Peter Barnes | 1 Peter 3:19-22
SERMON NOTES
SALVATION, SPIRITS IN PRISON AND BAPTISM
1 Peter 3:19-22
– Martin Luther: ‘This is a strange text and certainly a more obscure passage than any other passage in the New Testament. I still do not know for sure what the apostle meant.’ Augustine said it ‘disturbs me profoundly’. Daniel Doriani: ‘Not every congregation is ready for an entire sermon on a text so complex as 3:19-22.’ Peter moves from Christ’s suffering (3:18) to His triumphant victory (3:22).
1. The Spirit of Christ proclaimed God’s Word to the spirits in prison.
– 3:19-20a. Most say the spirits are angelic spirits, but they seem to be human spirits.
(a) Some say it is a post-mortem opportunity to believe the gospel. Scripture is against that – Heb.9:27.
(b) Some say that Christ announced His victory to believers who lived B.C. but it says that they ‘formerly did not obey’.
(c) Some think that after His resurrection – to cite Luther – Jesus spent three days thumbing His nose at the devil.
(d) Christ through the Spirit, preached through Noah to his generation. A divine person preaches through human beings (Eph.2:17; 1 Pet. 1:11).
2. Few may be saved in a hostile world.
– 3:20-21. The water image leads Peter to baptism (1 Cor. 10:1-2). ‘Baptism saves’ (3:21) is shorthand, like Luke 7:50; 1 Cor.9:22. Only eight did that in Noah’s day.
3. Christ’s victory is total.
– 3:22. This completes the big picture.