Verse 6
Because everyone will give account of his life to God (1 Peter 4:5), Christians preach the gospel. We do so to enable people to give that account joyfully rather than sorrowfully (cf. 1 John 2:28). In Peter’s day Christians had preached the gospel to other people who had become Christians who had already died. Even though these brethren had experienced judgment for their sins by dying physically, they lived on in a new spiritual sphere of life since they were believers (cf. 1 Peter 3:18). Physical death is sin’s last effect on believers during their earthly lives.
Some people have incorrectly understood this verse as teaching that after a person dies he or she will have a second chance to believe the gospel. [Note: E.g., Barclay, p. 295.] This interpretation clearly contradicts the revelation of Scripture elsewhere that there is no second chance after death (Hebrews 9:27). [Note: See Millard J. Erickson, "Is There Opportunity for Salvation after Death?" Bibliotheca Sacra 152:606 (April-June 1995):131-44.]
"Peter does not say that the gospel is being preached even to the dead but was preached.
"These are not all of the dead who shall face the Judge at the last day but those to whom the gospel was preached prior to Peter’s writing (by the gospel preachers mentioned in 1 Peter 4:1; 1 Peter 4:12 [sic 1 Peter 1:12]), who at this writing were already dead [cf. 1 Peter 3:19-20]." [Note: Lenski, p. 186. Cf. Fanning, p. 448.]
The verses in this pericope are a strong encouragement to endure suffering. Christ has assured our ultimate victory, and to turn back is to incur God’s punishment.
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