“in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water” (1 Peter 3:19-20 ESV).
The next stop in our investigation of this passage brings us to the “prison” mentioned here. In this instance, the word “prison” means exactly what it says: “…a place where captives are kept.” (1) This allows us to build upon the foundation we have established thus far in our study of these verses: Jesus issued a proclamation to a group of spirits during their period of incarceration.
The reason for their imprisonment is stated next: “because they formerly did not obey.” If we were to approach this passage from the perspective of a professional investigator, this information serves to narrow the identity of these spirits to two groups: the spirits of human beings who have departed this life or demonic beings. With these things in mind, let’s consider our first option: these verses are speaking of human beings who have departed this life.
In this view, the place of confinement mentioned here is traditionally linked to Hades, or its Old Testament counterpart, Sheol. This was a realm that served as the abode of the dead. It was also said to have featured two separate areas, each very different from the other. The first was inhabited by the righteous dead, or those who had placed their faith in God during their earthly lives. Jesus may have alluded to this place in speaking of “Paradise” in Luke 23:43 or “Abraham’s Bosom” in Luke 16:22. Thus, it was associated with a place of comfort and rest for the righteous men and women who had passed from this life.
The other portion of Hades represented the destination point for the unrighteous upon their entrance to the afterlife. This was said to be a place of suffering and punishment. A great chasm separated the righteous dead from the unrighteous dead, making it impossible for anyone to cross from one side to the other. Jesus described these characteristics in His account of a man named Lazarus and his experience with a wealthy (but indifferent) individual in Luke 16:19-31.
While some may argue that Jesus’ account of Lazarus was nothing more than a fictional story that conveyed a moral lesson, we should note that Jesus’ parables typically referenced real-life events and circumstances. So even if Lazarus was a fictitious character, the events portrayed within his narrative undoubtedly pointed to something real.
(1) G5438 phylake Strong’s Greek Lexicon https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5438/kjv/tr/0-1/