God doesn’t want us to back down from a challenge to His Son Jesus.
Bible Study Ideas and Commentary for 1 Peter 3:13-22
We can face challenges and suffering because we know that Christ has faced them all and won. Consequently, we need to live our lives not from a “what’s best for me” perspective but a “what’s best for Jesus” perspective. Are we thinking about other people when we make our day-to-day decisions? We should. (And prison? huh? baptism? huh?, too.)
And who will harm you if you are deeply committed to what is good? (3:13)
Editor's Note: This post was originally a printed handout for Bible study leaders. It has been edited for online use.
Getting Started: Things to Think About
Be Prepared.
The theme of this passage is “be prepared.” Your leader guide proposes the obvious icebreaker conversation starter: what unexpected challenges are you prepared for? (jumper cables in your car, first aid kit in your hiking pack, etc.) Frankly, I think that’s the best possible topic to use. You can elaborate on it with a question like: what unexpected challenge should you be prepared for but know you aren’t? Or give a list: do you know what you would do in the event of a dead-of-winter power outage? Do you have a rendezvous point with your kids in the event of a weather disaster? Do you know CPR? Do you have a legal will? Etc. The point is simple: if we want to handle an unexpected challenge well, we have to be ready for it. That takes work, preparation, a plan, and communication. Just like sharing our faith when the time comes!
Have You Had That One Nightmare . . .
This might just be me, in which case DON’T USE THIS IDEA. Have you ever had that nightmare where you show up for the final exam of a class and then realize you forgot to study? Or my favorite version of it: somehow I forget to attend class at all the entire semester, then show up for the final exam that I haven’t studied for, and try to convince the professor that he should pass me anyway. Depending on how that goes, you can ask if anybody has ever forgotten to study for a test. How did it go? In their experience, what is the correlation between studying and passing?
Pop Quiz!
And if that doesn’t work as well as you would like, try this: give the first person who arrives a short Bible verse (like John 11:35: “Jesus wept”), but tell them to keep it a secret. Then, when you get to the end of your introduction, announce a pop quiz. Make sure everybody has something to write with and on, then ask, “What does John 11:35 say?”) Some folks might know it! (That would be great.) At least one person will . . . Then, tell everybody what the answer is. Here’s the point: if you’re prepared for it, that’s just about the easiest Bible quiz you’ll ever take. If you’re not, it’s horrifying. That’s Peter’s point, too. When people see how differently you live than they do, they’ll ask why. If you’re not ready for that question, not only could you have an awkward conversation, but you might get yourself in trouble! But if you’re ready, Jesus will be glorified and who knows but if the person who asked you just might turn to Jesus for salvation!
This Week's Big Idea: It’s Bible Geek Christmas!!
Two of the strangest verses in the entire New Testament are in this passage. I want you to be ready to talk about them, but I also want you to be able to set them aside quickly. Peter really just threw them in to illustrate his main point about the example of Jesus, not to create debates!
Weird Verse 1: Jesus Went Where??
In last Sunday’s service, we read the Apostles’ Creed together to show how much we have in common with Christians all over the world. There’s actually a great controversy behind it: in the Roman Catholic and Lutheran version, it says that “Jesus descended into hell”; in every other version, it says that “Jesus descended to the dead.” That difference primarily has to do with 1 Peter 3:19, “In that state He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient.” Your leader guide gives you three possible explanations. I’ll give you more. Here’s what we know for certain: “in that state” refers to the spiritual realm, so a physical location would be beside the point; and, somehow this connects with the days of Noah. So, the options are
Jesus preached through Noah to all of the rebellious people who still rejected him and perished in the flood (and are thus now dead/in prison) in order to declare judgment on them. (This was the view of the Reformers.) Peter then simply came up with the baptism/ark illustration on his own.
During His death, Jesus went to the place where the fallen angels of Noah’s day were being held captive and proclaimed His victory over their cause. (This is the view of many scholars today.) This view depends on the interpretation that the “sons of God” in Genesis 6 were fallen angels, which we said could explain why God was do very angry with them.
This refers to a second-chance proclamation of salvation that Jesus made to everyone in hell. Peter simply singled out Noah’s generation because it allowed him to use the baptism/ark illustration. Now, here are more options:
Jesus Himself preached to the rebellious people in Noah’s day, and during His death he found them to tell them they made a mistake by ignoring Him.
Jesus went to the place of the dead not to offer a second change at salvation but simply to proclaim their great error of rejecting Him. (This was the view of most of the early church fathers/leaders.)
Jesus went to the place of the dead which included both the wicked and the righteous (with a chasm between them—think the parable of the rich man and Lazarus) in order to tell the righteous that they were now freed.
Jesus went to the place of the dead to offer a general victory speech, that the work of salvation was now completed.
We know that there is no second chance at salvation (see Hebrews 9:27), so that option is out. The emphasis on prison/disobedient implies someone antagonistic toward God, not someone who was waiting to hear the good news of release, so I steer away from proclamation to saved people. Plus, I’m not sure how comfortable I am with Jesus going to the souls of lost people to tell them they have been condemned. They knew that when they died and stood before God in judgment. This would be almost gratuitous, like rubbing it in. Plus, the word for “spirit” is usually used for angelic beings, not humans (although Peter specifically uses the word “angelos” just a few verses later in 3:22!).
Peter’s Greek is pretty ambiguous: pronouns without a clear antecedent, participles with multiple potential meanings (did Jesus proclaim in the past? did He proclaim in the present to those who were disobedient in the past?). A lot of scholars connect this passage with 2 Peter 2:4-5 (“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others…”) and conclude that Jesus preached to angels in hell, namely the angels who went and had children with women who turned out to be the Nephilim that we so problematic for humanity in Genesis 6. BUT you might remember that I rejected that interpretation of Genesis 6 when we covered it last year! I don’t see how angels can procreate with humans if they are purely spiritual beings. If I believe that Jesus preached to fallen angels and not humans, then I have to come up with a totally different interpretation of this passage: Jesus, while He was dead, found the fallen angels who encouraged the great rebellion that led to the flood (and prevented anyone from listening to Noah) to tell them that their cause was lost. Proclaiming victory over sin, death, and hell makes sense when it is to the worst offenders, and clearly these fallen angels were worse minions of Satan than those demons currently walking the earth—they came the closest to having humanity wiped out. And I think that’s possible.
But some people insist that Jesus preached to people. After all, nothing else in 1 Peter is about angels/fallen angels; it’s entirely about people (including scary, mean people). For me to understand it that way, I have to create yet a different interpretation of this passage, which is really close to the first option offered. It can’t be that Jesus proclaimed to people in hell during His death; that would be utterly pointless (there’s no second chance after death). Therefore, the only other possibility is that Jesus preached to people while they were living during Noah’s day. Here’s my variation from what the leader guide says: I don’t know that Jesus had to preach through Noah. We don’t have other examples of Jesus “possessing” another person to preach through Him (like the Spirit came on people to prophesy through them). That can mean two things. (1) Noah preached the message of Jesus, which Peter attributed to Jesus. I don’t like that because it lessens the impact. (2) Jesus, pre-incarnate (and therefore spiritual), actually came to the earth and preached alongside Noah. That’s intriguing because it might explain how the message was spread throughout the entire world while Noah was busy building a giant boat. And it makes sense of the context of Peter’s argument: “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to explain your hope, and don’t be afraid of their response. Jesus once took on the most rebellious generation in human history—preaching a message of salvation from judgment through a flood—and received absolutely no response from them, but that didn’t stop Him from coming back to save us—preaching a message of salvation through repentance and then also making that salvation possible by suffering for us.”
I could go either way. I actually like that top option from just a plain reading of the text, but I believe that the second option makes better sense of Peter’s argument.
[Editor's 2025 note: the older I get, the less I'm convinced I know the correct interpretation of this passage.]
What Is Prison / Tartarus?
Part of the confusion in this weird verse is the “location.” I’ve already pointed out that because Jesus is in a spiritual state, the physical location is beside the point. But we can say something of value. In 1 Pet 3:19, the spirits (pneumasin) are in prison (phulake). That’s just the standard Greek word for a prison. In 2 Pet 2:4, the angels (angelon) are in “chains of darkness” in hell (tartarosas). Clearly, those two verses do not have to be talking about the same thing! But the wording is vague enough that they could be. “Tartarus” only occurs here in the Bible, but it was regularly used in Jewish and Greek literature to refer to a place “below” Hades. If Hades was the place of the dead, Tartarus was more along the lines of “hell” as we think of it. The attendant phrase could be “chains of darkness” or “gloomy dungeons” and it was a holding place before God’s final judgment. There was a common Jewish tradition in that day that Enoch was sent to proclaim God’s judgment on the angels from Noah’s flood (taking Genesis 6:1 to refer to fallen angels) who were now imprisoned in Tartarus. Peter seems to adopt that tradition and simply replace Enoch with Jesus (which is why many modern scholars favor that interpretation). Of course, that would be a big problem if that tradition were wrong! That’s why I think it’s important to realize that Peter words have multiple interpretations. Maybe he was using that Jewish tradition as a starting point for what really happened?
Weird Verse 2: Baptism Saves Us?
People try to explain this verse away. Our leader guide basically just says that Peter refers to baptism as a symbol of salvation, which is what actually saves us. Huh? I think Peter actually means what he says, and I don’t think this has to make us uncomfortable. Let’s follow Peter’s argument.
Baptism reminds Peter of the ark, which saved Noah’s family from the great rebellion. Lots of people heard the message of salvation from the flood, but only 8 people actually heeded it. They showed their belief by getting on the ark; the fact that they later survived the flood was simply proof that they had made the right decision. Peter thinks of baptism the same way. If we think of Jesus as the “ark” that gets us through God’s judgment after our death, then baptism is the act of “being placed in Jesus” if I can push the analogy that far. Peter makes it clear that the water is not the active ingredient of this “saves you” part, rather, it is the pledge.
The word Peter uses for “pledge” is pretty rare in the Bible. In extrabiblical literature it most often is used in respect to “question” (as in a judge’s line of questioning) and can refer to the question or the answer. So, Peter sees baptism as (a) us asking God to save us/cleanse us; or (b) our answer to God’s question “why should I save you” with the answer being “because of Jesus”. In either case, the act of baptism itself is integral to salvation. I don’t think we should downplay that, but we have to understand what he means. In Peter’s day, when adults were saved, they were baptized right away. This was a dangerous public declaration that only the serious made. It also meant that the church was welcoming them into close fellowship, also dangerous. And it was also the act by which God integrated them into the body of Christ. In other words, to Peter, baptism truly corresponds with salvation in Jesus; he could not take it any more seriously. It is our mistake that we could.
The Big Picture: A Call to Righteous Living
When we understand Peter’s argument, these verses make pretty good sense. He is encouraging his audience to stand firm under persecution and to go out of their way to prove—through their exemplary lives—that the accusations against them are false. And they should have all the confidence they need to keep living that exemplary life in spite of opposition or even suffering. Why? Because Jesus Christ will conquer their enemies, and that same Jesus will keep them safe through that victory. That’s why we’re always ready and always confident.
Part 1: Ready to Defend (1 Peter 3:13-17)
And who will harm you if you are deeply committed to what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
Realizing the wider context of Christ’s victory and our certainty/confidence of salvation, these verses should make pretty good sense. Suffering is a part of life. That is a fundamental consequence of sin. But if a Christian suffers for doing the right thing, they should not let that discourage them (yes, sometimes easier said than done). Why? Because what they have to gain (their reward in heaven) is so much greater than what they lost on earth. The key phrase here is “honor Jesus as Lord in your hearts.” If we could somehow do that all the time, our decision-making would be a lot easier. It means (1) that we won’t be cowed by outside threats and (2) we won’t be worried about doing or saying the wrong thing (and (3) that our enemies are in big trouble, cough).
To Peter, this means that we should never back down from our opponents when the gospel is at stake. When someone challenges our beliefs or behaviors, we have an opportunity to explain why we aren’t going to change. This “defense” in the Greek is where we get our word apologetics. It was a legal term that implied sound arguments and a winning presentation. But Peter qualifies it—this isn’t about “winning an argument”, it is about changing someone’s heart. And we can’t do that, only the Holy Spirit can. Therefore we behave in humility, gentleness, and with respect. That’s important because according to this world’s standards, our opponents have the upper hand. They have the ability and willingness to use violence and threats to “win” their case; a Christian should never do that. The language Peter uses—”suffer” “fear” “disturbed” “accused” “denounce”—those are all very strong words that imply physical threats and even physical abuse. Those are tactics that Christians will face. How will we handle them?
I strongly encourage you guys to talk about how the world is using such strong-arm tactics against Christians today even in America (obviously, feel free to talk about violent persecution around the world), often through the media. And talk about how Christians have chosen to “fight back” for good or ill. How do we know when our tactics are appropriate for a Christian and when we have gone too far?
Part 2: Point to Christ (1 Peter 3:18-20)
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring you to God, after being put to death in the fleshly realm but made alive in the spiritual realm. In that state He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while an ark was being prepared.
I have addressed the text earlier, so let’s just put it in context. Peter’s point is that Jesus is our perfect example. He has the power and ability to shut up all of His opponents, but He did not. Why? Because that would send them to hell, and Jesus wanted/wants to save them from hell. So should we. Jesus did the real work (the hard work); we just have to jump on board. Our motive for behavior must always be, “what can I do/how can I live such that people will listen to what I have to say about Jesus?” It’s always putting others first. (By the way, this will be a key theme to my sermon after Sunday School, just FYI.) This context would imply the interpretation that Jesus preached on earth during the days of Noah, kind of a “Jesus experienced what you experience, and He didn’t give up.” One way or another, it all comes back to Jesus. As it should.
Part 3: Display Your Faith (1 Peter 3:20-22)
In it a few—that is, eight people—were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now that He has gone into heaven, He is at God’s right hand with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.
I’ve talked about these verses, too. Peter’s double point is that wide is the gate that leads to destruction and narrow is the gate that leads to life. So don’t be discouraged when few people listen to you. But also, your baptism immersed you in Jesus Christ and sent you into this life you now live and proclaimed your faith to everyone who was present. In other words, the very thing that put you in the trouble you’re in (the sold-out Christian lifestyle) is the very thing that proves your salvation through it. Jesus Christ was resurrected after He suffered for doing good, for putting the sinners around Him first. And in baptism, we are immersed/placed in Him (like Noah and his family got on the ark). The physical act may just symbolize the spiritual act, but it’s supposed to be a truly meaningful and powerful symbol. But Peter’s focus isn’t on our baptism, it’s on Jesus. Jesus, the suffering servant, now sits enthroned above the universe—above everything and everyone that ever opposed Him. What have we to fear?
The point of this passage is to encourage us to be strong and courageous when we face opposition for our beliefs and convictions. And it’s also to tell us to be ready to face opposition the right way (sure of what we believe, but with an attitude of humility and love). So...talk about that! What opposition have you faced? How have you handled it? What did you need to do better? What issues are coming that we all need to be ready to handle? How should we handle them? (Every community has a different hot button issue, from homosexuality to drunkenness to abortion to teaching evolution or whatever, and those change from year to year.) How do we know when it’s an issue that’s worth raising a fuss over? (I say when it cuts to the heart of the gospel message.) How do we know when we’ve handled it the right way? (When we’ve behaved with gentleness and respect and a clean conscience.)
If you do nothing else at the end of your time together, celebrate your victory in Jesus. Praise Jesus for your salvation! And then try to help your group shift perspective from upward-focused to outward-focused. We already have salvation. We’re good for eternity. How can we live our lives to give the best chance for others to hear and respond to the good news of Jesus?
Aside: Flesh and Spirit
“Put to death in the body but made alive in the spirit” has many different translations that have resulted in many different understandings. The NIV says “Put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” which implies that Jesus died and the Holy Spirit physically brought Him back to life. That’s absolutely true, but it’s not what the text actually says. Nor does the text mean to say that Jesus’ body died but His spirit now lives. Why? Because Peter uses the same grammatical construction in both phrases. He literally says “put to death in flesh, made alive in spirit.” I think that the HCSB translation of “put to death in the fleshly realm but made alive in the spiritual realm” captures the meaning as well as any. Peter was intending this illustration to be an encouragement to his audience. That works best when we realize that this life/this world is not all there is. Jesus is the easiest way to prove that. Jesus suffered while He was in this physical/fleshly realm, but now He lives forever in triumph in a spiritual realm that we can’t see. I think that just about anyone would get that (even if they don’t believe it). But here’s Peter’s point: that reality is true of everyone who follows Jesus! We may suffer in this fleshly realm, but we will triumph forever in the spiritual realm with Jesus. Peter might not have understood the physical nature of our eternity (our actual resurrection bodies, the new heaven and earth) because Jesus hadn’t told him, or he might have used those terms to make it clear that the next life/realm of existence isn’t at all like this one. We may suffer now, we will not suffer then. Then we will have the final victory.
Closing Thoughts: What Is Baptism?
This passage might beg the question for you. Peter, here and in Acts, seems to draw a pretty close line between baptism and salvation. But we are very clear that baptism doesn’t save anyone. So what is it? Baptism is a symbol, yes. To Peter it is the symbol of salvation through God’s judgment. To Paul it is the symbol of death, burial and resurrection. To both, it was not merely a symbol. They worked very hard to ensure that only believers were baptized; there was real danger in identifying oneself as a Christian in those days. When those people were baptized, they meant it and they experienced it and they saw it as a taste of what was to come (baptism in blood, as they would say). It was a powerful symbol that really meant something to them. We would do well to recapture that power.
“Apologetics”
I think apologetics is somewhat overrated. If people don’t believe in Jesus, no amount of proof of the Bible is going to change their mind. But there’s still an important place for understanding why we believe what we believe. There’s a difference between having strong faith and being utterly unreasonable. For some people in the world, they need to see that Christians aren’t morons with their heads in the sand. We have strong foundation for our beliefs. But it doesn’t mean that we have all the answers or understand everything perfectly! If people ask you a hard question, I encourage you to do the hard work of investigating it, no matter how uncomfortable you might become. If we believe God is right, then we must believe that every hard question has an answer whether or not we understand it.
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