Titus II Lesson -- September 27th

How Shall We Then Live in a Post-Christian Culture
“The Suffering of Believers – Christ’s Example of Suffering”
1 Peter 3:18-4:6

Review
In 1 Peter 1:13, after having explained the greatness of our salvation in 1 Peter 1:1-12 (i.e., what God has done in salvation), Peter says: “therefore.” That is, in light of this great salvation we are to live in a manner that is consistent with this great salvation. So, in 1 Peter 1:13-2:12, Peter sets forth seven calls to action related to our sanctification as believers. Next, Peter focuses on the submission of believers (2:13-3:12). In this section, Peter has something to say about Christians living in a society that is less than ideal, to slaves who are living in circumstances which are less than ideal, to husbands and wives in marriages which are less than ideal, and to those churches which are less than ideal. Finally, we move into the final section of the epistle that deals primarily with suffering. Last week we looked at the “conduct” needed in the midst of suffering. This week we are going to consider Christ’s example of suffering and what we learn from that.

Text

“17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. 4 And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you; 5 but they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.”

Introduction
This is said to be the most difficult passage in the letter, and one of the most difficult in the New Testament. Entire books have been written to deal with the language, theology, sources, and controversies related to the ideas contained in it. For example:
• What does it mean to be put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit?
• What does it mean that Jesus “proclaimed” to the spirits now in prison?
• What does it mean that baptism now saves you?
• What does it mean that he who suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin?

As we come to this passage, we must decide on what kind of treatment we will give to these controversies in terms of level and depth. Given the length of time set aside in this class, we will not have time to address all the interpretations of each controversial verse. Such a procedure, while profitable, must be reserved for a more specialized study. Instead, as we examine the passage, we will mention only the basic arguments of each controversy as is required to explain the passage as a whole.

To catch on to what is being taught in this passage, we need to see how verses 18-22 relates to what goes before and what comes after. Just before, in verse 17, Peter calls Christians to suffer if that is God's will for them: "It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong." Sometimes it is God's will that we suffer for doing what is right. This is not an easy thing to hear. We need help with this if God is going to will that we suffer for doing what is right. So in verse 18, Peter states: "For Christ also died [suffered] for sins once for all . . . " The word "for" shows us that Peter is beginning to explain why it is sometimes God's will for us to suffer for doing what is right. That is, verse 18 begins as an explanation or a reason for the call to suffer as a Christian for doing what is right. Then look at the connection between verses 18-22 and what follows in 4:1. The next unit begins, "Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same purpose." That is, get ready to suffer for doing what is right, if that should be God's will. Arm yourselves with that purpose. Then, Peter sets forth three additional practical motives that will encourage us to yield to our calling (to suffer for doing what is right). (3)

Transition
Now, you’ll notice that in the middle of verse 19, Peter seems to make what looks like a little bit of a digression. He pauses to make a comment about baptism and continues this thought to the end of verse 21. You could almost put all of that in parentheses and still get the gist of what Peter is saying in verses 18-22 about Jesus Christ. (2)

To make my point more clearly, I will devote the first part of the lesson to the four things that Peter is saying in verses 18-22 about Jesus Christ – it almost appears to be a confession of faith -- that He died, that He was raised, that He went and preached to spirits in prison (hold your questions), and that He ascended to the right hand of God. Next, I will devote the second part of the lesson to Peter’s “parenthetical” comment in verses 19-21 about baptism. Finally, I will devote the third part of the lesson to practical motives that will encourage us to “arm” ourselves in expectation of suffering for doing what is right.

The Savior (Who Reigns)
In verses 18-22, Peter makes four clear statements (2) about the Savior who reigns.

1. Christ Reins Over Sin
In the first place, Peter says that by His crucifixion, Christ reigns over sin. Verse 18: “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God.” There are several things worth noting (4):
• Christ died. That is, His death was real.
• Christ died for “sins.” That is, it was a penal death. He died for sin as the sacrifice to atone for sins.
• Christ died once for all. That is, his death was final and all-sufficient to accomplish the forgiveness of all who believe on Him. He does not have to ever offer another sacrifice (Hebrews 7:26). It was finished. It was all that was necessary to take away the guilt of my sins. The debt is paid in full. (3)
• Christ death was “substitutionary” -- the just for the unjust, the righteous for the unrighteous, the sinless for the sinful (2 Cor. 5:21). That is, He took my place. He stood under the wrath and penalty that I deserved and bore it for me. His death was utterly innocent. It was all for others' sins, and not his own. (3)
• Christ’s death was purposeful. That is, it was done in order that He might bring us to God. Please notice the word "us." Who is the “us”? The elect. His died in order that He might bring the chosen, the elect, into union and communion with God.

2. Christ Reigns Over Death
There is a second thing that Peter wants us to see about our Savior -- by His resurrection, He reigns over death. Verse 18 states that Christ was put to death in the body but He was “made alive in the spirit.” Jesus triumphed over death. He triumphed over the grave and the resurrection of Jesus is the bill of receipt that God has accepted the work of Messiah. His work is finished. Jesus died to deal with our sin and guilt, but He rose again so that we might no longer be held in bondage and fear to death. (2)

3. Christ Reigns over Hell
Third, Peter wants us to see that by His proclamation Jesus reigns over Hell. Look again at verse 19 and at what appears to be some fairly strange language: “in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.” When you read these verses, there are all kinds of questions that pop into your head. Who are the spirits to whom Jesus preached? What did Jesus preach to them? When did Jesus preach to them? Where did Jesus preach to them?

There are several views. Most evangelicals fall into one of two groups. The first is “the pre-existent Christ view.” Jesus, through the mouth of Noah, was preaching to spirits in prison, understood metaphorically as those who are in spiritual darkness. This view is quite popular with reformed evangelicals (e.g., John Piper). The second view is the “triumphant proclamation over the spirit world” view. This view states that Jesus proclaimed His triumph to those who are in hell and/or to the demonic realm itself. This view is quite popular with dispensational evangelicals (e.g., John MacArthur [8]). Time will not allow for us to evaluate the merits of these two commonly-held views. You may refer to Appendix A for some additional detail.

Let me take this second view and expand on it just for a little while. Notice that Peter seems to be speaking here in this passage in a sequential, chronological way. He speaks about the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and at the end he’s going to speak about the ascension of Jesus. In between mentioning the resurrection and the ascension, he mentions this preaching to the spirits in prison. Now, if Peter is indeed speaking chronologically, that meant He preached to the spirits in prison sometime between the resurrection and the ascension in some way or fashion. It doesn’t require that Jesus literally go into Hell to proclaim victory (though that is possible). But it is interesting that the word that’s used here for preaching is the same word that is used elsewhere in the gospels for the act of proclamation and preaching, the act of a herald declaring on behalf of a king, a message which the king wants his people to hear.

And it may be that what Peter wants us to understand here (and I’m tentative about it), that between the resurrection and ascension, Jesus proclaimed His victory to those who were doomed. He proclaimed His triumph over death, over sin, over the grave, over Satan himself, and that the seed of the woman had indeed crushed the head of Satan.

Why would that be so important to Peter? I think pastorally, Peter wants to give assurance to troubled Christians, who like himself had felt the overwhelming power of temptation, to say to them that in Jesus Christ there is victory over all the powers of the demonic forces. Even though Satan may prowl about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, he can never ever devour that one who is in the arms of Jesus. (2)

4. Christ Reigns Over All
Finally, there is a fourth thing that Peter is saying about our Savior. By His crucifixion He reigns over guilt and sin, by His resurrection He reigns over death, by His proclamation He reigns over hell, and by His ascension He reigns over all. Verse 22: “Who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.” Peter wants them to know that Jesus has conquered hell itself and you need to know that Christ reigns in all of His glory and all of His majesty in all authority.” (2)

So, it was through unjust suffering that Christ found the path of triumph. It was through unjust suffering that He reigned over sin. It was through unjust suffering that He reigned over death. It was through unjust suffering that He reigned over Hell. It was through unjust suffering that Christ gained His great and glorious victory. What is the point of this? Peter is saying: "Look on your unjust suffering as the path of triumph. Look on your unjust suffering as the path of victory. As it was for Christ, it will be for you" (see Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:10; Philippians 1:29). (6)

The Sign (of the Saved)
As stated earlier, this passage looks as though it were an early Christian confession of faith. It makes four statements about Jesus Christ (He died, He was raised, He went and preached to spirits in prison, and He ascended to the right hand of God. And right in the middle of this so-called confession of faith, Peter makes what appears to be a “side” remark or a parenthetical statement –“And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience…” He seems to say: “And by the way, this confession has something to say to us about baptism.” (7)

What does Peter see in this confession about baptism? Clearly, Noah’s deliverance through literal water is likened to our spiritual deliverance in Christ which is symbolized by water baptism. (1) But there are two things that Peter emphasizes that should not be overlooked:
• First, the water of baptism is not only a picture of cleansing (which comes to us for our sins in Jesus Christ), it’s also a picture of the reality of the judgment from which we need to be saved and protected. Water not only cleanses, it also destroys. (2) Noah and his family were brought safely through the flood waters of divine judgment by being in the ark, the instrument of God’s salvation. We are brought safely through the judgment of God by being in Christ, God’s full and final provision for sin. (1)
• Second, baptism does not save in and of itself. Peter seems very aware that his words are open to dangerous misuse. This is why, as soon as they are out of his mouth, as it were, he qualifies them lest we take them the wrong way. In verse 21 he does say: "Baptism now saves you" - that sounds like the water has a saving effect in and of itself apart from faith. He knows that is what it sounds like and so he adds immediately: "Not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." His point seems to be this: “When I speak of baptism saving, I don't mean that the water, immersing the body and cleansing the flesh, is of any saving effect. What I mean is that, insofar as baptism is "an appeal to God for a good conscience," it saves. Paul said in Romans 10:13: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord - everyone who appeals to the Lord - will be saved." Paul does not mean that faith alone fails to save. He means that faith calls on God. That's what faith does. Now Peter is saying: "Baptism is the God-ordained, symbolic expression of that call to God. It is an appeal to God - either in the form of repentance or in the form of commitment. (10)

John Piper writes: “James Dunn is right I think when he says that "1 Peter 3:21 is the nearest approach to a definition of baptism that the New Testament affords" (Baptism in the Holy Spirit, p. 219). What is baptism? Baptism is a symbolic expression of the heart's "appeal to God." Baptism is a calling on God. It is a way of saying to God with our whole body: "I trust you to take me into Christ like Noah was taken into the ark, and to make Jesus the substitute for my sins and to bring me through these waters of death and judgment into new and everlasting life through the resurrection of Jesus my Lord." This is what God is calling you to do. You do not save yourself. God saves you through the work of Christ. But you receive that salvation through calling on the name of the Lord, by trusting him. And it is God's will all over the world and in every culture - no matter how simple or how sophisticated - that this appeal to God be expressed in baptism. "Lord, I am entering the ark of Christ! Save me as I pass through the waters of death!" (10)

The Saint (Who is Armed)
Now with that parenthetical statement behind us, let's return to 1 Peter 4:1. "Therefore," which obviously ties us in to what he has just said in chapter 3: "Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose." You have seen Christ suffer in the flesh and His suffering was triumphant. So, arm yourselves.

What does Peter mean by: "arm yourselves"? Well, it is a military term that refers to a soldier putting on weapons to fight. And in Ephesians 6:11 a form of this word is translated "armor," or "the whole armor of God." Put on your armor, arm yourselves, take up your weapons. Why? We are in a battle. Your life is going to be a battle and you need to be armed with this ultimate weapon. What is it? Arm yourselves with the same mind, the same idea, the same principle, the same thought. What do you mean by that? Listen very carefully. Arm yourself with the same realization, the same idea, and the same principle that was manifest in the suffering of Christ. What is that? The principle that even in suffering I can...what?...triumph. (12)

Before we consider three practical motives that will encourage us to yield to our calling (to suffer for doing what is right), we must address the last part of verse 1 and verse 2 since they pose another problem for us. Is Peter saying here that suffering is the means to being freed from sin? No. I believe Peter’s words have a two-fold meaning.
• First, Peter is speaking to us as those who are “in Christ.” In Christ, we have suffered in the flesh, ceased to sin, and have been freed from the lusts of the flesh to serve God (see also Romans 6). Christ has accomplished our redemption from sin once for all. If we are in Him, we should have the same mind as Christ, we should be willing to suffer in the flesh (for doing good) and we should be freed from sin to obey the will of God. This is called by some “positional truth.” That is, this is the truth about what we are, in Christ, apart from our contribution, based solely on the work of the Savior.
• The second meaning is personal and practical in that it speaks of our appropriation and application of all that Christ has accomplished for us. As Christians, we should embrace the mind of Christ and thus be willing to suffer in the flesh. When we, in Christ’s power, suffer for doing what is right, we recognize that our bondage to sin has been broken and that sin no longer is master over us ( Romans 6:12-23). (1)

From this perspective, suffering takes on a whole new meaning, a completely different meaning than that of the religious legalists. Jewish legalists believed suffering was an indication of sin; Peter teaches that suffering for doing right is an evidence of true spirituality. This was a dramatic change for Peter, who once held the legalistic view. When the disciples came upon a man born blind, they asked Jesus who had sinned, the blind man or his parents (John 9:1-2). Just like Job’s friends, they believed adversity is always the result of personal sin. But they likewise believed prosperity was proof of piety. Peter turns the tables upside down. He tells us that suffering for Christ’s sake, suffering for well-doing, is an indication of righteousness, of freedom from sin, through the grace of God. (1)

Which brings us to the practical motives that Peter provides for us to encourage us to yield to our calling (to suffer for doing what is right). What are these three practical motives? (2)
1. The first motive is found in the “past.” Peter writes in verse 3: “For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles.” Peter is saying in effect: “Don’t waste your time. Why are you wasting your time doing those things that you once did by going back to those things?” Peter wants to remind his readers (most who were converted later in life) that they already have wasted many years. He wants them to value the remaining years they have in the service of Christ by being reminded of their “past.”

2. The second motive is found in the “present.” We need to recognize that we our strangers in this present life. Look at what Peter says in verse 4: “…and in all this, they are surprised.” That is, the ones who are still carousing and engaging in their drunken parties, “are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation and they malign you.” They treat you as aliens. They treat you as strangers. That’s your status as a Christian. You are an alien in this world. You don’t really belong here. You belong to another world. You belong to a better country. You belong to a city which has foundations and whose Builder and Maker is God. As a result, don’t be putting down deep roots in this world because you don’t belong to this world.

3. The third motive is found in the “future.” We need to remember that we must give an account of ourselves some day. In verses 5 and 6, Peter alludes to this: “But they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are” as the NIV interprets this, “who are now dead,” spiritually dead, that is, dead to their past, dead to their old way of life “that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.” Isn’t it interesting and very sobering that Peter should introduce as a motivation of Christian living, as a motivation for holiness, as a motivation for consecration, the judgment of Almighty God?

Conclusion (12)
Now, since that is our goal and since that is our destiny, then we don't fear suffering because the worst that suffering can do is kill us and give us the best, the goal of our life. What is that? Death can bring us into sinless perfection. Now if you ever happen to be in a position where you are going to be killed for your faith -- you can simply remind your persecutors that they are doing you an immense favor. Why? For in the process of killing you, they are ushering you into the sinless state and perfect glory for which you were saved in the first place. You can give them your deep appreciation for that generous gift which they have rendered in behalf of your eternal perfection.

Now if that all sounds very strange to you, doesn’t it show you how confused your thinking is? Isn’t your desire to finally be free from sin and its effects? So why not get your life moving in the right track now by following Peter’s advice: "So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men but for the will of God."

So this is the very practical application of what Peter's been teaching. Christ triumphed in His death. Likewise, you ought to have the same mind that you're headed toward a triumph over sin. It won’t come to you until your death. Yet, since the goal of your life is the death that frees you from sin, then the present tense of your life should be the pursuit of the goal of your life which is to be as free from sin as you possibly can here and now. So for the rest of the time in the flesh, don't pursue the lusts of men, pursue the will of God.

Endnotes
(1) Robert Deffinbaugh, “Why Suffering for Righteousness is Right” (1 Peter 3:17-4:6)
(2) Derek Thomas, “The Savior Who Reigns” (1 Peter 3:18-22)
(3) Adapted from John Piper, “Strengthened to Suffer: Christ, Noah, and Baptism”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.
(4) John MacArthur, “The Triumph of Christ’s Suffering Part 1” (1 Peter 3:18)
(5) John MacArthur, “The Triumph of Christ’s Suffering Part 2” (1 Peter 3:18b-20)
(6) John MacArthur, “The Triumph of Christ’s Suffering Part 3” (1 Peter 3:20-22)
(7) John MacArthur writes: “Now as I read this over, it's so typically Peter that I find a smile coming into my mind and ultimately on my lips. Peter is not like Paul. Paul is very ordered in his thinking. He's very logical, he's very sequential, he's very reasoned. Peter tends to be a bit less reasoned, a bit less orderly. He seems to be a bit tangential. He says something and shoots off on something else and shoots off on something else and finally comes back to where he started. That's exactly what he did here. What he wants us to understand is at the beginning and the end of the section, he wants us to understand that ….. He suffered unjustly, He suffered for doing what was right and God caused Him to triumph.” -- John MacArthur, “The Triumph of Christ’s Suffering Part 1” (1 Peter 3:18)
(8) John MacArthur writes: “I believe Jesus Christ descended to the place where certain demons are imprisoned, demons who sinned in Genesis chapter 6, who sinned by leaving their own natural estate and entering in to a cohabitation with women in order to produce an unredeemable race and to create a situation so that the Messiah Himself could not be born, Satan's great effort to pollute the human stream with some kind of demonic human monstrosity. And because of that, you remember, that we read in Peter's epistle and also in Jude that these demons who did that were put in ever-lasting chains and bound in a place, a prison house where they will be kept forever. At the time of Christ's death, I suppose, the demons assumed they had won the victory and He showed up at the party to announce His triumph. He had accomplished what they feared most, He had bruised the serpent's head, who is their master, even Satan.” – John MacArthur, “The Triumph of Christ’s Suffering Part 3” (1 Peter 3:20-22)
(9) Derek Thomas, “Water, Water Everywhere” (1 Peter 3:18-22)
(10) Adapted from John Piper, “What is Baptism and Does it Save?”, By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.
(11) Derek Thomas, “Armed with Attitude” (1 Peter 4:1-6)
(12) John Mac Arthur, “The Memory that Shuns Sin, Part 1” (1 Peter 4:1-6)