THE SPIRITS IN PRISON by Chas. Nelson

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 13, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 11.

THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.

By Chas. Nelson

CHRIST also hath once suffered for sins,” says an apostle, “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; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” 1 Peter 3 : 18-20.

Many, as they have read the above verses, have thought that Christ, between His death and resurrection, preached to these spirits (men are also called souls, Gen. 46 : 26, 27) that were in prison, and that they had at this time another opportunity to hear the Gospel. But rightly to understand this subject it is necessary to note carefully what the text says, and to compare the same with other scriptures. Peter does not say that Christ preached to these spirits while His body was in the tomb, but that He was “put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit; by which [the Spirit] also He went and preached to the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah.” It was in the days of Noah that Christ preached to the spirits here mentioned, while they lived on the earth, and not after they were dead.

But the question may arise, What does Peter mean when he says that the Gospel has been preached also to them that are dead? 1 Peter 4 : 6. He means that it was preached to them while they were alive, because it would be impossible for them to hear or accept it after they were dead, as we can see by the following scriptures:—

“The grave can not praise Thee, death can not celebrate Thee; they that go down into the pit can not hope for Thy truth.” Isa. 38 : 18.

“For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” Eccl. 9 : 5.

“In death there is no remembrance of Thee; in the grave who shall give Thee thanks?” Ps. 6 : 5.

“So man lieth down, and riseth not; till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.” “His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.” Job 14 : 12, 21.

These, as well as many other texts of Scripture, clearly show that man, between death and the resurrection, is in an unconscious state, and that it would be impossible for him to hear or believe the Gospel.

So Christ preached to them that did not believe, in the days of Noah, by His Spirit. The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets 1 Peter 1 : 10, 11. Noah was a prophet. Christ preached thru him 120 years to the people that lived at that time. They would not believe, and rejected the warning message that was proclaimed to them; the flood came, and they all perished.

If, then, after this should be given them another opportunity to receive salvation (which would have been impossible, as the dead know not anything, but sleep in the dust of the earth, Dan. 12 : 2), it would not have been by faith, and “without faith it is impossible to please” God (Heb. 11 : 6). Noah, by believing God, and carrying out the instructions given to him, “condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Verse 7.

We have now noticed how Christ preached to these spirits that would not believe; but now the question arises, What prison were they in?—It was the prison-house of sin, as is clearly shown by the following:—

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered Him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man; how sayest Thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” John 8 : 31-34. When men are servants of sin, they are in the snare of the devil, “taken captive by him at his will.” 2 Tim. 2 : 25, 26. This snare is a dark prison. Isa. 42:6, 7; Ps. 107:10-14.

The mission of Christ is, and always has been, to set at liberty these captives. He says:—

“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 broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18.

In all ages, ever since sin came into the world, and men became servants thereof, it has been Christ that has preached liberty to them, and they that have believed have been delivered out of bondage.

Christ would have set those free that lived before the flood. For this reason He preached to them thru His servant Noah, and the promise to them was just as sure as the one given to the Jews while He was personally upon the earth: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8 : 36. CHAS. NELSON.