One of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible is found in 1 Peter 3:18-20 which says “For Christ also suffered once 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 whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.”
What does this verse mean? Did Jesus preach to spirits in hades or hell? Or did He preach to fallen angels? Or does this verse mean something completely different?
How can we understand this passage of Scripture? When we look at 1 Peter 3:18-20 we must ask a few questions.
- How did Jesus preach to these spirits in prison?
- Who are these spirits in prison?
- And when did He do this?
Thankfully the Bible gives us the answers.
But before we search the Scriptures to discover the answers let us pray…
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you that we can always call on you. Please guide us into all truth, grant us an open mind so that we may we simply take your Bible as it reads. We ask for the Holy Spirit to teach us and may we learn from your wonderful word today we pray, in Jesus name amen.
Q: How did Jesus preach to these spirits in prison?
Some think that this verse means that when Christ died on the cross that he went to hades and preached to the spirits in prison. However the word hades or hell is not in the text. Let’s take the verse slowly and see what it means…
One of the keys is verse 18-19 which says
” being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,” the question is who is the individual mentioned in the words “by whom” found in verse 19?
If you read the verse it says “by the Spirit, 19 by whom” Thus the “by whom” is the Holy Spirit. So with that in mind the verse says the following that Christ by the Holy Spirit “went and preached to the spirits in prison”. OK that makes it a little clearer. But that begs the question…
Q: When did Christ preach to these individuals by the Holy Spirit?
The verse says that Christ by the Holy Spirit “went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient,” when? The verse states ” when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.”
So Christ by the Holy Spirit preached to the spirits in prison in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared. Thus this happened before Jesus came as a man.
Q: But who are these spirits in prison during the days of Noah?
Well the Bible tells us Satan has “made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities, ” and “did not open the house of his prisoners“. (Isaiah 14:17)
So Satan is the one keeping these prisoners. Prisoners have no freedom. Who is it whom Satan is trying to take captive? Humans of course. Thus, the prisoners are actually humans who are bound to sin. Jesus said “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). Slaves are not free, and whoever commits sin is a slave or prisoner to sin, they have no freedom. There is only one who can set us free, “if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36). Jesus is the only one who can set us free from the prison of sin. This is His mission. One day Jesus stood up to read and He declared of Himself…
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”” (Luke 4:18-19)
Praise be to Jesus who can set us free from the prison of sin!
Therefore, Jesus by the Holy Spirit preached to people who were slaves to sin, during the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared.
Q: Who did Christ by the Holy Spirit use? Giving a warning of a coming prophetic flood?
The Bible tells us that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21) and that “Noah, one of eight people, (was) a preacher of righteousness”. (2 Peter 2:5) Thus 1 Peter 3:18-20 tells us this, that Jesus in His great mercy by the Holy Spirit spoke through Noah, in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared. Striving to redeem those humans in prison to sin, while the ark was being prepared.
Q: Does the rest of the Bible confirm or contradict our interpretation?
It confirms it for it is written speaking during the days of Noah
And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3)
It’s clear that the patience of Jesus is great. By the Holy Spirit He spent 120 years trying to reach the people before the flood came. The world was warned, but when the message was rejected the flood did come. Jesus has told us “As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:37-39, 44) Are you ready for the return of Christ? Do you know what the mark of the beast is directly from the Bible? To learn more about God’s final message of warning to the world we recommend the below related posts and may the Lord bless you as you choose to follow Him.
Thank you for this because I have read this over and over but just getting the full interpretation of this part of the scripture.
May God continue to bless u and give you utterance in the blessed name of Jesus.
Well said. And God be with you forever. U make it so so clear
Blessed revelation , I am blessed with your teachings in HIS spirit,May God use you and your ministries mightily in the days to come FOR HIS GLORY,Amen
Hi There
1 Peter 3:18 – 20 NLT and NIV “Emphasis on v19” seems to indicate that the Preaching to the Spirits in prison only happened after Jesus was made alive in the Spirit after His physical death, please help.
NLT:
“18 Christ suffered[a] for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.”
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.”
NIV:
“18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive,[a] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water”
NKJV:
“18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us[a] to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited[b] in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.”
Hi Dalton,
Great question! The same question about the NIV version was asked by another individual and you can find an answer to that question here – http://willfults.com/1peter318-20-spirits-in-prison/comment-page-2/#comment-31611
May the Lord richly bless you as you study His Word!
Will, thank you very much for your response. God bless you indeed for sharing the word and taking the time to help others with their uncertainties.
may God almighty guide you as continue explaining such trick verses. Some people in Zambia are using this text to deceive people as they exeggerate to true worshippers. God bless.
THANKS FOR UR EXPLANATION
1Peter 3:18-19 states that Christ died in the flesh. Are you saying that this happened in the days of Noah?
Thank you for your question regarding 1 Peter 3:18-19, that verse says..
“For Christ also suffered once 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, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison”
There is a time difference between verse 18 & 19. In verse 18 Jesus died, that was on the cross about two thousand years ago. Verse 19 says Jesus by the Holy Spirit preached to the spirits in prison “who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah”. (1 Peter 3:20) Thus the time of verse 19 is specified by verse 20. I hope that helps clarify a little. May you have a blessed day.
There is a mistake happened while translating this verse from Greek to English. As per original version jesus didn’t preach instead he showed his anger to those spirits. If anyone who have knowledge on Greek language can explain this better.
Hi,
Thank you for your comment. In 1 Peter 3:19 the Greek word is to preach – http://www.blbclassic.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Pe&c=3&v=1&t=KJV#conc/19
You can find its additional uses here…
http://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2784&t=KJV
I hope that helps a bit. May the Lord bless you as you study His Word.
Thank for giving this answer becouse i have never understand what it meant
I am a gifted Faith Healer, and the Pastor at the Church I recently attended had mentioned that certain gifts such as to commune with spirits that dwell in the dimensions of death was given to him from God. I approached him and discussed the matter and I said May God have mercy on your soul.
I like the Pastor but I cannot serve God with such men. I do like his way of preaching but I was thinking to leave because of his belief. What would you say to convince him that only the Holy Spirit has the power?
Great question Dr. Campbell!
I would first point your friend to these verses in Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 which say…
“For the living know that they will die;
But the dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
For the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.”
If the dead know nothing as the Bible here says, how is it then that one is able to commune with spirits that are dead and that these spirits have knowledge of events?
I would then share this article with him.
And if there were any questions regarding Saul and the witch of En dor this shorter article may help.
I have personally met people who said that they communicated with their dead relatives. We prayed together and studied what was found in that first article linked above. Based on the Bible we concluded that these dead relatives were not these believes dead relatives, instead they were demons masquerading as loved ones who have passed away. Through faith in the word of God, and through prayer, these spiritual manifestations no longer appear to my friends. This is because the Lord is stronger than Satan’s deceptions. It is Satan who uses this deception of loved ones passed away to deceive others. This is why God has warned us “Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:31) Again the Lord has given this strong warning “And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.” (Leviticus 20:6). After reading that verse, I can’t help but pray for your pastor. Your pastor is likely not intentionally trying to go against God, but rather simply does not know that they are stepping into a great danger. Your pastor is in a most dangerous trap of spiritualism at the moment. The Lord has placed you in the position to share God’s truth with that individual. Do not leave that church until you first pray for that pastor and then share your concern with the pastor using the Bible. However if that pastor does not heed the warnings of Leviticus as stated above, I would leave that church and warn others who attend there. For it would not be safe to stay under the leadership of one who is being influenced by deceptive spirits. What I have written may seem almost blunt, but please know that I am writing this because I feel a most earnest care for this pastor and I know no other way to project the seriousness of this matter. May the Lord give you strength, wisdom and courage in this matter.