Read 1 Peter 3:17-4:6, Unjust Suffering (1)

This is a poor chapter division as 3:17-22 and 4:1-6 fit together and in fact depend on each other for a full thought.  Both 3:17 and 4:2-3 speak of suffering according to the will of God.  3:18 speaks of Jesus’ suffering in the flesh but living by the Spirit while 4:6 speaks of believers being judged by men in the flesh but living according to God in the spirit.  The first paragraph (3:17-22) shows us God’s will in the unjust suffering of Jesus; the second of God’s will in the unjust suffering of the believer.

Remember the context of 1 Peter at this point.  We have been shown the kind of life that can have a positive effect on unbelievers (2:12,20; 3:1, 13-16).  This context is important given the fact that many self-acclaimed preachers of the gospel stumble over the very thought that it would ever be “God’s will” that His children suffer and suffer unjustly.  They often muse about the idea of a God so mean as to plan for His Son to suffer terribly as Christ did.  They deny the doctrine of penal substitution, that the Son of God suffered in our place, taking upon Himself the wrath of His Father.

Look at the opening of v18: Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust.  Three assumptions are tucked into that statement.  First, Christ suffered terribly; the gospel record makes this clear.  Second, He had no sin (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pt. 2:21-22); He was just in the fullest sense of the word.  And third, He died for those who did have sin, the unjust.  Read Isaiah 53 again if you must.  All this is true.  For whatever reason He suffered we must accept this: it was the Just for the unjust.

The purpose is clearly stated: that He might bring us to God.  Our situation was hopeless.  We must understand this fact.  Our sins separated us from God and we could never “undo” sin!  We needed a holy sacrifice, a lamb without blemish.  There was and is no other possibility but that God Himself would have to be directly involved in providing such a payment for our sin.  And by grace He did!  Yes, it pleased the Father to do this (Col. 1:19-23)!

The last line of v18 tells the extent of Jesus’ unjust suffering.  In the flesh is Biblical terminology indicating Christ’s humanity (cf. Rom. 1:2; John 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16 etc.).  The Christ died fully as humans die.  The body ceased to function.  The soul separated from the body and continued to exist apart from the body.  In the Spirit provides a translation question.  The NKJV and NIV have by the Spirit as if Jesus’ resurrection was by the Holy Spirit.  This would be the only place it is so stated.  The Holy Spirit would then be the means by which Jesus preached to the spirits in prison (v19).  The NASV has in the spirit, saying Jesus was made alive in His spirit (cf. Jn. 10:17-18) and as God the Son would have preached to the spirits in prison.  If we understand in the flesh then this latter view makes more sense, in the spirit.  The point is that Jesus suffered as much as a man can suffer: He suffered until He died!

Remember the context.  Jesus suffered to bring sinners to God.  This pleases God so He is willing to take the sinner’s judgment.  That is the ultimate in unjust suffering.