When the Bible Gets Weird: Understanding 1 Peter 3:18–22 and the Victory of Christ

Every so often, as you read through Scripture, you hit a passage that makes you pause and say, “Wait… what?” For many people, 1 Peter 3:18–22 is one of those passages. Peter moves from Jesus’ death and resurrection, to Noah, to baptism, to imprisoned spirits, to angels and authorities—all in just a few sentences. One scholar joked that it feels like Peter tossed random ingredients into a blender to see what kind of theological smoothie would come out.