Verse: 1 Peter 3:18-22
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
Devotion
This is one of those very difficult to understand passages. And before taking a shot at applying it to our lives, let me first say that it is OK to not fully understand everything in the Bible. There is some mystery to faith in Jesus for sure, and there is some mystery to the Bible as well. It is good for us to have a healthy dose of humility before the text.
With that said, it is important to read these verses in the vein in which he has been writing, namely, suffering for doing good. Taken from that light as a continued thought, it appears that first he says something to the effect of: “even though you are suffering now, the ones that hurt you will be held accountable.” That is probably why he wrote that very confusing verse about preaching to “spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient.” Several commentators argue that this is referencing people (or angels) who led humanity astray. This may not feel like a super salient point for us right now, but to the early church who was being hunted, arrested, and persecuted this was encouraging. Basically he was telling them they can have hope because, “as you hold up under persecution, remember that Jesus did as well, and those who hurt you will be held accountable.”
Secondly Peter references baptism as a way of reminding them that indeed their place is with Jesus now. They are to be found in him, and he is the one to whom “angels and authorities and powers” now bow to. There is hope in knowing that their oppressors will be held accountable, and that ultimately Jesus has broken the power of evil, and a day of deliverance is coming.
So what’s the point for us in the 21st century on a Thursday morning? I think the point is hope. Even when our world is turning upside down, we can have hope because we belong to Jesus, and Jesus has overcome. This passage has echoes of Philippians 2:10, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” In the end every evil, every demonic power of pain and suffering and sickness, every abuser, every person who took advantage of someone else, will be held accountable, and Jesus will right every wrong, and heal every wound. That is our hope. In a world riddled with pain and injustice, we have hope that Jesus will bring justice and healing both in the world now, and finally and totally, at the end of time.
One more thing. In reading the preceding words, let us not lose sight that we also are to be held accountable. We have hurt others. Maybe not “as badly” as others, but we have. We have sinned against other people—God’s own children. We have caused pain, broken relationship, broken trust, and more. It is easy for us to get excited about God “holding evil doers accountable” until we realize that includes ME! But in that friends, is the Gospel. The Good News. Jesus has paid the price to free us and forgive us from our own tyranny. And that is precisely why we need him. Don’t be fooled into another Us/Them dichotomy where we assume others are worse than us. The more we get in touch with the sin inside of us, the more grace we have for the sin inside of others.
So pray for hope and peace to endure the world’s evil, and pray for repentance and healing to be freed from the evil within.
Prayer
Thank you God that the day will come when you will erase all evil. Including the evil in me. I pray for hope and peace as we endure evil in the world, and transformation to rid myself of evil.
Author: Christian Dunn
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