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NASB | 2 Peter 2:4 ¶ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Peter 2:4 ¶ For if God did not [even] spare angels that sinned, but threw them into hell and sent them to pits of gloom to be kept [there] for judgment; |
Bible Question: We were reading 1 Peter 3:19-20 last night and didn't understand who Jesus was preaching to. Can you help clear this up for us. |
Bible Answer: Greetings Debbie F. Evan D. Baltz in his message entitled “The Ultimate Victory” states: “Christ made proclamation. This word means, to publish or proclaim openly: something which has been done. It does not connote the message that is proclaimed. Often, the herald of the King would stand up and proclaim to the kingdom the nations victory in battle. The context must determine the message which is declared. What is the main point? Victory in suffering--Christ is the example. Peter is talking about Christ's victory over death. That is the context, therefore that is the message. Christ proclaimed his victory over death--and much more as we shall see. All right, to whom did he make this announcement? The text says, "the spirits now in prison." Okay if that isn't dead people who is it then? When the bible uses the word spirit, and is referring to a human's spirit, it is always qualified as such. Always. Here there is no such qualification. In fact this term is set in opposition to the word "persons" mentioned in verse 20. When the Bible speaks of spirits it is talking about angels. Now there are different kind of angels. There are elect and fallen. Of the fallen there are bound and unbound. Of the bound there are two kinds, permanently bound and temporarily bound. Permanently bound angels are said to exist in prison. Peter's readers must have known who and what he was talking about because he doesn't go into further explanation. Look at 2 Peter 2:4-6 where he mentions similar such ideas as are found here in 3:18-22. "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;" These are events from Genesis. Events that were common knowledge to his readers.” You can read the entire text at www.ccel.org go to the study bible section and input 1 Peter, then go to chapter 3 for the complete sermon and other study materials. May God bless you as you seek to know Him through His Word! Mommapbs |