1 PETER 3:18-22

by

F. A. Chamy

Box #484

A PAPER

Submitted to Dr. Sigurd Grindheim in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the course NT 5211 NT Greek Exegesis II

at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Deerfield, Illinois July 2015

1

INTRODUCTION

Several commentaries and introductions acknowledge how difficult and

debated this passage is,1 and how some of the details remain obscure.2 Peters first readers

might have better understood these words, but for us, and many today they seem a lot more

confusing.3 I will try and show at least two things in this essay; first concerning the

proclamation to the imprisoned spirits, I will argue that this proclamation was made after the

resurrection, to evil spirits, in order to announce Christs ultimate victory over them.

Secondly, with respect to the ralation of the flood to baptism, I will show that in both cases

they were Gods instruments for salvation, and that baptism does not save in and of itself, but

as an appeal to God, from a good concience, through Jesus resurrection.

1Paul J. Achtemeier, Peter 1 Hermeneia, ed. Eldon Jay (Minneapolis, MN:

Fortress Press, 1996), 239; Greg Forbes, 1 Peter, ed. Robert W. Yarbrough and Andreas J. Kstenberger (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2014), 120; Karen H. Jobes, 1 Peter (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005), 236; Gordon J. Wenham et al., eds., New Bible Commentary, 21st Century Edition edition. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: IVP Academic, 1994), 1379.

2Craig L. Blomberg, From Pentecost to Patmos: An Introduction to Acts through Revelation, First Edition edition. (Nashville, Tenn.: B&H Academic, 2006), 454.

3Edmund Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter (Leicester, England: InterVarsity

2

Problems

Some of the difficulties in this text have to do with issues of textual criticism4

since a bewildering diversity of readings can be listed in connection with the variation5 of

the verb in verse 18, and of the prepositional phrase . The text, as we have it in

the NA28 should be preferred, since it is the most difficult reading, and because it is most

consistent with the terms Peter uses elsewhere in the epistle, it is appropriate to both the

context and Peters usage.6

Another big set of question is related to the imprisoned spirits in verse 19;

who are they? When and how were they preached to? And, where did this proclamation take

place? Some of these issues are related to grammar, namely the function of relative

pronouns,7 especially in verses 19 and 21; what are their antecedents? Or, are they temporal

Press, 1988), 156.

4Jobes, 1 Peter, 236-237. 5Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 2

Revised edition. (New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 622. 6J. Ramsey Michaels, 1 Peter, Volume 49, ed. David Allen Hubbard and

Glenn W. Barker (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1988), 195. 7Forbes, 1 Peter, 128.

3 constructions?8 Other issues are the relationship of the circumstantial participles with the

finite verbs.

Besides this, there are also issues related to theology, for example, our view of

baptism. It is not quite clear what the relationship of the pronoun with the other neuter

nominative words in this verse; and ,9 and their function regarding the

verb .

One could as well ask, as Michaels does, what are Peters sources for the

illustration introduced in vs. 18-22, and how is the illustration developed?10 There are

obvious allusions to Genesis 6, but is he also using 1 Enoch, Isaiah 53, some Christian hymn

or baptismal liturgy, etc.? Michaels tells us that answers to such questions are necessarily

speculative,11 and I agree. Achtemeier conveniently lists some features in the text that point

to a traditional material, but concludes that Whatever their origin, however, and whatever

their original meaning, they now constitute part of the text of 1 Peter, and hence must be

understood within the overall context and argument of that letter.12

8There are textual matters regarding these relative pronouns too; the dative ,

or the altogether omission of in verse 21, are clearly efforts to solve the difficulty of the text; Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 624.

9Achtemeier list the different syntactical possibilities; Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 266.

10Michaels, 1 Peter, 197. 11Ibid. 12Like the clause at the beginning of verse 18, or the parallelism, etc.;

Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 241-243.

4 Certainly I wont have the space to try and answer all these problems, but will

focus on the ones regarding the proclamation to the spirits, and to the relationship between

baptism and salvation.

Context

Peter was writing to churches in cities of Asia minor (1:1) with a

predominantly gentile Christian audience,13 and this is made clear when he describes them as

those who were doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions,

drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry (4:3, c.f. 1:14, 18, 21). It is plain

from the content of the epistle that they were going through some kind of suffering (1:6; 3:9,

14; 4:12, 15-16, 19; 5:9-10),14 even persecution, evidenced by the language of slander and

reviling (3:9, 16; 4:4, 14), or of fiery trials (4:12), and that these were because of the name

of Christ, or because they were Christians (4:14, 16). But Peter is most probably not

referring to state persecution, since at the time of his writing there werent any known,15 but

is still clear that they were facing some kind of persecution.16 This suffering is better

13Michaels, 1 Peter, xlvi. 14Forbes, 1 Peter, 2. 15One was in AD 64 by Nero, but this did not reach the regions of Asia minor.

The other was in AD 95 under Domitian, but this was to late for Peter to write about; Ibid, 3. 16Peter H. Davids, A Theology of James, Peter, and Jude: Living in the Light

of the Coming King, ed. Andreas J. Kostenberger (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014), 116.

5 explained by the social pressures that believers were facing, since specially by being Gentile

converts, they were expected to participate in the familys worship of idols, should have a

shrine at home and offer sacrifices to their gods in birthday, marriages and civic celebrations,

so when these believers rejected the gods of the community they would be undermining the

welfare of the city, and become antisocial,17 hence, they would be treated as such by

discrimination and ill-treatment from the surrounding society.18 So Peter now writes among

other things to console those in the community who are suffering.19

Dalton argues for the unity of the letter by noting that the theme of suffering

and the duration of these suffering are mentioned in the first and the last section of the epistle

(1:6-9, 5:10, c.f. 4:12-13, which is the beginning of the last section).20 On the other hand

Jobes reminds us that there is no manuscript evidence to believe in a later composition, and

there is agreement between scholars about its unity,21 so the issue of structure must not be

regarded as secondary to this epistle.22 Davids goes on to propose that the letter body

opening is formed by the extended thanksgiving, 1:3-12, the implications of which are taken

17Ibid. 18Forbes, 1 Peter, 3. 19Darian Lockett, An Introduction to the Catholic Epistles (London:

Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2012), 51. 20William J. Dalton, Christs Proclamation to the Spirits: A Study of 1 Peter

3:18-4:6, 2 Revised edition. (Roma: Gregorian & Biblical Press, 1989), 95-96. 21Jobes, 1 Peter, 53-54. 22It is clear that 1 Pet 1:1-2 and 5:12-14 form the letter salutation and ending

respectively; Davids, A Theology of James, Peter, and Jude, 121.

6 up in 1:13-2:3 and 2:4-10, which together make up the first major section of the letter.23 Our

passage then falls into the second major section, after an exhortation to abstain from the

passions of the flesh and having a good conduct among the nations (2:11-12), which in turn

is expounded by a series of participles following an imperative in v. 13; be subjected to

every human institution (2:18, 3:1, 2, 7).24 This exhortation is first applied to everyone

(2:13, c.f. 3:8), and then particularly to house slaves (2:18), wives (3:1) and husbands (3:7).

We then find the passage particularly relevant for our text, in which Peter, in light of their

present situation, encourages them and instructs them on how they should react in case of

suffering while keeping this good conduct: they are blessed and should not fear but sanctify

the Lord in their hearts (3:13-17), because it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should

be Gods will, than for doing evil (3:17). Clowney writes that this verse echoes that of v.

2:20 and that in both passages this statement leads into a declaration about the sufferings of

Christ, who did only good.25

23Ibid, 122. 24There is a debate on whether this participles are circumstantial and modify

the imperative in v. 13 (e.g. they are means or ways by which be subjected to every human institution), or if they are independent and imperatival, at least be imperatival in force; Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 117; Forbes, 1 Peter, 6-7; Kenneth L. Mckay, A New Syntax of the Verb in New Testament Greek: An Aspectual Approach (New York: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers, 1994), 225.

25Clowney, 1 Peter, 153-154.

7

Overview

The purpose of our text in this context then is to give the reason or cause that

makes this suffering better, as it is made clear by the conjunction in the beginning of

verse 18.26 Verses 18-22 are meant to justify the claim of the preceding verses that it is

better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.27 This reason, as we will see, is that

Christs redeeming and victorious work is our example and source for security when

suffering for doing good. Just as vs. 2:21-25 did in the previous section, Peter presents Jesus

first as the supreme example of the behavior required of the epistles readers, and second as

the one who by his redemptive work, made such behavior possible.28

I believe Dalton is right in establishing this section from 3:18 to 4:6: the

development begun at 3:18 has its natural conclusion at 4:6,29 for the concepts of in the

flesh and in the Spirit are repeated in both verses, but it is surely divided by the exhortation

26F. Blass and A. Debrunner, Greek Grammar of the New Testament and

Other Early Christian Literature, trans. Robert W. Funk, Revised edition. (Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1961), 238; Stanley E. Porter, Idioms of the Greek New Testament, 2 edition. (Sheffield: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 1992), 237.

27 D. A. Carson and G. K. Beale, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), 1039.

28Michaels, 1 Peter, 196. 29Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 101.

8 in verse 4:1 that naturally result from the implications of vs. 3:18-22,30 linked by the

conjunction . From verse 4:7, until the closing section in vs. 5:12-14, Peter is again

putting things into the eternal perspective by reminding them that the end is at hand (c.f.

1:3-5). This sets forth another series of participles following the imperatives be self-

controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers, which lead us to an appropriate

response to suffering as a community.31 Peter in closing his letter moves into an exhortation

along traditional lines to the Christian Leaders and the rest of the congregation. 32

Our passage is structured in a way that we can see first a movement from

Christs death to His ascension through three participial phrases in vs. 18-19 (,

, ), then we have a parenthetical analogy of Gods salvation of Noaha

family and ours in vs. 20-21, returning back again to Jesus ascension in v. 22 (again

). This movement is supported by three indicative verbs focusing on Christs

suffering (, v. 18), proclamation (, v. 19), and his present state of exaltation

( , v. 22). A detailed structure could be as follows:

(1) Christs suffering (v. 18)

a. The nature of His suffering (v. 18ab)

b. The result of His suffering (v. 18c)

c. The means of His suffering (v. 18de)

(2) Christs Proclamation (v. 19a-20a)

30Ibid, 104. 31Davids, A Theology of James, Peter, and Jude, 151. 32Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 152.

9 (3) Gods salvation (vs. 20b-21)

a. The patience of God (v. 20bc)

b. The salvation of Noahs family (v. 20def)

c. The type of baptism (v. 21a)

d. The clarification of baptism (v. 21bcd)

(4) Christs exaltation (v. 22)

a. In His ascension (v. 22ab)

b. In the subjugation of all powers (v. 22c)

10

ARGUMENT

18 For Christ also suffered33 for our sins, once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might bring you to God, though, having been put to death34 in the flesh, He was made alive by the Spirit, 19 in whom35 He also went36 and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they had formerly disobeyed,37 when the patience of God was waiting during the days of Noah, while the ark was being built, into38 which a few, this is eight souls, were saved through water, 21 which,39 corresponding to baptism,40 now also saves you, not as the removal of the filthy flesh, but as an appeal of good conscience towards God, 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 were subjected to Him.41

33Following the NA28 edition; Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek

New Testament, 623. 34I believe the concessive use of the participle fits better the context of the

passage; Forbes, 1 Peter, 122. 35Taking as neuter and hence making the Spirit, or the whole idea before it,

its antecedent. 36The participle translated as an Attendant Circumstance; Daniel B.

Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament with Scripture, Subject, and Greek Word Indexes (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 640-641.

37Taking as a causal participle; Forbes, 1 Peter. 38 Instead of in a local sense; Blass and Debrunner, Greek Grammar of

the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 110. 39The nominative pronoun should be regarded as original. It would be hard to

explain how an original could have been changed so universally into ; Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 196.

40The syntax is notoriously difficult, the best reading is to take water as the antecedent of the rel. pronoun and as an adj.; Forbes, 1 Peter, 128; Michaels, 1 Peter, 213.2

41Genitive absolute; Forbes, 1 Peter 131.

11

Christ Suffered, v. 18

As we have noticed, the clause serves to connect the previous idea with

this one, and makes the following argument the reason why it is better to suffer by doing

good.42 The development beginning with 3:18 has for its purpose the doctrinal justification

of the main topic in the preceding section (3:1317), which is Christian confidence in the

face of persecution.43 Peter again shows Jesus as the supreme sufferer although he is the

supreme good-doer (cf. 2:23). Through the words ... (also suffered) he sets

Jesus as a model of suffering in light of their own circumstance, particularly with v. 17 (vs.

2:19-20, 4:14). But it would be wrong to treat Jesus suffering as a mere example. Peter

moves to a statement about [the] unique atoning efficacy,44 since he is emphatic in

describing the nature of Christs suffering; it was (1) once and for all, an expression I believe

he is using to determine that there is no need for him to suffer again because it was definite

and victorious, the singular, comprehensive, and conclusive aspect of Christs suffering45

(cf. Heb 9:26-28). It was (2) for sins ( ), by which Peter conveys a sacrificial

42Steven E. Runge, Discourse Grammar of the Greek New Testament: A

Practical Introduction for Teaching and Exegesis (Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers, 2010), 237.

43Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 104. 44Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey, and Andrew Sach, Pierced for Our

Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution (Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2007), 98.

12 language that he has been using in this epistle (1:2, 19, 2:5 and particularly 2:24).46 The

allusion here (as in 2:22-25) is from Isa 53, in this case v. 10. an offering for sin (

), and Lev 16:16, because of all their sins ( ). (3)

The righteous for, or on behalf, of the unrighteous, making clear that His suffering is unique

because He alone is righteous. What we have here in combining it with the sacrificial

language is the subtitutionary atonement of Jesus on behalf of Gods people.47

We then see the result of this suffering, namely that He might bring you to

God. Peter uses a clause to state this purpose.48 The word , from its cognate

noun , which is an introduction to a person, especially to a kings presence,49

here it can mean the bringing of a person before a tribunal, or the presentation of a person at

a royal court,50 in this case God himself, signifying Jesus victory and the believers ultimate

union with the God the father.51

45 John H. Elliott, 1 Peter (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001), 641. 46And so does the author of Hebrews (e.g. Heb 5:1, 7:27, 10:18); Elliott, 1

Peter, 641; Michaels, 1 Peter, 202. 47The preposition occurs here, in 2:21b and regularly in kerygmatic

formulas to express Christs substitutionary attonement for or on behalf of others; Elliott, 1 Peter, 642.

48Ibid.; Porter, Idioms of the Greek New Testament, 235.

49Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, and Roderick McKenzie, A Greek-English Lexicon, Ninth Edition with a Revised Supplement, ed. Henry Stuart Jones, 9 edition. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), 1500. Logos edition.

50Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 135. 51 Elliott, 1 Peter, 643.

13 Peter now shows us the means by which Christ brings us to God, that is by

His death and resurrection. The construction puts emphasis in the second of the two

participial phrases, ,52 and this emphasis is made even clearer later

when Peter says that salvation is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (

, v. 21), hence the concessive translation thought having been put to death

He was made alive.53 I agree with Michaels as he notes that even thought these are passives,

Jesus was not put to death by God (in this context) but by human hands.54 I think this fits the

context of our passage better, since He is being presented as an example for their present

situation. This phrases also start the series of participle describing Jesus journey to

exaltation; , , (twice, in vs. 19 and 22) and . In

v. 18 we see Jesus bringing his chosen people by means of his death and resurrection, which

is already of great encouragement to the church, for they see Jesus overcoming His

persecutors intentions as an example for them, and are assured of Jesus victory for His

people.

The question remaining is the function of the datives and .55 I

like Marshals conclusion that the first refers to His bodily death, and the second to the Holy

Spirits agency, in the body by the Spirit, which agrees with the poetic license of

52Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 249; Forbes, 1 Peter, 122; Michaels, 1 Peter, 205. 53 Jobes, 1 Peter, 240. 54He notes that there is a parallel with 2 Kings 5:7 Am I God, to kill and to

make alive? but previously said that the word recalls synoptic accounts of the judicial proceedings that lead to Jesus death; Michaels, 1 Peter, 204.

55For the different options see; Forbes, 1 Peter, 122-123; Jobes, 1 Peter, 240.

14 Wallace.56 This view goes against the symmetrical structure of both phrases, by which some

believe that the datives should have the same sense.57 But by being to tightened to the

symmetry I think we can end up with an unwanted dualism of the body and the spirit,58 or

even affirming only Jesus spiritual resurrection. This view also accords with the Pauline

parallels in Rom 1:3-4 and 1 Tim 3:16,59 and most importantly to the context of the readers

who are suffering in their flesh, but have been regenerated by God (1:3-7).

Christ Proclaimed, vs. 19a-20a

We now come to the second big step in Christs work for the encouragement

of the church: in whom also He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison (v. 19). The

antecedent of the rel. pronoun could be the Spirit at the end of v. 18, but it makes better sense

to take the prepositional phrase as temporal, meaning that at the time when Christ was

made alive He went and preached.60 Peter uses this phrase in a temporal sense a couple of

56I. Howard Marshall, 1 Peter (Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Academic, 1991),

121-122; Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, 343 n. 76. 57Jobes, 1 Peter, 240; Michaels, 1 Peter, 204. 58 Peter H. Davids, La Primera Epstola de Pedro (Barcelona: CLIE, 2008),

187-188. 59Although Dalton considers spirit as impersonal; Dalton, Christs

Proclamation, 141. 60Or in that process; Davids, La Primera Epstola de Pedro, 189; Elliott, 1

Peter, 652.

15 times in this epistle (2:12, 3:16, 4:4). The participle itself should be read as an

attendant circumstance,61 and translated went and proclaimed. This means that the

proclamation to the spirits takes place after His resurrction, as He ascends to heaven, or after

it (and not before the resurrection as it has popularly believed).62 The context offers

compelling reasons for regarding the of v. 19 as refering to Christs ascension into

heaven,63 as I also demonstrated earlier through the flow of Peters thought. As Dalton puts

it: By his death and resurrection he brought us to God, and also as risen Lord, he proclaimed

to the spirits what he had done.64 Grudem on his part does not list the view of Jesus

proclamation on or after His ascencion.65

The question now is who are these desobedient spirits. First, we read that they

were desobedient in the days of Noah (v. 20b). Secondly, it has been noted that the plural

spirits has only been used once for humans in the NT, but specifically identifyed by a

qualifying genitive as the spirits of the just,66 and Peter ussually uses the word to

61Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, 640. 62Calvin asserts: Common has been the opinion that Christs descent into hell

is here referred to; but the words mean no such thing; John Calvin and John Owen, Commentaries on the Catholic Espistles (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 113; Jobes, 1 Peter, 236.

63Elliott, 1 Peter, 653. 64Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 148. 65He only mentions Daltons position in a footnote; Wayne A Grudem,

Christ Preaching through Noah: 1 Peter 3:19-20 in the Light of Dominant Themes in Jewish Literature, Trinity J. 7, no. 2 (1986): 331.

66Michaels, 1 Peter, 207.

16 speak about humans, particualrly in this context (v. 20e, cf. 1:9).67 When the NT talks about

the dead people it always refers to the (cf. 4:5), and uses to talk about

supernatural beings or deamons.68 Some have argued that the spirits here are the same that

the dead in v. 4:6, but Dalton again does a great job demonstrating that they are different

groups since to the first Christ is clearly the subject of the active verb and in v. 4:6

there is no implied agent of the passive verb , so it cannot be talking of the same

group or event.69

The closest Biblical parallel we have to identify these desobedient spirits are

in the Catholic Espistles themselve, namely 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 6. Both texts speak of

angels rather than spirits, and of being cast into hell and committed them to chains of

gloomy darkness, or kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness instead of imprisoned,

but, particularly in 2 Peter, they are mentioned in the context of Noahs deliveracnce.70 The

parallel is also seen in that this angels where cats into hell when they sinned, whereas in our

text they are in prison besause they desobeied. So we can argue that Peter is talking about the

same group, the imprisoned spirits are the angels in chains.71 The Biblical background for the

67Grudem states that the Bible uses to refer to both humans and

angels or deamons, but gives only examples of its use in the singular; Grudem, Christ Preaching through Noah.

68Matt 10:1, Mark 1:27, 3:11, 5:13, 6:7; Michaels, 1 Peter. 69Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 150. 70Another reference to angels cast down, and even satan chained is Rev 12:9,

20:1-3; Ibid., 160. 71I am assuming that the Apostle Peter wrote both letters; D. A. Carson and

Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 2nd edition. (Grand Rapids:

17 identity of these spirits, in conection to the days of Noah, is the sons of God of Gen 6,

which in the narrative then prompted Gods judgement over the wickedness of men through

the flood, understanding then the sons of God to be these desobedient spirits, the sinful

angels of 1 and 2 Peter.

This conciders the influence of 1 Enoch in Peters writtings. 1 Enoch refers to

the sons of God as angels (1 Enoch 6:2, cf. 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6), as spirits, or even evil spirits,

in direct allussion to Gen 6:1-4 (1 Enoch 15:8-10), and as watchers who have defiled

themselves (1 Enoch 12:4, cf. Gen 6:1-4). If so, the spirits in prison are the evil spirits

who came from the angelsprobably identified in Peters mind with the evil spirits of the

gospel tradition.72 Grudem is quite sarcastic in disregarding this view, arguing that the

readers of 1 Peter would not have understood the link, even if they would have read 1 Enoch

the night before.73 The influence of 1 Enoch might have been stronger in Peter than in his

readers. Nevertheless, if Peter is writing like this, he might have been confident in his readers

knowledge of this tradition, there is no need to undervalue his recepients understanding of

this language.74 Achtemeier seems to rely too much on 1 Enoch for his interpretation of verse

Zondervan, 2005), 2 Peter: Author, Kindle edition.

72Michaels also recognizes that the main problem with this view is that the spirits of 1 Enoch coincide better with the angels of 2 Peter and Jude due to the linguistic parallels, but in my view the allusions are strong enough; Michaels, 1 Peter, 208.

73Grudem, Christ Preaching through Noah. 74Jobes, 1 Peter, 245.

18 19,75 and so does Dalton.76 But as I have tried to show, one needs not to depend on 1 Enoch

alone to understand these verses in this way, though it is a background that fits well with 1

Peter 3:19-20.77 Then the content of this proclamation is also limited to the context and this

view of the spirits identity. The message for forgiveness in 1 Peter is described by the word

(vs. 1:12, 25, 4:6) so it mus be ruled out for repentance is not granted to fallen

angels.78 Based on the influence of 1 Enoch, it has been said that Christ proclaimed their

condemnation (1 Enoch 12:4-6),79 or even His victory over them.80 Michaels on his part,

because of the gospels backround talks about all power now being submited to His

sovereignty,81 which accords with v. 22 in our passage, although Elliott sees that either way

the point is the same.82 This agrees with the overall purpose of the passage which is to give

confidence to the suffering believers that all authorites have been subjugated, and that in

bringing them to God, Christ has securedthe desobedients condemnation (cf. 2:8, 3:1, 4:17).

75Achtemeier, 1 Peter., 262-263. 76Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 166-176. 77Jobes, 1 Peter, 244. 78Michaels, 1 Peter, 209. 79Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 260; Elliott, 1 Peter 660. 80Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 190. 81Michaels, 1 Peter, 210.

19

God Saves, vs. 20b-21

Peter now will show the salvation of Noahs family and its correspondance to

the believers salvation. The links between their salvation then () with ours now () is in

the words , which assumes Gods agency (v. 20) and (vs. 21). Notice first

the instrumentality of water for the first verb,83 and the parallel expression of instrumentality

ascribed to the resurrection of Jesus for the second. In both phrases the implied agent is God

and the instrument is stated by the preposition . The comparison is also made by the word

which means corresponding, as the stamp to the die figuring or representing

the true.84 So the deliverance or salvation of a few through water, corresponds to baptism

which now saves through the resurrection of Jesus. It is important to maintain the

instrumentality, since Peter is not teaching that baptism saves per se, but the emphasis is that

baptism is the counterpart of the instrument, and not the subject of the verb. Peter further

clarifies this by stating that the means by which baptism saves [is] not as a removal of dirt

from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, meaning that God saves not

82Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 158; Elliott, 1 Peter, 661. 83The preposition could be either instrumental or locative, but because of the

parallelism with the resurrection of Jesus it is better to take it as instrumental; Forbes, 1 Peter, 127.

84 Liddell, Scott, and McKenzie, LSJ, 165.

20 by an external washing or mechanical rite,85 not that putting away the filthy flesh (or all

malice and all deceit, etc. cf. 2:1) is not important, but that Baptism saves as an appeal to

God. The word has been taken to mean pledge for its use in the papyri,86 but To

determine the sense of we do best to turn to its use in the LXX, where it very

commonly has the sense of an oracular question addressed to God (cf. ),87 and in

this case its a request made from, or by, a good conscience.88 A subjective genitive better

fits this context,89 since we have to remember that Peter is acouraging them in their suffering

for doing good, and they were to sanctify the Lord by having a good concience (

, v. 16), so it is from this good conscience, that they already are to keep, that

they made an appeal to God in Baptism.

Christ Exalted, v. 22

Finally Peter shows Jesus as the the exalted King in heaven over every power

and authority. Refering back to Jesus Christ he says that He is now at the right hand of

85Forbes, 1 Peter, 129. 86Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 271; Dalton, Christs Proclamation, 207-208; Elliott, 1

Peter, 680; Forbes, 1 Peter, 130. 87H. Greenven, "," TDNT 2:688. 88Forbes, 1 Peter, 130; Michaels, 1 Peter, 217. 89Davids, La Primera Epstola de Pedro, 197.

21 God,90 which ussually refers to Christs exaltation.91 Peter is coming back to the series of

participles he started in v. 18 with the repetition of , confirming the movement

towards heaven ( ). He also adds one last participle, (having been

subjected), which is the final statement in Christs victory for the encouragement of the

suffering church, the subjugation of all angels, authorities and powers,92 all terms for

supernatural beings.93 Achtemeiers conclusion on these verses is worthy of quoting in full:

The readers of the letter are thus assured that the evil powers still rampant in their world, motivating the suppression of the Christian community, have been robbed of their ultimate power through Christs resurrection and his assumption of divine authority, an authority that will soon become visible with Gods final judgment. Therefore Christians may know that in the end, no one can truly harm them (see 3:13), since the Lord of the cosmos who rules over all supernatural powers is also the Lord whom they serve in the Christian community, a Lord in whose victory over all hurtful powers they will also one day share. A beleaguered community, facing the onslaught of evil powers intent on its destruction, could find real courage in such assurance.94

90Given the prepositional phrase [] Peters usage implies a

stative present; Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, 522. 91Sometimes in connection with Psa 109:1 LXX, like Matt 22:44, Mark 12:36,

Luke 20:42; Michaels, 1 Peter, 218. 92Forbes, 1 Peter, 131. 93Michaels, 1 Peter, 220. 94Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 274.

22

CONCLUSION

After setting out the context, structure and translation of the passage, I have

shown that the purpose of this passage is to encourage the suffering believers and to teach

them why it is better to suffer while doing good. So our text is not merelly an example for

Peters readers but a rich Christological statement of His definite work of salvation and His

ultimate victory over all supernatural authorities, going from Jesus suffering securing our

salvation, to the proclamation of His victory, ending up in His exaltation over all powers.

Two big questions have been concidered, together with several other along

our text; 1) the issues concerning Christs proclamation to the spirits, in which I argued for a

post resurrection declaration of His victory and the condemnation of the desobedient

supernatural beings, and 2) the correspondance of the salvation of Noahs family to Christian

baptism, by which God brings salvation not through baptism per se, as a mechanicla rite, but

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ as an appeal that comes from a good conscience.

Both arguments are theological statements that function as encouragements to

the christian church even today. Just as Peter follows this passage with an exhortation to arm

ourselves with the same way of thinking (4:1), so should we. The church to which Peter is

writing was suffering socially and relationally, and we dont need to walk long in our

Christian journey to realize we suffer very much in the same way; ostracized in our families,

disregarded at work, we must keep up the good work and remember that Jesus already

secured our our salvation and is victorious over all.

23

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