1 Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.
Today we have a lot of misunderstanding regarding what Peter is trying to communicate in the above verse. I once heard a prominent TV preacher theorize from this scripture that Jesus Spirit while he was in the grave literally entered into hell (the under-world, Hades, Limbo, Purgatory, an intermediate place for the lost, choose your own noun) to give a second chance at redemption to those people long dead.
“Houston, we have a problem!”
There is no Scripture which backs up this second chance teaching. Contrariwise there is much Scripture which outright disproves this thought.
For instance:
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; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
So, we see the Bible is very clear about the state of a man’s soul after death. We either die to sin on this side of that great gulf fixed between heaven and hell by being born again or we die in our sins and face the judgment without justification. That “great gulf” statement should bring the Jesus parable about the rich man and Lazarus to your mind.
Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Luke 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Could the key to 1 Peter 3:19 be as simple as Peter is recalling Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus. It is probable that Peter simply chose to focus on different Old Testament patriarch such as Noah for his example.
Do you suppose Peter is trying to tell us that God, through his own Spirit, spoke via men of old like Noah or Abraham? Thereby God testifying of His Son’s eternal righteous judgement of sinners and presenting himself as the only way to enter heaven. I think so, because that is exactly what Peter tells us in his Second Epistle: 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 unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
So, the scriptures have established that it is the Old Testament prophets such as Noah which preached to the spirits in prison about Christ. Now let’s scripturally examine exactly who are these “spirits in prison”.
Isaiah 42:6,7 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, for a light of the Gentiles; 7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
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;
Back to what Peter is saying:
1 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.
Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:
John 8:32-34 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
The above scriptures teach that sin is a dark prison in which lost men’s souls are held in bondage!
John 8:35-36 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.
The word bears witness of itself in every age, thru the Holy Ghost. It testifies that those for whom Jesus died are the spirits in prison. By Christ’s death and resurrection he arose victorious over the dark bondage of sin. He brings the eternal Word to shine the light of His glorious gospel by his faithful messengers in both the Old and New Testament ages. Just as Abraham or Noah faithfully followed God’s instructions to find the Lord’s reward. We must faithfully follow the scriptures to their intended conclusion. When we live such a life Christ is honored and spirits in prison have the opportunity to be set free.
Luke 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.