Solace for the Suffering

Solace for the Suffering 1 Peter 3.18-22 June 6, 2010 Introduction: When I was a kid one of the shows I loved to watch was called In Search Of. Do any of remember that show? It was a documentary type-show that ran from the late 1970 s into the early 1980. It was hosted by Leonard Nimoy and explored unexplained mysteries such as Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Bermuda Triangle, and a bunch of other mysteries. Although the show was eventually canceled, I bel reincarnated in a different form as known today as the History Chanel, which for some reason is unable to find any actual history to report on. But I digress. I think the appeal of a show like In Search Of comes from our natural curiosity about the things we g a full picture. So we wonder: Is that grainy black and white photo really of a prehistoric dinosaur still dwelling at the bottom of Loch Ness in Scotland? Also those really the footprints of an 8-foot tall creature wandering about in the northern woods called Big Foot? Did a UFO actually crash near Roswell, NM and the government is storing the remains in Area 51? While there are plenty of unsolved mysteries in the world, the Bible has a few mysteries of its own. If there was an In Search Of television show be looking at this morning would certainly be included in the first season. is one of the most mysterious passages in all of Scripture. Every commentator struggles to understand what Peter is saying and most will admit even their own particular interpretation needs to be held loosely and not dogmatically. I will not be an exception to that rule. While the overall purpose of the passage is clear, present what I believe is the best explanation for it, remember that many godly Bible scholars have differed in their interpretation of it over the years and therefore charity is in order. With that said, please turn open your Bibles with me to the passage in question which can be found at the end of 1 Peter 3. We will be focusing on v. 18-22 ll read from the ESV. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. Now before I jump into this passage and summarize for you the main idea, I want to show you just where I getting my interpretive framework from. This is one of these passages where understanding the context becomes extremely important in interpreting it correctly. They say in real estate Well, when it 1

comes to all about Understanding the context of a passage is essential to proper interpretation. Or as my seminary professor and renowned New Testament scholar D. A. Carson has A text without a So to avoid such an exegetical error, consider for a moment the greater context of this passage. Any of you who have been going through 1 Peter with me know that Peter has spent quite a bit of time in chapters two and three talking about unjust suffering. Over and over again Peter has encouraged his readers to pursue righteousness, recognizing that sometimes Christians will suffer persecution for pursuing godliness. In the passage right before this, Peter reminds his readers in v. 17 that, be God's will, than for doing evil. Peter then immediately follows this in v. 18 with the word meaning that what follows is to serve as a reason for suffering unjustly. Then if you drop down to 1 Peter 4:1, the passage immediately following this how Peter begins there with the word which refers back to our passage for this morning. And what does he conclude in chapter 4 verse 1? Peter says, Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking Once again, s about suffering for doing good. So then, the context of this passag this morning is about suffering unjustly because of righteous living. Peter is writing this in order to encourage and give solace to those believers who are suffering persecution. So with the context clearly re ready to state what the main idea of this passage is, which I have summarized like this: Main idea: Our salvation in Christ is our solace in the midst of suffering. This passage is written to give comfort and hope to those suffering for doing good. They tre some of them may be discouraged and feel tempted to throw in the towel and give up. So Peter writes this to bring solace to their souls as they struggle to fight the good fight of faith. By recognizing this prevent ourselves from losing the forest for the trees as we study this. The purpose of these verses is to help suffering believers find solace and comfort in the salvation God has provided to them through faith in Christ, so we need always to consider how each verse contributes to that goal. So then, how does Peter do this? I see five different ways Peter consoles suffering believers in v. 18-1. We find solace Look back at v. 18 again with me. It says, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to I believer. First is the simple fact that Christ suffered unjustly for sin. Jesus lived a 2

perfect, righteous life and yet he suffered as a result. So as a believer who is facing persecution for your fa in knowing re following in the footsteps of your Lord. Jesus said to his disciples in John 15:20, experiencing exactly what Christ said you would, so that gives you confidence in your suffering as well as encouragement because you know Jesus intimately understands what you are experiencing because he experienced suffering for righteousness as well. Second (and it think more importantly) is that provide us an example to follow but his suffering actually saved us from sin and brought us into a right relationship with God. Peter returns of the truths of the gospel here in v. 18. He reminds us that Christ suffered once for sins by dying on the cross. Furthermore, Jesus died as a substitutionary sacrifice for us, Jesus never sinned he was righteous, yet he died in the place of sinners. He suffered for our sins so we could be forgiven and so he could Because of Christ, we no longer have the guilt of sin separating us from God but instead we have peace with God and can enjoy a relationship with him. So then, how does this provide solace to those suffering for their faith? It does so by reminding us that our greatest enemy sin has been defeated. We need not fear death, punishment, or anything else. With the Apostle Paul we can confidently ask, stress, or No, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord! Therefore no matter what persecution re facing, rejoice in the knowledge that Christ died for your sins to bring you to God and nothing can keep you from him and the rich heavenly inheritance that awaits you. this passage is found in v. 19-2. (v. 19-20a) Look back in your Bibles with me starting at v. 18 but focusing on v. 19-20. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah This is where the fun begins. There are three major views on what Peter means here. First, some regard the as fallen angels to whom Christ proclaimed his victory over sin after he died but before his resurrection. Second, others take this to mean that Christ preached through Noah to the but who are now are spirits in prison awaiting final judgment. Third, and the least orthodox of the views, is that Christ preached the gospel to those who had died, giving them a second chance to repent and believe. Now view so I need just to give you what I believe is the best interpretation of the passage 3

and move on. If you really are interested in learning more, I can direct you to a very good commentary that wrestles with these views in far more details than I can. Anyhow, my take on this passage would be the second view I mentioned: the are people who were alive during the time of Noah, but who had died in the Flood and are presently judgment. In the spirit, Christ preached the gospel to them through Noah, urging them to repent and believe in the promises of God. One of the reasons I think this is the best interpretation is because Peter has already given us a hint of this idea previously in his letter. Turn back a page in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1:10-11. Let me just read that for you. was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of So Peter has already told us that Christ was speaking through the prophets concerning our salvation. the Spirit of Christ simultaneously prophesying through them. Then, as another piece of the puzzle,. Taken together, we have clear evidence from Peter that Noah preached to his contemporaries and that the Spirit of Christ has spoken in the past through his prophets, of which Noah could be considered one. So when we get here to v. 19, it seems very to call the. how then does this bring solace to those suffering persecution for righteousness? I think Peter means to comfort his readers and us by reminding us that Christ is present when we proclaim the gospel, just as he was in the past. Christ was present with Noah when he preached to the unrighteous of his generation. When the OT prophets spoke, Christ was present as they made their prophecies to the rebellious people of Israel. Then just before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20). So believers of every generation can take comfort in knowing Christ is with them when they fearlessly proclaim the gospel, regardless of how those who hear the message respond. Well, Peter then shifts his focus in the next verse from talking about Christ to focusing on 3. (v. 20) Look at what Peter says in v. 20. Because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a 4

It can be easy just to read through this verse as if Peter simply reporting the facts of the account of the Flood: Noah builds the ark, the flood comes, and only the eight members of s family are saved. Flood narrative. rage his readers with these facts. Peter wants his readers to see the similarity between them and amily. Both were living as a minority in a dominant unbelieving culture. they were mocked for living in obedience to God by building an ark. were a minority in the Roman world who were being mocked and ridiculed for their faith, which was expressed through godly living and worshipping a crucified Messiah as Lord. But even though Noah and his family suffered the ridicule of their contemporaries for many years, in the end who was saved? It was Noah and his family. them from the flood while all those who mocked them warnings perished. And not only did those wicked people die physically, but as Peter mentioned in v. 19 they are now Given the options, who would you rather be? I think Peter wants us to find solace in that even though as Christians we might be the persecuted minority, just like Noah and his family were, a day of ultimate judgment is coming. o be unleashed when Christ returns to judge mankind. Though we might suffer now for our obedience to Christ t give up hope. Like Noah, we should persevere through the jeering and ridicule with the realization that God saved from it as a result of our faith. At this point, having mentioned how God saved Noah and his family from the waters of the Flood, goes to the Christian practice of baptism. So Peter follows this train of thought in v. 21 in order to further encourage and comfort his readers. So our fourth point is 4. We find solace in the meaning of baptism (v. 21) Look back again at your Bibles with me at v. 21. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of J There are a few things we need to notice about what Peter says regarding baptism here. First, Peter says, Baptism, which corresponds to this refers back to what he just and baptism corresponds to this; the Flood was a type of baptism. Just as Noah and his have we been rescued from. Second, Peter says, Just as Noah and his family were brought safety through the waters of the Flood and were saved, so also baptism saves 5

Now if this was the only passage in all of Scripture we had about how God saves us, then we would be correct to assume that the way God saves us from the consequences of sin is through baptism. sinners; we have 66 books of the Bible that speak with a consistent voice on how salvation comes to men. The abundantly clear teaching of all of Scripture is that God saves sinners by grace, through faith, not by works so that no man can boast. All we are called to do is to believe that Christ has sa sins by his death and resurrection. So to make salvation contingent upon performing a ritual such as baptism would mean re saved by works and not grace, and therefore this passage cannot mean baptism is the ritual which must be performed in order to be saved. So then what does Peter mean here? I think a couple of observations will help us, one contextual and one historical. Historically, in the NT when a person became a believer they were immediately baptized. Ther coming to faith and being baptized. As a result, being baptized became synonymous with becoming a Christian and was used as a shorthand way of referring to coming to faith in Christ. Metonomy is where the name of one object is substituted for that of another object which is closely associated with it. For example, a news reporter House issu The Pre The saying he only owns cattle heads without bodies! By metonomy the head is substituted for the whole. s what is going on here. Peter is using metonomy to have baptism stand for the whole of coming to faith in Christ: repenting, believing, and then shortly thereafter being baptized in water. I think this is further supported by observing the immediate context of his statement. As soon as Peter says, he qualifies it, almost as if to be certain he would ing that baptism was necessary to be saved. Look how he qualifies baptism in the middle of v. 21. He says baptism saves us, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a In other words, the physical act of baptism, which may wash for a good conscience, which is another way of saying, faith. In baptism, you are expressing outwardly what has already happened inwardly through faith. You are I believe Jesus died for my sins and by faith I believe God will rescue me from death and judgment so that I might stand before him So then, Peter is not saying baptism saves you, but rather what baptism represents faith that you died with Christ is what saves you, as is the case throughout all of Scripture. ully cleared up the potential misunderstanding, we still need to answer the question of how does baptism bring solace to those who suffer? It does so by reminding us that we have passed through death and judgment. Like Noah passed 6

through the waters of G s wrath by being in Christ. The ark was the means that saved Noah both cases it was faith in t have trusted in Christ. Therefore, ath. While we might suffer now, there is an eternal reward that awaits us. Baptism is a visual reminder that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The worst suffering we could ever face has been suffered for us by Christ, and through we may face light and momentary affl re achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Cor. 4:17). So then we are to find solace in suffering for righteousness sake through 5. (v.22) b focus on v. 22. removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is now at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been After making a couple of digressions concerning Noah and baptism, Peter returns to talking about Chri beginning of this passage, he now turns his attention to the resurrection and exaltation of Christ. Though Jesus suffered and died, that was far from the end of the story. Three days later he rose from the dead, victorious over death. That alone should be encouraging to believers, because Scripture tells us that we also will be raised from the dead. Even if the persecution we face should lead to physical death, the resurrection of Jesus reminds us that death has been defeated. If we should die in Christ, we will be resurrected to new life and will receive the promised inheritance of eternal life. But in the meantime, our resurrected Lord has taken up residence in heaven, sitting at As the reigning Lord over all creation, Jesus now sits in glory, with All things are under the authority of Christ the Lord. There is no power in heaven or on t subject to him. So are subject to the will of Christ free reign to do whatever they want. You cannot be touched or harmed in any way other than what Jesus permits. Though devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, that cat is on a 7

So Peter is providing solac be afraid! Do not fear the power of men or the power of demons because the Lord whom you believe in reigns in total power over them all. The resurrected Lord sits enthroned in heaven and he will guard and protect you throughout your life, to bring you safely home to your heavenly inheritance, no matter what persecution you face. Conclusion So then, let me conclude by saying that while this might be a difficult passage for us to understand in terms of the details, I think it is abundantly clear in its goal. Peter wants to encourage his readers and us with the knowledge that even in the midst of suffering for doing good, Christ is our great and glorious Lord. He suffered like we have and by doing so he has secured for us a great salvation that will rescue us from the coming wrath. We will receive, and we are to be encouraged knowing that just as Christ spoke through the Old Testament saints of long ago, the spirit of Christ is still with us now, to be present as we proclaim the message of the gospel to the unrighteous generation we live in today. And as we await his appearing, and may for a time suffer for our faith, we find comfort in knowing we serve a risen and reigning Lord who will guard and protect us for the day he Prayer This sermon was addressed originally to the people at Grace Brethren Church of Waterloo, IA by Pastor Rob Borkowitz. Copyright 2010. 8