1 Peter 3:18 kjv
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1 Peter 3:18 nkjv
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,
1 Peter 3:18 niv
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
1 Peter 3:18 esv
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
1 Peter 3:18 nlt
Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
1 Peter 3 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 53:5 | But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities... | Christ's suffering for our sins |
| Isa 53:6 | All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned... and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. | God laid our sins on Christ |
| Isa 53:11 | By his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. | Righteous servant bearing sins for others |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | God made Christ sin for us to be righteous |
| Rom 5:8 | But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | Christ died for us in our sinfulness |
| Rom 5:19 | For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. | Obedience of Christ leads to righteousness |
| Rom 6:10 | For the death he died he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. | Christ's death as a once-for-all event |
| Gal 3:13 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us... | Christ taking on the curse for humanity |
| Heb 7:27 | He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily... He did this once for all when he offered up himself. | Christ's single, perfect sacrifice |
| Heb 9:12 | He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. | Eternal redemption by Christ's own blood |
| Heb 9:26 | But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. | Christ's singular sacrifice to remove sin |
| Heb 10:10 | And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. | Sanctification by Christ's single offering |
| Heb 10:14 | For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. | Perfection by a single offering |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. | Christ bore our sins on the cross |
| Jn 14:6 | Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." | Christ is the only access to God |
| Eph 2:18 | For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. | Access to God through Christ in the Spirit |
| Rom 5:2 | Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand... | Access to grace through Christ |
| Col 1:21-22 | And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind... he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death... to present you holy... | Reconciliation to God through Christ's death |
| Rom 4:25 | who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. | Death for sins, resurrection for justification |
| Rom 1:3-4 | concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. | Son of God by Spirit, resurrection |
| Phil 2:8-9 | And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him... | Humiliation and exaltation of Christ |
| Acts 2:24 | God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. | God raised Christ from the dead |
| Col 2:13 | And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses... | God making us alive with Christ |
1 Peter 3 verses
1 Peter 3 18 Meaning
This verse presents the foundational truth of Christian faith: Christ's atoning sacrifice. It asserts that Jesus, who was perfectly righteous, willingly suffered death once and for all to address humanity's sins, offering Himself as a substitute for the unrighteous. The ultimate purpose of this sacrifice was to reconcile sinful humanity with God, providing access to His holy presence. This salvation was accomplished through His physical death on the cross and His subsequent victorious resurrection in the power of the Spirit.
1 Peter 3 18 Context
First Peter is an epistle written to scattered believers, likely facing various forms of suffering and persecution for their faith in a Greco-Roman world. Chapter 3 focuses on Christian conduct, especially under duress, and how believers are to relate to their circumstances. Verses 13-17 encourage them not to fear those who might harm them for righteousness' sake, but to maintain a good conscience and hope. Verse 18 then provides the theological bedrock for this call to endure suffering righteously: Christ Himself suffered, the innocent for the guilty, and His suffering was salvific. It grounds the believer's call to suffering in the completed work of Christ, linking their present trials to His ultimate triumph and making sense of why they should continue to live righteously even when it causes hardship. The verse leads into the controversial verses 19-20, which discuss Christ's post-resurrection proclamation to the spirits in prison, further solidifying His victory and authority.
1 Peter 3 18 Word analysis
- For: Greek gar. Connects this verse to the preceding thoughts, offering the reason or basis for the earlier exhortations to suffer well (1 Pet 3:13-17). Christ's suffering provides the ultimate example and motivation.
- Christ: Greek Christos. The Messiah, the Anointed One. Emphasizes Jesus' unique office and identity as the one chosen by God for this saving work. His suffering is not incidental but part of His messianic mission.
- also suffered: Greek kai epathen. "Also" highlights that just as believers might suffer for righteousness, Christ Himself endured suffering. "Suffered" is a strong verb indicating genuine experience of pain, hardship, and ultimately death.
- once: Greek ephapax. Extremely significant. This adverb denotes a single, completed, final act that needs no repetition. It emphasizes the absolute sufficiency and permanence of Christ's sacrifice. His work is done and perfectly accomplished.
- for sins: Greek peri hamartiōn. Identifies the purpose and object of Christ's suffering. He suffered on account of or concerning humanity's transgressions, emphasizing the expiatory and atoning nature of His death.
- the just: Greek dikaios. Refers to Christ, emphasizing His inherent and absolute righteousness, blamelessness, and sinless perfection. This contrasts sharply with those for whom He died.
- for the unjust: Greek hyper adikōn. "For" here (hyper) means "on behalf of," "instead of," or "in place of." It explicitly declares the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice. "Unjust" refers to humanity in its state of unrighteousness, sinfulness, and condemnation.
- that he might bring us: Greek hina hēmas prosagagē. "Hina" indicates purpose. "Prosagagē" (from prosago) literally means to lead or bring near, to grant access. This verb has a priestly nuance, signifying the action of a priest bringing worshippers or offerings into the presence of God. It highlights the reconciliation and restoration of relationship as the ultimate goal of Christ's work.
- to God: Greek tō Theō. The ultimate destination and reconciled relationship. Humanity, alienated by sin, is brought into an intimate and holy fellowship with the Creator.
- being put to death: Greek thanatōtheis. A passive participle indicating that Christ was put to death, not by His own will primarily but by the action of others, though in fulfillment of God's will. It refers to His actual, physical cessation of life.
- in the flesh: Greek sarki. Refers to His human nature, physical body, or earthly existence. This highlights the reality and tangible nature of His death. He died in His vulnerable, mortal, human form.
- but made alive: Greek zoopoietheis. Also a passive participle, meaning "having been made alive" or "brought to life." It points directly to the resurrection. The action implies an external agent (God, or the Holy Spirit) bringing Him back to life.
- in the spirit: Greek pneumati. This phrase is contrasted with "in the flesh." It signifies His resurrection into a new, glorified, powerful spiritual existence, often understood as referring to the divine power (Holy Spirit or His own divine Spirit) through which He was raised, distinguishing His resurrected state from His former mortal body. It signifies triumph over the limitations of "flesh" (human mortality) and entrance into the realm of divine life and power.
1 Peter 3 18 Bonus section
The phrase "made alive in the spirit" is interpreted in various ways by theologians, with the primary distinction often being between the Holy Spirit as the agent of resurrection versus Christ's own divine Spirit as the mode or power of His resurrection. Regardless of the nuanced view, the core message remains that Christ's triumph over death was a supernatural event demonstrating His divine nature and the Father's power. This verse directly counters the idea of earning salvation through works or rituals, asserting that access to God is purely through Christ's unrepeatable sacrifice. It also indirectly combats any dualistic philosophical views that would devalue the physical, as it acknowledges the full reality of Christ's death in the flesh as integral to salvation.
1 Peter 3 18 Commentary
First Peter 3:18 condenses the core message of the Gospel: Christ's substitutionary atonement and glorious triumph. Christ's suffering was a solitary, decisive act (ephapax), distinct from Old Covenant sacrifices which had to be repeated. He, the righteous, died as a substitute for the unrighteous, a powerful demonstration of God's justice met by His love. The goal was profound: to bring us to God, implying restoration of fellowship and granted access into His presence, which sin had previously blocked. This access is the blessed fruit of His work. The verse also explains how this was accomplished: through His genuine human death "in the flesh" – affirming His true humanity and the reality of His physical sacrifice – and His subsequent victorious resurrection "in the spirit." This "being made alive in the spirit" emphasizes the divine power involved in His resurrection, transforming His existence from mortal to glorious, powerful, and immortal, demonstrating His complete victory over sin and death and securing the promise of eternal life for those who trust in Him. It serves as the ultimate example and basis for enduring suffering with hope.