The Meaning of 1 Peter 4:6 Explained

1 Peter 4:6

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: For to this end were the glad tidings preached to the dead also, that they might be judged, as regards men, after the flesh, but live, as regards God, after the Spirit.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Peter 4:6 Mean?

Study Notes

that are dead
i.e. it was preached to them that are now dead.

Verse Meaning

Because everyone will give account of his life to God ( 1 Peter 4:5), Christians preach the gospel. We do so to enable people to give that account joyfully rather than sorrowfully (cf. 1 John 2:28). In Peter"s day Christians had preached the gospel to other people who had become Christians who had already died. Even though these brethren had experienced judgment for their sins by dying physically, they lived on in a new spiritual sphere of life since they were believers (cf. 1 Peter 3:18). Physical death is sin"s last effect on believers during their earthly lives.
Some people have incorrectly understood this verse as teaching that after a person dies he or she will have a second chance to believe the gospel. [1] This interpretation clearly contradicts the revelation of Scripture elsewhere that there is no second chance after death ( Hebrews 9:27). [2]
"Peter does not say that the gospel is being preached even to the dead but was preached.
"These are not all of the dead who shall face the Judge at the last day but those to whom the gospel was preached prior to Peter"s writing (by the gospel preachers mentioned in 1 Peter 4:1; 1 Peter 4:12 [3]), who at this writing were already dead [4]." [4]2
The verses in this pericope are a strong encouragement to endure suffering. Christ has assured our ultimate victory, and to turn back is to incur God"s punishment.

Context Summary

1 Peter 4:1-11 - The New Life In Christ
The Apostle urges the disciples to make a clean break with sin. As our Lord's grave lay between Him and His earlier life, so there should be a clean break between our life as believers and the earth-bound life, which was dominated by lawless passions. Sometimes God employs the acid of persecution or suffering to eat away the bonds that bind us to our past. Let us accept these with a willing mind. The one condition of reigning with the enthroned Christ is to submit to His cross. Of course, we must die to animal instinct, to the blandishments of the world, and to the temptations of the evil one; but it is quite as important to die to our self-life, whether it be clothed in white or black!
We are summoned to a life of prayer. But in order to promote fervency in prayer we must be sober-minded and self-controlled, 1 Peter 4:7; loving, 1 Peter 4:8; and faithful to our stewardship of all God's entrusted gifts, 1 Peter 4:10. Let us cultivate the invariable habit of looking up from our service, of whatever kind, to claim the ability to do it for the glory of God, 1 Peter 4:11. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Peter 4

1  He exhorts them to cease from sin and live fore God,
12  and comforts them against persecution

Greek Commentary for 1 Peter 4:6

Was the gospel preached [ευηγγελιστη]
First aorist passive indicative of ευαγγελιζω — euaggelizō Impersonal use. [source]
Even to the dead [και νεκροις]
Does Peter here mean preached to men after they are dead or to men once alive but dead now or when the judgment comes? There are those (Augustine, Luther, etc.) who take “dead” here in the spiritual sense (dead in trespasses and sins as in Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 2:1), but consider it “impossible” for Peter to use the same word in two senses so close together; but Jesus did it in the same sentence, as in the case of πσυχη — psuchē (life) in Matthew 16:25. Bigg takes it to mean that all men who did not hear the gospel message in this life will hear it in the next before the final judgment.That they might be judged (ινα κριτωσιν μεν — hina krithōsin men). Purpose clause with ινα — hina and the first aorist passive subjunctive of κρινω — krinō to judge, whereas ζωσιν δε — zōsin de (by contrast) is the present active subjunctive of ζαω — zaō to live. There is contrast also between κατα αντρωπους — kata anthrōpous (according to men) and κατα τεον — kata theon (according to God). [source]
That they might be judged [ινα κριτωσιν μεν]
Purpose clause with ινα — hina and the first aorist passive subjunctive of κρινω — krinō to judge, whereas ζωσιν δε — zōsin de (by contrast) is the present active subjunctive of ζαω — zaō to live. There is contrast also between κατα αντρωπους — kata anthrōpous (according to men) and κατα τεον — kata theon (according to God). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Peter 4:6

Galatians 1:11 After man [κατὰ ἄνθρωπον]
According to any human standard. The phrase only in Paul. See Romans 3:5; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 9:8; 1 Corinthians 15:32. Κατὰ ἀνθρώπους accordingto men, 1 Peter 4:6. [source]
1 Peter 1:3 Lively [ζῶσαν]
Better, as Rev., literally rendering the participle, living: a favorite word with Peter. See 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 4:5, 1 Peter 4:6; and compare Acts 9:41, where Peter is the prominent actor; and Acts 10:42, where he is the speaker. [source]
1 Peter 1:3 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ [ο τεος και πατηρ του κυριου ημων Ιησου Χριστου]
This precise language in 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; and part of it in 2 Corinthians 11:31; Romans 15:6. See John 20:17 for similar language by Jesus.Great (πολυ — polu). Much.Begat us again First aorist active articular The Stoics used αναγεννησις — anagennēsis for παλινγενεσια — palingenesia (Titus 3:5). If ανωτεν — anōthen in John 3:3 be taken to mean “again,” the same idea of regeneration is there, and if “from above” it is the new birth, anyhow.Unto a living hope (εις ελπιδα ζωσαν — eis elpida zōsan). Peter is fond of the word “living” (present active participle of ζαω — zaō) as in 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 4:5, 1 Peter 4:6. The Pharisees cherished the hope of the resurrection (Acts 23:6), but the resurrection of Jesus gave it proof and permanence (1 Corinthians 15:14, 1 Corinthians 15:17). It is no longer a dead hope like dead faith (James 2:17, James 2:26). This revival of hope was wrought “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (δια αναστασεως — dia anastaseōs). Hope rose up with Christ from the dead, though the disciples (Peter included) were slow at first to believe it. [source]
1 Peter 1:3 Begat us again [αναγεννησας ημας]
First aorist active articular The Stoics used αναγεννησις — anagennēsis for παλινγενεσια — palingenesia (Titus 3:5). If ανωτεν — anōthen in John 3:3 be taken to mean “again,” the same idea of regeneration is there, and if “from above” it is the new birth, anyhow.Unto a living hope (εις ελπιδα ζωσαν — eis elpida zōsan). Peter is fond of the word “living” (present active participle of ζαω — zaō) as in 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 4:5, 1 Peter 4:6. The Pharisees cherished the hope of the resurrection (Acts 23:6), but the resurrection of Jesus gave it proof and permanence (1 Corinthians 15:14, 1 Corinthians 15:17). It is no longer a dead hope like dead faith (James 2:17, James 2:26). This revival of hope was wrought “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (δια αναστασεως — dia anastaseōs). Hope rose up with Christ from the dead, though the disciples (Peter included) were slow at first to believe it. [source]
1 Peter 1:3 Unto a living hope [εις ελπιδα ζωσαν]
Peter is fond of the word “living” (present active participle of ζαω — zaō) as in 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 4:5, 1 Peter 4:6. The Pharisees cherished the hope of the resurrection (Acts 23:6), but the resurrection of Jesus gave it proof and permanence (1 Corinthians 15:14, 1 Corinthians 15:17). It is no longer a dead hope like dead faith (James 2:17, James 2:26). This revival of hope was wrought “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” Hope rose up with Christ from the dead, though the disciples (Peter included) were slow at first to believe it. [source]
1 Peter 3:4 In the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit [εν τωι απταρτωι του ησυχιου και πραεως πνευματος]
No word in the Greek for “apparel” For απταρτος — aphthartos see note on 1 Peter 1:4 and note on 1 Peter 1:23. For πραυς — praus see Matthew 5:5; Matthew 11:29. Πνευμα — Pneuma (spirit) is here disposition or temper (Bigg), unlike any other use in the N.T. In 1 Peter 3:18, 1 Peter 3:19; 1 Peter 4:6 it means the whole inner man as opposed to σαρχ — sarx or σωμα — sōma very much as πσυχη — psuchē is used as opposed to σωμα — sōma Spirit just mentioned.Of great price (πολυτελες — poluteles). Old word (from πολυ — polu and τελος — telos cost), in N.T. only here, Mark 14:3; 1 Timothy 2:9. [source]
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand [παντων δε το τελος ηγγικεν]
Perfect active indicative of εγγιζω — eggizō to draw near, common late verb (from εγγυς — eggus), same form used by the Baptist of the Messiah‘s arrival (Matthew 3:2) and by James in James 5:8 (of the second coming). How near Peter does not say, but he urges readiness (1 Peter 1:5.; 1 Peter 4:6) as Jesus did (Mark 14:38) and Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:6), though it is drawing nearer all the time (Romans 12:11), but not at once (2 Thessalonians 2:2). [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Peter 4:6 mean?

To this [end] indeed even to [the] dead the gospel was proclaimed so that they might be judged indeed according to men in [the] flesh they might live however God in [the] spirit
εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ νεκροῖς εὐηγγελίσθη ἵνα κριθῶσι μὲν κατὰ ἀνθρώπους σαρκί ζῶσι δὲ Θεὸν πνεύματι

τοῦτο  this  [end] 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
γὰρ  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: γάρ  
Sense: for.
καὶ  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
νεκροῖς  to  [the]  dead 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: νεκρός  
Sense: properly.
εὐηγγελίσθη  the  gospel  was  proclaimed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εὐαγγελίζω  
Sense: to bring good news, to announce glad tidings.
ἵνα  so  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
κριθῶσι  they  might  be  judged 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: κρίνω  
Sense: to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose.
μὲν  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: μέν  
Sense: truly, certainly, surely, indeed.
κατὰ  according  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: κατά 
Sense: down from, through out.
ἀνθρώπους  men 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
σαρκί  in  [the]  flesh 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: σάρξ  
Sense: flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts.
ζῶσι  they  might  live 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ζάω  
Sense: to live, breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead).
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
Θεὸν  God 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
πνεύματι  in  [the]  spirit 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: πνεῦμα  
Sense: a movement of air (a gentle blast.