits in prison.

1. Notice that these scriptures do not say that Jesus Himself went and preached to the spirits in prison, but that he went by the Holy Spirit and preached to the spirits in prison.

2. Jesus preaches by the Holy Spirit today when God called preachers preach the truth; just like Jesus preached by the Holy Spirit through God called preachers (prophets) in days gone by.

a. Heb. 11:7 - Noah obey God, prepared the ark to the saving of his household (and all other believers).

b. II Peter 2:5 - Noah was a preacher of righteousness.

Verse 19,20, By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 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.

I. There is a lot of controversy about the meaning of these two verses, but I sincerely believe a plain reading of these scriptures will reveal just exactly what Jesus intended it to mean.

A. I believe it is most important, first of all, to understand just exactly why verse 19 and 20 is in this place.

1. These scriptures are not intended to teach a doctrine, but rather to use a commonly understood doctrine to explain another doctrine not so commonly understood.

2. The subject of the chapter is to teach how to suffer in a Godly manner. Be sure to read the preceding verses to ascertain that this is true!

3. Christ is our supreme example.

a. Christ preached to the spirits in prison. He did this through Noah as will be conclusively proved as you understand the meaning of the words in verse 19 and 20.

b. Christ sent Noah to preach the gospel to the antediluvian people.

c. When Noah preached, it was the same thing as Christ preaching.

d. When those people rejected Noah's message, it was the same thing as rejecting Christ's message.

e. When Noah was grieved because of this rejection, Christ was also grieved.

4. Therefore, the lesson is:

a. When we declare the Gospel of Christ, it is the same thing as Christ Himself preaching.

b. When people reject the message of Christ, they are not rejecting us, but they are rejecting Christ.

c. When we are grieved at the hardness of hearts, Christ is also grieved.

d. We are to act like Christ acted when people rejected Him.

B. It also ought to be noted that I Peter 4:5,6 further explains that the gospel has been preached to those that are now dead, that they might be judged according to fleshly men which heard the gospel and rejected it.

1. The principle of letting scripture interpret scripture teaches us that I Peter 3:19,20 and I Peter 4:5,6 are speaking about the same subject.

2. Notice the words, "By which also".

a. Be sure to include these three words in the verse.

b. These three words are referring to the Holy Spirit in verse 18.

c. If you let these two verses explain themselves, you will find that Jesus himself did not go and preach to the antediluvian people, but that He went by the Holy Spirit.

d. In other words, He sent preachers and prophets who declared the coming judgment "in His name".

C. Jesus went and preached.

1. God always proclaims His message to humans by the methods He has chosen - men.

2. Those people who insist that Jesus himself must have gone and preached the message of salvation are overlooking the most obvious message of all - that Jesus always uses men of a particular generation to preach to the men of that generation.

D. The word "preached" means to herald (as a public crier), especially. divine truth (the gospel): -- preach, proclaim, publish.

1. The message which was preached was a message of salvation.

2. Noah preached about a coming destruction and the means of rescue from that destruction.

E. The word "spirits" means a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze: by analysis or figure, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, a vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit: -- ghost, life, spirit, mind.

1. The same word "spirit" is used in all these surrounding verses.

2. When Noah preached to the men in his day, he was not preaching a fleshly gospel to fleshly men.

3. He was preaching a spiritual message to the spirit bound within the flesh of spiritually dead (lost) men.

F. The word "prison" means a guarding or the act, the person, the place, the condition, or the time as a division of day or night. Cage, hold, prison, ward, watch.

1. The "tense" of verse 19 is "present," meaning that the spirits of the men Noah preached to were in prison.

2. These people were in prison when Noah preached to them, but they are in hell now.

They are in hell, awaiting for the judgment which precedes them being cast into the Lake of Fire.

Compare Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18.

Isaiah 61:1 – "The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,…"

Luke 4:18,19 – "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

It is very clear that the underlined portions of these two scriptures are the same, or at the very least carry the same meaning.

To be bound in prison is the opposite of being at liberty.

To be bruised is the same as being bound in prison.

The bruising refers to Gen. 3:15 where sin has cause all humans to be under the curse of sin and everlasting condemnation.

To be in prison is the same as being bruised with the sinful nature.

The conclusion is that Noah was sent by God to preach the everlasting gospel to the lost people of his day.

G. The word "sometime" means at some time, in the old time, in time past, once, when.

1. We could read verse 20, "Which (at some time, in the old time, in time past, once, when) were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah..."

2. The meaning of this word ought to convince all that the interpretation given above is true.

II. Two erroneous suppositions.

A. There are some who believe that Jesus went into hell when he died on the cross and preached the gospel to the antediluvian unbelievers there so they would have opportunity to be saved.

1. We know this can't be so for this would give sinners a "second chance" for salvation after death. This just doesn't happen.

2. This doctrine would also enforce the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, which isn't in the Bible, but is only taught to enlarge the Catholic coffers as people pay good money to ensure their dead loved ones won't have to spend very much time in this middle ground between heaven and hell.

3. Why did Jesus preach to unbelievers? They can't be saved once they have died.

B. There are some who believe that Jesus went into Paradise when he died on the cross and preached the gospel to the believers there, then carried them into heaven.

1. Some believe Jesus preached to the believers who had died up to that time, explaining to them the details of his death, burial, and resurrection.

a. This idea overlooks the obvious fact that the believers in Paradise are there because they have trusted God, not because they understand the facts of redemption.

b. The believers in Paradise are already entered into eternity. By leaving the realm of time, and entering eternity, it would not be necessary for Christ to have already died on the cross in order for Him to go to them and explain it. They would be able to understand future events without those events having taken place, for they would have a more perfect mind, although that mind would still be cluttered with the events of their lives. Their minds are cleared of their past lives only when God has created a new heaven and a new earth, and He comes down to dwell on the earth with his people. Rev. 21:3,4.

Verse 21, The likefigure 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:

I. The "likefigure" means: corresponding, a representative, counterpart.

A. Baptism is not salvation, but a picture of salvation.

B. A "likefigure" of my wife is not my wife, but a picture of my wife.

1. It is better to have my wife with me, rather than just having a picture of her.

2. It is better to have salvation, rather than just having a picture of salvation (baptism).

II. The subject of the chapter is not whether or not baptism saves us, the subject is the proper way to suffer.

A. Baptism and Noah being saved in the ark is an outward sign of an inward redemption that had already taken place.

1. Noah was saved because he had a change of mind (repentance) toward himself and got into the ark because he believed what God said about the coming destruction.

2. People are baptized, not to be saved, but they are baptized because they have already had a change of mind (repentance) about themselves and the coming judgment.

Verse 22, Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

I. Jesus when to heaven when He left the earth.

A. John 14:1-3 - He went to prepare a place for us.

B. Acts 1:10,11 - When Jesus ascended, He ascended into heaven.

C. Heb. 9:24 - "For Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:"

D. Acts 7:54-56 - Stephen saw Jesus in heaven standing on the right hand of His Father.

E. He is King.

1. Phil 2:9-11 - All shall recognize the power of Christ.

2. Rev. 20:10 - Even Satan and all his evil agents shall be under the authority of Christ.