1 Peter 3:18-20 contains an intriguing verse which mentioned some spirits who who have been imprisoned. The verse says that Jesus Christ preached to those spirits.
Now it is proper for us to identify this spirits who are in prison and what it means that Jesus Christ preached to them so that we can interpret the verse accurately.
Who Are The Spirits In Prison And What Did Jesus Preached To Them?
Some people have hastily concluded that the spirits in prison are human spirits. That is, the spirits of those who disobeyed in the days of Noah. Furthermore, such people have also concluded that the preaching mentioned here is evangelism, which is the preaching of the gospel, so that those spirits will have a second chance for repentance. This is a lie.
The Spirits In Prison Are Not Human Spirits
The expressions “spirit” or “spirits” are never used for humans at all. They always refer to angels. It is necessary for you to know this.
For people, the Bible consistently use the following expressions instead: human spirits, the spirits of human beings, humans, human beings, people, man, men, women and other related terms but never simply “spirits.”
Therefore, the imprisoned spirits are fallen angels who broke God’s injunction to materialized and marry daughters of men, which led to the reproduction of wicked giants in the days of Noah. See GENESIS 6:1-4, 2PETER 2:4-5 and JUDE 6.
Jesus Christ Did Not Preach The Gospel To The Spirits In Prison
The Greek word that was translated as “preached” is no other one but “ekeryxen.” This word does not only mean to share the gospel with someone so that, if they believe, they will be saved.
It also means to announce something or to make a proclamation. The Greek word for sharing the gospel for salvation is “euangelizo“.
Consequently, the preaching Jesus made to them was not evangelism because the gospel of salvation is not for the spirits, that is, angels, but solely for the human race. In this case, the preaching is an announcement or a proclamation of the success of his glorious ministry as the world’s Messiah.
The Gospel Cannot Be Preached To The Dead
The book of Hebrews 9:27 says that once someone is dead, the next thing is judgement. Therefore, there’s no need to evangelize the dead.
Noah’s Generation Had A Preacher And Don’t Need Another
The Bible says that Noah was a preacher of righteousness in 2 Peter 2:5. Yes, in every generation, God always had people. In Noah’s generation, God had Noah who preached the truth to his generation prior to God’s judgement. Therefore, although impossible, but even though it were possible for the dead to be preached to, Noah’s generation would be excluded since they had Noah as a preacher of righteousness. ~2PETER 2:5.
