Suffering and Victory
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Introduction
Introduction
We come to a glorious passage of Scripture but also a difficult passage of Scripture.
Speaking about v.19 particularly Martin Luther wrote:
“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.”
After spending a good amount of time reading studying and discussing this passage one of the things that I came away from is that though the central passage of this passage is clear and glorious there are particulars about this passage that are difficult to understand exactly what is being said.
I am going to divide the passage into three parts
Christ suffered for the unrighteous to bring believers to God
The Spirit who gives resurrection life also gives the power to stand in the face of suffering
Just as Noah was rescued, We will share in the resurrection victory of Christ
The main point is that believers have no need to fear that suffering is the last word, they will share the same destiny as their Lord, whose suffering has secured victory over all hostile powers.
I. Christ suffered for the unrighteous to bring believers to God. (v.18)
The main point of the previous paragraph is that believers should not fear, even though unbelievers may inflict pain on them (v.14)
Instead they should set apart Christ as Lord in their hearts and be prepared to respond to questions posed by unbelievers (v.15).
We are reminded again and again in the NT that suffering is the pathway to glory, that the cross comes before the crown.
We see this in our Lord. The suffering of Christ was the means by which He was exalted.
Just as suffering was the pathway to exaltation for Christ, so also suffering is the prelude to glory for believers.
Notice the heart of the paragraph here, though there are interprative difficulties in this passage it is clear that the Peter is addressing the situation of his readers. The emphasis here on Christ’s victory reminds the readers, it reminds us today that troubles of the present time are temporary, that victory is sure to follow because Christ has triumphed over evil powers, Christ is victorious.
Notice Peter refers to Christ’s suffering, he uses the word suffered and not the word died, but clearly he is referring to the passion of our Lord of His suffering in general but particularly His death at the hands of wicked men.
Just as Christ suffered so also the readers of this epistle were suffering and the church of Jesus Christ throughout history has suffered.
Peter also points out the uniqueness of Christ’s suffering.
He suffered in a way that we do not suffer
He suffered once for sins
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Roma
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2
who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
Once
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 10:5-
The uniqueness of His death continues to be emphasized
“the righteous for the unrighteous”
This is an illusion to his sinlessness 2:22
As the sinless one His suffering is unique because He did not deserve to suffer instead he suffered for the unrighteous ones
Substitutionary atonement
2:24
In 2:24 he quotes
Why does He die for us? He died to bring us to God
Listen to this brothers and sisters, the suffering of Christ is the only means by which we can come to God.
We were away from God
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
The last part of this verse
being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit
This is where it begins to be debated
Most agree that being put to death in the flesh is referring to the death of Christ
the question is the phrase put to death in the flesh could be translated by the flesh or according to the flesh and maybe the idea is that he was put to death by the flesh that is by sinful man.
I don’t think that is what is being said here, instead I think he is simply saying that the way Jesus suffered is that He was put to death in the flesh, He died.
What is more controversial here is the next part, but made alive in the Spirit
some want to argue that the point is that though Jesus’ flesh died He was still alive according to the spirit, that is the spirit of His human nature
but I don’t think that is what is being said
KJV says quickened by the Spirit
There are other translations that translate the word Spirit with a capital S inferring that the word refers to the Holy Spirit
That is, they killed Jesus but He was raised again by the power of the Holy Spirit
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
This verb zwopoiew refers to the resurrection several times in the NT
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
I think the point here is very simple
Jesus suffered death in terms of his body, the Spirit raised him from the dead. Similarly, those who belong to Christ, even though they will face suffering, will ultimately share in Christ’s resurrection.
II. The Spirit who gives resurrection life also gives the power to stand in the face of suffering (v.19-20)
This is the most difficult part of the passage
Luther’s quote above
3 main interpretations
1. Augustine
2. that Jesus’ spirit went to hades and preached the gospel and within this some think that this gave people an opportunity to repent and be saved
others think within this passage that Jesus went and proclaimed His victory in hades to all the wicked and the fallen angels
3. Jesus resurrection and ascension is a proclamation to the spirit world of His victory of sin, death, hell, the grave. That Jesus has rescued a host of sinners from the evil one.
There are a lot of weeds that need to be waded through in considering the options and seeking to understand what Peter is saying.
I will say to you that the two most likely to me seem to be either the first or the third.
Right now, my understanding of the passage is that of Augustine.
My understanding is that the Spirit of Christ proclaimed through Noah to the wicked in his day the message of righteousness and the need for repentance
Remember
if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
Think of Noah, this godly man, proclaiming the righteousness of God in an ungodly world was a man who was persecuted, he suffered for righteousness sake and yet
Noah was rescued and all the ungodly who hated him, at whose hands he suffered, their spirits are now in prison that is they are cast into hell.
Think of how this fits into the context of this book
Noah
Righteous minority
surrounded by hostile unbelievers
He witnessed boldly by Christ’s power
He was finally saved
Peter’s readers
Righteous minority
Surrounded by hostile unbelivers
God’s judgement may come soon (4:5,7 and 2 Peter 3:10)
They should witness boldly by Christ’s power (, ; ; 4:11)
They will finally be saved (; ; 5:10)
They will finally be saved
III. Just as Noah was rescued, We will share in the resurrection victory of Christ
In v.21 we have the typological argument.
III. We will share in the resurrection victory of Christ
The flood was the means by which the Lord rescued Noah from the ungodly around him.
The flood destroyed God’s enemies and rescued Noah.
Baptism, which is a picture of our identity to Christ.
Baptism is a public profession of our identity with Christ and just as now was safely brought through the flood waters of God’s wrath in the ark
So also in Christ, who is our ark of safety, will safely see us through the flood waters of God’s wrath.
Jesus is victorious (v.22)
And in him we will share in His victory.
The message is clear for Peter’s readers
In their suffering Jesus still rules and reigns. He has not surrendered believers into the power of the evil forces even if they suffer until death. Jesus by his death and resurrection has triumphed over all evil and believers will reign together with Him.