[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Peter was using a comparison, of then [Noah's Day] and now [his [Peter's] day] and also the end of time] and was revealing that Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit in the [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]"days of Noah"[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] [not in the days of Jesus' death] was preaching the Gospel of Salvation [[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Genesis 3:15[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif], etc by Noah, the [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]"preacher of righteousness"[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]] to the living humans [[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]"man"[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]] that were then [[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]"in the days of Noah"[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]] [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]"disobediant"[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] to God.[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts of Sin, Judgment and Righteousness [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][John 16:8][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif], which is why even King David prayed after he had sinned and was [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]"disobedient" ["Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me." [Psalms 51:11]].
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Who then are these [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]"spirits in prison" [vs 19] [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]that were being [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]"preached"[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] unto?[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]They were the living human beings [souls, living beings as defined by [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Genesis 2:7[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] and throughout] who were in the bonds of iniquity, slaves of sin, bondage of disobedience and bound to Sin, Satan and Self [selfishness and also self-works to earn salvation] as the Bible so defines:
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "...[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]brought thee out[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] of the land of Egypt, out [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]of the house of bondage[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]." [Exodus 20:2], see also [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Deuteronomy 5:6. 6:12, 8:14, 13:10; Judges 6:8; Joshua 24:17[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn [you] away from the LORD your God, which [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]brought you out of[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]the house of bondage[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif], to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee." [Deuteronomy 13:5] [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][notice also that last part of the text][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "O LORD, truly I [am] thy servant; I [am] thy servant, [and] the son of thine handmaid: [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]thou hast loosed my bonds[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]." [Psalms 116:16][/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "Bring [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]my soul out of prison[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]..." [Psalms 142:7][/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "To open the blind eyes, [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]to bring out the prisoners from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison house[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]." [Isaiah 42:7][/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "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, [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]to proclaim liberty to the captives[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif], and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound;" [Isaiah 61:1][/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]to preach deliverance to the captives[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif], and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised," [Luke 4:18][/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "...[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]whom Satan hath bound[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif],... be [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]loosed from this bond[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]...?" [Luke 13:16][/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]No servant can serve two masters[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Ye cannot serve God and[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] mammon." [Luke 16:13] [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "...[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]." [John 8:34] [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][...is the slave of sin][/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "...[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]the bond of iniquity[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]." [Acts 8:23][/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "For ye have not received [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]the spirit of bondage again to fear[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." [Romans 8:15] [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "For [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]ye were sometimes darkness[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif], but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" [Ephesians 5:8] [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "And [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]." [Hebrews 2:15] [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "While [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]." [2 Peter 2:19][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] Surely, those that Jesus Himself himself preached to in His 3 1/2 year Ministry were not "deceased or departed, nor some immortal incorporeal", but were very much physically alive [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]["mortal man" [Job 4:17]; "Mortal Flesh" [2 Corinthians 4:11]][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] and held in the bondage to sin satan and self. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Even as Paul hath said:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] "[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]; whether of [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]sin unto death[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif], or of [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]obedience unto righteousness[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]?" [Romans 6:16][/FONT]
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