1 Peter 3:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

NIV: After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—

NASB: in which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison,

CSB: in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison

NLT: So he went and preached to the spirits in prison —

KJV: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

NKJV: by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

Peter ended the previous verse with a statement declaring that Jesus was put to death in the flesh "but made alive in the spirit." Over the years, Bible scholars have offered several interpretations of what this might mean.

One view is that the verse is simply describing Jesus' physical resurrection from the dead. Another is that it describes a spiritual resurrection which happened before His physical resurrection on that first Easter Sunday. This suggests that Jesus, in spiritual form, was alive and proclaiming to the "spirits in prison" before returning to physical life. This may mean anything from those who died before Christ's ministry, to fallen angels, and a host of other options. Verse 20 gives more details on this idea.

The bottom line is that we are not entirely sure what this passage is about, and that's okay. As Martin Luther put it in his Commentary on Peter & Jude, "A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means." It is fascinating to study the various explanations offered by Bible scholars, but none of them changes the essential truth that Christ was dead and then made alive, that He suffered for our sake and was then made victorious forever by the power of God.

1 Peter 3:8–22 addresses all believers, commanding Christians to be unified and to refuse to seek revenge when wronged. Peter quotes from both David and Isaiah to show that God’s people have always been called to reject evil and to do good. This is true even when we are suffering. In fact, it may be God’s will for His people to suffer, in part, to demonstrate His power. Our good example can convict others into repentance. Christ, too, suffered, died, was resurrected, and ascended to power and authority in heaven.

Peter continues teaching about Christian submission to human authorities, now addressing Christian wives. Believing wives must be subject to their own husbands, even if the husband is not a follower of Christ. By doing so, they might win them to Christ through the example of their own changed lives and hearts. Christian husbands must honor their wives. All believers must live in unity together and refuse to seek revenge. In part, God means to use our hopeful response to suffering to provoke the world to see His power in us. Christ, too, suffered and then died, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven.

Peter’s letter to persecuted Christians is about how to endure suffering for faith in Christ. Thus far, he has assured Christians that their future is secure in eternity with God. We are His holy people, set apart for His specific purposes. Because of this, it matters that we live out that truth, even when we suffer. Christians are called to live in submission to every human authority, including kings, governors, and slave masters.

Some 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus, Christians are facing greater persecution for their faith. How should they respond? How should we respond to suffering today? The apostle Peter writes this letter both to comfort believers and to encourage them to stay strong. He urges them to put all their hope in their perfect future with Christ, and to obey and trust Him in the present, even in their suffering. Christ suffered greatly; now the Christ-followers have the opportunity to follow Him even in this, showing His grace and power in their hopefulness, obedience, and faith.