1 Peter 3:18

1 Peter 3:18 in other versions

• King James Version (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:
• New International Version (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.
• English Standard Version (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,
• New King James Version (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,

Context of 1 Peter 3:18

16Keep your conscience clear. Then those who treat the good Christian life you live with contempt will feel ashamed that they have ridiculed you. 17After all, if it is God’s will, it’s better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong. This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit. 19In it he also went to proclaim his victory to the spirits kept in prison. 20They are like those who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah when God waited patiently while Noah built the ship. In this ship a few people—eight in all—were saved by water.

1 Peter 3:18 word by word

ὅτι καὶ Χριστὸς ἅπαξ περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ἔπαθεν, δίκαιος ὑπὲρ ἀδίκων, ἵνα ὑμᾶς προσαγάγῃ τῷ θεῷ, θανατωθεὶς μὲν σαρκί, ζῳοποιηθεὶς δὲ πνεύματι,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• hathπάσχωpaschō pathō penthō · to sufferG3958
• onceἅπαξhapax · onceG530
• forπερίperi · aboutG4012
• sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• the justδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• the unjustἄδικοςadikos · unjustG94
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• he might bringπροσάγωprosagō · to bring nearG4317
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• to Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• to Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• being put to deathθανατόωthanatoō · to killG2289
• in the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• butδέde · thenG1161
• quickenedζωοποιέωzōopoieō · to make aliveG2227
• by the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151

Cross-references for 1 Peter 3:18

• 1 Peter 2:21God called you to endure suffering because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example so that you could follow in his footsteps.
• 1 Peter 4:1Since Christ has suffered physically, take the same attitude that he had. (A person who has suffered physically no longer sins.)
• Isaiah 53:4He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we thought that God had wounded him, beat him, and punished him.
• Romans 5:6Look at it this way: At the right time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for ungodly people.
• Romans 8:3It is impossible to do what God’s standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin. That way God condemned sin in our corrupt nature.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.
• Galatians 1:4In order to free us from this present evil world, Christ took the punishment for our sins, because that was what our God and Father wanted.
• Galatians 3:13Christ paid the price to free us from the curse that the laws in Moses’ Teachings bring by becoming cursed instead of us. Scripture says, “Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.”
• Hebrews 9:26Otherwise, he would have had to suffer many times since the world was created. But now, at the end of the ages, he has appeared once to remove sin by his sacrifice.
• Zechariah 9:9Rejoice with all your heart, people of Zion! Shout in triumph, people of Jerusalem! Look! Your King is coming to you: He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and rides on a donkey, on a colt, a young pack animal.
• Matthew 27:19While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Leave that innocent man alone. I’ve been very upset today because of a dream I had about him.”
• Acts 3:14You rejected the man who was holy and innocent. You asked to have a murderer given to you,
• Acts 22:14“Ananias said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the one who has God’s approval, and to hear him speak to you.
• James 5:6You have condemned and murdered people who have God’s approval, even though they didn’t resist you.
• 1 John 1:9God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.
• Ephesians 2:16He also brought them back to God in one body by his cross, on which he killed the hostility.

Commentaries on 1 Peter 3:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Christ also hath once suffered - See the notes on Romans 5:6; Hebrews 9:28; (note). Put to death in the flesh - In his human nature. But quickened by the Spirit - That very dead body revived by the power of his Divinity. There are various opinions on the meaning of this verse, with which I need not trouble the reader, as I have produced that which is most likely.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins - Compare the notes at 1 Peter 2:21. The design of the apostle in the reference to the sufferings of Christ, is evidently to remind them that he suffered as an innocent being, and not for any wrong-doing, and to encourage and comfort them in their sufferings by his example. The reference to his sufferings leads him 1 Peter 3:18-22 into a statement of the various ways in which Christ suffered, and of his ultimate…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 We sanctify God before others, when our conduct invites and encourages them to glorify and honour him. What was the ground and reason of their hope? We should be able to defend our religion with meekness, in the fear of God. There is no room for any other fears where this great fear is; it disturbs not. The conscience is good, when it does its office well. That person is in a sad condition on whom sin and suffering meet: sin makes suffering…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18He suffered physical death (literally death in the flesh), but he was raised to life in the Spirit (or in spirit). Flesh and spirit are often contrasted in Scripture (for example, Romans 7:5–6; 8:2–11). In this passage, flesh refers to ordinary human life, and the Spirit refers to the new realm that began through Christ’s death and resurrection. Christ died in the old realm and was brought to life in the new realm.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. Confirmation of 1Pe 3:17, by the glorious results of Christ's suffering innocently. For--"Because." That is "better," 1Pe 3:17, means of which we are rendered more like to Christ in death and in life; for His death brought the best issue to Himself and to us [Bengel]. Christ--the Anointed Holy One of God; the Holy suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust. also--as well as yourselves (1Pe 3:17). Compare 1Pe 2:21; there His suffering was brought…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 3:18

• Antediluvians
• Atonement
• Baptism
• Example
• God
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Power
• Quickening
• Suffering
• Trinity

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Christ, Messiah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adorning
• Chaste
• Contrariwise
• Noah
• Ornament
• Pitiful

Commentaries on 1 Peter 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings