Spirits in Prison – Resurrection – Bodily Resurrection in a Spiritual Body – FAQ

1) The spirits are not humans in 1 Peter 3:18 – 20.

Reply 1

Human spirits from the time of Noah.

Clement of Alexandria understood it thus too.

Who taught you otherwise, sir?

2) Nope, The Bible never says spirit beings are humans. Clement isn’t inspired.

Reply 2

The Bible actually says that and Clement is right. Verses:

“Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” (Ecclesiastes 3:21, KJV)

“spirit” of a man MOVES being conscious ‘after Death’ (Context: Ecclesiastes 3:19 – 20 first).

Here’s another example:

“And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat.” (Luke 8:55, NASB)

Opps again, the BODY which was SLEEPING only awakened (came to life) —> when the SPIRIT (which moved, as per Ecclesiastes 3:21) —> RETURNED.

Nowhere it is Written that a spirit (with soul) sleeps.

The phrases “Soul sleeps” or “Spirit sleeps” does NOT exist in Scripture. Where is your Verse sir claiming that?

In fact, the ‘spirit’ can be alive without the body (Luke 24:38) is implied in these set of famous Verses too:

“But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? “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 24:37 – 39, NASB)

3) “1 Pet.3: 18 A grasp of the apostle’s argument here will help us through this difficult passage. The subject is suffering for doing good. The Example is Christ and those sufferings which came to Him as they come to His disciples, because of the sin which surrounded Him. The argument is that He, though put to death, has now been exalted, even over the messengers and authorities and powers of the spirit realm (:22), therefore those who suffer for doing good will also be exalted in due time.

With this in mind, it is evident that it is not the evangel which is proclaimed to the spirits in prison, for that would be entirely out of line with the argument. It would imply that, as a result of their sufferings, their enemies will be evangelized. Such grace is foreign to Peter’s epistles. The word here used is not evangelize, but herald or proclaim. It tells us, not that they were blessed, but that He was exalted. And what is more likely than that, after His ascension, He should be proclaimed the universal Suzerain to all creation, obedient or rebellious?

19 Who are these imprisoned spirits? Are they not the same that Peter mentions in his second epistle (2:4) who were thrust down to the gloomy caverns of Tartarus, and the messengers of Jude’s epistle (Jude :6), who kept not their own sovereignty and left their own habitation?

The fact that they are called spirits, assures us that they are not human. The proclamation was not made to them during our Lord’s death, but after He had been made alive. It was a token of His exaltation. In due time all will be subjected to Him, not only Israel on the earth in the kingdom, and all the rest of humanity in the resurrection, but all sovereignty and authority and power in the spirit realm, so that, at the consummation God may become All in all.” (A.E. Knoch, Concordant Commentary).

Reply 3

That’s NOT a Verse sir but a commentary (by AE Knoch making up his own linking to it) to the unrelated ‘evil angels’ mentioned in Jude. So, the readers of 1 Peter had Jude as a reference?

Best is, the Verses in 1 Peter 3 do NOT mention fallen angels at all (neither is Tartarus mentioned in 1 Peter 3). This is NOT the Topic at all. Also, 1 Peter 3 ONLY speaks of HUMAN BEINGS and hence 1 Peter 3:18 – 19 refers to HUMAN SPIRITS ONLY and Lord Jesus Christ Himself is said to have Gone there in HIS SPIRIT after HIS DEATH on His Cross, after the DEATH in His FLESH.

Where,

DEATH in His FLESH = BODY separated from HIS SPIRIT where HIS BODY SLEEPS in His Grave while He MOVES CONSCIOUSLY in His SPIRIT to the ‘spirits in prison’ to ‘evangelize’ there (1 Peter 3:18 – 19 clearly means this literally as it is Written).

Here are further Biblical Verses:

Luke 16:19 – 31 too.

Please remember, a Parable cannot use ‘imaginary’ things. They are all CONSCIOUS there in the afterlife. 🙂

And this famous Old Testament example too (the Bible NEVER says it was an evil spirit or something but prophet Samuel himself – the fact that a witch brought him up – God allowed it – I don’t know if He allows it in other cases but in this, it’s Written as that – let’s NOT ADD or REMOVE from His Holy Word):

“And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.” (1 Samuel 28:12 – 14, NASB)

Please also note carefully that the woman called ‘Samuel a god’ (the Bible doesn’t approve it but just records the woman’s response) and the Bible is recording the conversation as it is. However, verses 15 to 19 records the BIBLE CONFIRMING that it was Samuel (and the PROPHECY given became TRUE – evil spirits LIE).

“Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.”

Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your adversary? “The LORD has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David.

“As you did not obey the LORD and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the LORD has done this thing to you this day. “Moreover the LORD will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Indeed the LORD will give over the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!” (1 Samuel 28:15 – 19, NASB)

So, rather than believing AE Knoch, I choose to believe Clement of Alexandria. Cheers mate.

4) Then you believe in Universalism because Clement believed all will be saved. Good for you. But that doesn’t man he was right on 1 Peter.

Reply 4

Of course sir, we agree on that –> Universal reconciliation!

Neither is AE Knoch inspired or right. As I said, I prefer Clement of Alexandria.

Clement’s Interpretation doesn’t contradict any of these Verses I quoted.

The DEAD sleeping verses —> refer to the BODY Sleeping only:

spirit + body —> spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44), Bodily Resurrection.

Peace to you