Gospel (Good News) is preached to the “dead”. Here it is:

“for for this also to dead men was good news (Gospel) proclaimed, that they may be judged, indeed, according to men in the flesh, and may live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6)

Just like in English above, the Greek too mean exactly that the Gospel is preached to the “dead” (that is, they heard it after they died). Manipulations of men will twist it to say otherwise against what is “literally” stated in the verse above.

It is also clear from this verse that these who accepted the Gospel preached to them after they were “dead” were also “judged” in the “flesh” (in Gehenna or hell, or lake of fire – wherever Judgment is meted out in the afterlife) but not “forever” but rather their spirit will live to God.

Note that the verse above is not talking about “believers” simply because believers don’t get “judged in the flesh” (abiding in death especially the “second death”) in the afterlife after they are “dead” having received the reward of “passed from judgment into life” (earning also the reward of “age-during life” in the “age to come”) as the verse below also “literally” states:

“‘Verily, verily, I say to you — He who is hearing My Word, and is believing Him Who sent Me, hath life age-during, and to judgment he doth not come, but hath passed out of the death to the life.”

(John 5:24)

That’s why you should believe now! (before you die and depart from this temporal life on earth itself)

Remember,

flesh = body + soul.

And Christ said that the “body + soul” or “flesh” can be destroyed in Gehenna (hell) in the verse below:

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).” (Matthew 10:28)

That’s why I believe that God, in His Wisdom made us to consist of flesh (body + soul) & spirit so that the sin which dwells in the flesh may be judged and destroyed with it in hell. However, by Christ’s Resurrection, we live to Him in the spirit – post judgment – being healed, restored & raised to life either in this temporal life itself or in the afterlife.

It’s inevitable. All will be “made alive” after “judgment” too for those who disbelieve now!

“for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive,.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)