Bible Discussion Thread

Well, I guess I haven't posted in so long that the processes have changed somewhat. I was looking for discussion posts on 1 Peter chapter 3, and these postings appeared. Few have 1 Peter referenced, and even fewer are from chapter 3. Although I find the discussions presented interesting, they don't address the verses of interest I was looking for, namely v.19-20. Perhaps I'll try back at a later time. Have a peaceful Sabbath to you all.

Hi Valmar.

This is another one of those complicated scriptures that is highly debated.

I would like to share my understanding on this passage of scripture taking it from verse 13 through verse 21. ( 1 Peter 3:13-21 )

Many associate 1 Peter 3:19-20 with Ephesians 4:8-9.

I don't hold the view that they have anything to do with one another.

Ephesians 4:8-9 there's no preaching involved.

I believed when Christ ascended he led captivity captive. "The old testament Spirits/Saints out of Abraham's bosom.

In 1 Peter the question is "When, Where and How did the preaching take place"?

I believe that answer is in verse 20. (During days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing.)

The Holyspirit presented the Gospel through Noah for 120 years in the building of the Ark.

Peter os identifying them as Spirits as who they are today as "these people who ridiculed Noah while building the Ark.

Hebrews 11:7 says "By faith Noah prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world,

This seems to fit the context of the previous verses. ( 1 Peter 3:13-18. )

Noah suffered for well doing, and so did Christ.

Blessings.

Hello VALMAR

Welcome back. This passage in 1 Peter 3:19-20 (and on to verse 22) has been given a handful of interpretations over the centuries of the church age.

I just finished reading a number of commentaries as well a few articles that outlined the history of interpretations for this passage.

I would suggest you do as I did and read some articles about this passage to help you come to your own conclusion on what this passage means.

For me, because of the specific words and language used in this passage I tend to agree that:

----After Jesus' death, He either in His divinity as Spirit, if before the resurrection, or, in His glorified resurrection body, went to

the place where the sinful, wicked sons of god (angels) that infiltrated and brought ruin to the human race in Gen. 6 by

procreating with human women were imprisoned ( 1 Peter 2:4-5, Jude 6) from the time of the flood onward.

----Since the text in 1 Peter 3:19-20 speaks of "spirits" who are imprisoned, but then speaks of "souls" who were saved, I think

that the Holy Spirit was distinguishing between "spirits" (angels) and "souls" (humans).

----That Jesus informed these evil angels about the victory He won over them forever by means of the cross and the shedding of

His blood, despoiling them of any authority they may have had, but now they have been made subject to Jesus Christ (1

Peter 3:22, Col.1:15, 2:15).

----The exact time this occurred is unclear. It may have been between His death and resurrection or between the resurrection

and His going to the Father after speaking with Mary in the garden ( Jn 20:14-17) or when He ascended 40 days after He

resurrected.

----The purpose of Jesus going to the place of imprisonment was to proclaim His pre-eminence, the surety of their judgment,

and to preach the gospel of how He saved the elect humans through His suffering and death (they may not have been aware

of this prior to His visit), but them.

Your explanation was better than mine; I would expect wicked men not of the descendants of the Nephilim would have been aware as Revelation states everyone under the earth praises God eventually. I'm pretty distracted these days so glad you are filling in.

Richard

Pt. 2

My feelings reminded me of Romans 8:22-24 where it says that "all creation groans" to be made new and uncorrupted and we groan inwardly to put on the newness of what we will be in the resurrection. In the mean time, we walk in Christ, desiring to know and do God's will always. Yet we cannot always know clearly what His will is nor do we obey perfectly. The time will come in eternity when we will always know God's will and will be able to do it. But for now we live within our present limitations.

This musing made me think of you as you consider what to do with your father's home, with whether or not you move back to where you lived and were employed before you came to take care of your parents. You have so much to decide and I know that you want to do what God wills. So, I will be praying for you to know way God wants you to decide and to move forward. We can comfort each other in knowing that the time for us to enter eternity will come to pass when God calls us home. Oh, how glorious that will be. But for now, we keep walking by faith, trusting the Holy Spirit to help us each step of the way.

I just wanted you to know that I was thinking of you today when I got into this yearning and musing and that I continue to pray for you often.

Hi Richard,

These verses in 1 Peter have posed a quandary for me for many years. I can see support for many of the other interpretations than mine here. And even with mine, the fallen angels that sinned before the flood with humans may or may not have been with the procreation of hybrid beings with human women. It likely entailed far more than just this or maybe other evil than procreation with human women. But whatever way they sinned it resulted in rapidly corrupting the human race to such an extent that God needed to cleanse the earth, its creatures, and the human race of the wickedness they brought into it and the wickedness done by humans by their own devising and by the influence of these fallen angels.

On another topic that I planned to share with you today, I was hoping to bring it forward.

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in the Pacific Norhtwest. Sunny-75 degrees. Perfect weather! And today, it rained all day and was much cooler. It is very typical of spring weather here. So, I was driving home today from errands and began to think about how I would love it is every day was like yesterday. I know that in this life, this won't be so. I know that in so much of our country has had storms and tornadoes. And there have been several powerful earthquakes this last week or so, as you mentioned.

It got me thinking somewhat wistfully with a longing for having perfect moments that last forever characterized by peace, restfulness, contentment, beauty, joy, love, blessedness and all other such real things. I know that I cannot have this in this life. And so I was led to long for the time in eternity when we will have ALL in Christ in actuality. How wonderful it is to contemplate how rich we are in Christ as to our inheritance kept for us in heaven. This yearning is common for me and I think that many believers also feel this way over and over again during their walk with the Lord in this life with all its wickedness and corruption.

see part 2

Meant to say, "but not them".

Telling the wicked "sons of god" that they were not included in God's redemption most likely was met not only with derision towards Jesus, hating Him, and no remorse for their sin, but with them doubling down on their rejection of God's will despite their agony and torment in this place of imprisonment.

I imagine that Jesus' voice sounded like John heard it in Revelation, and His Presence their was overwhelmingly painful for these spirits. They knew that He had all the authority and dominion and determiner of their end, which will be the lake of fire.

Jesus preached to those who were in the prison as lost souls in Sheol. The others were apparently set free ( Ephesians 4:8; Matthew 27:52-53) who were righteous saints of God in the pleasant side of Sheol. The old state of the afterlife consisted of a separate area of peace from one of torment as we see in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man ( Luke 16:19-31). Now when a believer dies he or she goes right to be with the Lord ( 2 Cor. 5:8).

Hope that helps.

Agape; Rich P