New Living Translation
1 Peter 3:18
18Christ 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 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
16But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! 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. 19So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 20those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.
Read all of 1 Peter 31 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 2:21For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
- 1 Peter 4:1So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.
- Isaiah 53:4Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
- Romans 5:6When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
- Romans 8:3The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
- Galatians 1:4Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.
- Galatians 3:13But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
- Hebrews 9:26If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.
- Zechariah 9:9Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.
- Matthew 27:19Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”
- Acts 3:14You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer.
- Acts 22:14“Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak.
- James 5:6You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.
- 1 John 1:9But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
- Ephesians 2:16Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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