Interpretation of the dead ones in 1 Peter 4:6?

Question

1st Peter 4:6:

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 (KJV)

Who are the dead ones here? Are they the dead believers (Christians) or just anyone dead?

What kind of gospel had been preached to them? Was it the good news reported about Jesus' death and resurrection or was it something like the promise of the grace of God to come like in 1 Peter 1:10-12 ("Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you. Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you...")?

When had the gospel been preached to them, while they were still alive or while they were already dead?

What was the purpose of preaching that gospel to them? It says "that they live according to God in the spirit". In case they were already dead while the gospel was being preached to them, how could they live according to God in the spirit while being dead? Does that mean that there is still a way of living somehow in the spirit even after one's physical death?

What are some possible interpretations of this verse that are allowed by the text itself (I mean without any admixture of any doctrine that is not based on the text)?

Answer 1

The only interpretation that I have been able to accept that makes sense from all angles is that these 'dead' are referring to those who have physically died, especially in reference to the generation under Noah, where only a few were saved through the spirit of Christ's preaching to them by the judgment of the flood and the words of Noah. In other words Peter is NOT saying that Christ, after he died went to hell and preached to them, but Christ preached to those who died many years before he was incarnate. Peter is continuing this thought about the flood and the gospel of the Arc and Christ's ancient preaching to those who long ago died. He is continuing this thought into the verse in question:

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, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God 's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:18-21, ESV)

The idea is that those who died before Christ, most symbolically represented by those who perished in the flood, actually heard the gospel through the Spirit of Christ. In fact the judgment came about as Christ's Spirit was grieved with them just as with all who die without him and is a judgment against sin and a sermon. Also Christ preached not only the law but the gospel through Noah. Noah preached 'the promise' as he invited any who would be saved, to be saved.

This judgment against sin is a kind of baptism and for those who believe he also judges our lusts and sins in our conscience and so purges us towards life in a good conscience by faith in Christ through grace.

Therefore Peter continues and says that while the world is 'flooded' with filth, we must arm ourselves to suffer and be saved by this trial, for the judgment, like the flood, saves the righteous just as it did for all who lived before and are now physically dead to us in this present world. It also condemns the wicked who while rejecting Christians and the gospel are actually spiritually being flooded into death as a current day judgment for rejecting the promised grace of Christ.

Peter is really just applying the dangers and victories of the flood to encourage believers to be ready for persecutions, difficulties, sneers and jeers from the unbelieving just as Noah suffered, but in a joyful hope of being protected in the Arc of Christ. All the dead, or generations before us have passed through a similar flood and baptism. So be ready.

Answer 2

Consider Luke 15, the parable of the prodigal son:

24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. (NASB)

The prodigal son was not physically dead, but dead, as it were, to the rights of sonship. He was "spiritually dead."

And now, reread 1 Peter 4:

6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.

The word for "dead" in both passages is νέκρος, which can refer to physical or spiritual death. Based on the context of 1 Peter 4, wherein Peter is discussing those outside the family of God who were lost in sin, dead if you will, I would say that νέκρος is referring to the spiritual death, or the status of being dead in relation to the family of God.

A good point has been raised in the comments below concerning the tense of "the gospel has...been preached." The Greek word is εὐαγγελίζω (eu-angel-izo), and means, basically, "to announce good news." It comes from the root ἄγγελος, which is where we get "angel" or "messenger," and the "eu" in the prefix just means "good" or "well."

The question below concerns the tense of the verb. The verb is in the aorist passive indicative, which means that the preaching of the good news to the dead happened in the past, one time. The same is true for the passage in 1 Peter 3:18-21. What Peter is not saying is that when people physically die they hear the gospel. That would be a rebellious, non-contextual, non-present interpretation of this text. That wouldn't even be an interpretation, in fact, but an invention.

I'm sticking with the interpretation that Peter is talking about the spiritually dead in 1 Peter 4:6.

Answer 3

The use of aorist tense points out to a past event so it does not concern everybody who dies and would have a second chance to become a believer. Since God is just, He would not privilege only a certain group to hear the gospel again after their death.

So who are those deads ? Most certainly, christians who heard the gospel while they were living and then put to death by rebellious men. Peter then encourages christians not to fear persecution nor death because life in the presence of God follows.

The context of the epistle is persecution and martyrdom. In other words, the judgment of men of these believers was death (see James Ac.12:2 or Antipas Re.2:13). Here, Peter gives hope to the remaining living believers by adding that according to God, they are now living in the spiritual realm even if they are dead in their bodies.

So the main point of Peter saying that is to boost the moral of suffering believers seeing the brothers and sisters dying for the beliefs ; yes, they may be judged by men and put to dead in their bodies but for God they are living in his spiritual realm because God is not the God of the dead but of the living, like Jesus said.

Answer 4

This understanding is made clear by Paul in other passages.

Colossians 1:18 And he (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead...

Is Jesus the first to rise from the dead? No. there were many others before him. So it's not referring to physical death alone. (Paul is stating what it means to be reborn and when this happens)

Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins

show that these were alive, when spoken to, but Paul called them 'dead' because their sin made them 'walking dead' - they were not literally dead yet, but in spiritual terms they may as well have been. Nothing was going to save them from eternal death as a result of their sin... until,

Romans 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Paul here shows that believers are 'alive', but only in Christ, nothing to do with whether they are still breathing or not. If they stopped breathing as believers, they would rise at Christ's return - eternally alive by the spirit.

Jesus also expressed this truth. The first 'dead' are those alive but dead in sin, the others are physically dead (also dead in sin) and should be buried and wait for the judgement.

Matthew 8:22 But Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”

And again in the parable of the lost son.

Luke 15:32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.

Was the brother resurrected? No. It was an expression of being spiritually dead because of sin even though he was alive, but on coming to terms with his predicament, repentance was underway. (Acts 2:38)

1 Timothy 5:6 But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.

The gospel is the message of 'good news' to those who live - even if they are dead because of sin - Jesus came to save the sinner Luke 5:32 Clearly the dead know not anything while they rot in the dirt - all await a resurrection. There is no immortal spirit in man testified of in scripture. Even Jesus surrendered his spirit at death and then waited to be raised. Luke 23:46

Answer 5

Interpretation of the dead ones in 1 Peter 4:6?

1st Peter 4:6: 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 (KJV)

Preaching to the physically dead would be of no benefit, dead humans Ecclesiastics 9:5 says that they " are conscious of nothing." and Psalms 146:4 says dead persons "thoughts perish."

Ecclesiastes 9:5 (NASB)

5 For the living know that they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have a reward any longer, for their memory is forgotten.

Psalm 146:4 (ASV)

4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; In that very day his thoughts perish.

Who were the dead that the gospel was preached?

Ephesians 2:1-7 explains, that it refers to the people that were spiritually dead and came to life spiritually after accepting the gospel.

Made Alive in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-7 (ESV)

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Answer 6

The verse says what it says and should be taken as written. Taking God's word and making a personal spin on it to suits one's doctrine serves no one. The gospel was preached to them that are dead. That's pretty straight forward.

Why was it preached to the dead? So that they could be judge just as the living, according to men who live in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit. In Romans 3:25-26, God forebears, restrains, is patient. He left the sins that had been committed beforehand unpunished to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time. To declare at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus. He waited for a purpose, to withhold judgement on those who preceded the coming of Christ. Why did he wait, because he is just. Did Jesus preach to the dead, to those who preceded him? It would appear so.