Suffering for Jesus Part 8
1 Peter 19-20 By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime 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. KJV Note: AMP=Amplified Bible; NKJV-New King James Version
When we even we who are redeemed, regenerated, and resurrected sons or daughters of our Lord Jesus Christ come to a passage of Scripture as we have written here for us by the Apostle Peter, we must not be so arrogant as to claim that we alone have the true meaning of what Peter is communicating to those early Jewish believers 'in Christ' and make ourselves out to be the singular soul that has been correctly illuminated by God the Holy Spirit. I have read and studied and prayed over these words of Peter as it is written by him, "By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime 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." (1 Peter 3:19-20) KJV and I can earnestly say that I am in no wise completely sure as to what Peter truly meant here, but as it is my duty being made a teacher or given the gift and desire of teaching the Word of God 'in truth' by my Lord Jesu📖these words. First, let us realize that the people who were alive on the earth 🌎were not different human beings or human sinners than those before them or after them, however, God was so grieved at the actions of humanity during this time ⌚that it moved Him to act in a manner different than when Cain murdered his brother Abel, for He was surely grieved when Cain did this thing, but perhaps from that first act of bloody murder those who came from Cain multiplied his atrocities to a level that moved God to declare these words as it is written, "The LORD saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually (all the day). The LORD regretted (was sorry) that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart. (Genesis 6:5=6) (AMP). So, the Lord God decided to destroy man from the face of the earth 🌎, except for one man (Noah) found favor or grace in the eyes of the Lord God. Why? I do not know, but it was the Sovereign choice of God to save him and his whole family apart from all others on the earth 🌎. Certainly God knew that the wickedness of man would only increase and not decrease, for He is Omniscient. Questioning God's ways, wants, or will is futility upon futility. So, what must we do? Nothing but accept and trust for all His ways are just and perfect. Therefore, this brings us back to 1 Peter 3:19-20. Did our Lord Jesus Christ between His death and resurrection go down into Hades (the realm of the dead) and preach the Gospel to the souls who died in the flood? Well, we know from this same Apostle in 2 Peter 2:5 that he said this of Noah and those destroyed by the flood, "And did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;" (2 Peter 2:5) (NKJV). Noah was 'a preacher of righteousness' according to Peter in his second letter. I must acknowledge that the English word 'went' in 1 Peter 3:19 is translated by the Greek word poreuomai which means to traverse, that is, travel (literally or figuratively; especially to remove [figuratively die], live, etc.): - depart, go (away, forth, one's way, up), (make a, take a) journey, walk. Our Lord Jesus said on the Cross before He died, it is written, "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, 'Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.' Having said this, He breathed His last.
(Luke 23:46) (NKJV). The Question still remains, where was His Soul those three (3) days and three (3)nights? My answer is I don't know. What do I believe? I believe that God can do anything and by that I mean, if Peter speaks of literal travel by God/Jesus after His body died, then He could have done what it seems Peter is saying He did, however, because Peter in his second letter declares Noah to be 'a preacher of righteousness', it is also more likely that Christ was in Noah (seeing that the Word of God declares this of Noah, "Noah was a righteous man [one who was just and had right standing with God], blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked (lived) [in habitual fellowship] with God." (Genesis 6:9) (AMP) ), therefore, for the time it took for Noah and his sons to build the Ark, he preached the Gospel to those who were on the earth at that time ⌚and most likely all the people were moved or compelled to come and see this thing that Noah was doing i.e. building a boat on dry land when it had never rained on the earth 🌎at this time in human history. So, when they came, they heard and they could have repented and entered the Ark.
Here is what Charles W. Draper had to say of this very difficult passage of Scripture (as recorded for us in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary), "DESCENT INTO HADES Phrase in the Apostles' Creed describing the work of Christ. Acts 2:27 says 'You will not leave My soul in Hades, or allow Your
Holy One to see decay' (HCSB). Acts 2:31 says, 'He was not left in Hades, and His flesh did not experience decay' (HCSB). Ephesians 4:9 says that Christ 'descended to the lower parts of the earth' (HCSB). First Peter 3:19 says Christ 'went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison' (HCSB). Many explanations have been offered for this. The time may be seen as the days of Noah (1 Pet. 3:20) and thus describe the activity of the preexistent Christ or the work of Christ's Spirit through Noah. The time may have been immediately after the death of Christ on the Cross or after the bodily resurrection of Christ. The content of His preaching may have been judgment; it may have been affirmation of His victory over 'angels, authorities, and powers' (1 Pet. 3:22); it may have been release from Sheol or Hades for saints who preceded Him. The spirits may have been the 'sons of God' of Gen. 6:2, the people of Noah's day, OT era sinners, OT people who were true to God, fallen angels (2 Pet. 2:4), or evil spirits (demonic powers) whom Jesus contested in His earthly ministry. The prison may have been Sheol or Hades, special place of captivity for sinners, a place of punishment for fallen angels, a place of security for such angels where they thought they could escape Christ's power, or a place on the way to heaven where the faithful of old waited to hear the message of Christ's final atoning victory. Whatever the detailed explanations, the ultimate effect and purpose is to glorify Christ for His completed work of salvation through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, demonstrating His Sovereign control of all places and powers.
Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of this difficult passage of Scripture given to us by the Apostle Peter, "The Apostle passes from the example of Christ to that of the old world, and sets before the Jews, to whom he wrote, the different event of those who believed and obeyed Christ preaching by Noah, from those that continued disobedient and unbelieving, intimating to the Jews that they were under a like sentence. God would not wait much longer upon them. They had now an offer of mercy; those that accepted of it should be saved, but those who rejected Christ and the gospel should be as certainly destroyed as ever the disobedient in the times of Noah were.
1. For the explication of this we may notice, (1.) The preacher - Christ Jesus, who has interested himself in the affairs of the church and of the world ever since he was first promised to Adam, Gen_3:15. He went, not by a local motion, but by special operation, as God is frequently said to move, Gen_11:5; Hos_5:15; Mic_1:3. He went and preached, by his Spirit striving with them, and inspiring and enabling Enoch and Noah to plead with them, and preach righteousness to them, as 2Pe_2:5. (2.) The hearers. Because they were dead and disembodied when the apostle speaks of them, therefore he properly calls them spirits now in prison; not that they were in prison when Christ preached to them, as the vulgar Latin translation and the popish expositors pretend. (3.) The sin of these people: They were disobedient, that is, rebellious, unpersuadable, and unbelieving, as the word signifies; this their sin is aggravated from the patience and long-suffering of God (which once waited upon them for 120 years together), whil
2. From the whole we learn that, (1.) God takes exact notice of all the means and advantages that people in all ages have had for the salvation of their souls; it is put to the account of the old world that Christ offered them his help, sent his Spirit, gave them fair warning by Noah, and waited a long time for their amendment. (2.) Though the patience of God wait long upon sinners, yet it will expire at last; it is beneath the majesty of the great God always to wait upon man in vain. (3.) The spirits of disobedient sinners, as soon as they are out of their bodies, are committed to the prison of hell, whence there is no redemption. (4.) The way of the most is neither the best, the wisest, nor the safest way to follow: better to follow the eight in the ark than the eight millions drowned by the flood and damned to hell.
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
No comments:
Post a Comment