For Christ also has 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:
Christ.
1 Peter 2:21-24 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: …
1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted…
the just.
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Matthew 27:19,24 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him…
Acts 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
that.
Ephesians 2:16-18 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: …
being.
1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
but.
Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
the righteous for the unrighteous
This highlights the substitutionary nature of Christ's atonement. Jesus, the sinless and righteous one (2 Corinthians 5:21), took the place of sinners, bearing the punishment that was rightfully theirs. This concept is rooted in the idea of a sacrificial lamb, as seen in the Passover (Exodus 12:5) and further explained in the New Testament (John 1:29). The righteous suffering for the unrighteous is a profound demonstration of God's love and justice, fulfilling the law's demands while providing grace.
to bring you to God
The purpose of Christ's suffering and death was reconciliation between humanity and God. Sin had created a separation (Isaiah 59:2), but through Jesus' sacrifice, believers are brought near to God (Ephesians 2:13). This reconciliation is not just a legal standing but a restored relationship, allowing believers to have direct access to God (Hebrews 4:16). The imagery of the temple veil tearing at Christ's death (Matthew 27:51) symbolizes this newfound access.
He was put to death in the body
This phrase affirms the physical reality of Christ's death. It counters early heresies that denied Jesus' humanity or the reality of His suffering. The crucifixion was a historical event, witnessed by many (Mark 15:39), and it fulfilled numerous prophecies, such as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. The physical death of Jesus is essential for the atonement, as it was through His blood that redemption was accomplished (Ephesians 1:7).
but made alive in the Spirit
This speaks to the resurrection of Christ, a cornerstone of Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:14). While His body was put to death, He was resurrected by the power of the Spirit (Romans 8:11). This resurrection is a testament to His victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) and serves as a promise of eternal life for believers (John 11:25-26). The phrase also indicates the transformative power of the Spirit, who raised Christ and now dwells in believers, empowering them to live godly lives (Galatians 5:16).
Jesus’ suffering was not random or only exemplary—it was specifically “for sins.”
• Isaiah 53:5 reminds us, “He was pierced for our transgressions,” connecting His pain directly to our guilt.
• Hebrews 9:26 says He came “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” underlining that His death targets the root problem separating us from God.
Because He suffered for sins, your failures are not left to linger; they are dealt with at the cross.
• Hebrews 10:10 proclaims, “We have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” No repeated offerings, no unfinished business.
• John 19:30 captures Jesus’ own words: “It is finished.” The single, decisive payment means your salvation rests on a completed act, not on an ongoing cycle of human effort.
This finality brings rest: you don’t have to wonder if more needs to be done.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains, “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.” The only perfectly righteous One traded places with the unrighteous—us.
• Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” emphasizing that His love reached out before we had anything to offer.
Because He is righteous, His substitution fully satisfies God’s justice; because we are unrighteous, His grace is breathtakingly undeserved.
• John 14:6 records Jesus saying, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” His mission was always relational, opening the way into God’s presence.
• Ephesians 2:18 adds, “Through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Access is not a future hope only; it’s a present reality for every believer.
Salvation is more than forgiveness; it’s reunion—being welcomed into fellowship with the Father.
• Acts 2:24 notes, “God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death,” confirming that His physical death was genuine, not an illusion.
• Philippians 2:8 describes Him becoming “obedient to death—even death on a cross.” His real, bodily death assures us that the penalty for sin was fully paid in the realm where sin operates: our physical world.
• Romans 8:11 declares, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you… He will also give life to your mortal bodies.” The resurrection power that enlivened Christ now resides in believers.
• 1 Corinthians 15:45 calls Jesus the “life-giving spirit,” showing that His resurrection launches a new mode of life, animated and sustained by the Holy Spirit.
His vindication by the Spirit guarantees ours, assuring us that death is not the last word.
Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice addresses sin completely, swaps His righteousness for our unrighteousness, and opens direct access to God. His genuine death settles our debt; His Spirit-powered resurrection secures our future and infuses our present with living hope.
(18) For Christ also.--This gives a reason for thinking it no such formidable thing to suffer when one is innocent. It has been tried before, and the precedent is encouraging. "It is," says Archbishop Leighton, "some known ease to the mind, in any distress, to look upon examples of the like or greater distress in present or former times . . . As the example and company of the saints in suffering is very considerable, so that of Christ is more than any other, yea, than all the rest together." If King Messiah (note that he does not call Him Jesus) could endure to be cut off (but not for Himself), was it for any one who clung to the promises to shrink from the like test?Hath once suffered.--Even if we retain the verb, it should be suffered, not "hath suffered," it is all past now; but much the better reading is died, which leaves no doubt about the meaning of "suffering" in 1Peter 3:17. And this He did "once." In this significant word St. Peter strikes out the main argument of a great portion of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:27; Hebrews 10:10). The thought that Christ suffered or died "once" conveys comfort to these Christians for several reasons: (1) because His death has, once for all, taken all terror from an innocent death; (2) because no Christian will have to die more than one death; (3) because one death, so soon over for ever, contains the further idea of happiness and peace beyond. The word "to die" in Greek is often used in a penal sense--"to be put to death"--and is to be so taken here.
For sins.--When the Apostle says "Christ also," he raises a comparison between Christ and the Christian martyr. Now the parallel does not merely consist in the fact that both "suffer" or are put to death. Both are put to death but once. Both are put to death innocent: the martyr "while well-doing," Christ acknowledged to be "just." But this does not exhaust the likeness. The Messiah is said to be put to death "for sins." Now this expression "for sins" (literally, in connection with sins) is that which is used to mean "as a sin-offering." (See Romans 8:3; Galatians 1:4; Hebrews 10:6; Hebrews 10:8; Hebrews 10:18; Hebrews 10:26; Hebrews 13:11; 1John 2:2; 1John 4:10.) If, therefore, "Christ also was put to death as a sin-offering," it is implied that, in a sense, the Christian martyr is also a sin-offering, and (though in an infinitely lower degree) dies, like Him, "just for unjust." This is a fresh encouragement to St. Peter's first readers to meet death bravely. In what sense they can be sacrifices for other men's sins we shall consider presently. . . .
Verse 18. - For Christ also hath once suffered for sins; rather, because Christ also once suffered. Two of the oldest manuscripts read "died;" but "suffered" corresponds best with the previous verse. The connection is - It must be better to suffer for well-doing, because Christ himself, the All-innocent One, thus suffered, and they who so suffer are made most like unto him. The apostle refers us again to that transcendent Example which was ever before his eyes (compare the close parallel in Hebrews 9:26-28). Christ suffered once for all (ἅπαξ); so the sufferings of the Christian are soon over" but for a moment." For sins (περί); concerning sins, on account of sins; he, himself sinless, suffered concerning the sins of others. The preposition περί is constantly used in connection with the sin offering in the Septuagint (see Leviticus 6:25, Σφάξουσι τὰ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας; comp. Leviticus 5:8-11, etc.; also Hebrews 10:6, 8, 18, 26). The Just for the unjust; literally, just for unjust. There is no article. The apostle began to speak of the death of Christ, both here and in 1 Peter it., as an example; in both places he seems to be led on by an instinctive feeling that it is scarcely seemly for the Christian to mention that stupendous event without dwelling on its deeper and more mysterious meaning. The preposition used in this clause (ὑπέρ) does not necessarily convey the idea of vicarious suffering, as ἁντί (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; comp. also 1 Timothy 2:6) does; it means simply "in behalf of," leaving the character of the relation undetermined; here the context implies the particular relation of substitution (comp. Romans 5:6; also St. Peter's description of our Lord as "the Just," in Acts 3:14). That he might bring us to God. The Vatican and other manuscripts read "you." St. Peter opens out one of the deeper aspects of the death of Christ. The veil that hid the Holiest was then rent in twain, and believers were invited and encouraged to draw near into the immediate presence of God. The verb used here is προσάγειν; the corresponding substantive (προσαγωγή) occurs in Ephesians 2:18; Ephesians 3:12; also in Romans 5:2. In those places it is rendered "access" - we have access to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. The Greeks words are, Θανατωθεὶς μὲν σαρκὶ ζωοποιηθεὶς δὲ πνεύματι, the article τῷ inserted before πνεύματι in the received text being without authority. We observe the absence of any article or preposition, and the exact balance and correspondence of the two clauses. The two datives must be taken in the same sense; it is impossible to regard one as the dative of the sphere, and the other as the dative of the instrument; both are evidently datives of "the sphere to which a general predicate is to be limited" (Winer, 31:6. a); they limit the extent of the participles (comp. 1 Corinthians 7:35; Colossians 2:5). Thus the literal translation is, "Being put to death in flesh, but quickened in spirit." For the antithesis of "flesh" and "spirit," common in the New Testament, comp. Romans 1:3, 4, "Made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness;" and 1 Timothy 3:16, "Manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit;" see especially the close parallel in 1 Peter 4:6, "That they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." It seems to follow, from the opposition of flesh and spirit, and from a comparison of the passages quoted above, that by πνεῦμα in this verse we are to understand, not God the Holy Ghost, but the holy human spirit of Christ. In his flesh he was put to death, but in his spirit he was quickened. When the Lord had said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit;" when he bowed his head, and gave up the spirit; - then that spirit passed into a new life. So Bengel excellently says, "Christus, vitam in semet ipso habens, et ipse vita, spiritu vivere neque desiit, neque iterum coepit; sed simulatque per mortificationem involucre infirmitatis in carne solutus erat, statim vitae solvi nesciae virtus modis novis et multo expeditissimis sese exserere coepit." Christ, being delivered from the burden of that suffering flesh which he had graciously taken for our salvation, was quickened in his holy human spirit - quickened to new energies, new and blessed activities. So it shall be with those who suffer for well-doing; they may even be put to death in the flesh, but "if we die with him, we shall also live with him." It is far better (πολλῷ μᾶλλον κρεῖσσον) to depart and to be with Christ, to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. They that are Christ's shall, like their Master, be quickened in the spirit; they pass at once into the new life of Paradise; their works follow them thither; it may be, we cannot tell, they will be employed in blessed work for Christ, being made like unto him not only in some degree during their earthly life, but also in the intermediate state of rest and hope.