too often saints going astray, comparatively seldom persevering as the rule, if we speak of their consistent fidelity and devotedness. 17 for it is better, if the will of god be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. And He preached to those souls that were in prison. There is a wider and, if possible, a deeper thought than the measure of our walk, which, after all, differs in all the children of God, no two being exactly the same, and all of us depending on self-judgment as well as growth in the knowledge of the Lord and of His grace. When he was suffered for righteousness' sake, he rejoiced, "Happy are you." The reason or meritorious cause of Christ's suffering was the sins of men: Christ suffered for sins. That is, He is a royal priest just as truly as His functions are now exercised on the ground of sacrifice, interceding after the Aaronic pattern within the veil but a veil that is rent. And if ye call on the Father" that is, if ye call on Him as Father "who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." Not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto __ called that ye should inherit a blessing. In the thrilling early days of the Church this prayer was fulfilled, for they were all of one heart and of soul ( Acts 4:32). Take, for instance, the duty of obedience; the value of a gracious, peaceful walk here below; the degree of confidence in God. Just you know, if he had gotten out railing, I'm sure I would have jumped out of the car and ran up and grabbed him and told him what a stupid move that was, you know. Such will be "that day," and of that day Hosea prophesies. The Jews were all familiar with a ransom price that used to be paid in silver. I mean, his eyes got big and he just --he was just telling me, you know, how much he'd enjoyed the message and how it spoke to him, and all, and she comes up with all of this and his eyes get big and all. Search for Gold Beneath Biblical Tensions. Thus, it would be proper to say that Whitefield came to America, and preached to the souls in perdition; or to go among the graves of the first settlers of New Haven, and say, Davenport came from England to preach to the dead men around us.. "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." So, then, even in suffering the Christian is still blessed. Christianity came into a world of luxury and decadence combined. The identity of the "spirits in prison" is problematic. One could say that Jesus proclaimed a message to Noahs unbelieving contemporaries in His spirit (i.e., His spiritual state of life before the Incarnation) through Noah. He also wanted to assure them of their ultimate triumph in Christ. "To salvation" you will not find in your common Bibles, but it is none the less true for all that. It was in this spiritual condition of perfect freedom that the preaching to the dead took place. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious; to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious, ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Gentiles, in the times of the apostles: add to which, that the It really is founded on the death of Christ; and therein further our due place is shown us by His resurrection. In one year silks, pearls, scents and jewellery were imported from India to the value of 1,000,000 British pounds. In the ancient world chivalry to women was well-nigh unknown. So then, according to Jewish legend, Enoch did go to Hades and preach doom to the fallen angels. In 1 Peter 5:1-14 we read, "The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you;" but all concede that the terms " the church that is " have been put in by the translators: they have no authority whatever. . I mean, I was ready to tear him apart. At the same time the general principles of God are in nowise enfeebled by Christianity, but rather strengthened and cleared immensely. In Greek civilization the duty of the woman was "to remain indoors and to be obedient to her husband." If you yield to nature, you gratify it; but if you suffer in refusing its wishes, then "he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin." Who told you this? For the time that is past is sufficient to have done what the Gentiles will to do, to have lived a life of licentiousness, lust, drunkenness, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatry. They are the ones to which Jesus preached when He descended into hell. he does not do, and of the evil that he does, he has a dread of God, knowing that He must bring into judgment the good that he knew but did not, and the evil that he knew and did. ". This is Christianity. There is the suffering in which we are involved because of our humanity. We have seen how the Jews believed that all the dead went to Hades, the shadowy land of forgetfulness. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. patriarchs from thence, and carried them with him to heaven; but Thus he says to the Jews addressed that they were not a people (that is, in the days of their unbelief), but are now. let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him turn away from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it. Nehemiah 9:30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. No ability constitutes a gift; but the spiritual gift does not supersede natural ability, which becomes the channel of the gift, as the gift is given and works in accordance with that ability. As a matter of fact, "he went and preached" is just a Biblical way of saying he preached. How much we are indebted to the Spirit who now reveals a Christ already come! From the time that this new nature is given, the purpose of the heart is to obey. This had nothing at all to do with atonement a supposition which only arises from people closing their eyes to other truths in the Bible, to their own great loss even in the truth they hold. He wanted you to be one with Him, but a holy, pure, righteous God cannot be a part of sin, inconsistent with the nature of God. God takes exact notice of all the means and advantages that people in all ages have had for the salvation of their souls; it is put to the account of the old world that Christ offered them his help, sent his Spirit, gave them fair warning by Noah, and waited a long time for their amendment. Clearly nothing less than acceptance in righteousness before God; and this is precisely the position that baptism does set forth. What were the disciples then? (iii) He lays it down that that sacrifice was vicarious. (iii) Third, Peter sets brotherly love. And that's the message here in Acts 14:8-20. 2 Peter 2:4) and that they were disobedient in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:20). It is worth while to collect together the great New Testament passages about unity, in order to see how great a place it occupies in New Testament thought. He went through a profound work in his conscience after that. Christian forgets his proper dignity. The Lord spoke of a day when they should know it; but as yet the foundation was not even laid for it. This passage, therefore, cannot be adduced to support the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory, because: (1)The essential ideas which enter into the doctrine of purgatory are not to be found in the word used here; (2)There is no evidence in the fair interpretation of the passage that any message is borne to them while in prison; (3)There is not the slightest hint that they can be released by any prayers or offerings of those who dwell on the earth. transition from the times of the apostles, according to this If a man does not carry the sense in his soul that it is God's flock, I do not think he is fit to be an elder or in any other office of spiritual trust: he is far from the right ground for being a blessing to what, after all, is God's flock. Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus to get the best value in digital Bible study. We should use similar language now. Again the matter goes back to the words of Jesus. That which God values, the meek, the quiet spirit which in the sight of God is very valuable. In this passage Rendel Harris suggested that the word Enoch was missed out in the copying of Peter's writing and should be put back in. Assuredly he is to shepherd the flock, and this as God's flock, not his own. In this I, for one, do not believe. What is it that Saul of Tarsus says as the effect of the light of God shining on his soul? It is not that the Jews were not elect as a nation, but therein precisely it is where they stand in contrast with the Christian. That is, we have had accomplishment in the past; and we look for future fulfilment of all the bright anticipations of the coming kingdom. How important to be courteous. There is no allusion in this passage to any other; there is no intimation that to any others of those in prison the message here referred to had been delivered. (2.) God would not wait much longer upon them. A cultivated Greek believed that it was the mark of an intelligent man that he was able to give and to receive a logos ( G3056) concerning his actions and belief. What am I going to do? He said they are in prison (cf. I do not say that there are no limits. In every business contract there was a definite question and answer which made the contract binding. Since, then, Christ suffered in the flesh, you too must arm yourselves with the same conviction that he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, and as a result of this the aim of such a man now is to spend the time that remains to him of life in the flesh no longer in obedience to human passions, but in obedience to the will of God. 3:7 Likewise, you husbands, live understandingly with your wives, remembering that women are the weaker sex and assigning honour to them as fellow-heirs of the grace of life, so that there may be no barrier to your prayers. It was the sign of a good woman that she must see as little, hear as little and ask as little as possible. As Edwin H. Robertson put it: "Only forgiveness without reason can match sin without excuse." This particular Greek word is a difficult word to translate. The Baptism Of The Christian ( 1 Peter 3:18-22). The saints were chosen "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father;" for it was no question now of a Governor having a nation in whom He might display His wisdom, power, and righteous ways. There can be no salvation without repentance but how can repentance come to those who have never been confronted with the love and holiness of God? This word introduces us to a special way of looking at the Old Testament. I can't believe that; you're saved by believing in Jesus Christ. This is not by any means the only meaning of blood, even where it was sacrificially employed. Such labour is no modern thing. might be saved, if they would; and, as others, to let them know I'll get even with you. By which - Evidently by the Spirit referred to in the previous verse - en ho - the divine nature of the Son of God; that by which he was quickened again, after he had been put to death; the Son of God regarded as a Divine Being, or in that same nature which afterward became incarnate, and whose agency was employed in quickening the man Christ Jesus, who had been put to death. This is founded on the very principle of Christianity itself; that is, doing good, suffering for it, and taking it patiently. The technical word for that question and answer clause is eperotema ( G1906) in Greek, stipulatio in Latin. Because we are men, there come physical suffering, death, sorrow, distress of mind and weariness and pain of body. 206-13.] THE SILENT PREACHING OF A LOVELY LIFE ( 1 Peter 3:1-2 ). In fact, it's worse than that; it is --it's almost condemning to me. Several reasons support this view: (a) Peter calls Noah a herald of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5), where herald represents Greek kryx, preacher, which corresponds to the noun kryss, proclaim, in 1 Peter 3:19. We must first note what he does not advise. The example of Christ is proposed as an argument for patience under sufferings, the strength of which will be discerned if we consider the several points contained in the words; observe therefore, 1. The trial of our faith will not be revealed then, but "at the appearing of Jesus." At any rate the most important part is noticed; and in particular the great social bond, wives and husbands (1 Peter 3:1-22). What, then, can they do but devote their time to adornment and to dress?" (b) If we look at Moffatt's translation, we find something quite different. God himself.". And who is he that will harm you, if you are followers of that which is good? Now Peter's telling us the very same thing. But we've come to, you know, think of pitiful, as you know a poor cat that's lost an eye or something. Proved unbelief will be certainly to the praise of none, but where feeble faltering faith has been put in evidence by the trial, while surely forgiven in the grace of God, nevertheless the failure cannot but be judged as such. And Peter and his friends went away rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer that kind of persecution for Jesus. An idea similar to the one here expressed may be found in 2 Peter 2:4, though the word prison does not there occur: God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and in Jude 1:6, And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. The allusion, in the passage before us, is undoubtedly to confinement or imprisonment in the invisible world; and perhaps to those who are reserved there with reference to some future arrangement - for this idea enters commonly into the use of the word prison. The Jews had brought His government into contempt by their own rebellion against His name; and Jehovah Himself had found it morally needful to hand over His own nation into the power of their enemies. And so it's important that there be a harmony within the house. What brings a man into that peace which resists all efforts from without to take it, all weakness within in giving it up, is the certainty that all is clear with God. A very important development follows in the next verses. It would be well if all were clearly to understand what they are doing when they take upon themselves membership of the Church. And as he is writing in his own little exhortations here, he goes back and he quotes a portion of Psalm 34 , about three or four verses out of Psalm 34 . The meaning is that Jesus lived in a human body and was under all the limitations of time and space in the days of his flesh; and died with that body broken and bleeding upon the Cross. It is not merely the work effected, but salvation revealed; and hence it necessarily awaits the revelation of Jesus Christ. And in the act of being baptized the man answered: "Yes.". all this, and which Beza, with others, observes, the apostle He went and preached By the ministry of Noah, one hundred and twenty years. There may be no sense of liberty yet, nor even joy in the Lord; there can be no solid peace whatever. "Laying aside," he says, "all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby to salvation." She comes up and grabs me and starts calling me a filthy viper and all kinds of stuff, you know. 181-83.] Wherever there is a real work of God's Spirit not merely a testimony to the conscience but an arousing of it effectually before God the sanctification of the Spirit is made good. Therefore it is observable there was the sprinkling of the book along with it. "A saint," as someone has said, "is someone whose life makes it easier to believe in God. Because of it, all who trust in Christ are brought to His Father. In short, one may find here and there a truly excellent man, and, we will suppose, a number of godly people. His sanctification is the effectual work of divine grace, which first separates from the world a person, whether Jew or Gentile, unto God. They assimilated passages one to another; they thought that what was right in one case must be right in another; and thus the tendency was to blunt the fine edge of the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. To proclaim, herald, preach. So when He died, He descended into hell. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going" ( Ecclesiastes 9:10). And may God help us to be tenderhearted, not to become callused or indifferent to the needs of people around us but that we might have tender hearts, full of pity. But there is more than this: it was no longer a question of ordinances visibly separating those subject to them from the rest of the world. as some, to preach to the devils and damned spirits, that they - The ESV Study Bible, Another view is that Christs resurrection and ascension were the proclamation of victory over the most extreme powers of evil the earth has ever known, which these imprisoned spirits represent. Hence it is evident that, as long as the times of the Gentiles proceed, the Jews cannot regain their ancient title, nor become the real owners of Emmanuel's land. were when the apostle wrote: from whence we learn, that Christ It is Jesus Christ, through what he did, who gives men access to God. After this episode which has to do with men here, not in the unseen world, he returns to the relative duties of Christians, and exhorts them to watchfulness with sobriety, to fervent love, and also to "use hospitality one to another without grudging." God had done this for Noah even though he and his family were a small minority in their day. Confound the one with the other and you upset the gospel: distinguish sanctification in principle from the beginning for all from sanctification in practice in the various measures of believers, and you learn the truth of what Peter here teaches, which is forgotten for the most part in Christendom. This morning, she came as I was greeting people at the end of the second service. There are three obvious inquiries in ascertaining its signification. They consider that, because God is unchangeable, He has not a will of His own. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. A marriage must be based on reciprocal obligation. The preaching was in the days of Noah. Not rendering evil for evil ( 1 Peter 3:9 ), Now that's what the natural man would like to do, isn't it? According to this interpretation--which has the support of such names as Pearson, Hammond, Barrow, and Leighton (though he afterwards modified his opinion). There's an important, that the husband recognize the weaknesses of the wife and honor her as a weaker vessel; watching over her, taking care of her, shielding her.As I have said, basically in marriage God has two rules: one for the wife, one for the husband. In the case of the Christian all is changed. It was not a question of what He was to gain or what He was to avoid; but as it is written, "Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God." Now that's a peculiar phrase, "Not afraid with any terror," and I don't understand what Peter is saying by that. branch of it, his prophetic office, before he appeared in human 1 PETER 3 Parallel KJVand Greek Bible (New Testament) 1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. And there were traffic coming on my left where I couldn't get around him, so I just laid on my horn. And water now saves you, who were symbolically represented in Noah and his company, I mean the water of baptism; and baptism is not merely the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge to God of a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, because he went to heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been made subject to him. In law she remained for ever a child. Who is gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him ( 1 Peter 3:22 ). He is sprinkled with Christ's blood, which gives him confidence and boldness in faith before God, because he knows the certainty of the love that has put away his sins by blood. Sin without excuse. Tarsus says as the rule, if they would and. Quiet Spirit which in the next verses 2 Peter 2:4 ) and that they were counted worthy suffer... To be paid in silver Biblical way of looking at the appearing of Jesus Christ and! 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