How Did Christ Preach to the Spirits in Prison

Frequently Asked Questions About Christianity, Answered Honestly!

What Does it mean, Christ
Preached to the Spirits in Prison?
(An Exposition of 1st Peter 3:18)
-by Tony Warren

ne of the most puzzling questions for a lot of Christians, is how we are to understand 1st Peter 3:18 where it declares that by Christ's death and resurrection, He went and preached unto the spirits in prison.

There are many who theorize that these verses speak of a kind of purgatory, the spiritual under-world, or intermediate place of the imprisoned lost. But these theories are contrary to all that the holy canon declares about our mortality. The Bible is perfectly clear that whatever spiritual condition a person is in when he dies (whether saved or unsaved), that is the condition in which he will stand before God in judgment. There is no possibility for a second chance at redemption after death.

Ezekiel 18:4

"Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die."

Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death.."

Hebrews 9:27

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

Once a person dies, his chance for redemption is over. Because he is then paid according to what he has earned (wages) in this world. There is no Spirit preaching to us afterward, for it is appointed unto men once to die, and then the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). By the same token, when we receive salvation in this world by the work of Christ, we are no longer under condemnation and are judged as perfect before God. There is no second chance at salvation after death. This truth is also made abundantly clear in the parable of Lazarus. Christ explains the parable saying there is a great gulf fixed (luke 16:26) where it is impossible for the redeemed to pass from one side to the side of the damned, or vice versa. Thus if one dies unsaved, that is the condition that they will spend eternity in.

So then, what does this passage of 1st Peter mean? In this brief F.A.Q. we will take a look at this verse in light of scripture, and let the Holy Spirit of God reveal his truth to us. In all honesty, only the word of God can interpret the word of God. No one else can.

1st Peter 3:18-20

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit:
by which also He went and preached unto the saints in prison;
which sometimes were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water."

These can be difficult passages, but we can begin to come to an understanding of what they mean if we follow carefully what it declares with no preconceived ideas about it's meaning, and "in the light of the rest of the Bible." For the Bible was not the writing of any private interpretation of the saints of old, and neither is it subject to our private interpretation today.

2nd Peter 1:20-21

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Every word of the Bible is inspired of God, and thus cannot be subject to man's personal opinions, will, or imaginative explanations. Faithful saints are those who are led by God's word. They are not those attempting to lead it. Only through the Holy Spirit, and by circumspect comparing of (and study in) scriptures, will we ever come to the true understanding of what it truly means. And preaching to the spirits in prison means that, by Christ's death and in the flesh and quickening by the Spirit, He sent the gospel that set free the spirits in prison. With these humble beginnings, it is now a matter of simply defining by "biblical terms."

But let's go about this systematically. We first search the scriptures diligently to find what the spirits are, what the prison house of spirits are, and how could it be that by Christ's death and resurrection, these spirits were preached to. We cannot simply presuppose or guess at it, we have to search, study, and compare scripture with scripture to glean the truth. And sticking to the fundamentals, we find that the answer is really self evident. The spirits in prison are all of the unsaved for whom Christ died. And this is totally in harmony with these verses. God uses the word prison (as we shall see) to symbolize Satan holding unsaved people in spiritual captivity. Thus those spirits are the spirits whom Christ came to set free. In other words, our spirit being in captivity to Satan, are the spirits in prison. E.g.:

1st John 4:1

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

What are these spirits that we are not to believe? They are the spirits in prison. In other words, they are those people who are held in spiritual captivity. They are those who are spiritually in bondage to Satan. These are the types of spirits that God is explaining in 1st Peter, that by Christ's death and resurrection he preached deliverance to. The death He suffered was at the cross, the hell He endured was the wrath of God as He was laden with our sins (2nd Corinthians 5:21), and the wages He paid was what we were due for our sins. When He was resurrected, He was risen without those sins. In the real sense, as the second man, the second Adam, we were buried and resurrected "with him." These spirits that were in prison, and that were preached to by His death and resurrection, are us.

Acts 2:31

"He seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ, that His soul was Not Left In Hell, neither His flesh did see corruption."

This is the 1st Resurrection, that if we have part in it, we will never die. And because Christ has preeminence as the first raised, we also are raised up in Him a new creation.

Colossians 2:12

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."

Romans 8:9-11

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

Christ's Spirit that dwells within us because of His death, preached deliverance to our spirit, and that is why we were drawn to God. This is what 1st Peter means by Christ suffering for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. This is the understanding of this verse.

The Death that Christ suffered at the cross was more than simply physical death. It was more than simply the grave. That is what many do not really understand. There was a real work and accomplishment of Christ at the cross. Christ's accomplishment was that He defeated Satan, spoiled (took by conquest) his palace (Luke 11:21-22), and set our spirits free from his spiritual prison house. He spoiled Satan's kingdom, and loosed the spirits that that he held in bondage. Again, that is what the passage in 1st Peter chapter 3 refers to: This work and accomplishment of Christ by His suffering, death, and resurrection for our sins.

1st Peter 3:18-20

"For Christ also hath once Suffered for Sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us unto God, being put to Death in the FLESH, but quickened (made alive) in the Spirit.
By Which He went and preached unto the spirits in prison;"

We died with Him, and were raised up with Him, being quickened or made alive in the spirit. It was in this Spirit that Christ preached to our spirits in prison, and by which He draws us to obedience in the will of God. The key words here are, "by which." He was made sin for us, and by His death in the flesh and being made alive in the Spirit, that Spirit preached the good news to our spirits that were in prison and were sometimes disobedient (All men sin and fall short of the Glory of God). It is by the Spirit of Christ that the spirit of man in the flesh (the spirits in prison) hear the gospel or good news of the Grace of God. We don't hear because we have better ears, or because we are better listeners, or because we are smarter people, we hear the gospel because of the death and resurrection of Christ "for us," that His Spirit abides as teacher, preaching within us.

1st John 2:27

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

The gospel is preached to us "by this" through the word. Likewise, it was the same "for the old testament saints." It is Christ's quickening Spirit that freed them from the spiritual prison house of Satan and caused them to trust God and preach the gospel. It was by this same Spirit of Christ that God brought Noah (and his) the gospel of deliverance He preached. The efficacy of the cross reaches all the way back to Noah, even to Able. The prison is the spiritual darkness which is a bondage to sin and servitude to Satan, in which all men are held fast. This is what Christ went to the cross to do. This is the prophecy which was foretold. And these truths are spiritually discerned through God's word. Jesus put it as plain as it can get when He referenced His fulfillment of the prophesy:

Luke 4:18

"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, to Preach Deliverance to the Captives, and Recovering of sight to the blind, to Set at Liberty them that are bruised."

Is God talking about some theoretical sojourn into purgatory to preach to spirit captives? Not at all. He is talking about the Salvation of all those for whom Christ came to set free. It's talking about the preaching of deliverance by the Spirit of Christ, to the spirits in Prison. Those who are held captive in Satan's spiritual prison house of darkness is what this prophesy foretells. God is signifying that these are those being brought out, by that preaching into the light that they can see. These are the spirits in Prison that 1st Peter says Christ (by his death and resurrection) preached to. Note that Luke 4:18 clearly says that this is indeed what He was sent to do. It's talking about our spirits being set at liberty (free) from bondage to Satan. This is the real accomplishment of the death and quickening of Christ. He brought us the "good News" of Liberty. And when Jesus read in the Holy Temple those words of Isaiah (Luke 4), and said He was the fulfillment, He was instructing us to search the scriptures and understand the spiritual nature of that prophesy, and the Kingdom that is within us.

Isaiah 61:1

"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, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound."

Is God saying that Christ came to go to the literal prison houses of the Romans, as that is what He was sent to do? To set literal prisoners free from literal earthly captivity? Were the captives in this prison whom Christ was prophesied to preach to and deliver the criminals who had broken the Roman law? No, these are prophesies of spiritual prisoners of Satan who had broken God's law. I.e., the spirits in prison that Christ was sent to preach liberty to, were us. Not a mythical place called Purgatory, or some intermediate holding pen, but our spirits in this robe of flesh.

Isaiah 42:6

"I, The Lord have called Thee in Righteousness, and will hold Thine hand, and will keep Thee, and give Thee for a COVENANT of the people, and a LIGHT of the gentiles;
To OPEN the blind eyes, to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the PRISON HOUSE."

There it is as clear as day. God is obviously not declaring that this is a prophesy that the prison houses of the day would not have enough light in them, or that Christ was to literally go to these prisons and free those who were held captive there. This is figurative or symbolic language to illustrate our spiritual bondage. Christ had the perfect opportunity to free John the Baptist in prison, but John remained in Prison because the prophesy was not about setting spirits free from man made or earthly prisons. The prison house that was in view was the house of Satan. The spirits in "this" prison house are the spirits that Christ came to preach liberty to. This is what Luke chapter 4 was addressing when it says it was fulfilled that He came to preach deliverance to the captives. By Christ's death and resurrection, He preached deliverance to these spirits who were sometimes disobedient (thus needed to be delivered). They, as all of us, had death hanging over their heads. And the context of 1st Peter illustrates that Christ delivered not just you and me, but Abel, Abraham, Lot, and Noah with the eight souls that were with Him in the Ark as well. He set their spirits free just as He did the Apostles, and ours today. For the efficacy of the real work and accomplishment of the cross reaches to the beginning and extends to the end. Christ is the Lamb slain from "before" the foundation of the world "Because" His blood covers those who were Saved before the time of the cross. The Spirit of Christ that those righteous men like Noah had (and yes, they had it), was because of His future effectiveness at the cross. The Spirit of Christ preached to their spirits in prison beforehand, of what would be made effectual by His future death and resurrection. Just as it preaches to our spirits of what "was" made effectual long ago at the cross. They were, in Grace, looking forward to the cross, we are in Grace looking back at the cross. In fact, if we would just read a few chapters before, we can see where God speaks about this Spirit of Christ preaching (testifying) to the old Testament prophets of the death of Christ.

..and he who hath an ear, let him hear.

1st Peter 1:11

"Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did Signify, when it testified beforehand the SUFFERINGS of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Yes, by the death and quickening of Christ, were the spirits in prison preached to in Noah's day, as they were sometimes disobedient, but the Grace of God covers their sins. That efficacy reaches all the way to the old testament prophets as the Spirit of Christ testified (preached) of it beforehand. Just as the Spirit of Christ testifies to us now, afterward. Without Christ dying for Noah and his, as well as those of us today, they/we would remain spirits in prison destined for Hell. They were saved by faith looking forward to the efficacy of the Cross. We are saved by faith, looking backward at the efficacy of the Cross. We were both washed clean by the "figure" of water, the token of the death and resurrection of Christ. When Jesus Christ said, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (Luke4:21) He was talking about preaching deliverance to the spirits in prison, and freeing them from the bondage house of Satan. Jesus declared:

Mark 3:27

"No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then He will spoil his House."

In study of this verse carefully, and in context, we see that the house here is Satan's spiritual kingdom, and Satan is the strong man. We see that Jesus is the one who came to the strong man's house to spoil (to seize or take by Conquest his possessions) that house. And Christ said if this is true, then the Kingdom of God had come (Matthew 12:28-29). So what are the possessions of the house of Satan that Christ came to spoil? Again, clearly, they were us. When we become saved, we have been taken from the house of Satan (spirits delivered from his prison), having been set free from his grip, and transferred into the Kingdom of Christ.

Colossians 1:13

"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"

There again we see that "darkness of the prison" of Satan that Christ came to deliver us from. We are no longer in captivity or in bondage to that spiritual house of darkness. We have had the gospel preached to us by the quickening Spirit of Christ, and no longer serve Satan in his house. Translated, we become servants of God, free from the bondage of sin. Remember Jesus told Israel:

John 8:34

"...whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. and the servant abideth not in THE HOUSE for ever: but the son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you FREE, ye shall be free indeed (Truly)."

Like many today, they didn't understand Jesus either. They retorted, "we be Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to anyone." They didn't understand that Jesus was talking about the spiritual prison house of Satan that they were in. And that He was declaring this is what He came to deliver them from. That's the House that Mark 3:27 and Matthew 12:29 talks about that Jesus came to spoil. The Prison House where Satan holds the spirits in darkness. And how did Christ free those captives? ..just as 1st Peter declares. By his death and resurrection.

So then, as we study 1st Peter 3:18 in the light of the whole Bible and all it has to say concerning spirits in prison and how Christ's death and resurrection effected them, we can get a clearer (and more importantly, Biblical) perspective of what is being said there. And by the Holy Spirit which guides all into truth, it all fits perfectly into place.

That's what happens when we come to real truth in letting God interpret His own word, rather than making private interpretations. It all fits together marvelously throughout God's word like a gigantic picture puzzle with every piece perfectly snug in place 'signifying' that it is true. God's word testifies of itself that it is true, via the Holy Spirit. These for whom Christ died are the spirits in prison that 1st Peter says He went and preached to "by" His death and resurrection. That's the Key. By His death and resurrection. Read the context. This is how He preached deliverance unto spirits in prison. He spoiled the house of Satan by His death and resurrection. It was done "once for all at the cross." And that's what 1st Peter tells us. Truth discovered in scripture comes from following it faithfully, not in attempting to lead it (Proverbs 25:2).

As today, so it was in days of old. When those old testament saints brought the gospel to others, it was by the Spirit of Christ speaking through them to those who were in spiritual prisons. It was Christ, in the Spirit, who preached or testified to them of their coming deliverance by the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Try as one may to place Purgatory or Limbo (or whatever name that man applies to these theories) into the scriptures, he cannot. It will not stand the "Light" of scripture. Faithfulness to the word simply will not allow it. And because of the Spirit of Christ, whenever we preach the word of God to unsaved people, we are preaching to the spirits in prison. Spirits that can only be set free through the efficacious work of Christ's death and resurrection.

May the Lord God who is Gracious above all, give us wisdom to rightly divide His Word of truth.

Amen!

Peace,

Copyright 1995 Tony Warren
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