"By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 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." 1 Peter 3:19-20
This is a difficult passage of scripture that has been variously interpreted by different bible scholars. Below is my understanding of this passage, I hope you are blessed by it.
At what time did Jesus preach to the spirits in prison?
The things to note: those referenced in this passage are spirits, not living people; they were disobedient at the time of Noah, when the patience of God waited for them to repent when Noah preached to them about the coming judgment pronounced by God. This preaching took place while Noah was preparing the ark. But only eight people were saved.
Peter was reporting an event that took place during the time when Noah was preparing the ark. The spirits in prison are those who, in the body, heard Noah preach and rejected his message, in the time when Peter wrote his epistle, they were in prison as spirits, having been separated by death from their bodies. The message was not preached to them in prison, rather, they are in prison because they rejected the message. In the day that Peter wrote this, these people were in prison, but in the day that the message was preached to them, they were in the body.
"For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." 1 Peter 4:6
When people read this passage which says that the gospel was preached to them that are dead, they wrongly assume that Jesus went to hell and preached to dead people, but that's not what this passage implies. This passage is better rendered, "to them who are now dead." This way, it shows that the gospel was preached to them when they were alive. Also notice that the reason the gospel was preached to them at the time it was preached to them (when Noah prepared the ark) was that they may be judged according to men in the flesh, and to give them an opportunity to live to God in the spirit; this happened when they were in the flesh. It is in the flesh that men are preached to, not in the spirit after their death.
"Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Peter 1:11
Every activity of the ancient prophets was inspired by the Spirit of Christ which was in them, therefore, when Peter wrote of Jesus preaching to those who were disobedient when Noah was preparing the ark, he was alluding to the Spirit of Christ in Noah preaching through Noah. This is the only explanation that makes bible sense because it is appointed to men once to die, and after that, the judgement. There's no bible promise of a second chance given to the dead for salvation. Now, and only now, can the gospel be preached to man when there is life in him., because it is appointed unto man, once to die, and after that judgment.
Toni
This is a difficult passage of scripture that has been variously interpreted by different bible scholars. Below is my understanding of this passage, I hope you are blessed by it.
At what time did Jesus preach to the spirits in prison?
The things to note: those referenced in this passage are spirits, not living people; they were disobedient at the time of Noah, when the patience of God waited for them to repent when Noah preached to them about the coming judgment pronounced by God. This preaching took place while Noah was preparing the ark. But only eight people were saved.
Peter was reporting an event that took place during the time when Noah was preparing the ark. The spirits in prison are those who, in the body, heard Noah preach and rejected his message, in the time when Peter wrote his epistle, they were in prison as spirits, having been separated by death from their bodies. The message was not preached to them in prison, rather, they are in prison because they rejected the message. In the day that Peter wrote this, these people were in prison, but in the day that the message was preached to them, they were in the body.
"For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." 1 Peter 4:6
When people read this passage which says that the gospel was preached to them that are dead, they wrongly assume that Jesus went to hell and preached to dead people, but that's not what this passage implies. This passage is better rendered, "to them who are now dead." This way, it shows that the gospel was preached to them when they were alive. Also notice that the reason the gospel was preached to them at the time it was preached to them (when Noah prepared the ark) was that they may be judged according to men in the flesh, and to give them an opportunity to live to God in the spirit; this happened when they were in the flesh. It is in the flesh that men are preached to, not in the spirit after their death.
"Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Peter 1:11
Every activity of the ancient prophets was inspired by the Spirit of Christ which was in them, therefore, when Peter wrote of Jesus preaching to those who were disobedient when Noah was preparing the ark, he was alluding to the Spirit of Christ in Noah preaching through Noah. This is the only explanation that makes bible sense because it is appointed to men once to die, and after that, the judgement. There's no bible promise of a second chance given to the dead for salvation. Now, and only now, can the gospel be preached to man when there is life in him., because it is appointed unto man, once to die, and after that judgment.
Toni
