1 Peter 3:19-22 - Umm, what?

“…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.”

This is one of the most confusing verses in the whole Bible, specifically verses 19 and 20. I have a book called “Hard Sayings of the Bible” and this is their take on this passage:

“We can now summarize what the passage is saying. The Christians in Asia Minor were facing persecution and possible martyrdom. Peter calls them to look at the example of Jesus. He was, from the human point of view, killed. Yet, in fact, he rose, not simply to renewed natural life, but to transformed life in the spiritual world, and in that world he proclaimed his victory to the fallen angels who were disobedient in Noah’s day. This may have been during his ascension, for while this text does not tell us where this prison was, some Jews located it in the “second heaven” and thus on the way between earth and the heaven where God dwells. Whatever the case, in the end of this section in 1 Peter, Christ is in heaven with all spiritual beings subject to him.”

The problem people have interpreting this passage is not that it is unclear. Peter is perfectly clear – Jesus preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago – nothing foggy about that. The difficulty is that we don’t know what to do with it. How do we reconcile this statement with our experience? Who are these spirits? Are they fallen angels? Demons? Where did Jesus go to preach to them? Why did he preach to them? This passage prompts many questions that we don’t have answers to.

But just because I don’t understand something doesn’t mean that it isn’t true. For example, I don’t understand how a camera captures an image on film, but that doesn’t stop me from taking pictures. And just because you don’t understand every passage in the Bible doesn’t mean that you can’t read it and live your life by it. There will always be an element of faith in dealing with God and His Word.

To be totally honest, I have no idea what to do with this passage – apparently there are things going on in the spiritual realm that I have no idea about. (Which is a good reminder...) And while that is frustrating at times, I’m okay with it. I don’t have to know everything because I know that I cannot know everything. God is good and I am content to put my lack of understanding in His loving hands.

When your experience doesn’t have an answer for what God’s word says… it is your experience that is lacking, not the Bible. Look at it as an opportunity to exercise a little faith – which is what God wants from you anyway. Maybe THAT is one of the purposes of passages like this one…

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” – 1 Corinthians 13:12