SERIES: Faith Under Fire
Defending the Faith, Not Ourselves
In chapter 1, we were introduced to the reality that becoming a Christian introduces a tremendous new tension in life. Our faith in Jesus causes our citizenship papers to be transferred from one kingdom to another. Paul tells us in Colossians that God “has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” (Col. 1:13, NLT) The tension results because though our papers are transferred and we get new passports, we still find ourselves living in the world where the Prince of Darkness has authority and influence. We find ourselves as aliens and ex-patriots, displaced refugees waiting to return to our new homeland.
In the meantime, we live simultaneously in two worlds, two cultures. One world is the community of people who live by faith and in obedience to Jesus. The other world is the community of people still held hostage by the Prince of Darkness. We have to figure out how to be in the world but not of the world.
To help us, chapter 2 teaches that God is calling out a people who are being built together, a chosen people, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. These are majestic descriptions of the church—a people called out of the world to be sent back into the world to “declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
The end of chapter 2 and the first part of chapter 3 show that as we are sent back into the world, we live by a different set of relational rules. Civic relationships, work relationships and marriage relationships take on a new flavor, as does our relationship with those who are still held hostage by the Prince of Darkness.
Now some immigrants are ill-treated because they don’t even try to adjust to their new home. They refuse to learn the language; they dress in their native costumes; they may even break the laws of their new country. We don’t feel too sorry for them; we may isolate ourselves from them; in fact, we may even deport them. And that happens spiritually, too. Groups like the Shakers, or the Amish have refused any attempt to adapt to the world. As a result they are isolated and have no impact on the broader culture. If we are not careful, we can unintentionally find ourselves locked inside a Christian biosphere where we know only Christians.
However, sometimes displaced aliens are picked on by the dominate culture just because they are aliens. They get blamed for national problems or economic recessions. They sometimes get teased because they don’t know how to navigate well in their displaced homeland. God’s ex-patriots experience these things as well.
We are called in this passage to be ready to give a reasonable answer for why we continue to follow Christ even when we are left out, teased, or even persecuted to the point of death. Peter will clarify the context of our defense. We will be given guidance in preparing our defense. And we will be taught how to deliver our answer. Finally, he will focus on the basis of our defense.
Listen to the Word of the Lord as found in 1 Peter 3:13-16:
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
The context of our defense: we live in situations where our faith sometimes comes under fire.
Look at verse 13, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” In the original language, the word translated “eager” is the word zealous. Peter is making a general statement with his question. Usually if you are zealous for doing good, you will not suffer harm. But then he qualifies this reality with the contrasting statement. [14] But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. There will be times you will still suffer for being a follower of Jesus, despite living righteously, despite your faithfulness to God, despite your attempts to avoid trouble. But how do we handle such situations?
The Preparation for the Defense
In second part of verse 14 and the first part of verse 15, Peter gives us three ways to prepare ourselves. Look at the second half of verse 14 again: “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” [15] But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. . .
Keep fear in check. Our natural reaction is to panic when being ill-treated, to shrink back and take the path of least resistance. We fear that if we don’t blend in we won’t have any friends. If we don’t give in our reputation will be wrecked.
Instead of fearing Peter offers an alternative choice.
Recognize Jesus as Lord over all situations. Verse 15: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” Jesus is Lord over everything in heaven, on earth and under the earth (Philippians 2:10-11). He reigns over everything. Now it easy to say that, but we have to choose to believe God’s Word despite our feelings to the contrary.
In these kinds of situations, other people are watching. They are watching our response. They are watching whether we stick to our beliefs. They are watching to see if we compromise.
Decide what you will say ahead of time. Now it sounds a lot more spiritual to just trust the Holy Spirit to give you the words you need at the time. And He will do this at times. But the Holy Spirit also inspired Peter to write this letter. And here we are told to intentionally prepare in advance. Like it or not, this is going to some take work on your part. It means you may have to give some thought to your testimony, your faith story. You may need a 30 minute version, a 3-minute version, and even a 30-second version, because there may be times when all you are given is 30 seconds.
We also need to be able to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People may ask hard questions and we need to know how to answer. Let me recommend a book entitled Know Why You Believe by Paul Little or a similar book that answers some of the classic questions people have about the Christian faith. Little has a companion book called Know What You Believe, which is a scholarly but simple explanation of all the crucial beliefs of the Christian faith. There are a number of other helpful resources available.
What we say is important, but we must also give as much attention to how we say it.
The delivery of our defense
Norm Wright quotes a 1971 study (see Before You Say I Do, p. 54) which shows that when we speak only 7% of what we say is the content of our message. The tone of our voice contributes 38% to our message. Our non-verbals contribute 55%.[i] Peter gives us three encouragements about our delivery. Our delivery ought to be…
Gentle in tone. When we are on the hot seat our tendency is to mirror the attitude of the spiritual antagonist, so we become antagonistic too. We don’t need to defend God; He will do just fine on his own. We don’t have to defend the Gospel; it will stand up quite well to scrutiny. We can make our defense very matter-of-factly, with love, and in a winsome and genuine style.
Respectful to the person and their journey. Even spiritual antagonists are made in the image of God. Even though sin has marred the glorious work of the Artist, if you look closely you can still make out the faint brush strokes.
Clear in our own conscience. Here Peter touches upon the power that is found in a life lived consistently and continually in line with the hope we have. Not covering up our failures but pointing to Christ’s work in our life. The power of an authentic life has incredible power to silence the words of those who will slander us.
Now in verse 17 we are introduced to …
The basis of our defense: It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil because that’s what Jesus did.
Consider the words of verses 17-22:
“It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. {18} For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, {19} through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison {20} who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, {21} and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also–not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, {22} who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand–with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”
Now just think about verse 17 for a moment. It’s better to pay a price for something wrong you didn’t do than to pay for something you did do. Can you think of anything that goes against our nature and goes against the way our society thinks more than that? Frankly, there are a great many people today who seem to think they shouldn’t even be held responsible for the evil they do. It’s not their fault they used a chainsaw to carve someone up–it’s their mother’s fault or it’s society’s fault or it’s the economy’s fault.
The courts are clogged with criminals pleading “not guilty” for a whole host of reasons other than innocence. They are pleading extenuating circumstances, poor representation by their lawyers, insanity due to post partem depression, legal technicalities, you name it.
Sure, there are still some who are willing to take their lumps when they’ve messed up. There are a few who will actually say, “I did it and I’m going to accept the consequences.” But the last thinganyone wants to pay for is someone else’s mistakes. Even the best of Christians can get his dander up when taken advantage of, or when accused of something he didn’t do, or when someone else gets credit for what he did do, or when a good deed is misinterpreted and criticized.
The kind of unjust suffering Peter is primarily concerned with is identified in verse 16 as that perpetrated by “those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ.” He’s speaking of those who suffer because of their faith–those who are persecuted, slandered, lose jobs, are imprisoned, or even martyred because they stand up for Christ and His standards. I think all unfair suffering is noted by God in His books, but when we suffer because we are Christians, that goes into a special category. God promises to vindicate us and bless us when that happens. And the ultimate proof is found in the life of Christ.
Now in focusing on the example of Christ, Peter begins with the crucifixion. Look again at verse 17: “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” The ultimate injustice is for an innocent person to suffer capital punishment. But that’s what happened to Jesus. The righteous died for the unrighteous. But Jesus was not only innocent of the crimes of which He was accused; He was completely and perfectly innocent. That raises the injustice to an infinite level. But His sinlessness is also what made His death effective for sinners. You see, the sins of the guilty could never be paid for by another guilty person; only an innocent person could take the place of the guilty.
The phrase “once for all” is a beautiful concept, and one that, sadly, millions of people do not understand. For centuries the Jewish people brought sacrifices regularly to the temple to atone for their sins. There are all kinds of people who perform religious rites and rituals, believing they too are participating in the atonement of their sins. But Peter says, “Christ died for sins once for all.” You can’t add anything to what He has done, so quit trying.
When I moved to St. Louis in 1984 I became good friends with an Episcopal priest named Don Wilkinson. When we first met I noticed he had a personalized license plate on his car which read HAPAX. I was enough of a Greek student to recognize the word as meaning “once for all.” I was curious and asked Don, “Why do you have that Greek word on your license plate?” “Oh,” he said, “lots of people are curious and ask me what it means, so I have a chance to tell them it means that Jesus died “once for all.” I like that.
Notice too that Peter says Jesus died to bring you to God. In the ancient courts of kings there was an official called the introducer, the giver of access, and it was his function to decide who should be admitted to the king’s presence and who should be kept out. That’s General Kelley in the White House! Well, Jesus is the One who provides ACCESS to the Father. Friend, there’s no other way to connect with God. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
There are many sincere people who get stuck right here at this point. They admire Jesus, they like many of His teachings, and they recognize in Him qualities possessed by no one else in history. But they can’t bring themselves to believe He is the only way to God. Sadly, they will trust their own intuition, their own intellect, their own competence before they will bow the knee before the One whom God appointed as the Way. And if Jesus is not the only way, then He is no way at all. If He lied about the fact that all other ways fall short, how can we trust Him regarding anything He taught?
Now Jesus was put to death in the body, verse 18 says. He didn’t faint; He didn’t swoon; He was executed. He actually died physically. But “He was made alive by the Spirit.” In the NIV “Spirit”is capitalized, meaning the Holy Spirit. But that’s interpretive on the part of the translators, for there were no capital letters in the original. Frankly, because of the parallel to “body” in the same verse, I’m inclined to think it should read “spirit” with a lower case “s”, referring to his human spirit. His body was killed, but His spirit remained alive.
In fact, while his body was in the grave, His spirit, His person “went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.” Obviously Peter is moving now from the crucifixion to what Jesus was doing following the crucifixion and before the resurrection. He was preaching.
The proclamation by Jesus to the spirits in prison. This passage has been identified as one of the most difficult passages to interpret in the entire Bible. There are at least 18 major different interpretations that have been offered by scholars greater than I. But you know something, sometimes scholars make the simple complex, and I can’t help but think that’s what they’ve done with this passage.
I happen to believe that the Great Creeds of the Church are pretty reliable. There’s one that is very old, called the Apostles’ Creed. Our Free Church tradition is not very liturgical, so we don’t quote creeds like this often, but we should:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The most troubling statement in this creed is that Jesus descended into Hell. In fact, many modern versions of the Creed simply leave that out. I don’t think we need to, because I think the Creed is correct, and the origin of that phrase is found right here in 1 Peter 3.
The basic facts are pretty clear. Following His crucifixion, Jesus in his spirit went and preached to some spirits in prison. Those spirits were incarcerated because they had disobeyed God in the days of Noah. Turn with me to Genesis 6:1-8, and we’ll try to discover what these beings did that got them into so much trouble and why Jesus went to preach to them:
When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, {2} the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. {3} Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
{4} The Nephilim were on the earth in those days–and also afterward–when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
{5} The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. {6} The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. {7} So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth–men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air–for I am grieved that I have made them.” {8} But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
There was a lot of sin before Genesis 6, including the murder of Abel by his brother. But something happened here in Genesis 6 that was so heinous it caused God to regret the creation of man and filled God’s heart with pain. As a result, He brought upon the earth the judgment of the Great Flood, which only righteous Noah and seven of his relatives escaped. What was that sin?
The term “sons of God” in verse 2 of Genesis 6 is used only of supernatural beings in Scripture. Apparently what happened was sexual cohabitation between some fallen angels (i.e. demons) and women on this earth. These demons came in bodily form, had intercourse with human women, and as a result a generation of strange beings were born–called Nephilim or giants. Interestingly when I taught this 45 years ago people gave me really weird looks, even Christian people, but I think we are more aware today of the reality of angels and demons than back them. The existence of sexual demons, referred to as incubus and succubus, are well-known in occult literature.
At any rate, the Flood brought an end to this awful sin and the freaks it produced. God’s judgment was particularly harsh on the spirit beings themselves, who cohabited with the human women. He placed them in a prison, called in the original “Tartarus.” This is apparently a compartment of hellreserved for those who commit unusually heinous sin.
And, believe it or not, there is further biblical confirmation of this view. Turn over a page or two to 2 Peter 2:4:
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons 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; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (which, by the way, were also guilty of sexual perversion) … (verse 7) and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man … (verse 9) if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment . . .
Turn forward another page or two to the book of Jude, verse 6:
And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home–these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion.
Notice again the comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah, known for sexual perversion, particularly the celebration of sex outside the bounds prescribed by God.
Now it was to the prison where these demons were held that Jesus went to preach. Did He go there to preach the Gospel and give them a chance to repent? Clearly no, for there is never a hint in Scripture concerning the redemption of angelic beings. Furthermore, the word for “preach” here is not the normal term for preaching the Gospel, but rather a general term for a proclamation, particularly an edict made by a king. I think Jesus went there to announce to Satan’s cohorts that He had finished His work on the cross, He had defeated their leader, and He had accomplished our salvation. All their efforts to derail God’s plan for mankind had gone for naught.
So far Peter has spoken of Jesus’ crucifixion and His proclamation immediately after His crucifixion. Thirdly he turns to …
The resurrection of Jesus, which is the power behind baptism
Let’s read carefully again, starting in the middle of verse 20: “In it (i.e. the ark) only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also–not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Now, as if we didn’t have enough on our plate trying to understand why Jesus was preaching to imprisoned spirits, Peter lays another heavy one on us with the statement that “baptism now saves you.” What does that mean?
There are churches, of course, that love this text and have built a whole theology of baptism out of it. It’s called baptismal regeneration, that is, one is saved by being baptized. My goal today is not to argue with or try to refute those who hold this view, though I certainly disagree with it. Rather I want us to understand what Peter is saying and why he is saying it. The key we must not miss is what Peter says at the end of verse 21: namely, that if baptism saves you, “it saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ”. The resurrection of Jesus is the power behind baptism.
What does Peter mean when he says that the water of the flood symbolizes baptism, and that baptism now saves us? Think about the flood for a moment. Did the water save Noah? No, the ark saved him. In fact, that’s clearly what Peter says. “In it (the ark) only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water.” The water was a factor, in that the ark was carried to safety through the water, but if hadn’t been for the Ark, the water would clearly have destroyed Noah and his family, not saved them.
What then is the appropriate analogy to baptism? What is it that actually saves us? Well, it’s another wooden object, not an ark but a cross. The cross is our ark. Jesus died there and then rose from the dead. If it weren’t for the Cross and the resurrection, baptism would destroy not save. In fact, I believe there are millions of people who are on the road to spiritual death principally becausethey are trusting in their baptism to save them instead of trusting in the Cross and resurrection of Jesus.
Though Peter’s choice of words is unusual and has created some difficulties for our understanding, it seems to me he tries hard to avoid the notion that a person is saved by mere participation in the outward form of baptism. In fact, he plainly tells us that the issue is spiritual, not physical. It’s “not the removal of dirt form the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.” Listen to the Living Bible’s paraphrase of verse 21: “In baptism we show that we have been saved from death and doom by the resurrection of Christ; not because our bodies are washed clean by the water, but because in being baptized we are turning to God and asking Him to cleanse our hearts from sin.”
We don’t need to be embarrassed by Peter’s emphasis on baptism here. We would do better if we would join him by elevating baptism to the place it deserves in the Christian church. Baptism was viewed as the indisputable initiatory rite into the Christian faith in apostolic times. There was no such thing as an unbaptized Christian. I think our cavalier, laissez faire, take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward baptism would shock the Apostles. Through baptism we testify we have died with Christ, have been buried with Him, and have been raised with Him to newness of life. The whole idea and effectiveness of baptism is dependent upon the resurrection of Jesus.
Finally, Peter speaks of …
The exaltation of Jesus above every other authority and power
Verse 22: “Jesus has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand–with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” Forty days after his resurrection Jesus ascended to the Father. There He was seated in the preeminent place of honor. There the angels bowed in submission to Him.
Someday every being in heaven and on earth will likewise bow to Him. Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that because He was willing to humble Himself and become obedient to death–even a Cross death, which is the ultimate in unjust suffering, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
In conclusion, let’s return to the theme of this chapter, and in many ways the theme of this entire book, verse 17: “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Peter’s proof that unjust suffering is beneficial is the example of Jesus. God vindicated Him and gave Him an awesome place of honor. But this would be of no comfort to us if the message were not implicit that God will do for you and me what He did for Jesus. He will vindicate us as He vindicated His Son. He will raise us from the dead, as He raised His Son. He will exalt us, as He exalted His Son.
Instead of focusing on the glory that lies ahead of us, I want to suggest that we focus on the preparation for that glory. We prepare for it by enduring unjust suffering with the same attitude Jesus had. Don’t fight back. Don’t take revenge. Don’t curse those who curse you. The Father will vindicate you. He has promised.
DATE: December 3, 2017
Tags:
Suffering
Hell
Demons
Baptism
[i]H. Norman Wright, Before You Say, I Do, 54.