1 Peter 4:6

1 Peter 4:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
• New International Version (NIV)For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

Context of 1 Peter 4:6

4So they are astonished when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you. 5They will face a reckoning before Jesus Christ who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. Now it was for this very purpose that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh by human standards they may live spiritually by God’s standards. 7For the culmination of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer. 8Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:6 word by word

εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ νεκροῖς εὐηγγελίσθη, ἵνα κριθῶσιν μὲν κατὰ ἀνθρώπους σαρκί, ζῶσιν δὲ κατὰ θεὸν πνεύματι.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• forεἰςeis · towardG1519
• this causeοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• was the gospel preachedεὐαγγελίζομαιeuaggelizō · to speak good newsG2097
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• to them that are deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• they might be judgedκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
• according toκατάkata · according toG2596
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• in the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• butδέde · thenG1161
• liveζάωzaō · to liveG2198
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• in the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151

Cross-references for 1 Peter 4:6

• 1 Peter 3:19In it he went and preached to the spirits in prison,
• John 5:25I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming – and is now here – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
• 1 Peter 4:1So, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same attitude, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin,
• Matthew 24:9“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.
• Romans 8:9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him.
• 1 Corinthians 11:31But if we examined ourselves, we would not be judged.
• Romans 8:2For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
• Galatians 2:19For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God.
• Galatians 5:25If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.
• Ephesians 2:3among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…
• Revelation 14:18Another angel, who was in charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes off the vine of the earth, because its grapes are now ripe.”

Commentaries on 1 Peter 4:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead - This is a most difficult verse; the best translations I have seen of it are the following: - "For this indeed was the effect of the preaching of the Gospel to the dead, (the unconverted Gentiles), that some will be punished as carnal men; but others, (those converted to Christianity), lead a spiritual life unto God." - Wakefield. "For this purpose hath the Gospel been preached even to the dead, (i.e…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6For, for this cause - The expression, “For, for this cause,” refers to an end to be reached, or an object to be gained, or a reason why anything referred to is done. The end or reason why the thing referred to here, to wit, that “the gospel was preached to the dead,” was done, is stated in the subsequent part of the verse to have been “that they might be judged,” etc. It was with reference to this, or in order that this might be, that the gospel was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Peter refers to people who are now dead but heard the good news about Jesus when they were alive. He is not teaching that people have a chance to repent after death. If these people responded with faith when they heard the message, they can trust God. Even though they had to die like all people, they will live forever with God in the Spirit.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. For--giving the reason for 1Pe 4:5, "judge the dead." gospel preached also to ... dead--as well as to them now living, and to them that shall be found alive at the coming of the Judge. "Dead" must be taken in the same literal sense as in 1Pe 4:5, which refutes the explanation "dead" in sins. Moreover, the absence of the Greek article does not necessarily restrict the sense of "dead" to particular dead persons, for there is no Greek article in 1Pe 4:5…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 4:6

• Commandments
• Gospel
• Holiness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Begin
• Cover
• Ungodly
• Cause
• Charity
• End
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Hades

Commentaries on 1 Peter 4

• 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
• 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