LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON NOTES
Read Peter's preaching notes....
“The Christ Who Saves”
1 Peter 3:18-22
5/18/25
NT writers faced challenge: how to express divine inspiration in human words
HS filled them w/ message from God to church: how to explain it?
used different resources & strategies to convey word of God
OT, philosophy, common poetry & proverbs
As used, often put unique twist on whatever using
eg several used “household codes:” common way to define relationships w/in family
but if know what typical household codes looked like, would see how changed
to reflect different kinds of relationships we now have in X
One thing some used was hymns early Xns used in wp: what looking at now
not necess direct quotes from hymns: added or altered to make point
sometimes difficult to pick up on, because don’t have original hymns anymore
task of Bible scholars to make best guess, based on clues in text, or outside
what run into in 1 Peter 3: refers to but also comments on hymn readers would know
Find passage in midst of teaching how we as Xns should be prepared to suffer, as X did
to explain, turned to hymn that describes how X suffered
X’s suffering began chain of events that led to our salvation & his glorification
but digressed along the way: made him think about other points wanted to make
as result, these 5 verses are densely packed w/ meaning
hope to unpack & consider together w/ you
Passage (& hymn) begins by describing X’s suffering: or rather: why he suffered
suffered for our sins: not for what he did, but what we did
he who is rtous suffered because of our unrtness
reason for never-ending praise: took our place for us
speaking of things that never end, that’s the effect of what X did: lasts forever
only had to suffer once: in doing so, dealt w/ all of our sins: definitive and conclusive
inc ones we haven’t even thought about committing yet!
reason: to bring us to God
our sins, our unrtness prevented us from being in God’s holy presence
X removed the barrier, gave us access to God
X’s suffering: brought about exact opposite effect from what enemies intended
yes, died physically, but by going through suffering & death, became spiritually alive
scholar “He ceased to live a mortal life and began to live a resurrection life”
unleashed power of life beyond what had ever existed before
X’s suffering was path or process through which was able to bring us life
Hymn goes on to aspect of our faith in X rarely talk about, don’t always understand
X brought his message to imprisoned spirits: what exactly does that mean?
could refers to all of us, as we were imprisoned by sin
came to bring message of love & forgiveness & life
or, could describe what X did during 3 days between cruci & rez
as AC puts it: he descended into hell, but did so for reason
to carry his message of grace & redemption to those who had died before
so they would have opportunity to put trust in him
which possibility more likely? anytime ask question like this of Scripture,
usually means that both ways of understand are true
Peter seems to have preferred 2nd way of understanding what hymn conveyed
paused in quoting hymn to insert comment
when thinking of people trapped in sp prison until X came,
Peter describes one generation that was famous/infamous for abandoning God
people in days of Noah: so bad that led God to want to destroy entire world
X came to bring message of peace & love even to these people
reminder for us that no one ever beyond reach of X’s grace
these were worst of the worst: but X came to them
had lived centuries upon centuries before: but still not too late for them
perhaps at times you feel like you’re beyond what X can forgive: never are
perhaps think of other people: so bad not even X can accept: he does
Peter then moves from people of Noah’s time to Noah himself
God saved Noah & his family at time of flood through ark
ark, BTW ≠ fancy boat, but place of security & safety
God provided ark, place of safety, to protect them from destruction of flood
makes sense, but then Peter turns things sideways
would think would Noah & family saved from water: destructive flood
instead, were saved through the water: water was source of salvation for them
what was agent of judgment & condemnation for others was source of life for them
Can almost see wheels turning in Peter’s head
more accurately, inspiration of HS taking over
Noah & fam not only ones saved by water: ones for whom water brought blessing
happens for each of us in waters of baptism
not that getting wet literally saves us, but symbolizes X’s grace that does
bapt font is our own version of Noah’s flood
enter it in order to have evil & sin washed away
so that can receive blessing of life that comes from X
enter into this new kind of life X brought into world through rez
now have clear conscience no guilt before God because has been washed away
so why do we allow ourselves to feel guilty?
And that leads to final link in Peter’s daisy chain of thought
we receive life from X, because he is the one who brings rez
brings Peter back to hymn started quoting earlier
after X suffered & died, after brought message to imprisoned souls,
exp’d rez, now ascended into heaven
where all authority & power subject to him
1 Peter 3:18-22
5/18/25
NT writers faced challenge: how to express divine inspiration in human words
HS filled them w/ message from God to church: how to explain it?
used different resources & strategies to convey word of God
OT, philosophy, common poetry & proverbs
As used, often put unique twist on whatever using
eg several used “household codes:” common way to define relationships w/in family
but if know what typical household codes looked like, would see how changed
to reflect different kinds of relationships we now have in X
One thing some used was hymns early Xns used in wp: what looking at now
not necess direct quotes from hymns: added or altered to make point
sometimes difficult to pick up on, because don’t have original hymns anymore
task of Bible scholars to make best guess, based on clues in text, or outside
what run into in 1 Peter 3: refers to but also comments on hymn readers would know
Find passage in midst of teaching how we as Xns should be prepared to suffer, as X did
to explain, turned to hymn that describes how X suffered
X’s suffering began chain of events that led to our salvation & his glorification
but digressed along the way: made him think about other points wanted to make
as result, these 5 verses are densely packed w/ meaning
hope to unpack & consider together w/ you
Passage (& hymn) begins by describing X’s suffering: or rather: why he suffered
suffered for our sins: not for what he did, but what we did
he who is rtous suffered because of our unrtness
reason for never-ending praise: took our place for us
speaking of things that never end, that’s the effect of what X did: lasts forever
only had to suffer once: in doing so, dealt w/ all of our sins: definitive and conclusive
inc ones we haven’t even thought about committing yet!
reason: to bring us to God
our sins, our unrtness prevented us from being in God’s holy presence
X removed the barrier, gave us access to God
X’s suffering: brought about exact opposite effect from what enemies intended
yes, died physically, but by going through suffering & death, became spiritually alive
scholar “He ceased to live a mortal life and began to live a resurrection life”
unleashed power of life beyond what had ever existed before
X’s suffering was path or process through which was able to bring us life
Hymn goes on to aspect of our faith in X rarely talk about, don’t always understand
X brought his message to imprisoned spirits: what exactly does that mean?
could refers to all of us, as we were imprisoned by sin
came to bring message of love & forgiveness & life
or, could describe what X did during 3 days between cruci & rez
as AC puts it: he descended into hell, but did so for reason
to carry his message of grace & redemption to those who had died before
so they would have opportunity to put trust in him
which possibility more likely? anytime ask question like this of Scripture,
usually means that both ways of understand are true
Peter seems to have preferred 2nd way of understanding what hymn conveyed
paused in quoting hymn to insert comment
when thinking of people trapped in sp prison until X came,
Peter describes one generation that was famous/infamous for abandoning God
people in days of Noah: so bad that led God to want to destroy entire world
X came to bring message of peace & love even to these people
reminder for us that no one ever beyond reach of X’s grace
these were worst of the worst: but X came to them
had lived centuries upon centuries before: but still not too late for them
perhaps at times you feel like you’re beyond what X can forgive: never are
perhaps think of other people: so bad not even X can accept: he does
Peter then moves from people of Noah’s time to Noah himself
God saved Noah & his family at time of flood through ark
ark, BTW ≠ fancy boat, but place of security & safety
God provided ark, place of safety, to protect them from destruction of flood
makes sense, but then Peter turns things sideways
would think would Noah & family saved from water: destructive flood
instead, were saved through the water: water was source of salvation for them
what was agent of judgment & condemnation for others was source of life for them
Can almost see wheels turning in Peter’s head
more accurately, inspiration of HS taking over
Noah & fam not only ones saved by water: ones for whom water brought blessing
happens for each of us in waters of baptism
not that getting wet literally saves us, but symbolizes X’s grace that does
bapt font is our own version of Noah’s flood
enter it in order to have evil & sin washed away
so that can receive blessing of life that comes from X
enter into this new kind of life X brought into world through rez
now have clear conscience no guilt before God because has been washed away
so why do we allow ourselves to feel guilty?
And that leads to final link in Peter’s daisy chain of thought
we receive life from X, because he is the one who brings rez
brings Peter back to hymn started quoting earlier
after X suffered & died, after brought message to imprisoned souls,
exp’d rez, now ascended into heaven
where all authority & power subject to him
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | [email protected]
724-538-8672 | [email protected]