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NASB | 1 Peter 3:19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Peter 3:19 in which He also went and preached to the spirits now in prison, |
Bible Question: Where was Jesus from the time He died until He arose? Where is this found in the Bible? |
Bible Answer: Ephesians 4:7-10 (7) But to each one of us was given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (8) Because of this, He says, "Having gone up on high, He led captivity captive," and gave "gifts to men." Psa. 68:18 (9) But that He went up, what is it except that He also first came down into the lower parts of the earth? (10) He that came down is the same who also went up above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. This passage tells us that the One Who ascended into heaven first descended into the lower parts of the earth. Some will tell you this simply means that He descended to the earth, but this says "lower parts". That expression is never used of the regular portions of the earth, such as where we live. Acts 2:24-35 (24) But God raised Him up, loosing the throes of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. (25) For David said as to Him, "I always foresaw the Lord before Me, because He is at My right hand, that I not be moved. (26) For this reason My heart rejoiced, and My tongue was glad; and My flesh also will dwell on hope, (27) because You will not leave My soul in Hades, nor will You give Your Holy One to see corruption. (28) You revealed to Me paths of life; You will fill Me with joy with Your face." LXX-Psa. 15:8-11; MT-Psa. 16:8-11 (29) Men, brothers, it is permitted to say to you with plainness as to the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is among us until this day. (30) Being a prophet, then, and knowing that God swore with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loin, as concerning flesh, to raise the Christ to sit on his throne, see Psa. 132:11 (31) foreseeing, he spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, "that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption." LXX-Psa. 15:10; Mt-Psa. 16:10 (32) This Jesus, God raised up, of which we all are witnesses. (33) Then being exalted to the right of God, and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He poured out this which you now see and hear. (34) For David did not ascend into Heaven, but he says, "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand (35) until I place those hostile to You as a footstool for Your feet." LXX-Psa. 109:1; MT-Psa. 110:1 This passage lends agreement with Ephesians, telling us that the Christ would not be "left in Hades". Now, I am not saying that Jesus "suffered in hell", as we would think of it. I believe that He was there to "proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" (Is. 61) 1 Peter 3:18-22 (18) Because even Christ once suffered concerning sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God; indeed being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; (19) in which also, going in to the spirits in prison, He then proclaimed (20) to disobeying ones, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, an ark having been prepared, into which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. (21) Which antitype now also saves us, baptism (not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; (22) who going into Heaven is at the right of God, the angels, and authorities, and powers being subjected to Him). This passage has been interpreted in a number of ways, but I find it very interesting that this "preaching to the spirits in prison" is reported immediately following Jesus's death, and before His ascent into heaven, in agreement with Ephesians. So based primarily on these Scriptures, I believe that when Jesus died, He went to announce to those in Hades His victory. This is based on the straightforward reading of these passages, accepting as symbolic or figurative only that which Scripture clearly defines as symbolic or figurative. I recognize that some disagree, and I offer this as my view, without any interest to debate this issue. Love in Christ, Mark |