1 Peter 3:18-20

[trell]

"Did Jesus go to hell? What or who are the "spirits" mentioned in 1 Peter 3: 18-20? Are they fallen angels or the spirits of those of Noah's day? What exactly did Christ preach to them and for what purpose?"
I am new on this site, so please pardon my intruding. In all honesty (which is always a good thing), I have read most, but not everything, written here. My input will do little to add to the specific questions asked, but staying aware of the context of these verses may help.

• In the verses immediately preceding, God tells us about suffering for well doing. God then uses Christ as the example of doing this.
• Verses 19 and 20 [a topic unto itself] are subordinate and explanatory clauses of "by the Spirit".
• The thought content is picked up in verse 21 "The like figure...by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (God defining what is meant by 'quickened by the Spirit', which is what happened with Jesus after suffering for well doing). Jesus died in the flesh (Calvary), was made alive by the Spirit (Empty Tomb), and is gone into heaven (Ascension).
• Beautifully sandwiched between 'quickened by the Spirit' and 'the resurrection of Jesus Christ' is the answer of a good conscience toward God which is the baptism which a person gets when saved. That baptism is the seal (see Eph 1:13), or guarantee if you prefer, of our resurrection, our reward for 'having a good conscience' (v 16). The key here is saved, for without it you will not have the seal of the Spirit, which is to not have a good conscience toward God. {This also explains what God's definition is of a good conscience.}
  

So if (some will be alive when Jesus comes back) we
die in the flesh (dead), just as Jesus did,
then we will be made alive by the Spirit (resurrection), just as Jesus was,
and we will go into heaven, (rapture), just as Jesus did.

This is the context which verses 19 and 20.

For the record, I believe exactly what the Bible says in these verses:

1. These verses do not mention hell.
2. The spirits are whom Christ preached to.
3. The spirits are those which sometime were disobedient in the days of Noah.
4. The Bible does not say in this section what Christ preached or for what purpose. Therefore, from these verses we do not and can not know.
   

"Did Jesus go to hell? What or who are the "spirits" mentioned in 1 Peter 3: 18-20? Are they fallen angels or the spirits of those of Noah's day? What exactly did Christ preach to them and for what purpose?"

[heartstrings]

Question:
Which of the individuals, mentioned in Genesis 5, were alive during the time that the ark was being built?
We know that Methuselah was one of those living "while the ark was a preparing" because he died the same year that the flood came, and the Ark had taken, what, 120 years to build? Lamech would have been another who lived during the "preparing" days because he lived 595 years after Noah was born and Noah was 600 when the Flood came. These two guys are mentioned in the lineage of Christ...they were believers. How could they have been "sometime disobedient"? Genesis 6:2 and Matthew 24:38

[Wilchbla]

I still think that the "spirits that we sometime disobedient" were angels that took the daughters of men to be wives prior to the flood. Jude 6 seems to be speaking of the same situation but the truth is we really don't 100% know.

[Covenanter]

Question:
Which of the individuals, mentioned in Genesis 5, were alive during the time that the ark was being built?
We know that Methuselah was one of those living "while the ark was a preparing" because he died the same year that the flood came, and the Ark had taken, what, 120 years to build? Lamech would have been another who lived during the "preparing" days because he lived 595 years after Noah was born and Noah was 600 when the Flood came. These two guys are mentioned in the lineage of Christ...they were believers. How could they have been "sometime disobedient"? Genesis 6:2 and Matthew 24:38

These were not destroyed by the flood, but died a natural death before it. God took them rather than saving them in the ark. He did not destroy them. They weren't the disobedient.

[heartstrings]

Correct
Lamech died 5 years before the flood and Methuselah died the same year. I didn't say they died IN the flood. God "took" their ancestor Enoch but these two men died, the Bible says; not in the flood, but shortly before it came. But as far as being disobedient the Bible seems to suggest that they were. Because at that point in time, 120 years before the flood, It only mentions Noah as being just, walking with God, and perfect in his generations. See what i'm saying?

19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which 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.

The ark took 120 years to build, correct? That means Lamech was alive for 115 of those years and Methuselah was alive for the whole time "while the ark was a preparing". At what point was it declared that "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord"? At least at the BEGINNING of those 120 years, correct? Because that was the point in time that he was ordered to build the ark. So what were Lamech and Methuselah doing about that time and what were they doing for the duration of the 120 years the ark was being built, and Noah was "preaching righteousness"? To answer that, we can look at what the Bible says.....

Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Genesis 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled withviolence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

I personally believe that brother Lamech and Methuselah were living like the world. They were "mighty men", their whole families were mighty men and that alone suggests "violence" through martial activity. I believe they were also involved in the "marrying and giving in marriage" Jesus spoke of, when they "took wives of all" This is why Lamech and Methuselah were not mentioned as "walking with God" or "perfect in their generations". But Noah was not involved in the violent "mighty man" stuff because he was walking with God and he wasn't involved in "taking wives of all" because he only took ONE wife and she was most likely a believer and not one of the idolatrous "daughters of men". I believe the word "generations" here means what was procreated or "generated" which in Noah;s case was "Shem, Ham and Japheth" It is possible for any man to be "perfect in his generations" even today: Marry one woman only and "beget" all of your children by her.

[heartstrings]

I still think that the "spirits that we sometime disobedient" were angels that took the daughters of men to be wives prior to the flood. Jude 6 seems to be speaking of the same situation but the truth is we really don't 100% know.

Those who 'crept in unawares' in the Book of Jude, are compared to three(3) groups of sinners in the past
#1 the angels who kept not their first estate wanted to rule instead of God....they were the ones who despised dominion.
#2. The Israelites in the wilderness.......murmured against Moses.........they were the ones who spake evil of diginities
#3 The sodomites and Gomorrites were the ones who ...defiled the flesh and went after strange flesh......becasue.they were homosexuals
Where people misinterpret Jude here, is when they connect the sinner with the wrong sin. But whereas the three groups of sinners,; angels, Israelites and Sodomites were known for their one particular sin, the "filthy dreamers" who "crept in unawares" were doing all three.

[Wilchbla]

Those who 'crept in unawares' in the Book of Jude, are compared to three(3) groups of sinners in the past
#1 the angels who kept not their first estate wanted to rule instead of God....they were the ones who despised dominion.
#2. The Israelites in the wilderness.......murmured against Moses.........they were the ones who spake evil of diginities
#3 The sodomites and Gomorrites were the ones who ...defiled the flesh and went after strange flesh......becasue.they were homosexuals
Where people misinterpret Jude here, is when they connect the sinner with the wrong sin. But whereas the three groups of sinners,; angels, Israelites and Sodomites were known for their one particular sin, the "filthy dreamers" who "crept in unawares" were doing all three.

Not quite underestanding what you are saying. Are you suggesting that the "filthy dreamers" and the "angels" are one and the same? If you are they can't be because of the word "likewise" in vs 8 makes it clear that they are speaking of a different group.

Also, these angels cannot be the angels who rebelled with Lucifer because those angels aren't reserved in chains under darkness.

[heartstrings]

Not quite underestanding what you are saying. Are you suggesting that the "filthy dreamers" and the "angels" are one and the same? If you are they can't be because of the word "likewise" in vs 8 makes it clear that they are speaking of a different group.

Also, these angels cannot be the angels who rebelled with Lucifer because those angels aren't reserved in chains under darkness.

Jude was comparing the" filthy dreamers who crept in unawares" to three(3) groups in the past. I thought I made that clear.

Each group in the past was known for one particular sin each.
Sodomites...defiled the flesh
angels....despised dominion
Israelites in the Exodus...murmured against Moses

BUT the filthy dreamers in the PRESENT time(the time Jude was writing) were doing all three of those sins