The Rich Man and Lazarus
-the intermediate state-
 

THE SPIRITS IN PRISON

This tradition about �the descent into hell� led directly to a misunderstanding of I Peter 3:17-22. But note:

1) There is not a word about �hell,� or hades, in the passage.

2) The word �spirit,� by itself, is never used, without qualification, of man in any state or condition; but it is constantly used of angels, of whom it is said, �He maketh his angels spirits,� i.e. they are spiritual beings, while a man is a human being.

3) In spite of these being �in-prison spirits,� they are taken to refer to men; notwithstanding that in the next epistle (II Peter 2:4) we read of �the angels that sinned,� and of their being �cast down to tartarus (not hades or gehenna), and delivered into chains of darkness to be reserved unto the judgment�. These angels are again mentioned in connection with Noah and are thus identified with the spirits (or angels) in 1 Peter 3:19, who were also disobedient "in the days of Noah."  We read, further, what their sin was, in Jude 6,7 which can be understood only by reference to Genesis 6. Here again we read of these angels being "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. It is surprising that, in the face of these two passages (II Peter 2:4 and Jude 6, 7), which speak of angels (or spirits) being �in chains,� anyone should ever have interpreted the �in-prison spirits� of I Peter 3:19 as referring to human beings!

4) Moreover, the word �preached� does not, by itself, refer to the preaching of the Gospel. It is not �evangelise,� which would be evangelizo. But it is kerusso, to proclaim as a herald, to make proclamation, and the context shows that this paragraph about Christ is intended as an encouragement. It begins with verse 17: �For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing. For Christ also suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.� Then it goes on to explain that as Christ suffered for well-doing, and not for evil-doing, they were to do the same; and if they did they would have, like Him, a glorious triumph. For though He was put to death in the flesh, yet He was made alive again in spirit (i.e. in a spiritual body, I Corinthians 15:44): and in this He made such proclamation of His triumph that it reached even to tartarus, and was heard there by the angels reserved in chains unto judgment. Never mind, therefore, if you are called to suffer. You will have a like glorious triumph.�

No other explanation of this passage takes in the argument of the context; or complies with the strict requirements of the original text. Thus the support for the tradition about Christ's �descent into hell� as distinct from His being buried, vanishes from the Scriptures.

Eph. 4:9 also speaks of the Lord's descent �into the lower parts of the earth� before His ascension �on high.� But this word �of� here is what is called the genitive of apposition, by which �of the earth� explains what is meant by �the lower parts� and should be rendered �the lower parts,� that is to say �the earth.�

This descension stands in contrast with His ascension � �He that descended is the same also that ascended� (v. 10). It refers to His descent from heaven in Incarnation, and not to any descent as distinct from that, or from His burial.

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