To all,
To my subject reference, I would appreciate if discussion can be centered on the scriptures ONLY. Also I would appreciate those who have studied this subject to cross reference thier answers with Biblical verses.

In 1 peter 3:19, It is recorded that Jesus by His Spirit after his death,and before his resurrection went to the prisons and preached to the prisoners.The question that follows is this:

1.Who are these prisoners? Fallen Angels or Humans?

2.If the answer to (1) above is Humans, why did Jesus go to preach to them? Afterall, in thier life time,there were phrophets who God sent to man at every point in time to preach repentance from sin. More so, following the Rev 20 -Great white throne judgement- men were judged according to thier works while yet alive as recorded in the books!

I awiat to read your articulated spirit filled responses.

Souls in hell (hades)

the prison mentioned in that passage is the same things catholics call purgatory

Joagbaje:

Souls in hell (hades)

If souls in hell as you said, why did Jesus had to go preach to them? For them to have been taken to hell, was it not because they were already condemed?
If likewise your assertion is correct, would it be right too to say Jesus also went to Abraham's bossom to preach to them there?

Your answer also seems to conclude it wasn't the fallen angels - why would these angels not also qualify to receive jesus's message?

Joagbaje:

Souls in hell (hades)

Interesting to note what that very passage said i.e. 1 Peter 3:18-(NIV)-;
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit, THROUGH WHOM ALSO HE WENT AND PREACHED TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON WHO DISOBEYED LONG AGO WHEN GOD WAITED PATIENTLY IN THE DAYS OF NOAH WHILE THE ARK WAS BEING BUILT, "

From the part highlighted in red, it is clear that He went to preach by the Holy Spirit to "spirits" -and not souls as you asserted. And Peter also said these spirits in prison disobeyed God in the days of Noah-so does this suggest that this very passage is not the same account as Paul gave in Ephesians about Jesus after He died, went to the grave where He spoilt principalities and power, making open display of them?

Also, how do you corroborate this with the verse in 1 Peter 4 :16 ?

@poster

are souls not spirits

chukwudi44:

@poster

are souls not spirits

Definately not! Man is a Spirit, has a Soul and lives in a Body.

Ever came across the scripture talking about Spirit, Soul and Body? -Ref; Paul's teachings to the church in corinth.

what is d differece b/w a spirit n a soul

Believe it or not, the STATE of purgatory is real,

@ Poster.
The prisoners He was talking about was those that died without hearing the good new He brought.
He died and went to preach the news to them "like second chance" they are living like those on earth with litle time like us on earth, those who believe Him will be saved just as been prreached here.

Spirit and Soul are different.
Soul is the mediator bitween the Spirit and body.
Spirit and Body are great enemies.
The Spirit is God, the breath He gave Adam.
The Soul is the Trust or convenant of God with man
The Body is just earth or sand, its end here.
God will take its breat "Spirit" and judge the Soul if he suppotted the body or the spirit.

Omo_Tier1:
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit, THROUGH WHOM ALSO HE WENT AND PREACHED TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON WHO DISOBEYED LONG AGO WHEN GOD WAITED PATIENTLY IN THE DAYS OF NOAH WHILE THE ARK WAS BEING BUILT, "

From the part highlighted in red, it is clear that He went to preach by the Holy Spirit to "spirits" -and not souls as you asserted. And Peter also said these spirits in prison disobeyed God in the days of Noah

I am so much in agreement with this . . .

@OmoTier1,
I saw this topic after I had done some studies on the spirits in prison. I think I have gained that the 'spirits' Jesus went to preach to where the fallen angels who were shon in the scripture below:

2 Peter 2:4-5
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved to judgment; 5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly

Jude 1:6
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Genesis 6:1-6
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.


I actually read an article that said those 'sons of God' or 'Angels who fell and left their former estate' are the gods like Zeus of folk-lore and their children were the giants of considerable supernatural powers and abilities that we read of in literature.
Remember that these giants were all destroyed in the flood of Noah's time.

I was wodering what Jesus went to preach to them and what dropped in my heart and from study was possibly preach that God is great and it is possible to come to the earth and not defile ones self as Jesus proved Himself to be.

I would love to hear more suggestions though.

Hmmmm....

I believe Christ went to visit the spirits of those who died in God's grace. Now my thoughts basically are necessitated by some factors...Top-most of these is the reason Christ need to visit the spirits of those in 'prison' in the first place?

The answer that quickly comes to mind, for me, has a lot to do with what Christ has achieved by his death...we should note that this event took place immediately after Christ's death.

Christ came to redeem man and reconcile us to his father...this reconciliation opened the gates of heaven to man because before Christ's coming, no man has gone into heaven:

John 3:12-14
King James Version (KJV)
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

The spirits of the 'just' were still patiently awaiting the redemptive death and resurrection of Christ, because it is inconceivable for any man to be saved without Christ...and it is necessary that everyone who will be saved be born again into the family of Christ.

For those on Earth, it is through baptism while for the Spirit of those who departed but had not the opportunity to be baptized here on Earth, I believe this 'preaching' Christ did was their own form of the much needed re-birth before they can be admitted into God's kingdom.

Hence through their own form of baptism they died with Christ and at the resurrection of Christ, they also rose with him:

Matthew 27:50-54
King James Version (KJV)
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

@Striktlymi,
The main scripture that brought the OP is:

I Peter 3:19-20
19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood

Did Jesus pay a visit or went to preach? What you said was that the bodies of saints that slept arose. Why would Jesus go to preach to saints?
The scripture was qualified......spirits in prison-those who disobeyed God.
Besides where then was Abraham who Jesus Himself spoke of when He spoke of the richman and Lazarus.

Alwaystrue: @Striktlymi,

Did Jesus pay a visit or went to preach?

Lol!!! Is it the word 'Preach' that you are more concerned about? If I come to preach to you at your abode, is it not a visit? Anyways, I used the word 'preaching' in my OP, hope it suffices? See evidence below:

striktlymi:
For those on Earth, it is through baptism while for the Spirit of those who departed but had not the opportunity to be baptized here on Earth, I believe this [size=15pt]'preaching'[/size] Christ did was their own form of the much needed re-birth before they can be admitted into God's kingdom.

Alwaystrue:
What you said was that the bodies of saints that slept arose. Why would Jesus go to preach to saints?
The scripture was qualified......spirits in prison-those who disobeyed God.

You should be aware that it is almost impractical for any man to be in this world and not commit sin. Let's take Saint Peter as an example: he sinned even after he was born again...any form of sin is disobedience to God.

The book of proverbs puts it succinctly:

Proverbs 24:16
King James Version (KJV)
16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

The fact that one joins the league of saints does not mean that the individual had not sinned while on Earth. The only difference between a saint and a sinner is the saints ability to rise up after every sin.

Now, I believe that the preaching Christ did was not the typical preaching we are used to where someone goes about with bible in hand to preach to sinners...I am of the opinion that Christ's preaching was more like 'preparing' those spirits to enter heaven.

@striktlymi,
I did not mean bible in-hand preaching neither did the bible say Jesus went to 'visit the spirits in prison'. Please see my first response to the OP. However I respect your stand so far. Thanks.

However, I do not see how those that disobeyed God long ago while Noah was building the ark now translate to saints.
Especially with the scripture below:

I Peter 3:19-20
19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood


2 Peter 2:4-5
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved to judgment; 5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly

Alwaystrue: @striktlymi,
I did not mean bible in-hand preaching neither did the bible say Jesus went to 'visit the spirits in prison'. Please see my first response to the OP. However I respect your stand so far. Thanks.

If you are concerned about the word 'preach' then change the 'visit' to 'preach'. I believe I already demonstrated that I meant 'preach' when I said 'visit' and I showed where I used the word 'preaching' in my OP.

Alwaystrue:
However, I do not see how those that disobeyed God long ago while Noah was building the ark now translate to saints.
Especially with the scripture below:

This really is about eliminating the options that are unlikely.

Option A: Sons of God/Angels.

These I believe are other Angels apart from the chief Angels (Morning stars) who were with God before the creation of the world.

Job 38:7
King James Version (KJV)
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

A number of them joined Lucifer to rebel against God and were thrown out of Heaven. They have no hope of repentance, hence 'preaching to them would be totally out of the question because they have been condemned to Eternal punishment already:

Matthew 25:41
King James Version (KJV)
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels

Option B: Spirits of the faithful departed who are yet to gain access to heaven.

These are men and women who have gone through the 'great temptations' posed to them by the flesh. They died despite the odds, in God's favour but and are waiting to be redeemed. These have hope to be saved some day when the messiah comes.

They are different from the damned because there is no repentance in the grave, as such there is hope of heaven for these and 'preaching' to them as a way of bringing to Eternal glory will make so much sense.

Option C: Spirits of men who are damned for eternal punishment.

These are completely the opposite of option B above and have no hope of salvation because they left this world without repenting of their sins which are grave enough to merit them eternal punishment.

Preaching to these too still makes little or no meaning because they are already damned to eternal torment.

So Always, I have run out of options, if you have more you can add and let's do the elimination together. But if you ask me, I will stick to option B.

@Striktlymi,
As I said earlier, the prisoners were 'qualified as those that DISOBEYED God when God patiently waited for the completion of Noah's ark ro destroy the world....Genesis 6:1-6' and this related to the time of the time when angels left their first estate and mixed with the daughters of men to breed giants' and were thus chained and prepared for judgement. Some translations say Jesus made proclamations to the spirits in prison.

It is like the Son of God (Jesus) going to proclaim to the ex-sons of God (the angels who left their first estate and sinned) that He came to earth even in human form to perform the task the Father sent Him to do and completed it without sin. Thus showing they had no excuse therefore for their sin.

He would not have needed to preach to SAINTS as they would not be imprisoned. The righteous rest in peace when they die (Isaiah 57:2; Daniel 12:13), Hell is a prison for the wicked (Psalm 9:17) till the final judgement where they are cast into the lake of fire.

My initial post remains what I go with, therefore till I am more convinced.
Thanks.