ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

1 Peter 4.6

Book: 1 Peter · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

4. wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 5. who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6. For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

  1. But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer: 8. above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins: (1 Peter 4:4-8, ASV)
WEB

4. They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming: 5. who will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6. For to this end the Good News was preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.

  1. But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer. 8. And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:4-8, WEB)
KJV

4. Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 5. Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

6. 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. But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. shall: or, will (1 Peter 4:4-8, KJV)
YLT

4. in which they think it strange, your not running with them to the same excess of dissoluteness, speaking evil, 5. who shall give an account to Him who is ready to judge living and dead,

6. for for this also to dead men was good news proclaimed, that they may be judged, indeed, according to men in the flesh, and may live according to God in the spirit.

  1. And of all things the end hath come nigh; be sober-minded, then, and watch unto the prayers, 8. and, before all things, to one another having the earnest love, because the love shall cover a multitude of sins; (1 Peter 4:4-8, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: Peter, writing through Silvanus (5:12)
  • Audience: scattered believers across five Roman provinces of Asia Minor, described as sojourners and exiles and facing social hostility rather than state persecution
  • Location: written from "Babylon" (5:13), most likely a designation for Rome
  • Time period: c. AD 62 to 64, before the Neronian persecution

Theological reading

For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

Frequently paired with 3:19 to argue for evangelism after death, and the pairing deserves scrutiny rather than assumption.

The verb differs from 3:19. There the word is ekeryxthe, proclaimed; here it is euengelisthe, the gospel was preached. That is a real difference and it tells against treating the two verses as describing one event.

The most economical reading takes the dead as those who heard the gospel while alive and have since died. The point then answers an obvious objection: if the gospel brings life, why have believers died? Peter's answer is that they were judged in the flesh as all people are, according to human reckoning, and yet live according to God in the spirit. The purpose clause fits this reading cleanly.

The alternative, a genuine post-mortem proclamation, requires the passage to establish a doctrine found nowhere else and sits awkwardly with Hebrews 9:27.

What the verse does establish, on any reading, is that physical death is not the defeat of the gospel's promise. That is the pastoral point for a congregation losing members under pressure, and it is the point Peter is making in a chapter about suffering.

The codex does not build a doctrine of post-mortem opportunity on a contested reading. See Salvation of the Unevangelized.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Concepts:

Lexicon:

Passages:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.