◄ 1 Peter 3:20 ►
who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.
Study Bible
who disobeyed long ago

The people of Noah’s generation had abandoned God and were marked by pervasive evil. Their rebellion brought the judgment of the flood upon the world.

Gen 6:5-7 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man…
Gen 6:11-12 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God,…
Gen 7:21-23 And every living thing that moved upon the earth…

when God waited patiently

Before judgment came, God allowed time for repentance while Noah carried out the work God had commanded. His patience did not cancel judgment, but it showed that the flood was not sudden or unjust.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise…
Gen 6:3 So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend…”…
Rom 2:4 Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness…

in the days of Noah

Noah lived among a corrupt people yet remained faithful to God. He obeyed God’s instructions and became the means by which his household was preserved.

Mat 24:37-39 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be…
Luk 17:26-27 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so…
Gen 6:9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man…

while the ark was being built.

The ark stood as visible testimony to God’s warning and Noah’s obedience. Its construction prepared a place of safety before the floodwaters came.

Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,…
Gen 6:14-16 Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms…
Gen 6:22 So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.

In the ark a few people, only eight souls,

Noah, his wife, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and their wives entered the ark. Though nearly all humanity perished, God preserved this family to continue the human race after the flood.

2Pe 2:5 He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood…
Gen 7:13 On that very day Noah entered the ark, along with his sons…
Gen 7:7-10 And Noah and his wife, with his sons and their wives…

were saved through water.

The same waters that judged the ungodly lifted the ark above destruction. Noah and his family were carried safely through the flood because God provided the ark and they entered it in faith and obedience.

Gen 7:17-23 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth…
Exo 14:21-22 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,…
1Co 10:1-2 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Noah
A righteous man chosen by God to build the ark and preserve humanity and animal life during the flood.

2. God
The divine being who showed patience and offered salvation through the ark.

3. The Disobedient
Those who lived during Noah's time and ignored God's warnings, ultimately perishing in the flood.

4. The Ark
The vessel built by Noah under God's instructions, symbolizing salvation and refuge.

5. The Flood
A cataclysmic event used by God to judge the earth, sparing only Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark.
Teaching Points
God's Patience and Justice
God's patience is evident as He waited during the construction of the ark, giving people time to repent. However, His justice ultimately prevailed, reminding us of the balance between mercy and judgment.

The Importance of Obedience
Noah's obedience in building the ark despite societal ridicule serves as a model for us to follow God's commands, even when they seem countercultural or challenging.

Salvation Through Christ
The ark is a foreshadowing of salvation through Jesus Christ. Just as Noah and his family were saved through the ark, we are saved through faith in Christ.

The Reality of Judgment
The flood serves as a historical reminder of God's judgment. It calls us to live righteously and to warn others of the coming judgment, just as Noah did.

Faith in Action
Noah's faith was demonstrated through his actions. Our faith should also be evident in our daily lives, influencing our decisions and interactions with others.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the patience of God in the days of Noah encourage us in our current walk with Him?

2. In what ways can we demonstrate obedience to God in a world that often disregards His commands?

3. How does the account of Noah and the ark deepen our understanding of salvation through Jesus Christ?

4. What lessons can we learn from Noah's faith and perseverance in the face of societal opposition?

5. How can we, like Noah, be "preachers of righteousness" in our communities today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 6-9
Provides the detailed account of Noah, the building of the ark, and the flood, offering context to Peter's reference.

Hebrews 11:7
Highlights Noah's faith and obedience, emphasizing his righteousness in contrast to the disobedience of his contemporaries.

Matthew 24:37-39
Jesus compares the days of Noah to the coming of the Son of Man, underscoring the suddenness of judgment and the importance of readiness.

2 Peter 2:5
Reinforces the idea of Noah as a "preacher of righteousness," indicating his role in warning others of impending judgment.
Sermons
Injunctions to AllR. Finlayson 1 Peter 3:8-22
All Angels Subject to ChristJohn Rogers.1 Peter 3:18-20
Baptism: HelpfulB. Preece.1 Peter 3:18-20
Christ At HomeHomilist1 Peter 3:18-20
Christ in the Flesh and in the SpiritA. J. Bengel.1 Peter 3:18-20
Christ the King of AngelsPlain Sermons by Contributors to, Tracts for the Times1 Peter 3:18-20
Christ the SubstituteJ. H. Wilson, D. D.1 Peter 3:18-20
Christ's SufferingsAbp. Leighton.1 Peter 3:18-20
Christ's SufferingsJ. J. S. Bird, B. A.1 Peter 3:18-20
Christ's Sufferings for UsH. W. Beecher.1 Peter 3:18-20
Christ's Sufferings; Or, the Basis of EvangelismD. Thomas, D. D.1 Peter 3:18-20
Our Ascended LordC. H. Spurgeon.1 Peter 3:18-20
Our Lord's AscensionDean Alford.1 Peter 3:18-20
Safety in the ArkB. W. Noel, M. A.1 Peter 3:18-20
Spirits in PrisonD. Thomas, D. D.1 Peter 3:18-20
The AscensionDean Vaughan.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Design of Christ's SufferingsSketches of Four Hundred Sermons1 Peter 3:18-20
The Gospel Preached to the DeadCanon T. S. Evades, D. D.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Great AtonementD. Wilson.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Just for the UnjustWm. McMordie, M. A.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Just Suffering for the UnjustW. J. Brock, B. A.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Mission of Our SaviorU.R. Thomas 1 Peter 3:18-20
The Patience of GodBp. Huntington.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Quickening Influence of SufferingF. B. Meyer, B. A.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Resurrection of ChristArthur Brooks.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Saints Coming Home to God by Reconciliation and GlorificationJohn Flavel.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Saviour's MissionU. R. Thomas.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Spirits in PrisonDean Vaughan.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Spirits in PrisonEssex Remembrancer1 Peter 3:18-20
The Sufferings of ChristM. Braithwaite.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Sufferings of ChristArthur Brooks.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Sufferings of ChristWm. Smart.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Sufferings of ChristS. Price.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Sufferings of Christ Our Atonement and Our ExampleF. Dobbin, M. A.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Two BaptismsW. Arnot.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Unrepeatable SacrificeJ. W. McKay, D. D.1 Peter 3:18-20
The Remembrance of Our Lord's Atonement a Help to Persecuted ChristiansC. New 1 Peter 3:18-22
The Crucified Savior Quickened in Spirit Preaching to the Spirits in PrisonC. New 1 Peter 3:19, 21
People
Christians, Noah, Peter, Sara, Sarah
Places
Asia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, Galatia, Pontus
Topics
Aforetime, Ago, Ancient, Ark, Building, Built, Construction, Disbelieved, Disobedient, During, Eight, Formerly, God's, Got, Heretofore, Kept, Longsuffering, Long-suffering, Mercy, Noah, Obey, Orders, Patience, Patiently, Persons, Preparing, Punishment, Ready, Safely, Salvation, Saved, Ship, Sometime, Souls, Wait, Waited, Waiting, Wherein
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Peter 3:20

     1095   God, patience of
     1347   covenant, with Noah
     2060   Christ, patience of
     5106   Noah
     5115   Peter, preacher and teacher
     5517   seafaring
     5762   attitudes, God to people
     5977   waiting
     8318   patience

1 Peter 3:18-21

     6678   justification, Christ's work

1 Peter 3:18-22

     2530   Christ, death of
     7756   preaching, content

1 Peter 3:20-21

     1680   types
     7203   ark, Noah's
     7227   flood, the

1 Peter 3:20-22

     4293   water

Library
Good Days
Eversley, 1867. Westminster, Sept. 27, 1872. 1 Peter iii. 8-12. "Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek …
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

Fifth Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to the Fruits of Faith.
Text: 1 Peter 3, 8-15. 8 Finally, be ye all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tender-hearted, humble-minded: 9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

Hallowing Christ
'Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.'--1 Peter iii. 14, 15. These words are a quotation from the prophet Isaiah, with some very significant variations. As originally spoken, they come from a period of the prophet's life when he was surrounded by conspirators against him, eager to destroy, and when he had been giving utterance to threatening prophecies as to the coming up of the King of Assyria, and the voice of God encouraged him and his …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

April the Ninteenth Union in Harmony
"Be ye all of one mind." --1 PETER iii. 8-17. But this is not unison: it is harmony. When an orchestra produces some great musical masterpiece, the instruments are all of one mind, but each makes its own individual contribution. There is variety with concordance: each one serves every other, and the result is glorious harmony. "By love serve one another." It is love that converts membership into fraternity: it is love that binds sons and daughters into a family. Look at a field of wild-flowers. …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Mothers, Daughters, and Wives in Israel
In order accurately to understand the position of woman in Israel, it is only necessary carefully to peruse the New Testament. The picture of social life there presented gives a full view of the place which she held in private and in public life. Here we do not find that separation, so common among Orientals at all times, but a woman mingles freely with others both at home and abroad. So far from suffering under social inferiority, she takes influential and often leading part in all movements, specially …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Faith of Abraham.
"By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God. By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Power of the Holy Ghost
We shall look at the power of the Holy Ghost in three ways this morning. First, the outward and visible displays of it; second, the inward and spiritual manifestations of it; and third, the future and expected works thereof. The power of the Spirit will thus, I trust, be made clearly present to your souls. I. First, then, we are to view the power of the Spirit in the OUTWARD AND VISIBLE DISPLAYS OF IT. The power of the Sprit has not been dormant; it has exerted itself. Much has been done by the Spirit …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

Consecration: what is It?
The second step that must needs be taken by those of us who have been living without the Fullness, before it can be obtained, is Consecration, a word that is very common and popular; much more common and popular, it is feared, than the thing itself. In order to be filled with the Holy Ghost one must first be "cleansed," and then one must be "consecrated". Consecration follows cleansing, and not vice versa. Intelligent apprehension of what consecration is, and of what it involves, is necessary to …
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life

The Holy Spirit in the Glorified Christ.
"Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."--Rom. i. 4. From the foregoing studies it appears that the Holy Spirit performed a work in the human nature of Christ as He descended the several steps of His humiliation to the death of the cross. The question now arises, whether He had also a work in the several steps of Christ's exaltation to the excellent glory, i.e., in His resurrection, ascension, royal dignity, and second coming. …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Of Baptism.
1. Baptism defined. Its primary object. This consists of three things. 1. To attest the forgiveness of sins. 2. Passages of Scripture proving the forgiveness of sins. 3. Forgiveness not only of past but also of future sins. This no encouragement to license in sin. 4 Refutation of those who share forgiveness between Baptism and Repentance. 5 Second thing in Baptism--viz. to teach that we are ingrafted into Christ for mortification and newness of life. 6. Third thing in Baptism--viz. to teach us that …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Authenticity and Credibility of the Pentateuch.
1. The historic truth of the Pentateuch is everywhere assumed by the writers of the New Testament in the most absolute and unqualified manner. They do not simply allude to it and make quotations from it, as one might do in the case of Homer's poems, but they build upon the facts which it records arguments of the weightiest character, and pertaining to the essential doctrines and duties of religion. This is alike true of the Mosaic laws and of the narratives that precede them or are interwoven …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

And not Without Just Cause a Doubt is Raised...
14. And not without just cause a doubt is raised, whether he said this of all married women, or of such as so many are, as that nearly all may be thought so to be. For neither doth that, which he saith of unmarried women, "She, that is unmarried, thinkest of the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit:" [1973] pertain unto all unmarried women: whereas there are certain widows who are dead, who live in delights. However, so far as regards a certain distinction and, as it were, character …
St. Augustine—On the Good of Marriage

Concerning Peaceableness
Blessed are the peacemakers. Matthew 5:9 This is the seventh step of the golden ladder which leads to blessedness. The name of peace is sweet, and the work of peace is a blessed work. Blessed are the peacemakers'. Observe the connection. The Scripture links these two together, pureness of heart and peaceableness of spirit. The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable' (James 3:17). Follow peace and holiness' (Hebrews 12:14). And here Christ joins them together pure in heart, and peacemakers', …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Its Nature
Justification, strictly speaking, consists in God's imputing to His elect the righteousness of Christ, that alone being the meritorious cause or formal ground on which He pronounces them righteous: the righteousness of Christ is that to which God has respect when He pardons and accepts the sinner. By the nature of justification we have reference to the constituent elements of the same, which are enjoyed by the believer. These are, the non-imputation of guilt or the remission of sins, and second, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Doctrine of Justification

Exhortations to Christians as they are Children of God
1 There is a bill of indictment against those who declare to the world they are not the children of God: all profane persons. These have damnation written upon their forehead. Scoffers at religion. It were blasphemy to call these the children of God. Will a true child jeer at his Father's picture? Drunkards, who drown reason and stupefy conscience. These declare their sin as Sodom. They are children indeed, but cursed children' (2 Peter 2:14). 2 Exhortation, which consists of two branches. (i) Let …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Sanctification
'For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.' I Thess 4:4. The word sanctification signifies to consecrate and set apart to a holy use: thus they are sanctified persons who are separated from the world, and set apart for God's service. Sanctification has a privative and a positive part. I. A privative part, which lies in the purging out of sin. Sin is compared to leaven, which sours; and to leprosy, which defiles. Sanctification purges out the old leaven.' I Cor 5:5. Though it takes not …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

John Bunyan on the Terms of Communion and Fellowship of Christians at the Table of the Lord;
COMPRISING I. HIS CONFESSION OF FAITH, AND REASON OF HIS PRACTICE; II. DIFFERENCES ABOUT WATER BAPTISM NO BAR TO COMMUNION; AND III. PEACEABLE PRINCIPLES AND TRUE[1] ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Reader, these are extraordinary productions that will well repay an attentive perusal. It is the confession of faith of a Christian who had suffered nearly twelve years' imprisonment, under persecution for conscience sake. Shut up with his Bible, you have here the result of a prayerful study of those holy …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Concerning the Sacrament of Baptism
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to the riches of His mercy has at least preserved this one sacrament in His Church uninjured and uncontaminated by the devices of men, and has made it free to all nations and to men of every class. He has not suffered it to be overwhelmed with the foul and impious monstrosities of avarice and superstition; doubtless having this purpose, that He would have little children, incapable of avarice and superstition, to be initiated into …
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

Differences in Judgment About Water Baptism, no Bar to Communion: Or, to Communicate with Saints, as Saints, Proved Lawful.
IN ANSWER TO A BOOK WRITTEN BY THE BAPTISTS, AND PUBLISHED BY MR. T. PAUL AND MR. W. KIFFIN, ENTITLED, 'SOME SERIOUS REFLECTIONS ON THAT PART OF MR BUNYAN'S CONFESSION OF FAITH, TOUCHING CHURCH COMMUNION WITH UNBAPTIZED BELIEVERS.' WHEREIN THEIR OBJECTIONS AND ARGUMENTS ARE ANSWERED, AND THE DOCTRINE OF COMMUNION STILL ASSERTED AND VINDICATED. HERE IS ALSO MR. HENRY JESSE'S JUDGMENT IN THE CASE, FULLY DECLARING THE DOCTRINE I HAVE ASSERTED. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'Should not the multitude of words be answered? …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Greatness of the Soul,
AND UNSPEAKABLENESS 0F THE LOSS THEREOF; WITH THE CAUSES OF THE LOSING IT. FIRST PREACHED AT PINNER'S HALL and now ENLARGED AND PUBLISHED FOR GOOD. By JOHN BUNYAN, London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1682 Faithfully reprinted from the Author's First Edition. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Our curiosity is naturally excited to discover what a poor, unlettered mechanic, whose book-learning had been limited to the contents of one volume, could by possibility know …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

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