1 Peter 3:19-20 In the Light of Dominant Themes
In Jewish Literature
Wayne Grudem
Wayne Grudem, in his “Christ Preaching Through Noah: 1 Peter 3:19-20 in the Light of Dominant Themes in Jewish Literature,” offered an interpretative analysis of Peter’s writing. His analysis revolved around three important questions: (1) Who are the spirits in prison? (2) What did Christ preached? (3) When did He preached? He then expounded on them using Views 1to 5, as restated and explicated in concise form below:
View 1: When the Spirit of Christ "which was in them," such as in Noah when he is preaching repentance and righteousness, but are now "spirits in prison." View 2: After Christ died, he preached to people in prison to offer them a second chance. View 3: After Christ died, he preached to people in prison wherein he proclaimed triumphed over “them.” View 4: After Christ died, he released from imprisonment people who had repented. View 3: After Christ died, he ‘committed His Spirit to God,” went to prison and proclaimed triumph over rebellious angels who married human women and gave birth to Nephilims, resurrected, and ascended into heaven.
Based on my readings of the Grudem’s text and the bible, Views 1 to 5 are inconsistent with the biblical standpoint, as discussed below:
In View 1, the spiritual prisoners cannot be the unbelievers who had previously heard of Noah since the Christ’s Spirit is in him. In Christ’s own words, people who have heard of Moses and the prophets will not be persuaded even when a person comes back (Luke 16:31). In the prison where Christ went down, there is also no assurance that all of them believed in Him. The spirits in prison are, they are people on earth, during the Deluge, who were rebellious to God, but they could also be anyone who have not heard about salvation. They cannot be the fallen angels because, as mentioned in 2 Peter 2:4: God did not forgave angels who sinned but sent them down in Hell who are already reserved for judgment. Christ preached to them the Word of Salvation for those who will believe in Him. He preached to them between death and resurrection or while He is in the Spirit.
In View 2: Christ in the Spirit preached to the spirits in prison. He offers them, not a second, but first salvation through His preaching. Those who are not under the law of Christ during the Deluge, or anywhere in the human history, have the right to hear Him; otherwise, to whom they will put their faith if they have not heard Him? (Romans 10:14). Further, as mentioned earlier, He died for sins once for all (that is, even to them who had previously not heard His Word of Salvation) (1 Peter 3:18). So, it is hard to infer that the “spirits in prison” are the “unbelievers” whom Christ visited and proclaimed salvation. Instead of the word “unbelievers,” it should rather be to them who have not heard before about Christ’s Word of Salvation since He went down to them.
In View 3, Christ’s going to prison where the spirits are also made Him to proclaim salvation to them. Part of His preaching is regarding control over “angels, authorities and powers” (1 Peter 3:22), freedom of people from sin (Romans 8:2), victory over death (1 Peter 3:18; John 11:25), and defeat of the Devil (Hebrews 2:14). It is appointed unto men to die once then the Judgment Day (Hebrews 9:27). It shows only that spirits do not die but only awaiting judgment. However, concerning the final condemnation of the fallen angels, nothing was noted. Angels who rebelled against God already knows that they will suffer eternally in hell (Matthew 8:29). So, there is no point that Christ will preach salvation to the fallen angels (i.e., demons, evil spirits).
In View 4, nothing biblical was mentioned concerning the release of people who were repentant prior to their death in the flood. So, this view has to be discounted. It is better if View 4 is aligned to the biblical verse that people who have not heard about Christ should be given the chance for salvation in order to make it fair for time. As cited already, Christ died once for all (1 Peter 3:18). Hence, when Christ ascended on high, he led captive captivity and provided gifts to men (Psalms 68:18; Ephesians 4:8).
In View 5, Christ proclaimed triumph over the fallen angels, but this statement does not follow logically to them who will no longer be forgiven (2 Peter 2:4). It is more probable that Christ’s forgiveness is for those who were cheated by the fallen angels, their children and other people who have not heard about Christ. Although the bible verses that state people have conscience and goodness which God implanted in their hearts and that they can choose good from evil, not to mention that they will be judged according to their own works – whether they be good or evil. On the other hand, concerning the time of Christ’s visit to the spirits in prison, it is more probable that that occurred after He has committed His Spirit to God (Luke 23:46) and prior to His resurrection. Thus, the spirits in prison who were disobedient to God could actually be those who have not heard Noah’s or any other of God’s messengers’ preaching.
In recap, although Noah preached repentance and righteousness, it is intended to his audience – sinners. Noah offered his hearers salvation from the impending disaster (i.e., flood). He has to do this because people have to hear first in order to have faith in God (Romans 10:17). If Noah’s hearer did not believe in him, there is no more forgiveness to their sins (2 Peter 2:5). Hence, if follows then that those whom Christ visited in prison are those individuals (e.g., Nephilim, giants, heroes, etc.) who have not previously heard about God’s salvation (Genesis 6:4) or could also be the women whom the fallen angels deceived and bore children with (i.e., just like in the time of Eve) (Genesis 3:4; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:15). In the time of Noah, the flood is likened to baptism where only eight souls where saved. In the Christian dispensation, Christ’s doctrines are made known to people for them to believe. After that, it is up to them whether they will accept the washing away of their sins through baptism. In the same manner, Christ went to the spirits in prison to preach the Word of Salvation. If they will believe in Christ, they will be saved. Concerning people who have escaped the defilement through knowledge of Jesus Christ the Deliverer, but were entangled again and defeated, their latter conditions become worse than their former states (2 Peter 2:20). So, it is possible, too, that the spirits in prison are not those people who have heard of Noah’s preaching until Christ’s descent (Ephesians 4:9). God seems not to give second chance to anyone who, upon knowing the truth, turn their backs. Nonetheless, another question pops up: Why only those spirits in prison? In Peter’s writing, he mentioned Noah’s time and Sodom and Gomorrah (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5-6). During Christ’s time before His death on the cross, He also mentioned in His preaching about how it is more better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for people to reject Christ (Matthew 10:15) come Judgment Day.
Inferably, the spirits in prison can be considered as the Nephilims (Genesis 6:4; Numbers 13:33), women whom the fallen angels deceived to bore the Nephilims, or people who died without hearing Noah’s preaching. It is also possible that they are all those who have not heard Christ “who died for sins once for all” (1 Peter 3:18). However, it does not remove from the biblical perspective that God has implanted in man’s heart goodness (Romans 2:15), the freedom to choose good over evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14), and die after which is judgment day (Hebrews 9:27). Peter, in his writing provided an expository comparison during the time of Noah’s preaching prior to the Deluge and Christ’s preaching to the “spirits in prison.” If the Deluge in Noah’s time is analogous to baptism in Christian dispensation, hearing Noah’s preaching can also be likened to Christ’s preaching these days. Concerning the spirits in prison, biblically speaking and as discussed above, they are not the fallen angels, but could be the spirits of those who have not heard about Noah’s or Christ’s Word of Salvation.
References
Grudem, Wayne. "Christ Preaching Through Noah: 1 Peter 3:19-20 in the Light of Dominant Themes in Jewish Literature." Trinity Journal (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) 7 (1986): 3-31.
Note: The Bible does not need to be included in the Reference section.
