THE SPIRITS IN PRISON PART 2

 

With the previous article about the spirits in prison there has been more comments made than in any other article posted on this blog.  The comments vary from those accepting Jesus was conscious after death, to those who believe he was not conscious, to those who say they don’t know.  This situation shows disagreements exist over this issue.  This article is written to address this concern.  In it I will attempt to bring out some more information to consider. Keep in mind that Greek philosophy heavily influenced the translation of the New Testament scriptures as they abandoned Jewish thought and were also influenced by the heresy of the trinity.

Here are the disputed verses:

1 Peter 3:18-20

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us (the church) to God, being put to death in (indeed or truly Strongs G3303) the flesh but made alive by the spirit by whom also (referring back to the spirit that empowered Jesus to preach the gospel) he went (while alive) and preached (the gospel) to the spirits in prison (human beings) who formerly  (in the old time Strongs G4218) were disobedient (but now are HIS faithful elect).  When once (a long time ago) the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, eight were saved through water.”

I will now give to my readers the true message of these verses ;

Jesus suffered once for sins, he was just and we were not, that he might bring us, the elect saints, the church, to GOD. Jesus was put to death as a mortal human being but made alive again by his GOD raising him from the dead and by that same Holy Spirit of GOD Jesus preached the gospel during his ministry to human beings in a spiritual prison of sin and death and we the church who were formerly disobedient but are now the elect saints. By comparison Noah, by the same spirit of GOD, preached in his day to living people trapped in the same spiritual prison as all human beings are showing GODS patience with these people while the ark was being built but only 8 people repented and were saved as if by water which is what baptism represents to GODS saints so that we after being baptized have a clean conscience before GOD.

Jesus was put to death as a human being but was raised from the dead by God, Jesus was alive in the flesh again when he was resurrected from the dead. The “by whom” is referring back to Gods Spirit that empowered Jesus to preach to the spirits in prison or humans alive in his day, when he preached the gospel to the prisoners before he was crucified, these imprisoned human spirits were formerly disobedient. This is referring to people that were called and chosen who were formerly disobedient but heard the gospel preached by Jesus and became obedient, the church, of which are very few.  Take note that I have eliminated verse 19 placed a period between the words disobedient and when because one thought ends and another begins. The line of thought here jumps from the time of Christ to the time of Noah. Verse 21 explains that Peter is making a comparison between the gospel being preached by Jesus and the preaching of Noah to the people of Noah’s day along with the waters of Noah to baptism . verse 21 “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also, not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward GOD.  It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus did not exist in the time of Noah, unless you believe Jesus preexisted, because then you open a can of worms that smells of the trinity or the immortal soul .  What Peter is  doing here is comparing the few saved in this current age by baptism to the 8 souls saved by water during the great flood of Noah’s day. Now Noah was a preacher of righteousness who preached to the prisoners of his day, 2 Peter 2:5 , and just like in the day of Christ only a few would be saved so it was in Noah’s day.  Matthew 24:37  These verses are in no way saying that Jesus preached to the prisoners of Noah’s day because they are all dead and unconscious according to scripture, but do you think they had an immortal soul ?  Believing Jesus was conscious after his death is against all other biblical truth but yet some use these two verses to throw out the truth and accept a heresy.   

In Hebrews 1:1 “In the past GOD spoke in different ways to our fathers through the prophets.”  Jesus did not yet exist in the time of the fathers; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  “It is only in these last days that GOD used Jesus to speak to us (the church) and GOD appointed Jesus HIS heir and GOD created the universe for Jesus.”  Hebrews 1:2  GOD was not working through Jesus in times past because Jesus did not yet exist in those days.  Today however GOD works only through Jesus in HIS dealings with humanity because GOD appointed Jesus the mediator between HIMSELF and us.  This understanding alone destroys the idea that Jesus preached to imprisoned spirits in the day of Noah. See Luke 24:37   Romans 1:1-4   Acts 13:32-33

There is more evidence that Jesus died in the exact same way all humans do.  Jesus is the “first fruits of them that have fallen asleep” ; this showing that Jesus fell asleep along with the others who fell asleep.  1 Corinthians 15:20  Jesus is “the first born of the dead”, showing there are others who are now dead that will follow him. Colossians 1:18  1 Thessalonians 4:14. Romans 8:11   John 20:17 “I am not yet ascended to my FATHER” , this statement by Jesus refutes the idea of Jesus being conscious after death.  It mentions ascending to the FATHER, Acts 1:9 , is where Jesus ascended to the FATHER and at this time did so consciously.  At some point during the ascension Jesus was changed from flesh to spirit because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of GOD. 1 Corinthians 15:50  

Jesus was constantly called “a man”  Jesus was 100% human but also 100% immersed in his GODS spirit so that he was one with GOD.  This was the difference between Christ and us as we only have a measure or portion of the spirit whereas Jesus dwelled in the FATHER and the FATHER dwelt in Jesus, Jesus and his FATHER were one.  John 10:30 This was necessary for Jesus to be the messiah.  

Now, another thing I will tell you that perhaps you will not believe. Before the Jesus event all human death was everlasting but the first advent of Jesus changed this because GOD through Jesus provided two resurrections of the dead.  After this the first death became temporary and it was appointed to all once to die but afterwards the judgment.  Hebrews 9:27   Currently the church of GOD is judged now, 1 Peter 4:17  1 Corinthians 11:31-32  and this because they enter the kingdom when Christ returns but the rest of humanity is judged at the great white throne.  Revelation 20:11-15  We, the elect of this current time, escape this white throne judgement because we will have entered the kingdom long before that time.   

Ezekiel 37:1-28 is a prophecy about the second resurrection.  The whole house of Israel is raised from the dead but they thought before they died that they had perished forever, “Our bones are dried up our hope is gone”, Ezekiel 37:11 ,  but GOD brings them back to physical life. Ezekiel 37:4-10  

If you want to know the definition of something spiritual GOD will through Jesus teach you. GOD has defined in detail what death is and what life is and never do the two mix together, you can’t be both at the same time.  A person is either dead and unconscious or alive and conscious, there is no in between. Isaiah and David knew this, Psalm 118:17   Psalm 115:17  Isaiah 38:18-19   I could show you a dozen scriptures to prove this.  If Jesus saves us from the death we die then Jesus had to die the same death we die.  How could Jesus taste death for us all if he did not really experience the death we die but lived consciously in heaven.  

Yet another thing to consider; chapter numbers, verse numbers and punctuation did not exist in the first century AD but were added from the 13th to the 16th centuries by unconverted men, many in an attempt to support the lies they preached.  These verses in 1 Peter 3:18-20 are only one example of this.  When people read these verses thinking the verse numbers and punctuation are there to give clarity actually makes them into a lie.  The Holy Spirit in GODS elect saints aids them to see this type of deception because when you already know some established truth and apply these truths to these verses it makes no sense because the verse numbering and punctuation interrupts the truth of the verses.  In these disputed verses in 1 Peter 3:18-20 this is exactly what has happened and because of this some people think Jesus after his death was conscious when what these verses really doing is comparing the few people that are saved from Noah’s day to Christs day and that baptism is similar to the waters of Noah.  Isaiah 54:9   Matthew 24:37-39   Hebrews 11:7   2 Peter 3:6-7   Genesis 9:11   

Peter is showing us the similarities between Christ and Noah; both were preachers of righteousness, both preached to the prisoners of their day, one world judged by water the other by fire, that in both the preaching of Christ and Noah few would be saved, that the bulk of the world in both times would not repent.  This is the truth of these verses in 1 Peter 3:18-20