refers to the preaching of the gospel to those who are spiritually dead (compare Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13). This interpretation has given Clement many followers, among whom are Augustine in the early church and Martin Luther during the Reformation. The objection to this exposition comes from the preceding context (v. 5). If Clement’s explanation is right, the interpreter would have to prove that Peter uses the word dead in two different senses (i.e., to refer to physical and spiritual states) in verses