1 Peter 4:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The connection is this: these men who speak evil of you will give answer to Him Who judges all the living and the dead.

The dead also are judged. This is clear from the Lord's descent into Hades. For after His death on the Cross He appeared there and preached there also, as on earth. He preached not by word, but by deed.

His dwelling in the world served for justification to those who readily acknowledged Him, and for condemnation to those who did not acknowledge Him. So also among those held in Hades, He appeared for condemnation to those who lived according to the flesh.

But to those who lived according to the spirit, that is, who led a spiritual and virtuous life, He appeared for glory and salvation. Therefore He is rightly called Judge of the living and the dead.

Thus, what is later said about unbelievers, "They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead," does not mean that by the dead we must understand those who have died bodily. It may be that he called the unbelieving "dead," that is, dead in soul, of whom it is said, "Let the dead bury their own dead" (Mt 8:22; Lk 9:60). By the living he meant those who believe in Him and did not hear in vain.

Some say that by the living he means souls, and by the dead, bodies. For it is impossible for the soul to come to judgment without its body. Here, however, he calls the righteous living, since righteous works are necessary for the life to come. He calls sinners dead, because they have been put to death by sins and are dying through dead works. For the Gospel was preached not only to the righteous, but also to those more sinful and slain by transgressions, so that they might judge themselves, passing sentence on themselves in a human manner.

"To Him Who is about to judge," or "Who is ready to judge," clearly refers to Christ Jesus. He ascended into heaven and abides at the right hand of God (1 Pet 3:22).

The words refer to the Last Judgment which He will execute upon the world. Everywhere in the New Testament writings this Last Judgment is assigned precisely to Christ, and He is called Judge of the living and the dead.

With this feature the apostle completes the image given above (1 Pet 3:18-22) of the person and work of Christ. He suffered, descended into Hades, rose, ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of God the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead. After this He will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father, and God will be all in all (1 Cor 15:24, 28).

The apostle presents the judgment of the living and the dead as soon to occur in the same sense in which the Apostle James speaks of the nearness of Christ's coming (see Jas 5:1-8), and the other apostles also.

That is, he speaks in the sense of the unexpectedness of death, which could overtake Christians, especially at that time, the time of persecutions.

Concerning the judgment of the living and the dead, blessed Theophylact says: "The dead also are judged. This is clear from the Lord's descent into Hades.

For after His death on the Cross He appeared there and preached there also, as on earth. He preached not by word, but by deed.

To those who lived according to the flesh He appeared for condemnation. But to those who lived according to the spirit, that is, who led a spiritual and virtuous life, He appeared for glory and salvation."

The pagans sinned grievously by speaking evil of Christians because they had changed their life and become estranged from them. Yet Christians should not have been troubled by this.

Those who speak evil insult Christ Himself in the person of His slandered followers. Therefore, if not in this life, then in the life beyond the grave, they will not remain without requital.

They will give account, a strict answer, before Him Who is already ready and will soon judge the living and the dead.

The time of this judgment's arrival is unknown. Yet in any case it will be carried out soon. This does not mean, however, that it will necessarily take place in the immediate future.

Perhaps several millennia will pass before the universal resurrection of the dead and the judgment of the whole world.

But the difference between a short and a long time exists only for our shortsighted vision. For the eternal God, a thousand years are as one day (2 Pet 3:8).