Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Peter 4:6

"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 Peter 4:6 (ASV)

For this reason. The expression "For this reason" refers to an end to be reached, an object to be gained, or a reason why anything referred to is done. The end or reason why the thing referred to here—namely, that "the gospel was preached to the dead"—was done, is stated in the later part of the verse to have been "that they might be judged," etc. It was with reference to this, or in order that this might happen, that the gospel was preached to them.

Was the gospel preached also to those who are dead. Many, like Doddridge, Whitby, and others, understand this to refer to those who are spiritually dead—that is, the Gentiles—and suppose that the object for which this was done was that "they might be brought to such a state of life as their carnal neighbours will look upon as a kind of condemnation and death." —Doddridge.

Others have supposed that it refers to those who had suffered martyrdom in the cause of Christianity. Others believe it refers to the sinners of the old world (Saurin), expressing a hope that some of them might be saved. Still others suggest it means that the Saviour went down and preached to those who are dead, in accordance with one of the interpretations given of 1 Peter 3:19.

It seems to me that the most natural and obvious interpretation is to refer it to those who were then dead, to whom the gospel had been preached when they were living, and who had become true Christians. This is the interpretation proposed by Wetstein, Rosenmuller, Bloomfield, and others. In support of this, the following points may be made:

1. This is the natural and obvious meaning of the word dead, which should be understood literally, unless there is some good reason in the context for departing from the common meaning of the word.

2. The apostle had just used the word in that sense in the previous verse.

3. This will suit the context and accord with the apostle's design. He was addressing those who were suffering persecution. It was natural, in such a context, to refer to those who had died in the faith and to show, for their encouragement, that though they had been put to death, they still lived to God. He therefore says that the design in publishing the gospel to them was that, though they might be judged by men in the usual manner and put to death, yet in respect to their higher and nobler nature, the spirit, they might live to God. It was not uncommon nor unnatural for the apostles, when writing to those who were suffering persecution, to refer to examples and offer arguments for fidelity and perseverance (Compare to 1 Thessalonians 4:13; Revelation 14:13).

That they might be judged according to men in the flesh. This means that so far as men are concerned (kata anthrōpous), or in respect to the treatment they received from men in the flesh, they were judged and condemned. However, in respect to God and the treatment they received from him (kata Theon), they would live in the spirit.

Men judged them severely and put them to death for their religion; God gave them life and saved them. By men, they were condemned in the flesh—insofar as pain, sorrow, and death could be inflicted on the body. By God, they were made to live in the spirit—to be his, to live with him.

The word judged here, I suppose, therefore refers to a sentence passed on them for their religion, consigning them to death for it. There is a particle in the original—men indeed—which has not been retained in the common translation but which is quite important to the sense: "that they might indeed be judged in the flesh, but live," etc. The direct object or design of preaching the gospel to them was not that they might be condemned and put to death by man, but this was indeed or in fact one of the results on the way to a higher object.

But live according to God. This means in respect to God, or so far as he was concerned. By him they would not be condemned. By him they would be made to live—to have the true life. The gospel was preached to them in order that, so far as God was concerned, so far as their relation to him was concerned, so far as he would deal with them, they might live. The word live here seems to refer to the whole life that was the consequence of their being brought under the power of the gospel:

1. That they might have spiritual life imparted to them;

2. That they might live a life of holiness in this world;

3. That they might live afterward in the world to come. In one respect, and so far as men were concerned, their embracing the gospel was followed by death; in another respect, and so far as God was concerned, it was followed by life. The value and permanence of the latter, as contrasted with the former, seems to have been the thought in the apostle's mind in encouraging those to whom he was writing to be patient in their trials and to be faithful in the service of their Master.

In the spirit. This refers to their souls, as contrasted with their body. In respect to the flesh, they were put to death; in respect to their souls—their higher natures—they were made truly to live. The argument in this verse, then, is this: in the trials we endure for our religion, we should remember the example of those who have suffered for it, and we should remember why the gospel was preached to them. It was, indeed, in a subordinate sense, that they might glorify God by a martyr's death; but in a higher sense, it was that in this world and the next they might truly live. The flesh might suffer as a consequence of their embracing the gospel that was preached to them, but the soul would live. Animated by their example, we should be willing to suffer in the flesh if we may live forever with God.