Ed Urzi

“who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him” (1 Peter 3:22).

The Biblical Scriptures often employ the imagery of one’s right hand to symbolize power, authority, or favor. That image derives from an ancient, cross-cultural symbol of leadership and dominion. Since most human beings are right-handed, the right hand (or right arm) served as a metaphor that depicted skill, strength, and power to the peoples of the ancient world.

This eventually led to a further association with the concepts of privilege, influence, virtue, approval, and supremacy. In fact, we continue to employ this ancient imagery whenever we use the term “right hand” to refer to someone who supports and assists a person in a position of authority. The idea is that such a person is as valuable to a leader as his or her own right hand.

This imagery reappears periodically in the pages of the New Testament, perhaps most prominently in the Biblical book of Hebrews…

“…when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3 KJV).

“But to which of the angels has He ever said: ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’?” (Hebrews 1:13).

“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).

“…after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).

Thus, for Christ to be seated at the right hand of God tells us that He occupies the place of highest privilege and authority. That place is one that is above all “…angels and authorities and powers.” The following commentator will close our look at 1 Peter chapter three with a practical application from this passage…

“After Jesus accomplished His cross work and was raised from the dead, He was exalted to the place of prominence, honor, majesty, authority, and power (cf. Ro 8:34; Eph 1:20, 21; Php 2:9–11; Heb 1:3–9; 6:20; 8:1; 12:2). The point of application to Peter’s readers is that suffering can be the context for one’s greatest triumph, as seen in the example of the Lord Jesus.” ₍₁₎

This reference to suffering and triumph prepares us for entry into 1 Peter chapter four, where the great Apostle will counsel his audience on how to deal with adversity in light of Christ’s example.

(1) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 1 Pe 3:22.

“There is also an antitype which now saves us–baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).

1 Peter 3:20 closed with a reference to “…the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.” 1 Peter 3:21 now follows with an uncommon word that makes a connection between Noah’s flood and the sacrament of baptism. That word is “antitype.”

An “antitype” is something that corresponds to something else. Today, we might use words like “example,” “symbol,” or “counterpart” to express this idea. ₍₁₎ The following sources explore the relationship between the Biblical account of Noah and the great flood of Genesis 6-8 in the context of our text from 1 Peter 3:21…

“Baptism symbolizes judgment on sin in the death of Christ and then also renewal of life (Rom. 6:4). The floodwaters were a judgment on the wicked, and at the same time physical salvation for Noah and his family.” ₍₂₎

“Peter says that Noah’s salvation from the Flood symbolized baptism, a ceremony involving water. In baptism we identify with Jesus Christ, who separates us from the lost and gives us new life. It is not the ceremony that saves us; instead, the ceremony is evidence of our faith in Christ’s death and resurrection. Baptism is a symbol of the cleansing that happens in the hearts of those who believe (Rom_6:3-5; Gal_3:27; Col_2:12). By identifying themselves with Christ through baptism, Peter’s readers could resist turning back, even under the pressure of persecution. Public baptism would keep them from the temptation to renounce their faith” ₍₃₎

While there are several viewpoints associated with the meaning and significance of baptism, it is perhaps best seen as an outward expression of Jesus’ inner work within our lives. Baptism serves (or should serve) as our visible identification with Jesus Christ and a reflection of the inner spiritual change that has taken place in the lives of those who have accepted Him.

One Biblical translation offers a vivid illustration of this idea in its rendering of Colossians 2:12: “…you were placed in the tomb with Christ through baptism. In baptism you were also brought back to life with Christ through faith in the power of God, who brought him back to life” (GW). Therefore, the act of baptism symbolizes the death and burial of our old lives and our “resurrection” to a new life in Christ.

The act of baptism does not make anyone right with God. However, it serves to represent Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and our identification with Him.

(1) See G499 antitupon https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g499/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2248.

(3) Life Application Study Bible NKJV [1 Peter 3:21] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.

“And it was by the Spirit that he went to preach to the spirits in prison. In the past, these spirits were disobedient—when God patiently waited during the time of Noah. Noah built an ark in which a few (that is, eight) lives were rescued through water” (1 Peter 3:19-20 CEB).

As we’ve already seen, there are several opinions regarding this reference to these spirits who were disobedient. In considering those views, it seems likely that this text depicts Jesus’ declaration of victory over sin and death to a group of demonic spirits who were active during Noah’s era. That proclamation was not evangelistic in nature. Instead, it appears that Jesus delivered a victorious message to some exceptionally wicked entities who had been sentenced to prison.

The Biblical book of Colossians may offer some insight into this view when it tells us, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15). That triumphant declaration may represent the message Jesus proclaimed to these imprisoned spirits.

A related topic concerns Jesus’ location during the period between His physical death on the cross and His resurrection. The Apostle Peter himself provides us with insight into this question in a quotation from David, the great Old Testament king…

“David saw what God was going to do in the future, and so he spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah when he said, ‘He was not abandoned in the world of the dead; his body did not rot in the grave'” (Acts 2:31 GNT).

In speaking of Jesus, the book of Ephesians adds the following…

“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things)” (Ephesians 4:7-10 ESV).

While interpretations vary on this subject, the idea is that Jesus undertook two missions in the period between His crucifixion and resurrection:

• He effectuated the transfer of the Old Testament righteous dead from Sheol to heaven. We can infer this from a piece of information contained within Matthew 27:52. That portion of Scripture tells us, “…the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life” (NIV) upon Jesus’ death on the cross.
• He proclaimed His triumphant victory as detailed above.

Thus, in the words of one commentator, “The point… is that just as Jesus was vindicated, so will Christians be vindicated.” ₍₁₎

(1) R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2247.

“in which He also went and preached to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the great patience of God was waiting in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons [Noah’s family], were brought safely through the water” (1 Peter 3:19-20 AMP).

One interpretation of 1 Peter 3:20 associates these incarcerated spirits with the demonic entities who promoted the moral corruption that characterized the world prior to Noah’s flood. One source offers a helpful synopsis of this view: “Christ’s announcement of his victory over evil to the fallen angels who await judgment for their role in leading the Noahic generation into sin; this proclamation occurred sometime between Christ’s death and ascension.” ₍₁₎

This suggests that a select group of fallen angels has been imprisoned, while others maintain a degree of freedom. The following exchange between Jesus and a group of malevolent spiritual entities may serve to identify that prison: “…they begged [Jesus] that He would not command them to go out into the abyss” (Luke 8:31).

The Scriptures associate this abyss with “the abode of demons,” a place so deep that it defies measurement. In fact, the word “abussos” in the original language of that passage means “bottomless.” ₍₂₎ The Abyss seems to be a place of incarceration for some exceptionally wicked demons. Revelation chapter nine also identifies this abyss as the departure point for a menacing group of creatures that tormented those who had rejected God. Thus, it appears to be a terrifying place, and the demonic entities of Luke 8:31 acknowledged Jesus’ power and authority to send them there.

The New Testament book of Jude also appears to shed light on this place of imprisonment when it speaks of “…the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day” (Jude 1:6). Peter himself will make a similar declaration in the Biblical book we know today as 2 Peter…

“God didn’t spare the angels when they sinned but cast them into the lowest level of the underworld and committed them to chains of darkness, keeping them there until the judgment” (2 Peter 2:4 CEB).

Thus, it is possible that Jesus entered this “penal institution” following His crucifixion to proclaim His triumphant victory over sin as well as judgment upon these members of the demonic realm. We will close our extended look at these verses with some concluding thoughts next.

(1) NET Bible notes on 1 Peter 3:19 https://classic.net.bible.org/bible.php?book=1Pet&chapter=3&mode=print

(2) Abyss, The. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia James Orr, M.A., D.D., General Editor

“After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits– to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water” (1 Peter 3:19-20 NIV).

Some hold the view that the the imprisoned spirits of 1 Peter 3:19 are associated with the wicked human beings of Noah’s day who perished in the great flood of Genesis chapter six. That represented a time “When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5 CSB).

If this is accurate, then we are left with two possibilities that emerge from this view. The first is that the preincarnate Christ preached to these individuals through Noah and faithfully testified to the godless of his day. Another (and perhaps more likely) possibility is that Jesus issued a proclamation to those unrighteous individuals following their passing from this life.

In this view, Jesus’ proclamation took place at some point during the interval between His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. His audience is thus identified as “spirits” because they had passed from their earthly lives and had become inhabitants of the realm of the dead. Since this text informs us that these imprisoned spirits were formerly disobedient, the content of that proclamation likely involved an announcement of Jesus’ triumph over sin and death, or a message of condemnation.

Finally, these is another aspect of this view that involves Jesus’ declaration of salvation to the righteous who had passed from this life. We’ll consider this view more thoroughly when we reach 1 Peter chapter four.

The second possibility regarding the identity of these disobedient spirits involves fallen angels or demonic entities. One commentator offers a summary of this perspective that we will examine in greater detail in our next study. In this view, these demons have been imprisoned…

“…since the time of Noah, and who were sent there because they severely overstepped the bounds of God’s tolerance with their wickedness.

The demons of Noah’s day were running riot through the earth, filling the world with their wicked, vile, anti-God activity, including sexual sin, so that even 120 years of Noah’s preaching, while the ark was being built, could not convince any of the human race beyond the 8 people in Noah’s family to believe in God… Thus God bound these demons permanently in the abyss until their final sentencing.” ₍₁₎

(1) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 1 Pe 3:20.

“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/

“by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water” (1 Peter 3:19-20).

One important step on the road to understanding this passage begins with a definition of the word “preached.” This word carries the following definitions in the original language of this passage…

to be a herald, to officiate as a herald.
1a) to proclaim after the manner of a herald.
1b) always with the suggestion of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed.
2) to publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.
3) used of the public proclamation of the gospel and matters pertaining to it, made by John the Baptist, by Jesus, by the apostles and other Christian teachers. ₍₁₎

To this, one Biblical scholar adds, “The Greek word for ‘preached’ here is not the word for ‘preached the gospel’ (eyaggelizo) as in 1 Peter 1:12,25; 4:6, but rather kerusso, which means ‘proclaimed’ (Lk 12:3) or ‘published’ (Lk 8:39).” ₍₂₎ This seems to eliminate the possibility of an offer of salvation for these imprisoned spirits.

A well-known portion of Scripture from the New Testament book of Hebrews also supports this conclusion: “People are destined to die once and then face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 CEB). While the idea of a second chance at salvation after death is undoubtedly appealing to many, the Scriptures do not allow for that possibility. Thus, as we’re told in the Biblical book of 2 Corinthians, “…the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT).

This brings us to one of the more ambiguous portions of this text: who are these imprisoned spirits? Unlike the word “preached” discussed earlier, a look at the word “spirits” in the original language of this verse offers little help. You see, this reference to “spirits” may be associated with human beings, angelic beings, or demonic beings. ₍₃₎ Therefore, it is difficult to identify these individuals based on the language that is used to describe them.

With this in mind, we would do well to stay with the facts as we know them until we reach the next stage of our inquiry: “We know three things for sure about the spirits mentioned in 1 Peter 3:19. They are incorporeal, they are imprisoned, and their sin was committed before the Flood. Their relation to Jesus and the nature of His announcement to them are open to speculation.” ₍₄₎

(1) G2784 kerysso Strong’s Greek Lexicon https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2784/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament [1 Peter 3:19] Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

(3) G4151 pneuma Strong’s Greek Lexicon https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4151/kjv/tr/0-1/

(4) GotQuestions.org, “Who were the spirits in prison?” Retrieved 05 January, 2024 from https://www.gotquestions.org/spirits-in-prison.html

“by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water” (1 Peter 3:19-20).

Our text from 1 Peter 3:19-20 presents us with several difficult questions…

• First, this reference to “He” pertains to Jesus, as inferred from the previous verse. What was the subject of the message He preached?
• Who were these spirits that comprised the audience for that message?
• When did Jesus deliver that proclamation?
• Why were these spirits imprisoned? What was the nature of their transgression?

These questions require prayerful forethought and careful study in order to develop an accurate understanding of this passage. Yet despite the difficulties posed by this text, this portion of Scripture serves a purpose that may not be readily apparent.

You see, these verses help explain why God does not simply present His Word in an abbreviated “question and answer” format. Difficult passages such as 1 Peter 3:19-20 compel us to seek God for the meaning and application of His Word. They also encourage us to seek insight from God-honoring leaders or Biblically based commentators who work to help us understand, remember, and apply God’s Word.

These difficult passages thus prompt us to develop a relationship with the Author of these texts. If the Bible was structured as a collection of answers to a series of frequently asked questions, such a relationship might not develop. While it may have been more convenient if God had organized His Word differently, convenience may not represent what’s best for us.

So while these passages are certainly challenging, they provide us with an excellent path to spiritual growth. With this in mind, we can best address this enigmatic passage if we take an inductive approach. The inductive Bible study model involves the use of three foundational tools: observation, interpretation, and application:

• Observation: what does this portion of Scripture say?
• Interpretation: what does this portion of Scripture mean?
• Application: how should I apply this portion of Scripture?

If we begin with our first tool of inductive Bible study, we can observe the following…

• Jesus went to a place of incarceration and preached a message.
• His audience consisted of “spirits in prison who formerly were disobedient.“
• Their disobedience has a chronological link to Noah, the famous Old Testament personality.

We’ll begin our interpretative journey of discovery regarding this passage next.

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18 NIV).

This reference to Christ “being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” represents one of the more interpretively challenging passages in this epistle. Perhaps the most straightforward treatment of this verse has been offered by the following author…

“The statement that Christ was ‘made alive in the Spirit,’ therefore, means simply that he was raised from the dead, not as a spirit, but bodily (as resurrection always is in the NT), and in a sphere in which the Spirit and power of God are displayed without hindrance or human limitation (cf. 1:21).” ₍₁₎

Another Biblical scholar addresses the cultic interpretations of this passage that erroneously claim that Jesus’ resurrected body was not flesh, but “spirit” (or immaterial)…

“To interpret this as proof of a spiritual, rather than a physical resurrection, is neither necessary nor consistent with the context of this passage and the rest of Scripture. The passage is best translated, ‘He was put to death in the body but made alive by the [Holy] Spirit’ (NIV). The passage is translated with this same understanding by the New King James Version and others. God did not raise Jesus a spirit but raised him by his Spirit.

The parallel between death and being made alive normally refers to the resurrection of the body in the New Testament. For example, Paul declared that Christ died and rose and lived again (Rom. 14:9), and ‘He was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the power of God’ (2 Cor. 13:4a NIV). The context of 1 Peter 3:18 refers to the event as ‘the resurrection of Jesus Christ’ (3:21). This is everywhere in the New Testament understood as a bodily resurrection (Acts 4:33; Rom. 1:4; 1 Cor. 15:21; 1 Peter 1:3; Rev. 20:5)…

We must also keep in mind that however we interpret 1 Peter 3:18, it must be consistent with what other verses say about the resurrected Christ. In Luke 24:39 the resurrected Christ said, ‘See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have’ (Luke 24:39 NIV). The resurrected Christ testifies in this verse that he is not a spirit and that his resurrection body is made up of flesh and bones…

The resurrected Christ also ate physical food on four different occasions to prove he had a real physical body (Luke 24:30; 24:42–43; John 21:12–13; Acts 1:4). It would have been deception on Jesus’ part to have offered his ability to eat physical food as a proof of his bodily resurrection if he had not been resurrected in a physical body.” ₍₂₎

(1) E. G. Selwyn, The First Epistle of Peter, p. 197. Quoted in Notes on 1 Peter 2023 Edition, Dr. Thomas L. Constable. https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/1peter/1peter.htm

(2) Norman L. Giesler and Ron Rhodes, When Cultists Ask A Popular Handbook on Cultic Misinterpretations [note on 1 Peter 3:18]. Baker Books, 1997

“For Christ also suffered once 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” (1 Peter 3:18).

1 Peter 3:18 represents a difficult to interpret passage that begins with a statement that is far less controversial: “For Christ also suffered once for sins…” This portion of Scripture thus serves to invalidate those belief systems that teach  we can get right with God through doing (or not doing) certain things. Such “do’s and don’ts” might include praying at specified times, abstaining from certain foods, chanting mantras, taking part in ceremonies, or doing certain good deeds to ensure God’s favor.

Instead, this passage tells us that Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. The New Testament epistle to the Hebrews also underscores the finality of this “once for all” sacrifice when it tells us, “…when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet” (Hebrews 10:12-13 ESV).

So, unlike the Old Testament offerings that had to be presented over and over, Jesus suffered once for sins. In the words of one source, “…Christ’s one sacrifice for sins was of such perpetual validity that it was sufficient for all and would never need to be repeated.” ₍₁₎

We should also note the purpose behind Jesus’ sacrificial death: “…that He might bring us to God.” No other elements (such as human effort) were necessary to bring us to God other than Jesus’ work on the cross. That vicarious sacrifice was offered by the One who was “just” (or guiltless) on behalf of those who were “unjust” (or guilty).

The result was that He might bring us “…into the presence of God” (CEB). So those who seek to be accepted into God’s presence must approach Him through the mediator He has established. That mediator is Christ, for “…there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…” (1 Timothy 3:16).

Jesus accepted the death penalty associated with our sin and opened the way that enables us to approach God and establish a relationship with Him. Thus, as Jesus Himself said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

(1) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 1 Pe 3:18.