1 Peter 3:18–20 (ESV) — 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the
righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he
went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they
formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while
the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were
brought safely through water.
NOTE: Focusing on
verses 19 and 20, I should start out by saying that there are many different
views as to what Peter meant. I will use the most straight-forward, common
sense view, which is also a good principle in any use of hermeneutics. I think
the flesh and the spirit are used most often to differentiate life on earth to
life after death. When Jesus died, he descended, just as every single person in
the OT did. He proclaimed the gospel to both sides of Sheol. To those in Hell,
they failed to believe, it was a final sentence. To those in Abraham's bosom or
paradise, he led the spirits out to Heaven, their new home. Those still in
Sheol will be resurrected but not to life, rather to judgment, what is called
the second death. In contrast are the eight who believed and boarded the ark,
passing through the waters, which figuratively (next verse says
"corresponds to") equates to baptism, or putting your faith in God,
and now more specifically, putting your faith in Jesus' finished work on the
cross for salvation. How did this happen? Because Jesus suffered for what he
did not do, setting for us the ultimate example.
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