1 Peter 3:20 to those who were disobedient 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 savedthrough water,
Peter now points out who the “imprisoned spirits” of verse 19 were. This verse shows an example to the readers of how Jesus went to great lengths to reach the lost and how God showed much patience in the days of Noah for those who were doing evil. There is a lesson in both of these points. God continues to wait patiently for people to repent (2 Peter 3:9). It is a mystery what verses 19-20 mean about the spirits who lived long ago in the days of Noah and how Jesus went to preach to them. One interpretation throughout the ages has been that Jesus went to hell to preach to lost people to give them one final opportunity since they had not heard of the gospel. This is an interesting idea, but there is no way to know based on this obscure verse. It is better for us not to speculate about this but simply to find the spiritual truth that Peter is trying to tell his readers. The key idea is that God was patient with people but only eight people out of the whole population actually listened. This passage borders on symbolism as Peter merges the historical resurrection with the spiritual need of his readers. He draws upon the past story of Noah and the flood to show that the readers’ own suffering can lead to the salvation of those around them.
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