1 Peter 3:22

3:14-22 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 extreme, comfortless, and destructive. Surely it is better to suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing, whatever our natural impatience at times may suggest. The example of Christ is an argument for patience under sufferings. In the case of our Lord's suffering, he that knew no sin, suffered instead of those who knew no righteousness. The blessed end and design of our Lord's sufferings were, to reconcile us to God, and to bring us to eternal glory. He was put to death in respect of his human nature, but was quickened and raised by the power of the Holy Spirit. If Christ could not be freed from sufferings, why should Christians think to be so? God takes exact notice of the means and advantages people in all ages have had. As to the old world, Christ sent his Spirit; gave warning by Noah. But though the patience of God waits long, it will cease at last.

And the spirits of disobedient sinners, as soon as they are out of their bodies, are committed to the prison of hell, where those that despised Noah's warning now are, and from whence there is no redemption. Noah's salvation in the ark upon the water, which carried him above the floods, set forth the salvation of all true believers. That temporal salvation by the ark was a type of the eternal salvation of believers by baptism of the Holy Spirit. To prevent mistakes, the apostle declares what he means by saving baptism; not the outward ceremony of washing with water, which, in itself, does no more than put away the filth of the flesh, but that baptism, of which the baptismal water formed the sign. Not the outward ordinance, but when a man, by the regeneration of the Spirit, was enabled to repent and profess faith, and purpose a new life, uprightly, and as in the presence of God. Let us beware that we rest not upon outward forms. Let us learn to look on the ordinances of God spiritually, and to inquire after the spiritual effect and working of them on our consciences. We would willingly have all religion reduced to outward things. But many who were baptized, and constantly attended the ordinances, have remained without Christ, died in their sins, and are now past recovery. Rest not then till thou art cleansed by the Spirit of Christ and the blood of Christ. His resurrection from the dead is that whereby we are assured of purifying and peace.

1 Peter 3:22 . Ὅς ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ , καταπιὼν τὸν θάνατον , ἵνα ζωῆς αἰωνίοι κληρονόμοι γενώμεθα ) Such is the reading of the version which is by far the most ancient of all. Who is on the right hand of God, after having swallowed up death, that we might be made the heirs of eternal life .[34] This reading is followed by Augustine, Cassiodorus, Fulgentius, Beda, and, as Mill affirms, by all the Latin writers. See App. Crit. Ed. ii. on this passage. Peter derives special uses from the sufferings of Christ, from His death, from His return to life, from His resurrection, from His going into heaven, from His judging the quick and dead; but from His sitting at the right hand of God he either derives no use, or that which is still read in the Latin Version. By His death, Christ altogether destroyed death: but His sitting on the right hand of God presupposes that this death has been once for all exhausted, that He may claim life for us; and it involves a STATE of LIFE which is glorious, eternal, and salutary for us. Acts 2:28 ; Romans 6:9-10 ; Hebrews 7:16 ; Hebrews 7:24-25 ; 1 Corinthians 15:54 ; John 14:19 . The signification of past time in καταπιὼν ought especially to be considered.— πορευθεὶς ) after that He had gone .— ἀγγέλων , angels ) To Him angels are subject, and that too of all ranks , whether good or evil; and so also are men. [34] “Qui est in dexterâ Dei, [deglutiens mortem, ut vitæ æternæ hæredes efficeremur.”] Vulgate in Amiat. and other oldest MSS.

Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God: see Romans 8:34 Hebrews 1:3 . This is added as another ground of faith and a good conscience. Angels and authorities and powers: see Romans 8:38 Ephesians 1:20,21 Col 1:16 Colossians 2:10 . Being made subject unto him; viz. by his Father, to whom this subjecting all things to Christ is elsewhere ascribed, 1 Corinthians 15:27 Ephesians 1:22 Hebrews 2:8 .

1 Peter 3:22 . Christ went into Heaven—and now is on God’s right hand ( Psalm 110:1 )—when angels and authorities and powers had subjected themselves to Him in accordance with prophecy ( Psalm 8:7 ; cf. Hebrews 2:8 ; 1 Corinthians 15:24 ff.). For the orders of angels see also Romans 8:38 ; Ephesians 1:21 . Clearly they include the rebels of 1 Peter 3:19 f. whom Jubilees calls the angels of the Lord (Jub. iv. 15) and Onkelos the sons of the mighty and their children (?) the giants .

22. (Ps 110:1; Ro 8:34, 38; 1Co 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; Col 1:16; 2:10-15). The fruit of His patience in His voluntary endured and undeserved sufferings: a pattern to us, 1Pe 3:17, 18. gone—(Lu 24:51). Proving against rationalists an actual material ascension. Literally, "is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven." The oldest manuscripts of the Vulgate and the Latin Fathers, add what expresses the benefit to us of Christ's sitting on God's right hand, "Who is on the right hand of God, having swallowed up death that we may become heirs of everlasting life"; involving for us A STATE OF LIFE, saved, glorious, and eternal. The Greek manuscripts, however, reject the words. Compare with this verse Peter's speeches, Ac 2:32-35; 3:21, 26; 10:40, 42.

22 . who is gone into heaven ] The parallelism between the substance of this verse and that of 1 Timothy 3:16 , and of both with the closing clauses of the second section of the Apostles’ Creed, leaves scarcely any room for doubt that we have here a precious fragment of the baptismal profession of faith of the Apostolic Church. The train of thought of the previous verse naturally led on to this. This was what the answer of a good conscience towards God involved. In the union of confession with the mouth and belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in Romans 10:9 , we may probably trace a reference to a like formulary. The word for “he is gone” is the same participle as that in 1 Peter 3:19 and is important as determining its meaning. If there was a real Ascension into Heaven, there was also a real descent into Hades. St Peter seems to echo the words of St Paul, “Now that he ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” ( Ephesians 4:9 .) angels and authorities and powers ] Here again the phraseology reminds us of that of the twin Epistles of St Paul ( Ephesians 1:21 , Colossians 1:16 ). “Authorities” and “powers” are used as comprehensive terms, including the whole hierarchy of heaven, Cherubim, Seraphim and the like; probably also, looking to Colossians 2:15 , Php 2:10 , and the manifest sequence of thought from 1 Peter 3:19 , the powers of evil who had been subdued by the conquering Christ in His descent into Hades.

Verse 22. - Who is gone into heaven . The word here rendered "gone" is that used in ver. 19, "he went and preached ( πορευθείς )" (comp. Ephesians 4:9 , "Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?"). And is on the right hand of God (comp. Psalm 110:1 ; Romans 8:34 ; Colossians 3:1 ; Ephesians 1:20 ; Hebrews 1:3 ). It is better to suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing, for he who is the signal Example, who suffered, the Just for the unjust, is now exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high; and "is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him . God "hath set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." All the angels of God, in the various grades of the heavenly hierarchy, are made subject to Christ. The words seem to include, especially when read in comparison with Colossians 2:15 , the evil angels also; they are made subject against their will to Christ; they asked him once if he was come to torment them before the time. He can restrain their malice and save his people from their power. 1 Peter 3:22

(22) Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God. —This verse (which partakes of the character of a doxology) serves two purposes. First, it carries on the history of Jesus Christ. How carefully, in spite of what seem at first irrelevant digressions, St. Peter holds his threads. Christ’s passion and death, activity among the dead, resurrection from among them, ascension into heaven, perpetual session in glory, follow one another in due order. The second purpose of the clause runs parallel to the first. St. Peter is teaching the entire conformity of the believer to the Lord. If the believer will but retain his good conscience, he may hope for a precisely similar experience. The Latin and several other good versions, together with several Latin Fathers, add a curious sentence after the words “on the right hand of God,” which runs: swallowing up death, that we might be made heirs of eternal life; but there is no sufficient authority for the sentence. The first notion of being “on the right hand of God,” taken, probably, from Psalm 110:1 , seems to be that of occupying the highest post of honour possible, next after that of God— i.e., the Father—Himself It is not necessary here to consider what else may be implied in the phrase as to the conditions of our Lord’s human existence; but when we compare St.