Reading: 1 Peter chapter 3 verses 18-22
Ill:
• The sarcastic teacher said to his class full of students:
• "If there are any idiots in the room, will they please stand up".
• After a long silence, one student rose to his feet.
• The teacher then asked him:
• "Now then mister, why do you consider yourself an idiot?"
• The student responded,
• "Actually I don’t, but I hate to see you standing up there all by yourself."
• Tonight we are not going back to school;
• But we are going to learn some important lessons.
• Tonight our topic is ‘Learning From Noah’.
(1). The ministry of Noah
The Bible holds Noah in very high regard:
• i.e. In the book of Ezekiel chapter 14 verses 19-20;
• He gets a name check alongside Daniel and Job, two great men of the Old Testament.
• i.e. There are of course many references to the Flood in both the Psalms & the Prophets.
• i.e. Jesus himself referred to Noah (Matthew chapter 24 verses 37-39);
• i.e. He is named with the heroes of faith in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 7.
• i.e. And the apostle Peter mentions him in both his New Testament letters (2 Peter 2:5 & 3:6).
Question: What can we learn from Peter’s letter and the ministry of Noah?
Answer: Four things spring to mind:
(a). Noah warned the people (2 Peter 2:5).
• In 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 5;
• Noah is described as a “preacher of righteousness.”
• The Bible does not tell is what he preached but Jewish tradition does;
Quote: Pirke R. Eliezer, quotes Noah’s words according to Jewish tradition:
“Be ye turned from your evil ways and works, lest the waters of the flood come upon you, and cut off all the seed of the children of men.”
• Although this tradition is not inspired like the text of the Bible,
• This extra biblical source may have an important truth for us to note and to heed!
• This tradition shows Noah preaching both a warning and a means of salvation.
• So the first lesson we learn is that;
• Noah warned other people that judgement was coming!
• Likewise the first lesson to learn – the challenge for each of us:
• Is to share the message of God with the people.
• Challenge is: Christian who are you going to share the gospel with this week?
Quote:
“For God so loved the world, not just a few,
The wise and great, the noble and the true,
Or those of favoured class or rank or hue.
God loved the world. Do you?”
(B). Noah was and is an object lesson (20-21).
(1). NOAH AND SALVATION.
• i.e. We are told the ark contained only one door – one way into safety and salvation.
• A Picture of Jesus Christ – the one way to knowing peace with God.
• i.e. It was God and not Noah;
• Who decided when the time was right to close the door and bring on the judgement.
• i.e. Noah and his family were saved by faith
• Because they believed God and entered into the ark of safety.
(2). NOAH AND BAPTISM,
• Peter saw in the Flood a picture (a type) of the Christian’s experience of baptism.
• The ark of course was baptised, immersed in water.
• This immersion, this baptism, this flood is a type,
• A pictures death, burial, and resurrection.
• The waters buried the earth in judgment,
• But they also lifted Noah and his family up to safety.
• Notice that when Peter wrote that Noah and his family were "saved by water,"
• He was careful to explain that this illustration does not imply salvation by baptism.
• Baptism is a "symbol” or is a “figure" of that which does save us,
• Namely, "the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (verse 21).
Although baptism does not save a persons soul:
• Peter reminds us that it does save us from one thing: ‘a bad conscience.’
• Peter had already told his readers that a good conscience was important.
• In verse 16 Peter told his readers;
• That to be a successful witness you need a "clear conscience";
• In other words all of us need to keep short accounts with God;
• When we fail or fall we need to quickly confess it and with his help repent of it;
• In this way we can know his washing, his cleansing, his forgiveness.
• We become clean vessels ready for the masters use!
(2). The ministry of Christ
In our types of Churches:
• We tend not to use prayer books and set prayers;
• Preferring to be spontaneous and make up our own prayers.
• The same is true with creeds;
• Although we may agree with the content they contain,
• We rarely collectively quote them.
Ill:
Creeds came about when Christianity took off:
• The apostles and their successors saw converts both Jewish and pagan.
• The New Testament had not yet been collected together like we enjoy today;
• So these new converts needed some help,
• Some instruction as to what orthodox Christians believe.
• The early Church fathers came up with creeds;
• Simple to learn but loaded with theological truth.
• The Apostles creed is a beautiful statement of the essential truths of the Christian faith,
• Although these words are simple, the concepts are by no means simplistic.
Quote: The Apostles Creed:
• “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 Ghost,
• 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 sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
• from thence He shall come to judge the quick 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”.
I would guess we are all familiar with these key truths except for one:
• One of the most difficult concepts communicated in this creed is found in the words,
• "He descended into hell."
• These words have their root in 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 19,
• They are to Bible scholars very difficult verses to explain.
• ill: R.T. Kendall does a 90min lecture to explain them;
• And all I have left are a few minutes to try and enlighten you!
Notice what Peter tells us regarding the ministry of Christ
• In this verse Peter presented Jesus Christ as the perfect example to follow;
• The recipients of this letter were suffering unjustly;
• So Peter reminds them that they are in good company.
• Jesus suffered unjustly, and yet he still obeyed God! So follow his example.
(A). THE DEATH OF CHRIST (vs 18).
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
This verse tells us two things about the death of Jesus Christ:
• First: He suffered ONCE for sins – his death was victorious!
• His work on the cross was a finished and completed work,
• It never needs repeating and cannot be improved in any way!
• Second: He suffered for others – his death was vicarious!
• “The just one died for the unjust”;
• Christ gave his perfect life on behalf of imperfect & sinful people.
Note: I love the phrase in verse 18:
• The phrase "bring you to God" is a technical term;
• That means; ‘To gain an audience at court’.
Ill:
• When we take the children to London,
• We can only ever view Buckingham Palace form the outside.
• Because as you know;
• It is only the select few who ever get beyond the gates to meet royalty;
• This verse in 1 Peter is a reminder, although it is more than that – it’s a guarantee;
• That because of the death of Jesus Christ;
• Sinful people (unrighteous) who have trusted in him,
• Can now come with confidence, boldly before God’s royal throne!
(B). THE PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST (VS 19-20).
“He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit”.
• The phrase "made alive by the Spirit",
• Creates a problem for Bible scholars.
• Because in the Greek manuscripts, there were no capital letters;
• So translators have no authority to write "Spirit" with a capitol ‘S’;
• Rather than "spirit" with a lower-case ‘s’.
So this verse then has two very different meanings and interpretations.
First:
• The N.I.V. translates it with a capitol ‘S’.
• Leaning towards the interpretation: “…made alive by the Holy Spirit”.
• This is the easiest interpretation:
• And this of course is what Peter preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:23-24).
“…you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead…”
• Mankind crucified the Son of God;
• He was put to death in the body – a brutal, vicious and cruel end!
• But God the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit raised him back from the dead!
• So this is the easiest interpretation of this verse.
Second:
• The experts tell us that the end of verse 18 should read:
• "Being put to death with reference to the body/flesh,
• but made alive with reference to the spirit."
• Notice using this translation that the contrast in this verse;
• Is between Christ’s body/flesh and his spirit,
• And Not between Christ’s body/flesh and the Holy Spirit.
• The contrast is between Christ’s body/flesh and his spirit,
I would suggest this interpretation is saying this;
• The earthly physical body of Jesus was dead for three days.
• Now that phrase "made alive in the spirit" cannot mean resurrection,
• Because resurrection always has to do with the body and NOT the spirit.
• So I would suggest that in this verse Peter is simply making a contrast;
• The body/flesh of Jesus was dead, but the spirit of Jesus has always been alive.
Ill:
• You remember the last words of Jesus on the cross were;
• (Luke chapter 23 verse 46): “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”.
• So we know from that verse that the spirit of Jesus could not have died;
• For it was in the safe keeping of God the Father!
• So I would suggest that in this verse Peter is simply making a contrast;
• The body/flesh of Jesus was dead, but the spirit of Jesus has always been alive.
Now if that did not strain your brain these next verses will:
• According to Peter in verse 19:
• Sometime between His death and His resurrection
• Jesus made a special proclamation to "the spirits in prison."
This raises three more difficult questions:
• Where did he go?
• Who were these "spirits" that he visited?
• What did he proclaim to them?
Question 1: Where did he go?
• Verse 19 says; “to the imprisoned spirits”.
• The Apostles Creed says; “He descended into hell”
• Nowhere in the Bible are we told that Jesus visited hell.
• Acts chapter 2 verse 31 states that He went to "Hades",
• But remember that "Hades" is not hell.
• Note: The word "Hades" refers to a temporary place where;
• Where those outside of Christ await the resurrection & judgement.
• In the New Testament “Hades” is the temporary place.
• While Hell is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost.
• You can read more in Revelation chapter 20 verses 11-15.
• Note: In contrast when a Christian dies, they go to neither ‘Hades’ or ‘ Hell’,
• Instead the Christian goes to be with Christ in heaven.
• 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 8
• "To be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."
• Words of Jesus in John chapter 14;
• “Where I am there you will be also”.
• Question 1: Where did he go?
• Verse 19 says; “to the imprisoned spirits”.
• Which would seem to be ‘Hades’ and not hell.
Question 2: Who were these "spirits" that He visited?
• In the New Testament, the word "spirits"
• Is used to describe angels or demons and NOT human beings;
• And the context verse 22;
• Would seem to argue for this meaning.
Quote: Warren Wiersbe:
• “Our Lord yielded His spirit to the Father, died,
• And at some time between death and resurrection,
• Visited the realm of the dead where He delivered a message to spirit beings
• (probably fallen angels; see Jude verse 6)
• Who were somehow related to the period before the flood.
• Verse 20 makes this clear.”
• Well I am not sure it makes it all that clear;
• But many scholars agree that it was fallen angels who Jesus preached to.
Question 3: What did he proclaim?
• The word translated "preached";
• Simply means "to announce as a herald, to proclaim",
• Notice it is not the word that means "to preach the Gospel"
• That Peter used in chapter 1 verse 12 and chapter 4 verse 6.
• Peter does not tell us what Jesus preached to these imprisoned spirits,
• So all; we can do is speculate and guess.
• Many scholars believe it was a declaration of victory over Satan and his hosts;
• Verse 22: adds weight to this idea.
Quote: Brown in his commentary:
“Though we should not be able to determine with absolute certainty who these spirits in prison are, and when, and how, and for what purpose, Christ went and preached to them; and whatever opinion we may adopt as most probable on these subjects, no Christian doctrine, no Christian duty is affected by uncertainty or by our opinion”
(c). THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST (vs 21).
“…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also - not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
• James chapter 2 verse 26:
• Tells us that death comes when the spirit leaves the body;
• Then resurrection involves the spirit returning to the body;
• ill: Luke chapter 8 verse 55: Jairus daughter.
Peter links both baptism and resurrection together in this verse:
• Baptism is both a picture of dying as someone is placed under the water;
• But also a picture of resurrection – new life.
• Without the resurrection baptism makes no sense;
• The resurrection is the proof, the guarantee;
• That Christ won a complete victory of sin, devil and death!
(D). THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST (vs 22).
“who 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 heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, the place of exaltation.
• ill: Grand Prix terms he is on the winning podium.
At the right hand of God the New Testament tells us that:
• He is ministering to the church as High Priest (Heb. 7:25; 4:14-16)
• He is ministering to Christians as their Advocate (1 John 1:9-2:2).
• He is preparing a place for His people (John 14:1-6)
• And he will one day come to receive them to Himself.
