Original Meaning

PETER HAS NOW instructed various groups with specific guidelines on how to live in a world that is hostile to their presence. What has surrounded the discussion has been the problem of suffering; that is, his guidelines for these groups have been shaped under the fire of persecution. Peter now gives his principles for enduring suffering in a way that is thoroughly Christian.1 His first guideline, that good behavior will ultimately lead to victory (3:13–22), is followed in chapter 4 with the present value of suffering (4:1–6).

Peter begins the first section with an exhortation to be good, based on the pragmatic concern that such behavior will be less likely to bring persecution (3:13). This, in turn, leads into a discussion on the possible problem: suffering in spite of doing good (3:14). Regardless of what is going on, Peter adds, Christians must be ready always to explain their hope in an unassuming manner (3:15–16). He then repeats (in different terms) the point made in 3:13: The perfect way for the Christian is to do good, for it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing bad (3:17).

Attached to that section on the importance of being good in order to alleviate suffering are some verses about Jesus that have stirred up considerable controversy in the history of the church, not to mention the idea that Jesus “descended into hell” (see the Apostles’ Creed). As will be seen below, I believe these verses are attached here to emphasize the victory that Jesus achieved in order that the readers can perceive that, if they live the way Jesus did (doing good), they also will find ultimate victory in spite of the persecutions that loom on their horizon. When the next chapter begins, we find ourselves back at the themes discussed at 3:13–18: The suffering of Christ is a model of how to endure suffering. This confirms that 3:18–22 begins with the themes of 3:13–17 but extends them into a digression on more than what was brought up in Peter’s concerns for his readers.

The Pragmatic Issue (3:13). While it may be naive for someone to think that good behavior will always save the Christian from persecution,2 such naiveté does not characterize Peter here. To be sure, he asks this question somewhat rhetorically (“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?”), but he is clearly aware that believers will nonetheless have to endure suffering (cf. 1:6–7; 2:11–12, 15, 18–25; 3:9). But this pragmatic argument fascinates Peter; he has raised the issue in different forms already and uses it particularly as a tool for evangelism (2:11–12, 14–15; 3:1–2, 9, 10–12). The followers of Jesus have been taught this (Matt. 5:16), and early Christian experience for the Petrine churches confirmed it (1 Peter 2:11–12; 3:1–2). What we have, then, is a stance of hope that is baptized into a context of realism (cf. 3:14, 16–17). But ultimately, Peter’s assurances are grounded in his final hope: God will eventually (even if not now) establish complete justice.3

The Possible Problem (3:14). Showing that he is not naive about this issue of suffering, Peter continues by saying that “even if you should suffer4 for what is right, you are blessed.” While he believes generally in the rule that good behavior will alleviate suffering, he knows that not all opponents will be lenient. Even here he finds something positive: As Jesus taught, those who suffer because of doing what is right will be blessed by God (Matt. 5:10). Peter’s exhortation to his readers, when they do have to endure suffering, is not to fear the oppressors. Once again, he draws this teaching from Jesus (Matt. 10:26–33).

The Need for Preparation (3:15–16). Instead of fear, believers are to honor the Lord Christ by being ready to speak boldly about their hope. That is, they are to acknowledge as holy the Lord himself and refuse to profane his name or breach his covenant with them by fearing someone else more than him. But such a disposition is not relegated to one’s mental or spiritual attitudes. Rather, to set apart the Lord is a dimension of Peter’s exhortation to holy living (1:2, 13, 22; 2:1–2, 5, 24; 4:1–6). This implies a constant willingness to speak up for him,5 to confess one’s allegiance to him, and to witness fearlessly to his saving grace.

The defense of the Christian concerns their6 “hope.” This term is not to be thought of specifically, in categories like “millennium” or “rewards.” Rather, it is to be understood comprehensively, as all that drives the present history toward its destined future. Thus, this term includes terms like “salvation,” “inheritance,” “hope” (e.g., 1:21), and final vindication (3:18–22). Christians are, in other words, expected to be prepared to speak at any moment about God’s salvation of his people through Jesus Christ and how that salvation will manifest itself at the end of history. This very hope sustains them through persecution and gives them strength to carry on when everything looks dismal (cf. 1:6–9).

Such a boldness, Peter warns, ought not to lead to a haughty, ugly defensiveness but to “gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” Instead of brash defensiveness (which is frequently nothing more than an expression of insecurity), Christians ought to defend the Lord in a humble and respectful manner. Such a manner can lead both to conversions (3:1–2) and to leniency when persecution strikes (3:13). Moreover, if they live a good life before their opponents, they can have a “clear conscience” (Rom. 2:15; 9:1; 2 Cor. 1:12).

The Perfect Way (3:17). Once again, Peter returns to the pragmatic situation: “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” That is, “it is better” both before God and in the practical results for living if people live a godly life. If God wills that they are to suffer,7 it is better that such takes place when the Christians are doing good rather than evil.

A Digression on the Example of Jesus (3:18–22). These verses begin with the example of Jesus as worthy of understanding and imitating in order to cope with persecution (when God so wills). Jesus suffered as a righteous man (for the unrighteous), but he was also vindicated and now sits at the right hand of God. Between the statement of Jesus’ suffering and his vindication Peter brings up some kind of preaching of Jesus to spirits (3:19). These spirits are then subjected to further scrutiny as Peter identifies them with the spirits who were alive at the time of Noah, which in turn gives rise to a Petrine comparison of the delivery of God’s people during the Flood (through the ark) with the delivery of contemporary Christians through baptism (3:20–21).8 All of this is tied off with a conclusion about the vindication of Jesus. Even though Jesus suffered (3:18), he was ultimately vindicated by God (3:22).

Few passages have so many themes and different ideas intertwined. It is no wonder that commentators have shaken their heads in despair! But the main point is not complex. Just as Jesus suffered as a righteous man and was vindicated, so too if the churches of Peter live righteously (as he has exhorted them to do), they will be vindicated and sit with Jesus in the presence of God. Such an understanding of this passage is a typical way of putting this section into focus with the previous verses (3:13–17).

At this point, however, the discussion becomes highly complex and controversial.9 It has led to three main views: (1) the descent-into-hell view, (2) the preexistent Christ view, and (3) the triumphal proclamation over the spirit-world view. Rather than seeking to defend or to refute any of these views at length, I will briefly explain each view and show how each position fits into the overall theme of this section in 1 Peter.10

(1) For those who believe Peter is here describing the descent of Jesus into hell after his death, the prominent features are as follows: (a) “through whom” refers to Christ in his disembodied spirit and prior to his resurrection, (b) the “spirits” refer either to the fallen angels of Genesis 6:1–4 or to the spirits of those who died prior to the Flood, (c) the “prison” refers to the underworld, (d) the expression “he went” describes a descent into the underworld, and (e) “preached” refers to a genuine offer of salvation to those who had never had an opportunity to hear the gospel. In general, then, while the text does bring in some extraneous factors, it deals with the vindication of Jesus and his continued ministry in spite of death. As the text goes on, the theme of vindication becomes more prominent.

(2) The view that Peter is describing the preexistent Christ understands the same elements as follows: (a) “through whom” describes the preexistent Christ in the person of Noah, (b) the “spirits” are the contemporaries of Noah who needed to hear the word of God, (c) the “prison” is a metaphor for sin and ignorance or a literal description of their location now, (d) “he went” refers neither to a descent nor an ascent but rather describes simply that Jesus spoke to that generation, and (e) the verb “preached” describes a genuine presentation of the gospel of salvation to the contemporaries of Noah. Once again, the overall compatibility of this view with the theme of 3:13–17 is not hard to understand: Just as Jesus endured suffering in different ways and experienced opposition to his preaching, though he remained faithful, so also the Christians Peter is addressing must remain faithful in spite of suffering.

(3) The view that Peter is here describing a triumphal proclamation of Jesus Christ after his resurrection and prior to his exaltation assumes a Jewish context11 and takes the following views: (a) “through whom” refers to some kind of spiritual existence of Christ after his resurrection (as the chronology of the text suggests), (b) the “spirits” refer to the fallen angels of Genesis 6:1–4, (c) the “prison” describes the upper regions of binding or, in the words of 2 Peter 2:4, the “pits of darkness,” (d) “he went” refers to an ascent of Jesus, and (e) “he preached” describes the proclamation of victory that Jesus announced over the spirit world as he ascended to the right hand of God. Once again, the compatibility of this view with the theme of 3:13–17 is obvious: Just as Jesus was vindicated before his opponents, so also will the Christians be, if they, like Jesus, remain faithful and righteous to the tasks God has called them to do.

I prefer the third view, but regardless of the view one takes, I would emphasize at this point the need to see this passage in light of its context:12 the overall theme of vindication. Jesus was righteous and suffered for the unrighteous; God vindicated him by exalting him to his right hand. The churches of Peter need to know that if they remain faithful, like Jesus they too will be vindicated. That is the hope that ought to sustain them as they endure suffering, the hope of which they are to be ready to speak, and the hope that Peter urges them to embrace.

Bridging Contexts

IN INTERPRETING THIS passage, one needs to recognize how easy it is to drift into the problem verses (3:19, 21) and lose sight of the way in which these particularly disputable passages fit into the general theme of persecution and suffering. That is, focusing on these verses tips the balance against the weight of the passage—how the example of Jesus becomes a source of encouragement for those who are facing suffering. While I would not want to minimize the significance of this passage for formulating special ideas (though I doubt debate about the location of Jesus after his death and before his exaltation advances theology much), it is fundamentally important to interpret these problem verses in light of their overall context.

Furthermore, interpreting problem passages in light of their overall context permits us to see the more basic point of the author here: vindication. Vindication, not the precise nuances of baptism (for infants or adults? by immersion or by sprinkling?), is a significant point with many ramifications for Christian living today. That is, while the context is one of suffering—and suffering is comparably rarer today than in Peter’s day—the theme of vindication applies more readily to our world. In general, then, we learn how to move a text into our world today more effectively if we learn to interpret specific elements of a text in light of the larger picture.

On the other hand, I do not want to minimize the importance of examining difficult passages and learning how to make applications of such passages in our world. But such passages need to be dealt with fairly; we need to canvass the interpretations to find the options. As seen above, there are three broad views of the difficult expressions in 3:19. Then we need to examine the evidence for each viewpoint, a procedure that is beyond the scope of this commentary, though I have pointed the reader to a significant piece of bibliography for each view. Finally, we need to come to a conclusion for ourselves. After analyzing the evidence myself, mostly in preparation for class lectures at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where students are quick to challenge a professor’s points of view, I came to agree with those who thought that Peter was utilizing a view about spirits that was current in the Judaism of his time. Inheriting this tradition, probably from 1 Enoch (a Jewish pseudepigraph), Peter adds color to it by having Jesus announce his victory over the nether world in his exaltation to the Father.

Finally, we need to be humble about conclusions to passages that are “clearly unclear.” Accordingly, while I prefer the view stated above, I am by no means certain (and neither was Martin Luther—a man who did not lack confidence in his interpretations!) that this view is vastly superior to the others. Knowing this, we must respect other views and live with the diversity such interpretations create. We do not often find a passage where its central ideas are so much in dispute; when we do, we need to admit that there is great debate over the meaning of the passage.

Another idea worthy of our attention for application is that of the “pragmatic value of doing good.” Several times in this letter, and a couple of times in our passage in particular, Peter urges his fellow Christians to live godly lives because it will make their difficult situation better. It would be foolhardy to think Peter was prescribing some surefire method for escaping opposition to the gospel or for a style of living that would make everyone like the churches. His optimistic hope about the value of doing good is tempered by a genuine realism, for in several places he suggests the likelihood of being persecuted. Thus, it is important that his pragmatic argument not be given too much weight in his overall strategy for living Christianly in the world. But the argument is nonetheless valid: If we assume (1) the similarity of human nature and (2) the general limitation of such an argument, then it becomes important to urge Christians who are being persecuted to live godly and good lives so that those who are against them might be more tolerant of them. That is, human beings in general do appreciate being respected, and when they are respected, they will be kinder.

Along this same line it makes sense that people who are being opposed will get defensive, even churlish and petulant. For this reason Peter has to urge his readers to be humble and respectful (3:16). In our day, we must remind those who are being opposed for their faithfulness to Christ to avoid using any bitter language and retaliatory speech, however great a temptation it may be. Instead, they must learn to be respectful and humble in their responses to suffering.

Once again, we need to remind ourselves what Peter means by “harm” and “suffering” in our passage. He is not talking about human pains, about children being sassy, or about things not “going our way” in social events. Rather, he is talking about the fundamental opposition to the gospel in society when it is confronted with the truth of the gospel. The way to move this text into our society, then, is to find examples and scenarios where Christians are being persecuted for their faith and where they need to hear both about the pragmatic effects of good behavior and the hope of vindication. That is, we must find those who need to be sustained by the prospect of following the vindication path of Jesus.

Contemporary Significance

FOR THE THEME of vindication to have meaning in our day, we must emphasize both the need to believe in final justice and to live in light of that justice. Perhaps we have been worn down by the seeming lack of justice in our world, worn down into living in apathy about justice—and especially final justice. Justice in our world seems to be haphazard, even chaotic, and it seems extremely slow in its realization. All of us have followed news stories of murderers or criminals who got “off the hook,” received some minor punishment, or were released from jail far too early, only to find that they were arrested shortly thereafter for the same violent crime. When events like this take place before our eyes, it is not surprising that a sense of justice is eroded. Before long we can slide into a state of not believing in ultimate justice.

It is true that sometimes justice does seem to take place in our world; right is rewarded and wrongdoing punished. Our government and its judicial system seem particularly just when it comes to drug busts and abuse of children, and we applaud the government and its officials when they seek to bring a swift and enduring judgment on criminal activity. But we are perplexed when white-collar crime goes unpunished or people who have ruined countless lives can somehow be set free on some “legal technicality.” Such haphazard realization of justice erodes our confidence and belief in justice. It is not my task here to criticize or evaluate the legal system, for my readers may come from different countries or different parts of the same country and may have different perceptions of legal systems and justice. My point is merely that we live in a day when many people have surrendered their belief in justice to the winds of modernity and relativism. I suspect that many people in our world have simply given up on any sense of justice.

We must attempt to regain a belief in justice, but we must transfer our hope away from governmental officials to God, to his actions both in this world and especially in the next. It is in that future that we need to focus our hope for final vindication and justice. I can weep about children who are abused by their parents, and I can work until my bones grow weary so that less abuse takes place. But I can also be dismayed when I read in the morning newspaper that some judge has released an accused abuser because of a lack of evidence when nearly all followers of the case were certain of the parent’s guilt. To be sure, the legal system demands that evidence be clear and incontrovertible to convict someone of abuse. Nonetheless, I still stand aghast when I see abusers released to commit the same crime. What I argue here is that I can cope more readily with this kind of limitation and chaos in society because I know that someday all will be rectified, the guilty will be fairly punished, and the innocent victims will be vindicated to enjoy the life that God wants for them.

But dealing with the theme of justice and vindication has a special angle in Peter’s letter. We would be unfair to Peter if we left this theme of vindication at the broadest level. We need to apply his own angle on vindication in order to be true to the text. And Peter’s angle is that vindication will come to the faithful Christians who are being persecuted because of their faith, obedience, and refusal to participate in the sins of their society. Once again, this leads us into the need for finding analogies in our Christian world, analogies of persecution for being a Christian. In such context the message of vindication needs to be heard.

The critical issue here is to think clearly: Where do Christians suffer injustice because they are Christians? Such people need to hear the message of Peter, the message of Christ’s vindication and ours, and then to learn to live in light of that message so they can live beyond and through the persecution itself.13 I have known people who were fired because they were honest, people whose children suffered severe forms of ostracism because they sought to live Christian lives, people whose careers were jeopardized because of their faith and denominational affiliations, and people who simply felt “out of it” because they refused to “run with the crowd.” Such people readily discover the message of Peter applicable to their own lives and can find solace in the midst of their trouble by reflecting thoughtfully on the ultimate vindication of God. They can learn to say, “Someday—” and so can learn to live in joy today.

Imagine you are teenager where the majority of high schoolers drink alcohol to the point of drunkenness on a semiregular basis, where many of them smoke pot or use addictive drugs, where they go to bed with other teenagers in a casual manner, and where that same teenage society knows who does these things and who does not. Then imagine that you would not be accepted (to some degree) if you refused to go along with these activities. Peter’s message says something to you about your situation. He knows how difficult it is to fight off pressures for acceptance and conformity; he knows that Christians seek to live holy and good lives and so refrain from sinful behaviors; and he knows that you will need to have special faith and courage to endure. My contention is that Peter wants you to focus on the final day when God will bring about ultimate justice. He wants you to say: (1) I will not conform to the sinful habits of my peers and friends; (2) I will remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus by living faithfully and obediently; (3) I will endure lonely nights and few friends; (4) I will find my friends in those who seek, with me, to be obedient; and (5) I will look forward to the day when God shows that faithfulness rather than acceptance is the truer virtue.

Maybe I am sensitive to these issues because I have two teenagers and because I coach basketball at a high school. But these issues are the very ones our youth are constantly facing. Furthermore, whether we are aware of them or not, similar kinds of peer pressure to conform also face adults. These pressures are “a form of persecution” in the sense that they are socially driven institutions that seek to prevent us from obeying the words of the apostles and the teachings of Jesus. We need to learn, with Jesus, to be just; we need to listen to Peter and seek to be obedient. And we especially need to get our eyes off the problems of acceptance and get them focused squarely on God’s final day of vindication, when all will be made right and all true virtues will appear for what they are: the will of God, now done on earth as it is heaven.