1 Peter 3:18 Meaning and Explanation
“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:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Christ suffered once for sins, the innocent in place of the guilty, to bring us home to God.
The Context of 1 Peter 3:18
Peter has been encouraging believers who suffer for doing right (verse 17). He now points them to the supreme example, Christ Himself, who suffered though He had done no wrong. This is one of the great summaries of the gospel in the whole New Testament, packed into a single sentence.
What Does 1 Peter 3:18 Mean?
Peter stacks the truth up plainly. Christ suffered 'once,' a single, finished, never-to-be-repeated act. He suffered 'for sins,' though they were not His own. And Peter sets it in the starkest terms: 'the just for the unjust,' the one righteous Man dying in the place of the unrighteous. He gives the purpose in five quiet words: 'that he might bring us to God.' That is the aim of the whole thing, to carry us home, to close the distance, to bring strangers near. He was 'put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit': the death was real, and so was the life that followed.
The old picture is of someone being led in and introduced, brought into a presence they could never have entered on their own. Christ does the bringing. He went to the cross precisely so the door would open. Peter, who had once been near his Lord and then drifted far in his denial, knew what it was to be brought back. Through what Jesus did once, we who were far off are carried in, welcomed by the God we could not have reached alone.
1 Peter 3:18 in the Original Language
prosago (προσάγω), 'bring' -- to lead someone into a presence, to bring near and present them, as one ushered before a king.
How to Apply 1 Peter 3:18 Today
The whole purpose of Christ's suffering was to bring us to God, to close a distance we could never close ourselves. We are not left to find our own way near; the innocent one died in our place precisely so we could be carried home and welcomed.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Peter 3:18
What does 1 Peter 3:18 mean?
Christ suffered once for sins, the innocent in place of the guilty, to bring us home to God.
What is the context of 1 Peter 3:18?
Peter has been encouraging believers who suffer for doing right (verse 17). He now points them to the supreme example, Christ Himself, who suffered though He had done no wrong. This is one of the great summaries of the gospel in the whole New Testament, packed into a single sentence.
How can I apply 1 Peter 3:18 today?
The whole purpose of Christ's suffering was to bring us to God, to close a distance we could never close ourselves. We are not left to find our own way near; the innocent one died in our place precisely so we could be carried home and welcomed.