{"id":14119,"date":"2022-07-26T14:18:20","date_gmt":"2022-07-26T18:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/?p=14119"},"modified":"2022-07-26T14:18:20","modified_gmt":"2022-07-26T18:18:20","slug":"1-peter-46-do-the-unsaved-dead-get-a-second-chance-to-hear-the-gospel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/1-peter-46-do-the-unsaved-dead-get-a-second-chance-to-hear-the-gospel\/","title":{"rendered":"1 Peter 4:6 – Do the unsaved dead get a second chance to hear the gospel?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Problem:<\/strong> Peter writes, \u201cThe gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God\u201d (1 Pet. 4:6). Does this mean that people get to hear the gospel after they die?
\n
\nSolution:<\/strong> Regarding this \u201csecond chance\u201d theology, we firmly disagree. First, it denies the clear teaching of Scripture in favor of an unclear passage (Lk. 16:26; Heb. 9:27; Mt. 25:31-46). Second, it doesn\u2019t fit with the immediate context: After all, the context warns of unbelievers standing before God in judgment (v.5). Why would this be a threat to the unbeliever if they had a \u201csecond chance\u201d after death? As Schreiner writes, \u201cIt would make no sense at all if he were to shift gears suddenly and promise a second chance to those who have rejected the gospel during this life. If Peter were promising a second chance, the Petrine readers could not be faulted for concluding that they could deny the faith now and then embrace it after death.\u201d[1] Likewise, Grudem writes, \u201cWhat kind of warning would it be to say that God is ready to judge people for wickedness (v. 5) and then add that it really does not matter much what they do in this life for there will be a second chance for them to be saved after they die?\u201d[2] Third, it doesn\u2019t fit with the grammar. Peter is referring to the gospel being preaching in the past tense\u2014not the future tense. This passage is not describing a future \u201csecond chance\u201d for salvation.<\/p>\n

Consider a number of different views on this passage:<\/p>\n

OPTION #1: This could refer to Christ preaching to the evil spirits.
\nSome interpreters believe that this refers to the evil spirits of 1 Peter 3:19 (c.f. 2 Pet. 2:4; Gen. 6:4). However, we would disagree. Peter writes that these people were \u201cjudged in the flesh,\u201d which cannot refer to spirits. He also explicitly calls them \u201cmen,\u201d not spirits (1 Pet. 4:6). Moreover, why would Christ preach \u201cthe gospel\u201d to evil spirits, who cannot be saved (Heb. 2:16)? We find this view untenable.<\/p>\n

OPTION #2: This could refer to Christ preaching through Noah to people who are NOW dead.
\nHowever, at the time of Noah\u2019s preaching, these people would have been alive. Peter writes, \u201cThe gospel has for this purpose been preached [past tense] even to those who are dead [present tense]\u201d (1 Pet. 4:6). The NASB footnote for \u201cpreached\u201d says: \u201cpreached in their lifetimes.\u201d Therefore, this could refer to OT believers in Abraham\u2019s bosom. Jesus taught a parable about how OT believers waited in \u201cAbraham\u2019s bosom\u201d before they were allowed into heaven (Lk. 16:22). This would fit with why Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about his work on the Cross at the Transfiguration (Lk. 9:31). This wouldn\u2019t refer to a second chance for salvation. Instead, this refers to Jesus calling OT believers into heaven after his death on the Cross.<\/p>\n

OPTION #3: This is a general statement about people coming to faith in Christ.
\nUnder this view, \u201cthose who are dead\u201d refers to all people who are \u201cdead\u201d in their sins (cf. Eph. 2:1). These people are dead in sin, but they \u201cmay live in the spirit.\u201d This verb \u201clive\u201d (z\u014dsi) is in the subjunctive mood, which means that they might possibly come to Christ, if they choose to. The difficulty with this view is that \u201cdead\u201d is explained as being \u201cjudged in the flesh as men.\u201d This describes physical death\u2014not spiritual separation.<\/p>\n

OPTION #4: This could refer to Christ preaching to all those who are ultimately saved at the end of human history.
\nWhen Lazarus had died in the tomb, Jesus shouted, \u201cLazarus, come forth\u201d (Jn. 11:43). Similarly, Jesus calls all believers from death into resurrection on the last day. Paul writes, \u201cThe Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout\u201d (1 Thess. 4:16). Under this view, Peter is making a general claim about Christians being saved at the end of history. Even though these Christians are currently dead, they heard the gospel and will be saved.[3]<\/p>\n

Conclusion
\nThis is simply an unclear passage. A common hermeneutical rule is that we should interpret the unclear in light of the clear. Since several viable interpretations can be made on this passage, we shouldn\u2019t base major doctrines on such a verse. Since the Bible clearly teaches that the unsaved do not get a second chance after death (Heb. 9:27), we need to interpret this unclear passage in light of the greater testimony of Scripture.<\/p>\n

[1] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 207.<\/p>\n

[2] Wayne A. Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 180.<\/p>\n

[3] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 208.<\/p>\n

\n

“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (1 Pet 4:6)”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Problem: Peter writes, \u201cThe gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God\u201d (1 Pet. 4:6). Does this mean that people get to hear the gospel after they die?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","no-thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14119"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14119\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}