Spirits in Prison/1 Peter 3:19 & Bosom of Abraham/Sheol

[PrettyboyAndy]

Hello friends,

Where is the Prison, and who were the spirits there?

Also is this prison the same as Abraham's Bosom?

Are Abraham's Bosom and Sheol the same?

I did hear once, that no one could ascend to heaven till Christ entered, therefore O.T. Saints are there (Wherever this is) till Christ ascended to heaven.

Another impractical explanation, would be the spirits were the Fallen Angels/Nephelim, in Genesis 6, but that could not be, because there would be no point to preach to something already condemned and judged waiting to go to the lake of fire.

 

[twin1954]

Hello friends,

Where is the Prison, and who were the spirits there?

Also is this prison the same as Abraham's Bosom?

Are Abraham's Bosom and Sheol the same?

I did hear once, that no one could ascend to heaven till Christ entered, therefore O.T. Saints are there (Wherever this is) till Christ ascended to heaven.

Another impractical explanation, would be the spirits were the Fallen Angels/Nephelim, in Genesis 6, but that could not be, because there would be no point to preach to something already condemned and judged waiting to go to the lake of fire.

1Pet. 3:19 is speaking of the Spirit being in Noah when he preached before the flood. Notice the connection word "which". The Lord Jesus is the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world and the Gospel concerning Him was preached and known from right after the Fall. Gen. 3:15 He also appeared as the Angel of the Lord several times in the Old Testament.


Abraham's bosom is the kingdom of God or Heaven. Here is a portion of my notes from a sermon on the rich man and Lazarus:


Now I must pause here to focus a moment on Abraham’s bosom. Far too many make so much of these two words as though they were to teach us something of where saved people went before the Lord died. Some suppose that Abraham’s bosom is a purgatory like place where souls went to await the time of redemption. We must remember that parables are not meant to teach many things but one spiritual truth. It is totally unwarranted to try and deduce a doctrine from this simple saying. Our Lord simply spoke to these people in a way that they could understand. Abraham’s bosom is nothing more than heaven. Every reputable commentator that I read tells us that it was a common saying among the Jews for happiness in the afterlife.

We find a parallel statement in Matt. 8:11;

(Mat 8:10) When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.


(Mat 8:11) And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.


(Mat 8:12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


Abraham’s bosom is a picture of a feast in Heaven where the poor beggar is resting his head in the lap of father Abraham. The Jews made a big deal of being the children of Abraham and they would have understood what the Lord was saying.

Sheol is the grave.

 

[DeaconDean]

Sheol is the grave.

On this point, I have to disagree with you brother.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[twin1954]

On this point, I have to disagree with you brother.

God Bless

Till all are one.

How dare you to disagree with me! Don't you know that I am the final authority on all matters of faith and practice? You should be ashamed of yourself.


Of course you know that I am joking. Lets wait and see who tries to use the statement above
to prove that I think that I am infallible.

 

[PrettyboyAndy]

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison. 1 Peter 3:9



I'm still confused, where did Christ go and who did he preach to?

 

[twin1954]

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison. 1 Peter 3:9



I'm still confused, where did Christ go and who did he preach to?

Lets look at the passage again. It begins with speaking of the finality and finished work of Christ when He was put to death on a cruel Roman cross and the accomplishment of our salvation. He was put to death in the flesh but rose again in the Spirit. Notice the connection now with the use of the words "in which also" which is speaking of the Spirit. Now look at verse 20 which also has a connecting word "which" in it. It is speaking of the Spirit of Christ in Noah when he preached while the Ark was being prepared. All of humanity except eight souls were destroyed in that flood of judgment though the Gospel was preached unto them as it is today. Job, which is considered to be the oldest book of the Bible and perhaps before even Abraham's day is very plain that he knew the his redeemer would come in the latter day and that he would be resurrected to see Him with his own eyes.
(Job 19:25) For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:


(Job 19:26) And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:


(Job 19:27) Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

They may not have known His name as Jesus but they did know that there was a promised Redeemer who would come and give Himself for them.

So we see that the Spirit of Christ was in the world from the beginning and was giving life and faith to those who looked for Him.

You cannot understand 1Pet. 3:19 as a stand alone passage. It must be understood in its context. Peter, in his own manner and language, was simply saying that the Gospel of Christ was preached from Adam until the last of the prophets.

 

[PrettyboyAndy]

I didn't notice that v. 20 talks about Noah, and that is a continuation of v.19.

But who were the spirits in prison? Would spirits in prison refer to a person with out the Holy Spirit, because they would be a slave to sin?

I do like how you tied it together Christ was preached from Adam to the last of the prophets.

 

[twin1954]

I didn't notice that v. 20 talks about Noah, and that is a continuation of v.19.

But who were the spirits in prison? Would spirits in prison refer to a person with out the Holy Spirit, because they would be a slave to sin?

I do like how you tied it together Christ was preached from Adam to the last of the prophets.

The spirits in prison were the people who were destroyed in the deluge and sent to Hell because of their sin. They are said to be in prison because though they were alive when Noah preached to them, by the Spirit of Christ, when Peter wrote his epistle they were in the prison of Hell.

 

[DeaconDean]

The spirits in prison were the people who were destroyed in the deluge and sent to Hell because of their sin. They are said to be in prison because though they were alive when Noah preached to them, by the Spirit of Christ, when Peter wrote his epistle they were in the prison of Hell.

Exactly!

God Bless

Till all are one.