Understanding 1 Peter 3:19 (Pertinent scriptures below)
Who are the "spirits in prison", in 1 Peter 3:19, and the "dead" in 1 Peter 4:6?
First, you must understand the word "spirits" (pneumasin in the Greek) in 1 Peter 3:19 and the use of this word as opposed to 'soul' (psyches in the Greek) which words some erroneously use interchangeably, but they are not interchangeable, which distorts or skews their understanding leading to their misunderstanding of this and related passages.
The spirit is NOT the soul ('psyches', singular, or 'psycheas', plural,) nor vice-versa since they can be divided (Hebrews 4:12). So if it's not the soul in 1 Peter 3:19, or relating to the dead, physical, body whose spirit has returned to God and body back to the earth from whence they came, what does this word mean, and who or what does it represent?
Some also say, as aforementioned, that the two words, spirit and soul, are used interchangeably in NT scriptures, but Peter, the writer of this, as well as 2 Peter, used BOTH words, and not one exclusively. See below, Peter 1 and Peter 2 scriptures. It's clear that the two words are NOT interchangeable and have different meanings which one can find by consulting the Greek dictionary.
Now then, after clarifying that 'spirit' and 'soul' are not the same thing, and looking again at 1 Peter 3:19, who or what are the "spirits in prison" since they cannot be the souls of dead humans, and what then is meant by this passage? That takes us to 2 Peter 2 starting at verse 4: there you'll see that the angels (spiritual beings who weren't nor are dead) were cast into hell, prison if you will, for their disobedience, bound in chains and reserved therein until the day of judgment. These misguided angels are the "spirits in prison".
Now concerning the "dead" in 1 Peter 4:6. Who are they if not dead souls in hell?
To understand this, you must understand the total context in which it's used in 1 Peter 4:3-6 and it's origin which can be found in Luke 9:60 and/or the corresponding parallel passage of Matthew 8:22. The dead referrered to are the living dead; those that are ungodly, nonbelievers, worldly, etc. Notice what the Lord tells this individual: to "let the dead bury their dead". So within that context of "dead", when you again look at 1 Peter 4:3-6, it's clear that the reference (dead) is to the Gentiles. The "Gentiles" in 1 Peter 4:3, is the "they" and "them" in 1 Peter 4:4 and likewise in verse 6. So yes, the gospel was in fact preached to the "dead" also, namely the Gentiles, so they too could/can be judged likewise or equally and on the same basis as others in the flesh, but are alive in the spirit, meaning, yet living through the power and breath of God who has quickened all with the same breath of life. And finally, why would anyone think that it could possibly make sense to preach to dead souls in hell, most of which are there because they squandered their opportunity while being alive to believe and obey the gospel of Christ, the saving grace and power which is found in the "good news". It's too late for them as scripture clearly infers or in most cases, blatantly states such as in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. There are no second chances to be saved after death.
1 Peter 3:18-21
18For 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 quickened by the Spirit: 19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20Which sometime 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. 21The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
1 Peter 2:11
11Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
1 Peter 1:22
22Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 Peter 4:3-6
3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 5Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 6For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
2 Peter 2:4-14
4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 12But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
Ephesians 4:8-10
8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Luke 9:59-60
59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Who are the "spirits in prison", in 1 Peter 3:19, and the "dead" in 1 Peter 4:6?
First, you must understand the word "spirits" (pneumasin in the Greek) in 1 Peter 3:19 and the use of this word as opposed to 'soul' (psyches in the Greek) which words some erroneously use interchangeably, but they are not interchangeable, which distorts or skews their understanding leading to their misunderstanding of this and related passages.
The spirit is NOT the soul ('psyches', singular, or 'psycheas', plural,) nor vice-versa since they can be divided (Hebrews 4:12). So if it's not the soul in 1 Peter 3:19, or relating to the dead, physical, body whose spirit has returned to God and body back to the earth from whence they came, what does this word mean, and who or what does it represent?
Some also say, as aforementioned, that the two words, spirit and soul, are used interchangeably in NT scriptures, but Peter, the writer of this, as well as 2 Peter, used BOTH words, and not one exclusively. See below, Peter 1 and Peter 2 scriptures. It's clear that the two words are NOT interchangeable and have different meanings which one can find by consulting the Greek dictionary.
Now then, after clarifying that 'spirit' and 'soul' are not the same thing, and looking again at 1 Peter 3:19, who or what are the "spirits in prison" since they cannot be the souls of dead humans, and what then is meant by this passage? That takes us to 2 Peter 2 starting at verse 4: there you'll see that the angels (spiritual beings who weren't nor are dead) were cast into hell, prison if you will, for their disobedience, bound in chains and reserved therein until the day of judgment. These misguided angels are the "spirits in prison".
Now concerning the "dead" in 1 Peter 4:6. Who are they if not dead souls in hell?
To understand this, you must understand the total context in which it's used in 1 Peter 4:3-6 and it's origin which can be found in Luke 9:60 and/or the corresponding parallel passage of Matthew 8:22. The dead referrered to are the living dead; those that are ungodly, nonbelievers, worldly, etc. Notice what the Lord tells this individual: to "let the dead bury their dead". So within that context of "dead", when you again look at 1 Peter 4:3-6, it's clear that the reference (dead) is to the Gentiles. The "Gentiles" in 1 Peter 4:3, is the "they" and "them" in 1 Peter 4:4 and likewise in verse 6. So yes, the gospel was in fact preached to the "dead" also, namely the Gentiles, so they too could/can be judged likewise or equally and on the same basis as others in the flesh, but are alive in the spirit, meaning, yet living through the power and breath of God who has quickened all with the same breath of life. And finally, why would anyone think that it could possibly make sense to preach to dead souls in hell, most of which are there because they squandered their opportunity while being alive to believe and obey the gospel of Christ, the saving grace and power which is found in the "good news". It's too late for them as scripture clearly infers or in most cases, blatantly states such as in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. There are no second chances to be saved after death.
1 Peter 3:18-21
18For 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 quickened by the Spirit: 19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20Which sometime 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. 21The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
1 Peter 2:11
11Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
1 Peter 1:22
22Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 Peter 4:3-6
3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 5Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 6For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
2 Peter 2:4-14
4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 12But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
Ephesians 4:8-10
8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Luke 9:59-60
59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
