Read 1 Peter 3:17-4:6, Unjust Suffering (2)

By His suffering Christ became the provider of salvation.  What is meant by the spirits in prison and the reference to Noah in v19-22?  There are two primary views.

·        It may mean that Jesus, as God, preached in the days of Noah (through Noah) to those now in Hades (prison) because of their disobedience.  This view fits best with 4:6 (preaching the gospel to the dead which Christ did through Noah).

·        Or it may be that Jesus at His death descended to Hades (as did the righteous and the unrighteous who died before the cross) and there He announced His provision.  This view fits the immediate context which speaks of His death and resurrection, making it natural to speak of the time in between.  This would also fit with Eph. 4:7-10 that speaks of His leading the faithful souls out of Hades into Heaven.

The eight souls were, of course, Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives.  The ark is pictures God’s plan of salvation.  Saving faith in Noah’s day meant getting on board the ark; saving faith today is in Christ who saves from judgment.  As the water saved Noah so the baptism waters save us.  Be very careful.  It is not the external effect of the waters of baptism that save us; it is the testimony of a good conscience, the fact that we have expressed our faith in Christ as He commanded (Mt. 28:19f).  Salvation is never by a work we perform; it is always by faith in the resurrected Christ who is in heaven at God’s right hand ruling over the heavenly angels, authorities and powers.  Christ alone is the sole object of saving faith.

We have seen the purpose for Christ’s suffering.  What about ours?  You cannot come to grips with the answer to that question unless you arm yourselves also with the same mind.  Remember: Christ called us to follow Him.  This call went out when He was on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified.  Thus He told His disciples and He tells us: if we are going to follow Him we must deny ourselves and take up our own cross!  In the matter of unjust suffering we must have a mind that does not despise the chastening of the Lord (Heb. 12:5-8).  We must see His love, not hatred.

What is the goal of our suffering?  The first goal is personal: suffering is the type of situation that produces holiness.  We will more and more cease from sin, no longer living for the lusts of men but for the will of God!  But note again, as our context demands.  This personal benefit also benefits the lustful people around us.  The change in our lives from the will of the Gentiles to the will of God will catch the attention of those who know us.  First they will wonder why we don’t do what they do and they will be offended, even speaking evil of us.  But the testimony of the believer’s life will be a gospel message and that gospel message has two possible effects on the people of this world: it will either judge them as guilty before God or it will be the light in darkness that will bring them to faith in Christ and the gift of eternal life.

Have we armed ourselves with the mind of Christ who left the glory of heaven to be the bond slave who would suffer unto death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:5-9)?