The Just for the Unjust
Notes
Transcript
This is a strange text, and a more obscure passage, perhaps, than any other in the New Testament, for I do not certainly know what St. Peter means. At first sight, the words import as though Christ had preached to the spirits — that is, the souls which were formerly unbelieving at the time Noah was building the ark; but that I cannot understand, I cannot even explain it. There has been no one hitherto who has explained it. Yet if any one is disposed to maintain that Christ, after that He had suffered on the Cross, descended to these souls and preached to them, I will not dispute it. It might bear such a rendering. But I am not confident that St. Peter would say this.
Many pastors and scholars consider this to be the most difficult passage in the New Testament to interpret.
The Substitutionary Atonement
The Substitutionary Atonement
Christ the Sufferer
“For” - points back to v. 17
Who is the ultimate example of suffering for what is good? - Jesus
Physical Suffering - Isaiah 52:14 “Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;”
Emotional Suffering - Matthew 26:56 “But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.”
Spiritual Suffering - 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Jesus had the weight of the world on His shoulders - 1 John 2:2 “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
It is no wonder that Jesus cried out from the cross “My God, my God why have you forsaken Me?”
Never forget that Jesus’ suffering was so great because your sin is so serious.
Christ the Substitute
Atonement - the reconciliation of God and man
Substitutionary - answers how this reconciliation was made.
Jesus Christ died in our place when He was crucified on the cross. We deserved to be the ones placed on that cross to die because we are the ones who live sinful lives. But Christ took the punishment on Himself in our place—He substituted Himself for us and took what we rightly deserved.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Christ was everything God required in order for us to be justified.
Christ the Just suffered in the place of the Unjust.
Christ the Righteous suffered in the place of the Unrighteous
Christ the Holy suffered in the place of the Unholy.
Christ the Shepherd
“that He might bring us to God” - this is a purpose statement
Don’t get confused, you didn’t get there on your own.
There are multiple places in Scripture that describe Christ as our shepherd. We need a guide. A shepherd guides his flock to green pastures our shepherd guides us to a right relationship with God.
The greatest spiritual misconception in the world is that anyone can find their own way to God.
Christ and the Spirit
“being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
It is with this phrase that we begin the difficult part of this text.
Not only is it difficult to interpret but it is even difficult to translate.
ESV: being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
There is debate whether this should be translated “in the spirit” or “by the Spirit”. In other words the question is whether or not this is a reference to the Holy Spirit.
The ESV, NASB have translated this as a reference not to the Holy Spirit, but to the spirit of Jesus.
The CSB, NIV and NKJV all see this as a reference to the Holy Spirit.
We know from other passages of Scripture that the Holy Spirit was involved in the resurrection. Romans 8:9-11 “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Even though the Greek seems to support the ESV and NASB I tend to think the intimidate and broader context support that this is a reference to the Holy Spirit.
The connection then is that Jesus has brought us to God by His resurrection through the Spirit.
Summary: v. 18 is quite a powerful verse. It is in many ways the gospel in a nutshell. After all the hubbabalu the CSB I believe provides the best translation.
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
The Special Announcement
The Special Announcement
Three Interpretations - read v. 19, What in the world is going on here?
Christ is preaching through Noah to those who lived while Noah building the ark.
Christ is preaching to O.T. saints who died and were liberated by Christ between His death and resurrection.
Christ is proclaiming victory and judgment over fallen angels and demons.
Paraphrase
Christ was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom He preached to the imprisoned spirits. These spirits were disobedient in the days of Noah, when God was patiently waiting for Noah to complete the ark in which only eight people were saved from the waters of the flood.
Symbolically, you are saved through water, pictured in baptism. Baptism is not about removing dirt from the body, but it pictures our appeal to God for a clean conscience which is given to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
3. Baptism
This passage makes me laugh because of that time that Peter said Paul’s writing was hard to understand.
Peter, what in the world does the flood have to do with baptism?
First of all remember that baptism is a picture of our salvation only. We are not saved by being baptized.
Those who hold to baptismal regeneration often point to this verse as a proof text for their position. However, we need to remember that the first thing Peter said was that this is symbolic.
Peter also makes clear that it is not baptism which gives us a clean conscience but the resurrection of Jesus.
What is the point?
The first thing that Peter does in v. 18 is remind us that we have been reconciled to God through the subitutionary work of Christ.
Then he illustrates that God always saves those who are His no matter how few the number by reminding us of Noah and his family. There were only 8, but God did what was necessary to preserve them. There were others who heard Christ’s message through Noah and the Holy Spirit, but they rejected God’s message.
Through this illustration Peter reminds us of the promise made that God will preserve those that are His. Noah was far from perfect yet his faith was in God and he was preserved through the flood waters. Your salvation is pictured in the water of baptism it is a public declaration that you belong to God and through Him you will overcome. However, a promise made is only as good as the one who made it.
The Supreme Authority
The Supreme Authority
Ascension
He is in heaven
At His ascension a promise was made.
Acts 1:4-11 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Why does Peter remind us where Jesus is now? Because it is a place of authority.
Position
He is at the right hand of the Father
This is a consistent theme in Scripture
Ephesians 1:19-21 “and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
Psalm 110:1 “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.””
Romans 8:34 “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
It is a position of authority
Power
Angels are subject to Him
Authorities are subject to Him
Powers are subject to Him - Satan, demons etc