“For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards, they might live in the spirit according to God’s standards.”
We are going to tackle another difficult verse today. I thought it would be best to stick with only one verse, and because verse 7 starts a whole new section, it worked out well. This verse has three possible interpretations, two of which are plausible, and one of which is not. Let’s dig in!
Peter starts with the phrase “For this reason…” which of course, makes us look at the preceding verse for the reason. We must look back at verse five, where we are told that the Gentiles “will give an account for the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.” He goes on to say, “For this reason, the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead…” This is where it gets difficult. What does he mean by this?
There are three possible explanations. The first possibility is that he is writing about those believers who have recently died. The second possibility is that he is writing about those that are spiritually dead. And the last possibility is that he means those who have died without hearing or believing the gospel.
We will start with the most likely option. Peter is referring to believers who have already died. Logically this works because of the structure of the verse. He starts with “For this reason…” which has to hook to the thought that he presented before it. That idea is the Lord’s judgment of both the living and the dead. Edmund Clowney writes this. “Further, the verb for the gospel was preached (all one word in Greek) is passive; literally ‘it or he, was-preached-as good-news’. Verse 6 is closely tied with what goes before: For this is the reason… Since Peter has just spoken of the Lord’s judgment of the living and the dead, the simplest translation would be: ‘For this is why he was preached-as good-news to those who are dead also…’”
Peter is reassuring the persecuted church that those believers who have died, maybe through recent persecutions, maybe just waiting for Christ’s return, that their reward is in heaven. Wayne Grudem writes in his commentary, “The fact that they died should not trouble the minds of those left behind, for, short of the second coming of Christ, the gospel was never intended to save people from physical death.” Unless Christ returns for us, we will all go through physical suffering, possible persecution, or as Peter writes, “…be judged in the flesh according to human standards.” But we need to remember Jesus’s words. “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).
The second possibility is that Peter is referring to those who are spiritually dead. There are several verses that use the same word to describe this. Ephesians 2:1-2 says, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.” In Romans 8:10, we read, “Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.” According to the world, we have lost everything. But according to Jesus, we have gained everything. “Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it’” (Mark 8:34-35).
Both of these options are plausible and fit with the overall picture that we have in Scriptures. We read the verses in context, looked at other Scriptures, looked at the original Greek, and looked at the historical time period in which Peter was writing. This is called exegesis. Ex- means out, so we are drawing out of the Scripture after we have studied it carefully. Another important word is hermeneutics. That means how do we apply what we are reading? But it is so important to understand that the original meaning of the verse is the starting point. As Fee and Stewart write in their book How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth, “A text cannot mean what it could never have meant for its original readers/hearers. Or to put it in a positive way, the true meaning of the biblical text for us is what God originally intended it to mean when it was first spoken or written.” And one last thing. As Greg Koukl says, “Never read a Bible verse. Always read it in context!”
Now, you may be wondering why I just went on that long sidebar. It’s because of the third interpretation. Some have interpreted Peter’s words to mean that the dead are those who have died without hearing the gospel. They interpret this to mean that people will get a second chance after they die. But is this what Peter is saying? If we use the tools that I just wrote about, we see that it is not. We see that this is not supported anywhere else in the Bible. In Hebrews we read, “And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment— so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (9:27-28). This verse clearly shows that after we die comes the judgment. There is no second chance.
I’m going to give you one more fancy word for today. Eisegesis is the interpretation of scripture based on a subjective reading. Eis- means into. Someone may have a preconceived idea and then they pick verses out of context to support their idea. This happens with people in cults. They pull verses out of context to support their flawed theology. Next time you are thrown by someone quoting the Bible out of context, look up the verse. Read it in its context. Compare it to other scriptures. Clear teachings in the Bible can help inform us on the unclear teachings. Don’t let a Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness at your door throw you off! Invite them in. Open your Bible. Look at the Scriptures they are showing you. Read them in context. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you. And remember, it is not going to say anything new. The true meaning of the Bible is still what it was when it was first spoken or written.
One verse, but so much we can learn from it! I will be gone for the next two weeks, but I’m looking forward to coming back so we can start on the next section. My Bible gives the heading “End Time Ethics.” We are going to look at what our behavior should look like.
Grace be with you!
Abundant Joy 