1Pe 3:18-22 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Pet 3:18-22: 3:18-22 As in 2:21-25 , Peter again appeals to Christ, who was righteous and yet suffered, as an example for believers facing persecution (3:13-17 ). The unique work of Christ on our behalf reminds suffering Christians that they have a secure foundation for hope and confidence. 3:18 He suffered physical death (literally death in the flesh ), but he was raised to life in the Spirit (or in spirit ): Flesh and spirit are often contrasted (e.g., Rom 7:5-6 ; 8:2-11 ). Here, flesh stands for ordinary human life; the Spirit stands for the new realm inaugurated through Christ’s death and resurrection. Christ died in the old realm and came to life in the new realm.

Summary for 1Pet 3:18-22: 3:18-22 ^a As in 2:21-25 ^b, Peter again appeals to Christ, who was righteous and yet suffered, as an example for believers facing persecution (3:13-17 ^c). The unique work of Christ on our behalf reminds suffering Christians that they have a secure foundation for hope and confidence. 3:18 ^d He suffered physical death (literally death in the flesh), but he was raised to life in the Spirit (or in spirit): Flesh and spirit are often contrasted (e.g., Rom 7:5-6 ^e; 8:2-11 ^f). Here, flesh stands for ordinary human life; the Spirit stands for the new realm inaugurated through Christ’s death and resurrection. Christ died in the old realm and came to life in the new realm.
Summary for 1Pet 3:19-20: 3:19-20 ^g This difficult passage has been widely interpreted in three ways: (1) One interpretation holds that it refers to the spirits of people who have died and that Christ, after his resurrection, preached the Good News to these spirits. However, the idea that people might hear the Good News and respond after their deaths is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, and this meaning of spirits is not the most likely. (2) A second interpretation sees 3:19-20 ^h as describing Christ’s preaching through Noah to people who are now spirits in prison. This interpretation does justice to 3:20 ⁱ but does not fit well in the discussion of Christ’s death and resurrection (3:18 ^j). (3) In the third interpretation, the spirits in prison are evil spiritual beings. Jewish tradition, based on Gen 6:1-4 ^k, held that many angels fell in the time of Noah (see also Jude 1:6 ^l; 1 Enoch 6–10). Peter’s point would then be that Christ proclaimed his victory over the evil spiritual powers after his resurrection (cp. 1 Pet 3:22 ^m).
3:20 ⁿ Only eight people: That is, Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives (Gen 6:18 ^o; 8:18 ^p).
3:21 ^q a picture of baptism: Peter might mean that, as the water floated the boat in which Noah and his family were saved, so baptism saves believers. Or he might mean that, as Noah and his family passed through water to safety, so Christians pass through the waters of baptism to salvation. Finally, he might mean that, as the water judged sin in Noah’s day, so the water of baptism washes away the sins of Christians.

• Peter does not mean that water baptism saves a person regardless of that person’s heart. He adds that baptism saves only as a response to God from (or as an appeal to God for) a clean conscience, thus making clear that only people exercising faith toward God will benefit from baptism.
3:22 ^r all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority: In the ancient world, spiritual beings were widely believed to directly affect the course of affairs on earth. Christians needed to be reminded that Christ has already won his victory over these spiritual powers. It means that we don’t need to fear even the spiritual realm (cp. 3:14 ^s).