Commentary on First Peter (117)

A related reason for opposition is that a Christian's pure lifestyle, even if he does not actively call attention to it, condemns the unbelievers. As John 3:20 says, "Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." Their curiosity becomes confusion, which quickly turns into indignation, and soon they lash out, as Peter says, to "heap abuse" on the Christians. Pure conduct becomes an object of ridicule.

"But," Peter continues, "they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead" (v. 5). This is said in the context of both verses 3 and 4, so that it means the non-Christians must give account for both their sinful lifestyles and their mistreatment of believers. To "give account" is a bookkeeping expression that refers to an employee's relation with his employer (see Luke 16:2).

Every non-Christian must one day offer an explanation before God for every little thing that he did in this life (Matthew 12:36). They will not get away with anything – not their manner of living, not their blasphemies against the Christian faith, and not their abuse of believers. God will repay them with torture and hellfire for each thought, word, and deed. He is "ready to judge the living and the dead," that is, all those who will be living and all those who will have died when he comes. It matters not if a person is an atheist, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or a Catholic; it matters not if the person is living or if he has already died. This is the fate that awaits every person who is not a Christian.

Then, verse 6 reads as follows: "For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit." The verse presents several problems for interpreters. Since the relevance and validity of the our interpretation is easy to see, we will not spend the time to interact with alternate views.

"For this is the reason" relates what follows with what we have just read from verse 5, so that Peter is saying, "Because there will be a judgment, the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead." Then we infer from the rest of the verse that he is referring to people who have believed the gospel, and who have died afterward.

The second part of the verse contrasts "judged according to men" against "live according to God." Again, recalling verse 5, the non-Christians think that there is something wrong with the believers because they "do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation," so that they "heap abuse" on those who follow Jesus Christ. This is their evaluation of Christians, and they even persecute some of them to the point of death. Whether they do or not, it is true that Christians die physically just like the non-Christians, and many who believed are now dead. How will God vindicate them? He will do so in and through the judgment of all men.

Therefore, just as God will punish every non-Christian for their every evil deed, he will vindicate all those who have believed the gospel, whether they are living or dead when he comes. The day of punishment for the unbelievers is also a day of vindication for believers. In that day, he will reverse the negative judgment that men have passed on his people.