d according to men in the flesh, but live to God
in the spirit._

Here we have, however, a strange and remarkable text. The words
clearly declare that the Gospel is preached not only to the living,
but also to the dead, and adds besides, "in order that they may be
judged according to men in the flesh." Now they certainly have not
flesh, which can be understood only of the living. It is a wonderful
passage, however understood: whether it should be made to refer to
us, or to concern something foreign, I do not know, yet this is my
understanding of it. We are not to be anxious how God will condemn
the heathen who died many centuries ago, but only how He will judge
those that are now living; so that the passage should be considered
as spoken of men on earth.

But as to the word _flesh_, you are to understand, as I said above,
that the entire man is called flesh, according as he lives, just as
he also is called in respect to his whole nature, spiritual, while he
follows after that which is spiritual. Still there is also a
commingling of the two things with one another, just as I say of a
man who is wounded, that he is whole and yet is wounded; and so, too,
though the sound part is greater than the wounded part, still he is
spoken of only with reference to the injured part as wounded; and
such, too, is the method of the Spirit here: therefore he says, that
they as to their outward being are condemned, but inwardly, as
respects the spirit, are preserved in life.

But how does that, where He says that they live, agree with that
which he subjoins, that they are dead? I will explain it according to
my understanding, yet not so as to limit the Holy Ghost in that he
calls the unbelieving dead. For I cannot accept the sense that to
those that are dead and perished, the Gospel has been preached. This,
then, would be what St. Peter means, that the Gospel has been freely
published and universally spread abroad, concealed neither from dead
nor living--neither from angels nor yet from devils, and preached not
secretly in a corner, but so publicly that all creatures might hear
it that have ears to hear, as Christ gave command in the last of
Mark: "Go ye forth and preach the Gospel to all creatures." If,
therefore, it is preached in such a manner, there will those be found
who are condemned after the flesh, but live after the spirit.

V. 7. _But the end of all things is at hand._ This is also a
remarkable passage, for already near