These verses say we are to be followers of that which is good. There are people suffering for righteousness sake in the world today as they were in the day this letter was written.
Have you ever wondered what it means to sanctify the Lord God in your heart? To me it means setting Christ above and apart from all else. To value Him above all else.
In verse 16 a good conscience is of great value anytime, but especially when people may speak evil about our good conduct in Christ. It is OK to suffer for good and we never suffer because of any evil work. There were plenty of people in the ages past who suffered for being true followers of Christ. Notice Christ, the "Just One" suffered for sins. We must take our place as the unjust ones for whom Christ died.
The next three verses have been difficult among Christians for years. Some say Christ went to hell and preached to spirits in prison in eternity. My thoughts are that the Spirit of Christ was preaching through Noah while the ark was being built. The other thoughts don't seem possible unless repentance would have been offered to them. The Bible nowhere speaks of repentance after death. Baptism is not a means of salvation but the answer(to others) of what has happened to us in salvation.
Notice the preeminence Christ has of angels, authorities and powers subject to Him.
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