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NOVEMBER 27
you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you
are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their
threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the
3:15 sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to
“Christ” is to be preferred here, so the reading give a defense to everyone who asks you a rea-
is “set apart in your hearts Christ as Lord.”The son for the hope that is in you, with meekness
16
heart is the sanctuary in which He prefers to and fear; having a good conscience, that when
be worshiped. Live in submissive communion they defame you as evildoers, those who revile
with the Lord Jesus, loving and obeying your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
Him—and you have nothing to fear. always 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer
be ready to give a defense. The English word for doing good than for doing evil.
“apologetics” comes from the Greek word 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the
here translated “defense.” Peter is using the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to
word in an informal sense (Phil.1:16,17) and is God, being put to death in the flesh but made
insisting that the believer must understand 19
what he believes and why one is a Christian, alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and
20
and then be able to articulate one’s beliefs preached to the spirits in prison, who former-
humbly, thoughtfully, reasonably, and biblical- ly were disobedient, when once the Divine
ly. the hope that is in you. Salvation with its longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while
anticipation of eternal glory. the ark was being prepared, in which a few,
that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
21 There is also an antitype which now saves
us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the
And His ears are open to their prayers; flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
But the face of the LORD is against toward God), through the resurrection of Je-
those who do evil.”
22
sus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is
13 And who is he who will harm you if you at the right hand of God, angels and authorities
become followers of what is good? But even if and powers having been made subject to Him.
14
DAY 27: How does Peter use familiar terms such as “spirit,”“abyss,”“flood,”
and “baptism”in 1 Peter 3:18–22?

This passage proves to be one of the most difficult texts in the New Testament to translate
and interpret. The line between Old Testament allusions and New Testament applications gets
blurred. Peter’s overall purpose of this passage, which was to encourage his readers in their suf-
fering, must be kept in mind during interpretation. The apostle repeatedly reminded them that
even Christ suffered unjustly because it was God’s will (vv. 17,18) and accomplished God’s pur-
poses.
Therefore, although Jesus experienced a violent physical execution that terminated His
earthly life when He was “put to death in the flesh” (v. 18; Heb. 5:7), nevertheless He was “made
alive by the Spirit” (v. 18).This is not a reference to the Holy Spirit, but to Jesus’ true inner life, His
own spirit.Contrasted with His flesh (humanness) which was dead for three days,His spirit (Deity)
remained alive, literally “in spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Part of God’s purpose in Christ’s death involved His activities between His death and resur-
rection. His living spirit went to the demon spirits bound in the Abyss and proclaimed victory in
spite of death. Peter further explained that the Abyss is inhabited by bound demons that have
been there since the time of Noah.They were sent there because they overstepped the limits of
God’s tolerance with their wickedness. Not even 120 years of Noah’s example and preaching had
stemmed the tide of wickedness in his time (Gen. 6:1–8).Thus God bound these demons perma-
nently in the Abyss until their final sentencing.
Peter’s analogy spotlights the ministry of Jesus Christ in saving us as surely as the ark saved
Noah’s family. He is not referring to water baptism here but to a figurative immersion in Christ
that keeps us safe from the flood of God’s sure judgment.The resurrection of Christ demonstrates
God’s acceptance of Christ’s substitutionary death for the sins of those who believe (Acts 2:30,31;
Rom. 1:4). God’s judgment fell on Christ just as the judgment of the floodwaters fell on the ark.
The believer who is in Christ is thus in the ark of safety that will sail over the waters of judgment
into eternal glory (Rom. 6:1–4).

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