1 Peter: God’s Pilgrim People in a Hostile World – The Righteous for the Unrighteous

Peter Barnes | 1 Peter 3:18

SERMON  NOTES
THE RIGHTEOUS FOR THE UNRIGHTEOUS
1 Peter 3:18

Some Greek manuscripts say Christ ‘suffered’ for sins (ESV, NKJV); other Greek manuscripts say Christ ‘died’ for sins (NIV).

1. Christ’s death perfectly atones for sin.

– 3:18. This means that Christ’s work is perfect and unrepeatable; Hebrews 9:25-28. Full atonement – can it be?/ Hallelujah! what a Saviour! (Philip Bliss)

– repetition implies imperfection. We scarcely like to think of the character of God – Ps.130:3. But there is John 19:30.

2. Christ’s death is substitutionary.

– 3:18. Who else is righteous? None, not one – Rom.3:10-12.

– Job? No, see Job 40:3-5; 42:5-6. Only the prophesied Suffering Servant is totally righteous – Isa.53:6-9.

– Matt.17:5; John 8:46; 2 Cor.5:21; 1 Peter 2:22. He is without sin; we are, as Charles Wesley put it, ‘false and full of sin’. John 10:11.

3. Christ’s death brings us to God.

– 3:18. Is Peter referring to the spirit of Christ (ESV, Holman, NASB) or the Holy Spirit (NKJV, NIV)? See Rom.8:11; Heb. 9:14.

– Acts 16:14 (undramatic) or Acts 16:25-31 (dramatic).

Some through the fire,/ Some through the flood,

Some through the water,/ But all through the blood.