First of all it is extremely important to see how 1 Peter 3:19-20 fits with the overall themes of the first 3 chapters of 1 Peter and especially the theme Peter is giving instructions about just prior to giving his audience this revelatory information to understand how this information was intended to benefit them. We should be cautious in drawing interpretations from these two verses that make them sources of pure speculation in support of doctrines that have nothing to do with Peter's reason for including them with the instruction and exhortation he is giving his audience.
1 Pet 1:6-7 makes it clear these Christians are in a season of being tempted and tried by persecution. The first three chapters give numerous encouragements and exhortations to perseverance in both character and faith in Christ. They connect the rejection these believers were facing with the rejection Christ endured and their need to show the same purity of character and patience Christ showed in the face of false accusations. They are warned against practicing the deeds they are being accused of or that their accusers do, since suffering for that is not blessed but rather is deserved, but suffering as Christ did is blessed and will be vindicated.
The vindication of the sufferings of Christ and those who believe in Him and the long-suffering patience of God in withholding His judgement on the deserving disobedient until the appointed time are all in view in 1 Pet 3:19-20. All of it is like the time of Noah, when wicked men brought on God's judgement, but Noah had to maintain both His character and his faith in preparing the Arc while they mocked and spoke evil of Him, prompted by demonic activity, until Noah's salvation was ready and God sent the flood.
The spirits imprisoned as a result of the flood are either the disobedient men or demons of Noah's time. I'm fine either way. Christ, quickened by the Spirit, preached to them (God's full vindication) after He died and before He rose.
I think in fairness I should at least discuss the other two interpretations that say the preaching did not take place during the time between Christ's death on the cross and the Resurrection.
They are the generally called the preincarate theory and the post-ascension theory.
I will deal with the post-ascension theory first, since it is similar to the theories I have presented in that it still takes place in the spiritual realm. Primarily it differs by denying Jesus ever descended into hell and that prior to his resurrection He placed His Spirit in His Father's hand and was with the thief in paradise. Then they take 1 Peter 3:18 where Christ is described as "being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" as being the resurrection itself. Then I believe they see the "angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." in 1 Peter 3:22 that followed Christ's ascension into heaven as describing the same event as 1 Peter 3:19.
I believe Peter is using a chiastic (inverse parallel) structure between a type in 1 Peter 3:19-20 and an antitype in 1 Peter 3:21-22. Having examined this structure in my own separate post, the post-ascension theory has gained substantially more merit in my view and I am giving it more consideration myself.
The preincarate theory also denies that Christ was ever in hell and proposes that the preaching Christ did in the Spirit actually took place during the time Noah was building the Arc and was definitely to human beings, not angels or fallen angels. They normally view Noah's preaching as being done by the Spirit of Christ rather than appealing to a preincarnate appearance of Christ.
This theory goes to great lengths to make the language in 1 Peter 3:19 have the "unto the spirit in prison" there only because that is their current condition, but that he really means to say "By which He went and preached to" men "which sometime were disobedient". It sounds very strained to me and has no clear parallel in the antitype.
1 Pet 1:6-7 makes it clear these Christians are in a season of being tempted and tried by persecution. The first three chapters give numerous encouragements and exhortations to perseverance in both character and faith in Christ. They connect the rejection these believers were facing with the rejection Christ endured and their need to show the same purity of character and patience Christ showed in the face of false accusations. They are warned against practicing the deeds they are being accused of or that their accusers do, since suffering for that is not blessed but rather is deserved, but suffering as Christ did is blessed and will be vindicated.
The vindication of the sufferings of Christ and those who believe in Him and the long-suffering patience of God in withholding His judgement on the deserving disobedient until the appointed time are all in view in 1 Pet 3:19-20. All of it is like the time of Noah, when wicked men brought on God's judgement, but Noah had to maintain both His character and his faith in preparing the Arc while they mocked and spoke evil of Him, prompted by demonic activity, until Noah's salvation was ready and God sent the flood.
The spirits imprisoned as a result of the flood are either the disobedient men or demons of Noah's time. I'm fine either way. Christ, quickened by the Spirit, preached to them (God's full vindication) after He died and before He rose.
They are the generally called the preincarate theory and the post-ascension theory.
I will deal with the post-ascension theory first, since it is similar to the theories I have presented in that it still takes place in the spiritual realm. Primarily it differs by denying Jesus ever descended into hell and that prior to his resurrection He placed His Spirit in His Father's hand and was with the thief in paradise. Then they take 1 Peter 3:18 where Christ is described as "being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" as being the resurrection itself. Then I believe they see the "angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." in 1 Peter 3:22 that followed Christ's ascension into heaven as describing the same event as 1 Peter 3:19.
I believe Peter is using a chiastic (inverse parallel) structure between a type in 1 Peter 3:19-20 and an antitype in 1 Peter 3:21-22. Having examined this structure in my own separate post, the post-ascension theory has gained substantially more merit in my view and I am giving it more consideration myself.
The preincarate theory also denies that Christ was ever in hell and proposes that the preaching Christ did in the Spirit actually took place during the time Noah was building the Arc and was definitely to human beings, not angels or fallen angels. They normally view Noah's preaching as being done by the Spirit of Christ rather than appealing to a preincarnate appearance of Christ.
This theory goes to great lengths to make the language in 1 Peter 3:19 have the "unto the spirit in prison" there only because that is their current condition, but that he really means to say "By which He went and preached to" men "which sometime were disobedient". It sounds very strained to me and has no clear parallel in the antitype.
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