Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20110807.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
1 Peter: Effective Christian Living In A Spiritually Hostile World
Part XI: Living In Holiness Under Spiritual Persecution, 1 Peter 3:8-4:19
C. CORRECTLY Understanding Biblical Examples Of Handling Unjust Persecution
(1 Peter 3:18-22)
  1. Introduction
    1. Confusion and error has cropped up in Christendom on what is meant by Christ's preaching to the spirits in prison in 1 Peter 3:19 and the 1 Peter 3:21 KJV statement that "baptism doth also now save us."
    2. In its context, 1 Peter 3:18-22 illustrates how believers are to apply 1 Peter 3:13-17 in responding to unjust persecution for blessing (B. K. C., N. T. , p. 850), and applying this fact corrects these errors:
  2. CORRECTLY Understanding Biblical Examples Of Handling Unjust Persecution, 1 Peter 3:18-22.
    1. We learned in our last lesson that we believers must not be frightened if persecuted for our Christian faith (1 Peter 3:14), but revere God and always be ready to give a gentle, respectful apologetic (1 Peter 3:15), for persecution should be met with joy for the reward one can gain by it from God, 1 Pet. 3:14; Mtt. 5:11f.
    2. Thus, Peter had claimed it was better for believers to suffer for doing well than for doing evil (1 Peter 3:17), and he illustrated this claim with Christ's work on the cross where He was persecuted by being crucified, but which event produced the atonement for our sin and salvation, 1 Peter 3:18.
    3. This great work involved Christ's suffering once for all (hapax, U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 798), the just for the unjust, to bring us to God, being put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit, 1 Pet. 3:18.
    4. Continuing the thought of the Spirit's enabling in 1 Peter 3:19, Peter mentioned Christ's preaching to the spirits in prison in the Spirit's power. Though some think this means Christ went to Hades between His death and resurrection to give the gospel to the unsaved dead that they might have a second chance after death to be saved, an idea contrary to Hebrews 9:27 (Ibid., B. K. C., N. T., p. 851), the context implies Peter meant Jesus spiritually testified the truth to these spirits in some setting of persecution on the earth.
    5. Well, that setting according to 1 Peter 3:20 involved Noah who was persecuted by unbelievers in his day.
    6. Accordingly, 1 Peter 3:20 teaches these "spirits" were people who had lived in Noah's era to whom Christ through Noah had testified of the coming world flood. Though they persecuted Noah and refused to heed his warning through the Preincarnate Christ and Holy Spirit's power, Noah faithfully told them the truth as we Christians are to tell our persecutors the truth about Christ today, 1 Peter 3:20 with 3:15.
    7. Thus, the spirits in prison are lost souls in Hades who heard Christ's testimony in the Spirit's power through Noah when they still lived on the earth, which testimony they had then rejected, 1 Peter 3:20.
    8. Then, Peter noted baptism figuratively saves us as Noah was saved "through water," 1 Pet. 3:20-21 NIV.
    9. Some claim this statement means the soul is saved by water baptism, but that violates 1 Corinthians 1:17 where Paul claimed Christ had sent him not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, meaning baptism did not save the soul or Christ would have had Paul perform it on all of his converts.
    10. Rather, 1 Peter 3:21b refers to a "salvation" other than the salvation of the soul from hell (as follows):
      1. 1 Peter 3:21b claims baptism "saved" in being an "appeal" ("answer" KJV, "pledge" NIV) of a good conscience before God. (Arndt & Ging ., A Grk.-Engl. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 285 [eperotama])
      2. This statement is clarified via the context of first-century Christian persecution (as follows):
        1. Being baptized left first-century Christians no room to fudge in their testimony before the world, for in the eyes of the world in that era, water baptism clearly marked one as a follower of Jesus Christ.
        2. Thus, baptism "saved" or kept one from the temptation to sin in denying he followed Christ out of fear of being persecuted, and that gave him a clear conscience before God, 1 Pet. 3:21; Ibid., p. 852.
    11. Returning to his theme of reward for rightly handling persecution back in 1 Peter 3:14 (with Matthew 5:11-12), in 1 Peter 3:22, Peter recalled his illustration of Christ, noting that Jesus had been rewarded by the Father for righteously suffering on the cross through being raised from the dead and enthroned on the right hand of God with the angels, authorities and powers being put in subjection to Him! (Ibid.)
Lesson: 1 Peter 3:18-22 illustrates in Christ's and Noah's sufferings of persecution that believers who respond to persecution graciously with a faithful testimony can expect God's reward and blessing.

Application: May we follow the examples of Christ and Noah in handling persecution in our era.