Frequently Asked Questions About Christianity, Answered Honestly!
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What Does it mean, Christ
Preached to the Spirits in Prison?
(An Exposition of 1st Peter 3:18)
-by Tony Warren
One
of the most puzzling questions for a lot of Christians is how we are to
understand 1st Peter 3:18, where it declares that by Christ's death and
resurrection, He went and preached unto the spirits in prison.
There are many who theorize that these verses speak of a kind of purgatory,
spiritual under-world, or intermediate place of the imprisoned lost. But
these theories are contrary to all that the scripture declares about our
mortality. The Bible is perfectly clear that whatever spiritual condition
a person is in when he dies (whether Saved or unsaved), that is the
condition in which he will stand before God in judgement. There is no
possibility for a second chance at redemption after death.
Ezekiel 18:4
- "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also
the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die."
Romans 6:23
- "For the wages of sin is death.."
Hebrews 9:27
- "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment:"
Once man dies, his chance for redemption is over, for he is then paid
according to what he has earned (wages) in this world. There is no Spirit
preaching to us afterward, it is appointed unto men once to die, and then
the judgement. By the same token, we receive Salvation in this world by
the work of Christ, and are thus judged perfect. there is no second chance
at Salvation. This is also made clear in the parable of Lazarus as Christ
explains that there is a great gulf fixed (luke 16:26) where it
is impossible for the redeemed to pass from one side to the other, or vice
versa. Thus if we die unsaved, that is the condition which we will spend
eternity in.
So what does this passage of 1st Peter mean? In this brief study we will
take a careful look at these verses, and let the Holy Spirit of God
reveal his truth to us through His Word. For in all honesty, only the
Word of God can interpret the Word of God. No one else can.
1st Peter 3:18-20
- "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in
the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit:
- by which also He went and preached unto the saints in prison;
- which sometimes 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."
These can be difficult passages, but we can begin to come to an
understanding of what they mean if we follow what it declares with
no preconceived ideas about it's meaning, and "in the light of the
rest of the Bible." For the Bible was not the writing of any private
interpretation of the Saints of old, and neither is it subject to
our private interpretation today.
2nd Peter 1:20-21
- "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation.
- "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
Every Word is inspired of God, and thus cannot be subject to man's
personal opinions, will, or imaginative explanations. Faithful saints
are guided and led by God's Word, they are not those leading or guiding
it. Only through the Holy Spirit and the careful comparing of (and study
in) scriptures, will we ever come to the true understanding of what it
truly means. When we do this, we find that what God says in this chapter
is that, by Christ's death in the flesh and His but quickening by the
Spirit, He accomplished the preaching to the spirits in prison. With
these humble beginnings, it is now a matter of defining "biblical terms."
We first search the scriptures diligently to find what the spirits are,
what the prison house of spirits are, and how is it that by Christ's death
and resurrection, the spirits were preached to. We cannot simply
presuppose or guess at it, we have to search, study, and compare
scripture with scripture to glean the truth. Doing these fundamental
things, we find that the answer becomes self evident. The spirits in
prison are all the unsaved for whom Christ died and for whom He was risen.
And it is totally in harmony with this verse. God uses the word prison
(as we shall see) as a synonym for the place Satan holds unsaved
men his spiritual captives, and the spirits therein are the spirits of
those whom Christ came to set free. In other words, our spirit being
in captivity to Satan, are the spirits in prison. We are spoken of as
spirits. For example:
1st John 4:1
- "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into
the world."
What are these spirits that we are not to believe? They are the spirits
in prison. In other words, they are those who are held captive, in bondage
to Satan. These are the types of spirits that God is explaining in 1st
Peter that by Christ's death and resurrection, he preached deliverance to.
The death He suffered was at the cross, the hell He endured was the wrath
of God as He was laden with our sins (2nd Corinthians 5:21), and paid the
wages due them. When He was resurrected, He was risen without those sins.
And in the real sense, we were buried and resurrected "with him." These
spirits that were preached to by His death and resurrection, are us. The
election.
Acts 2:31
- "He seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ, that
His soul was Not Left In Hell, neither His flesh did see
corruption."
This is the 1st Resurrection, that if we have part in it, we will never
die. And because Christ has preeminence as the first raised, we also are
raised up in him.
Colossians 2:12
- "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him
through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the
dead."
Romans 8:9-11
- "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,
he is none of his.
- And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the
Spirit is life because of righteousness.
- But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
The Death that Christ suffered at the cross was more than simply physical
death. It was more than simply the grave. That is what many do not really
understand. There was a real work and accomplishment of Christ at the
cross. Christ's accomplishment was that He defeated Satan, took his
palace (Luke 11:21-22), setting our spirits free from his prison house
by right of conquest. He spoiled Satan's kingdom, and loosed the spirits
that he held (us) in bondage. And that, is what the passage in 1st Peter
chapter three refers to: This work and accomplishment of Christ by His
suffering, death, and resurrection for our sins.
1st Peter 3:18-20
- "For Christ also hath once Suffered for Sins, the just for the
unjust, that He might bring us unto God, being put to Death in
the FLESH, but quickened (made alive) in the Spirit.
- By Which He went and preached unto the spirits in prison;"
We died with Him, and were raised up with Him, quickened, or made alive
in the spirit. It was in this Spirit that Christ preached to our spirits
in prison, and by which He draws us to obedience and the will of God.
The key words here are, "by Which." He was made sin for us, and by His
death in the flesh and being made alive in the Spirit, He preached the
good news to the spirits in prison that were sometimes disobedient (All
men sin and fall short of the Glory of God). It is by the Spirit of
Christ that the spirit of man in the flesh (the spirits in prison) hear
the gospel of Grace. We don't hear because we have better ears, or
because we are better listeners, or are smarter people, we hear the
gospel because of the death and resurrection of Christ "for us." The
gospel is preached to us "by this." Likewise, it was the same "for the
old testament saints." It is Christ's quickening Spirit that freed them
from the spiritual prison house of Satan and caused them to trust God
and preach the gospel. It was by this same Spirit of Christ that God
brought Noah (and his) the gospel of deliverance He preached. The
efficacy of the cross reaches all the way back to Noah, even to Able.
The prison is the spiritual darkness which is a bondage to sin and
servitude to Satan, in which all men are held fast. This is what Christ
went to the cross to free us from. This is the prophecy which was
foretold. These things are spiritually discerned through God's Word.
Jesus put it as plain as it can get when He referenced His fulfillment
of the prophesy:
Luke 4:18
- "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me
to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the
brokenhearted, to Preach Deliverance to the Captives, and
Recovering of sight to the blind, to Set at Liberty them that
are bruised."
Is God talking about some theoretical sojourn into purgatory to preach to
spirit captives? Not at all. He is talking about the Salvation of all
those for whom Christ came to set free. It's talking about the preaching
of deliverance by the Spirit of Christ, and of those who are held captive
in Satan's spiritual prison house of darkness. God is signifying that
these are those being brought out by that preaching into the light that
they can see. These are the spirits in Prison that 1st Peter says
Christ (by his death and resurrection) preached to. Note that Luke 4:18
clearly says that this is indeed what He was sent to do. It's talking
about our spirits being set at liberty (free) from bondage to Satan.
This is the real accomplishment of the death and quickening of Christ.
He brought us the "good News" of Liberty. And when Jesus read in the
Holy Temple those words of Isaiah (Luke 4), and said He was the
fulfillment, He was reading alerting us to search the scriptures and
understand the spiritual nature of the Kingdom.
Isaiah 61:1
- "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath
anointed Me to Preach Good Tidings unto the meek; He hath sent
Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound."
Is God saying that Christ came to go to the literal prison houses of the
Romans because that is what He was sent to do? To set literal prisoners
free from literal earthly prisons? Were the captives in this prison whom
Christ was prophesied to preach to and deliver criminals who had broken
the Roman law? No, these are prophesies of spiritual prisoners of Satan.
Those who had broken the laws of God, not the laws of the Romans. i.e.,
spirits in prison that Christ was sent to preach liberty to, are us. Not
a mythical place of purgatory, or some intermediate holding pen, but we
are the spirits in prison Christ came to preach to.
Isaiah 42:6
- "I, The Lord have called Thee in Righteousness, and will hold
Thine hand, and will keep Thee, and give Thee for a COVENANT of
the people, and a LIGHT of the gentiles;
- To OPEN the blind eyes, to bring out the Prisoners from the
Prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the PRISON HOUSE."
God is obviously not declaring that this is a prophesy that the prison
houses of the day would not have enough light in them, or that Christ
was to literally go to these prisons and free those who were held captive
there. This is figurative speech to illustrate our bondage. Christ had
the perfect opportunity to free John the Baptist in prison, but John
remained there because the prophesy was not about setting spirits free
from man made or earthly prisons. The prison house that was in view was
the house of Satan. The spirits in "this" prison house are the spirits
that Christ came to preach liberty to. This is what Luke chapter 4 was
addressing when it says it was fulfilled that He came to preach
deliverance to the captives. He, By His death and resurrection preached
deliverance to these spirits who were sometimes disobedient (thus needed
to be delivered). They as all of us had death hanging over their heads.
And the context of 1st Peter illustrates that Christ delivered not just
you and me, but Abel, Abraham, Lot, and Noah with the eight souls that
were with Him in the ark as well. He set their spirits free just as He
did the Apostles, and ours today. For the efficacy of the real work and
accomplishment of the cross reaches to the beginning and extends to the
end. Christ is the Lamb slain from "before" the foundation of the world
"Because" His blood covers those who were Saved before the time of the
cross. The Spirit of Christ that those Righteous men like Noah had (and
yes, they had it), was because of His future effectiveness at the cross.
The Spirit of Christ preached to their spirits in prison beforehand, of
what would be made effectual by His future death and resurrection.
Just as it preaches to our spirits of what "was" made effectual long
ago at the cross. They were in Grace looking forward to the cross, we
are in Grace looking back at the cross. In fact, if we would just read
a few chapters before, we can see where God speaks about this Spirit of
Christ preaching (testifying) to the old Testament prophets of the
death of Christ.
..and he who hath an ear, let him hear.
1st Peter 1:11
- "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.
Yes, by the death and quickening of Christ, were the spirits in prison
preached to in Noah's day, as they were sometimes disobedient, but the
Grace of God covers their sins. That efficacy reaches all the way to the
old testament prophets as the Spirit of Christ testified (preached)
beforehand of it. Just as the Spirit of Christ testifies to us now,
afterward. Without Christ dying for Noah and his, as well as us, they/we
would remain spirits in prison destined for Hell. They were Saved by
faith looking forward to the efficacy of the Cross. We are Saved by
faith, looking backward at the efficacy of the Cross. We were both
washed clean by the "figure" of water, the token of the death and
resurrection of Christ in shed blood of the lamb.
When Jesus Christ said, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears
(Luke4:21) He was talking about preaching deliverance to the spirits in
prison, and freeing them from the bondage house of Satan that "He" would
accomplish. If we look at it carefully, it is quite clear that by His
death and quickening Spirit, He went and preached deliverance to the
spirits in Prison. Jesus said in:
Mark 3:27
- "No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his
goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then He
will spoil his House."
In study of this verse carefully, and in context, we see that the house
here is Satan's Kingdom, and Satan is the Strong man. We see that Jesus
is the one who came to the strong man's house to spoil (to seize or take
by Conquest his possessions) that house. And Christ said if this is true,
then the Kingdom of God had come (Matthew 12:28-29). So what are the
possessions of the house of Satan that Christ came to spoil? Again,
clearly, they are us. When we become Saved, we have been taken from
the house of Satan (spirits delivered from his prison), set free from
his grip, and transferred into the Kingdom of our deliverer.
Colossians 1:13
- "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"
There again we see that "darkness of the prison" of satan that Christ
came to deliver us from. We are no longer in captivity or in bondage
to him. We have had the gospel preached to us by the quickening Spirit
of Christ and no longer serve Satan. Translated, we become servants of
God free from sin. Remember Jesus told Israel:
John 8:34
- "...whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. and the
servant abideth not in THE HOUSE for ever: but the son abideth
ever. If the Son therefore shall make you FREE, ye shall be
free indeed (Truly)."
Like many today, they didn't understand Jesus either. They retorted, "we
be Abraham's seed and were never in Bondage to anyone." They didn't
understand that Jesus was talking about the spiritual prison house of
Satan that they were in, and that He came to deliver them from this.
That's the House that Mark 3:27 and Matthew 12:29 talks about that
Jesus came to spoil. The Prison House where Satan holds the spirits
in darkness. And how did Christ free those captives? ..just as 1st
Peter declares. By his death and resurrection.
So then, as we study 1st Peter 3:18 in the light of the whole Bible
and all it has to say concerning spirits in prison and how Christ's
death and resurrection effected them, we can get a clearer (and more
importantly, Biblical) perspective of what is being said there. And by
the Holy Spirit which guideth all into Truth, it all fits perfectly
into place.
That's what happens when we come to real truth in letting God interpret
His own Word, and not making private interpretations. It all fits together
marvelously throughout God's Word like a gigantic picture puzzle with every
piece perfectly snug in place 'signifying' that it is true. God's Word
testifies of itself that it is true, via the Holy Spirit. These who
Christ died for, are the spirits in prison that 1st Peter says Christ
went and preached to by His Death and resurrection. That's the Key.
'by' His death and resurrection. Read the context. This is how He
preached deliverance unto spirits in prison. He spoiled the House of
Satan by His death and resurrection. It was done "ONCE for all!" At the
Cross. And that's what 1st Peter tells us. It doesn't speak of a mystical
place of lost souls, nor of Purgatory. It speaks of the prison house of
spirits, which when compared with God's Word, we see are the unsaved
before Christ sets them free. Truth discovered in scripture comes from
following it faithfully, not attempting to lead it (Proverbs 25:2).
As today, so it was in days of old. When those old testament saints
brought the gospel to others, it was by the Spirit of Christ speaking
through them to those who were in spiritual prisons. It was Christ,
in the Spirit, who preached or testified to them of their coming
deliverance by the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Try as one may
to place Purgatory or Limbo (or whatever name that man applies to these
theories) into the scriptures, he cannot. It will not stand the "Light"
of scripture. Faithfulness to the Word will not allow it.
May the Lord God who is Gracious above all, give us wisdom to
rightly divide His Word of truth.
Amen!
Peace,
Copyright 1995 Tony Warren
For other studies free for the Receiving, Visit our web Site
The Mountain Retreat! http://members.aol.com/twarren10/
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