1 Peter 3:18 (KJV)

Passage

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Nearby Context

1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "christ", "hath", "once", "suffered", "sins", "just", and "unjust". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "christ", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "For it is better if the will..." into verse 19's "By which also he went and preached...", so "Spirit" and "christ" belong inside that flow. In 1 Peter context, the local focus is hope in suffering, holy conduct, submission, and grace.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "christ" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.