First of all, may I encourage
you to read the answers to last week's question: According to the Bible are
there two different kinds of hell? To be found at:
Last week we discovered that people do not go to hell
when they die. Hell is reserved for the unrighteous after judgment day when
"hades" or "sheol" (the dwelling place of the unbelievers) will be thrown into
the lake of fire (see Rev 20:14-15).
However, when people die they go to "sheol" (in
Hebrew) or "hades" (in Greek), which refers to the realm of the dead. We also
discovered last week that "sheol" or "hades" is divided in two parts: one for
the wicked and one referred to "Abraham's bosom" or "heaven" for the righteous.
So this week's question should be modified to:
Did Jesus go to the part reserved to the wicked of "hades" or "sheol"?
Some people believe that Jesus went and preached to
the wicked that had died and did so right after His death on the cross. They
base this on this text:
1 Peter 3:19-20: "He went and
preached to the spirits in prison
who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the
ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through
water." NIV
It is important to look at the context of a text to
thoroughly understand it; otherwise false conclusions could be reached. Let us
do this now:
1 Peter 3:13-17 "13 Who is going to harm you if you
are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should
suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do
not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15 But in your hearts set apart
Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to
give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and
respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously
against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17
It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing
good than for doing evil."
The introductory context is an
exhortation from the apostle Peter to do good to the people around us. He
encourages the Christians of Asia Minor to "suffer for what is right", this
being much better than "doing evil".
1 Peter 3:18 "18 For Christ died for sins once for
all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death
in the body but made alive by the Spirit," He then points out that Christ
suffered and died for them with the purpose "to bring" them (and us for that
matter) "to God".
Notice that the text doesn't stop at His death. It
also talks about His resurrection where he was "made alive by the Spirit".
Now the apostle Peter introduces us to the text in
question:
1 Peter 3:19 "19 through whom also he went and
preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited
patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few
people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes
baptism that now saves you also-not the removal of dirt from the body but the
pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand-with
angels, authorities and powers in submission to him."
Just looking at the context, we have a problem
assuming that Jesus preached to "the spirits in prison" at His death. After
mentioning the fact, the apostle Peter points out that Jesus was "made alive by
the Spirit". Jesus was resurrected through the power of the Holy Spirit. And
it's "through" the Holy Spirit that he preached to "the spirits in prison".
Now who are these "spirits in prison"?
We have learned from the text that they are those "who
disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark
was being built". It's a very specific group of people and clearly not referring
to all those who are in the part of "hades" or "sheol" reserved to the wicked.
Notice also that nowhere does it say that these
spirits accepted Jesus' preaching. If He went to "hades" and preached there, His
preaching was futile.
If you look further, the apostle Peter is not putting
the emphasis on preaching to these "spirits in prison", but on the fact that
Noah and seven others "were saved through water, and this water symbolizes
baptism that now saves you also-not the removal of dirt from the body but the
pledge of a good conscience toward God."
In mentioning the triumph of Jesus at His
resurrection, Peter refers to Noah and his family who "were brought safely
through the water". Why would this be important to the readers of Asia Minor, to
whom Peter was writing this letter? Because these once-pagan readers are now
being ostracized for being Christians, and they are reminded that Noah and his
family underwent the same kind of suffering. Noah persevered, although the whole
world was also against him. He and his family were saved. The rest of the world
was not.
Now baptism serves the same function. How? 1 Peter
3:21 "It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." NIV In other words
without Jesus' resurrection, baptism would be useless! It is not the outward
washing that saves, referred by "not the removal of dirt from the flesh".
Baptism is a "pledge" or an "answer" to God "from a good conscience". It's our
identification with Christ that saves, not the act of baptism by itself.
The apostle Peter is encouraging the Christians of
Asia Minor to persevere although they may be suffering. He then points out that
Jesus suffered as well for their salvation and so did Noah and his family just
before the flood, and they were "brought safely through the water". Suffering is
just an inconvenience compared to the glorious salvation obtained for us by
Jesus Himself.
Looking at the context, we can only assume that the
apostle Peter was referring to Noah being led by God's Spirit to preach to those
in his time. It is Noah's preaching that is referred to here. His preaching was
not his own, but came through God's Spirit from the Holy One Himself: Jesus
Christ. The people in Noah's time were "in prison" of their own sins and
addictions. This kept them from accepting salvation from the flood. This is in
agreement with many Bible scholars:
"It would then be implied here, that though the
instrumentality of Noah was employed, yet that it was done not by the Holy
Spirit, but by him who afterward became incarnate." (from Barnes' Notes
http://www.studylight.org/com/bnn/view.cgi?book=1pe&chapter=003
)
"John Owen, Calvin's translator and editor (John
Calvin, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles, p. 116, note), cites the
explanation adopted by Beza, Doddridge, Macknight, and Scott, that the time of
the action was in the ministry of Noah, when Christ by the Spirit ("by which")
preached through Noah to the wicked who at Peter's later writing were spirits in
Hades. And all this while the longsuffering of God waited, delaying the flood.
The reference to the time spent in building the ark seems to corroborate this
interpretation. Reference to the small number of those saved would encourage the
"little flock" in Asia." (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary)
"The inhabitants of the antediluvian world, who,
having been disobedient, and convicted of the most flagrant transgressions
against God, were sentenced by his just law to destruction. But their punishment
was delayed to see if they would repent; and the long-suffering of God waited
one hundred and twenty years, which were granted to them for this purpose;
during which time, as criminals tried and convicted, they are represented as
being in prison-detained under the arrest of Divine justice, which waited either
for their repentance or the expiration of the respite, that the punishment
pronounced might be inflicted. This I have long believed to be the sense of this
difficult passage, and no other that I have seen is so consistent with the whole
scope of the place." (from Adam Clarke's Commentary
http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=1pe&chapter=003)
The most poignant evidence that
Jesus did not go to the part reserved to the wicked of "hades" or "sheol" is the
following text pronounced by Jesus Himself while hanging on the cross. He was
addressing this promise to the thief on the cross who asked Him to remember him
when He would come into His kingdom.
Luke 23:43 "Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth,
today you will be with me in paradise." NIV
When Jesus died He went to the part of "hades" or
"sheol" called "paradise" and so did that thief on the cross next to Him.
He never went to the
part reserved to the wicked.
That He went to "hades" is confirmed in Acts 2:31 "He
looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER
ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY." NASU
Jesus died with a purpose: to bring us to God (see 1
Peter 3:18). John 3:16-17: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
NIV He died for you. Why? Because He cares for you and wants to be your friend.
He died so that you could have eternity in front of you. Not an eternity in
suffering and misery, but eternity in happiness and peace. Unbelievable but
true. All you need to do to receive this is accept His offer. You need to
welcome Him into your life and experience His power that leads to total freedom
from any addictions. Why won't you do this now by accepting His call at:
http://www.answers2prayer.org/saviours_call.html
Rob Chaffart
______________________________________________________________________
Acts 2:31
31. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of
Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see
corruption.
Ephesians 4:8-10
8. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he
led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also
descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10. He that descended is the same also that ascended
up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
When he ascended up on high" refers to the ascension
of Christ. At that time He led the saints of the OT, which refers, I believe, to
the redeemed of the Old Testament who died. Christ took these believers with Him
out of Hell, Hades, or Sheol into the very presence of God when He ascended.
What ever this place was called, Jesus went there for a purpose and that was to
take the saints to heaven.
Some theologians believe that Jesus went to hell and
preached to the people for one last chance at salvation. I find no scripture to
back that theory. The Apostles Creed says he descended to hell. Some scriptures
in the OT suggest that also but it's hard to really tell. Others feel that when
we die we are just sleeping until the resurrection.
In His Love Rev. Whit
______________________________________________________________________
I believe Jesus did go to hell
for us. He paid the price for our redemption. 1 Peter 1:18-23.
"1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers; 1:19 But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1:20 Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you, 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the
dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 1:22 Seeing
ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto
unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart
fervently: 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
He was in the center of the earth. Matthew 12:40
"12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in
the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth." Science tells us that te center of the earth is a flaming
inferno.
He preached to the antedeluvian people who were in
hell. 1 Peter 3:18-22.
"3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto
the spirits in prison; 3:20 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. 3:21 The like figure
whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth
of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ: 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right
hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him."
Yours, because of Calvary,
Delmer G. Lawson
______________________________________________________________________
Jesus was born a man to go through all that man would go through. The Apostles creed directly states that he descended into hell.
I believe in God the Father almighty
Maker of Heaven and Earth.
And in Jesus Christ His only Son
our Lord Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost
Born of the Virgin Mary S
uffered under Pontius Pilate
Was crucified dead and buried.
He descended into Hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost
The Holy Christian Church
The Communion of Saints
The Forgiveness of Sins
The Resurrection of the Body
And the Life Everlasting. AMEN.
DeeDee
______________________________________________________________________
Yes He did!!! He took the keys to hell and death from Satan.
Wendell Blackburn
______________________________________________________________________
Yes! He did .He preached in
hell and risen on the
third day.
Kok Phoebe
______________________________________________________________________
Yes Jesus went to Hell after He died. He traveled there to take away the keys of death away from Satan. He went there to set free those who were held there from the Old Testament who need to be released. Because He went there I will not have to go there for He set the captives free. I am free from the power of the second death because of what He has done.
Dennis
______________________________________________________________________
My response to this month's
Bible Question: "Did Jesus go to Hell after He Died?" Is a resounding YES! The
Bible tells us that after he died, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ went to
Hades (Hell), but being the Son of God and Himself God, hell could not hold him.
The reason for Jesus going to hell is simply the fact that the aggregate sins of
the entire world was placed upon him on the Cross of Calvary. Had he died
without taking on the sins of the world, Jesus certainly would not have tasted
hell as he did.
Jesus' taste of hell clearly manifests the doom of
unrepented sinners after death. I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He
(Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness."
Thanks for making me one of the subscribers to the
Illustrator.
Regards,
D. Onesimus Banwon
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