Scripture Reading(s)
1 Peter 3:18-22
3:18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,
3:19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison
3:20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.
3:21 And baptism, which this prefigured, 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,
3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.
Reflections
This passage is actually a sort-of rabbit trail on the end of 1 Peter 3. The passage is really about Christian behavior. However, Peter’s tangent on the topic is the water and the Spirit provides us with a very interesting insight into the grace of God. When Christ died and was made alive in the Spirit He proclaimed the gospel to those who had previously died. The idea that a person would have a last chance of repentance after pass started out of this passage. It is also used to justify a purgatory-like state after someone dies and they were not obedient to Christ. It is hard to know exactly what Peter was referring to since it’s not mentioned again in the scriptures, but I think the take away is that God’s grace is indeed extended to those who have passed. At a bare minimum we know that God allowed for those who passed before Jesus to share in God’s grace and forgiveness.
It is hard to know exactly what we will experience once we pass. There are many theories that are biblically based and they do not all agree with each other. But I think one thing is sure; we do not want to be people in the afterlife that were disobedient to God. There should be no need for us to desire a second chance after we pass. We need to walk in the Spirit in this life and when we pass we will hear Jesus say “well done my good a faithful servant.”