1 Peter 3:19?

Question

"...through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison..."
What does this mean to you?

Answer 1

It means that when Jesus died His spirit descended into Hades, the realm of the dead.
There He did two things:
1)He proclaimed his victory over Satan to the fallen spirits there :

"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,
who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. "
I Peter 3:18-20
He announced Sheol/Hades was under new management:

"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. "
Revelation 1:17-18

2) He proclaimed the Gospel to those who had been waiting for Messiah to redeem them from the power of Satan who held them as captive because of their debt of sin:

"For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God."
I Peter 4:6

These he took with him when He ascended into heaven following his resurrection:

"Therefore it says,
"WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."
Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things. "
Ephesians 4:8-10

This was to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 49:24-25

"Can the prey be taken from the mighty man,
Or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?"
Surely, thus says the LORD,
"Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away,
And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued;
For I will contend with the one who contends with you,
And I will save your sons. "

Answer 2

As the surrounding verses show, Jesus preached to angels that have fallen away.
Those angels that chose the path Satan offered to them.
We know them as demons.

Not that Jesus preached, or proclaimed, to save the demons,---but to make them more aware of their mistake.
After all, Jesus did prove that man could live and die a perfect man on earth without God's protection. An accusation that became known to us in the Job account.

Answer 3

It means he was given the ability not only to preach to mankind but also to the spirit world for each prophet had enemy in the spirit world and in mankind.. so communication to the Jinns or spirits was needed.... Scripture all of us tells us to believe in the unseen, if u didn't you could never believe in the Lord.

Answer 4

according to christians the bible must be read literally so that means: "through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison" no more no less

Answer 5

not only did jesus preach to the good people yet he tried to help those that need him more. the major sinners. he really wanted to save the ones who have messed up the most

Answer 6

Many believe that Christ, after His death or resurrection, proclaimed His victory to the evil spirits. Thus they knew their doom was certain.

Answer 7

he's just being a nice guy and trying to "enlighten" the people in their spiritual prison.
I could see "through whom" having two meanings. The "whom" person is either helping, or against him.

Answer 8

Well first you'd have to read the rest of the book to get the context and perhaps even the rest of the Bible.

Pastor Art

Answer 9

...souls...