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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - 1 Peter 3:18 - 3:18
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18 (a) When His sufferings culminated in death (reading ἀπέθανεν for ἔπαθεν) it was the, doing away of sin (περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν) once for all (ἅπαξ), cf. Rom 6:10; 1Pe 2:24; 1Pe 4:2.
(b) Death was to Him an opportunity for wider and more fruitful service. He Himself said “I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitened until it be accomplished.” Again when certain Greeks desired to see Him He replied “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone, but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit.” So it was only by dying that Christ could atone for the unrighteous (ὑπὲρ ἀδίκων), only by dying that He could present you Gentiles (reading ὑμᾶς as W.H.) to God. Cf. Eph 2:13; Eph 2:18.
(c) The reason of this was that the death of His flesh was the quickening of His Spirit, a setting of it free for a new and wide-reaching activity.