Alastair's Adversaria - Spirits in Prison

Episode Date: August 26, 2025

The following discussion of 1 Peter 3:18-22 was first published on the Anchored Argosy: https://argosy.substack.com/p/16-spirits-in-prison. Follow my Substack, the Anchored Argosy at https://argosy.substack.com/. See my latest podcasts at https://adversariapodcast.com/. If you have enjoyed my videos and podcasts, please tell your friends. If you are interested in supporting my videos and podcasts and my research more generally, please consider supporting my work on Patreon (www.patreon.com/zugzwanged), using my PayPal account (bit.ly/2RLaUcB), or by buying books for my research on Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/3…3O?ref_=wl_share). You can also listen to the audio of these episodes on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/alastairs-adversaria/id1416351035.

The following reflections began their life as preparation for a sermon that I delivered about two years ago. Within it I preached upon 1 Peter chapter 3 verses 18 to 22. It's a short text, but it has several elements that cause no small debate among scholars. Not least Peter's reference to Christ preaching to the spirits in prison and his statement that baptism now saves us. Susanna was disappointed that she didn't get to hear the sermon, and she was eager to know my thoughts on the spirits in prison. My thoughts here are partly an answer to her interest,

but mostly concerned the proper reading of this detail within the passage more generally. Peter begins by drawing what seems to be a comparison between our suffering and Christ's suffering. He then elaborates on the nature and purpose of Christ's suffering before referencing Christ preaching to the spirits in prison, speaking of the rebellion prior to the flood, from which he moves to describing the redemption of Noah and his life. family through the Ark, which Peter then relates to baptism, the nature and power of which he then discusses before concluding the chapter with a description of the ascension and Christ's enthronement

overall, all this within only five verses. One more general challenge we face in hearing these verses and any such passage is discerning a consistent and coherent movement of thought in what might appear to some to be a highly digressive and disjointed passage. This challenge is, unsurprisingly, often forgotten or neglected. It's very easy to abstract verses from their contexts and handle them piecemeal, especially for systematic theologians, and those for whom the text is mostly raw material for the doctrinal, moral, or other interests that they bring to it. Many readers of First Peter chapter 3 verse 21, for instance, might merely be interested in defending or proof texting their doctrine of baptism. Many contemporary readers of verses 19 to 20 are only really

interested in them to the extent that they have bearing on readings of Genesis chapter 6 and the question of biblical use of the book of Enoch. For such readers, consideration of Peter's broader line of thought likely represents a distraction or is relatively uninteresting to them. We must, however, listen through the text before we abstract elements from it. When hearing a passage like 1 Peter 3, we must listen for a strong and plausible through line of reasoning that unites it. While we should be opened to the possible existence of tangents in such texts, other things being equal, readings that maintain a consistent thread of thought moving through a passage will be much more persuasive than those which cannot. That Peter picks up further elements of verses 18 to 22 and themes from the verses preceding it in chapter 4,

strengthens the case that Peter's argument is a one piece. 1 Peter 3, 18, to 4 verse 1, also seems to have some degree of internal structure. It can be divided and ordered in a sort of chiastic structure. Within this structure, verse 18 of chapter 3, corresponds with chapter 4 and verse 1. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous that he might bring us to God,

being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, corresponds with, since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh. Christ also suffered, and in the flesh, are paralleled in verse 1 of chapter 4. And then, in which he went and proclaimed

to the spirits in prison in verse 19, corresponds with, verse 22, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. The center of this passage and chayastic structure is found in verses 20 to 21.

In those verses, Peter draws a parallel between the destruction of the old world in the days of Noah and the provision of the ark and the place that baptism has within the salvation of the new covenant. In the passages preceding this, Peter has spoken a lot about Christian suffering and the way that Christ's suffering provides a model for believers. He charged Christians to live quiet and submissive lives in their societies, honouring rulers and not responding to mistreatment and kind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called that you may obtain a blessing, 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 9.

Underlying such a posture is confidence in the Lord's justice and coming vindication, supported by Peter's citation of Psalm 34 in verses 10 to 12 of chapter 3. while 1st Peter chapter 3 verses 18 to 22 might mention Christ suffering, rebellious spirits from the days of Noah and the salvific character of baptism, the passage in question is not immediately about any of these subjects. Rather, the way that it is framed suggests that it is a passage about faithful Christian suffering. Chapter 3 versus 18 to 22 develops Peter's discussion of Christian suffering by placing it in a more pronounced apocalyptic or, or eschatological framework, presenting a more developed analogy between the days of Noah and those of the Christians to whom Peter writes. It makes clear that Peter is not merely making a perennial point about righteous sufferers being finally rewarded and vindicated by the Lord. Peter will press further

into this framework in Chapter 4 of his epistle. The end of all things is at hand. Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers, chapter 4 verse 7. Such an analogy between Noah and the flood and the judgment to be brought by Christ is found elsewhere, most notably in the Olivet discourse, Matthew chapter 24 versus 37 to 39, for instance. Peter draws a similar analogy in his second epistle in chapter 2 verses 4 to 10. The analogy with the flood is not incidental, but is a key to 1st Peter chapter 3 versus 18 to 22. It is a means by which we will make better sense of the details of the passage, not least among them Christ's preaching or proclaiming to the spirits in prison,

and Peter's description of baptism. The analogy Peter is drawing is a broad one, with baptism being only one part of a larger picture. It is this analogy that gives coherence to the text. The parallel with the flood provides a larger framework within which the hearers of the epistle might situate their, experience, especially their suffering. Notably, Peter doesn't merely present us with a parallel between the flood and Christ's work, but with a direct connection between the two. Following his

death, Christ proclaimed the imprisoned spirits of Noah's day. The singling out of those imprisoned spirits seems to require some explanation. Why should Christ proclaim anything to them in particular? Why should Peter mention this event in this context? How? How do you? How? is it that Peter can reference Christ proclaiming to the spirits in prison, an event that is not mentioned in any of the Gospels, seemingly in passing and without further

elaboration? The most natural impression is that events prior to the flood provide explanatory background in some sense for the work of Christ. Indeed, that a fuller understanding of both the work of Christ and the antediluvian history would

reveal Christ's proclaiming to the spirits in prison to be an event that relates closely to what we know of Christ's work more generally, rather than being a strange and random event concerning which the rest of the New Testament is entirely silent. Reading such a text, we should also consider how the first hearers of the text would have heard it. When they heard of the spirits imprisoned,

what would have come to their minds? There is not a ready explanation for why Christ might proclaim his victory to imprisoned Anted Deluvian human spirits. Given the reference to angelic powers in the context, it seems more natural to take it as a reference to demonic beings. An apparent structural parallel between Christ's ascension and the placing of angels, authorities and powers under him in verse 22, and his preaching to the spirits and prison in verses 19 and 20, while being by no means decisive, add some weight to the identification of the spirits and prison as rebellious angels. The missing piece, as many have noted, is provis.

by the book of Enoch, a non-canonical, pseudo-depographical, intertestamental Jewish texts, the relevant parts of the book likely dating from around 300 to 200 BC. Enoch was a familiar text to many in the early church, and seemingly alluded to or cited at several points in the New Testament, most notably Jude verses 14 and 15, which appears to be a quotation from 1, Enoch chapter 1, verse 9. The earlier parts of the book of Enoch speak of fallen angels or watchers who had sexual relations with human women, producing the Nephilim or giants, figures that some have associated with legendary heroes. Among other things, these fallen angels taught humankind technological skills, enchantments, astrology, cosmetics and the use of roots and plants. As a result of their rebellion, the Lord then judged the world, imprisoning the fallen angels in darkness, and bringing a flood upon mankind, saving only Noah and his family.

The Book of Enoch clearly advances in an interpretation of Genesis chapter 6, verses 1 and 2 and verse 4. When man began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were attractive, and they took as their wives any they chose. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of man, and they brought children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The book of Enoch's interpretation of Genesis chapter 6 is attractive, helping to explain and fill out several details of the text. Understanding the sons of God to be heavenly beings, rather than the supposed covenant line of Seth, the principal alternative reading, is the more natural reading of the expression, as we see in Job chapter 1 verse 6 and 38 7. It explains the origins of the Nephilim or giants as arising from unnatural relations between

angels and women. It helps to explain why the sexual relations are gendered as they are, sons of God, with daughters of man, in a way that is strange if more general intermarriage between some covenant people and non-covenant people were at issue. The sort of thing that is at issue, in places like Genesis chapter 34 verse 9 or Nehemiah 10 verse 30. Likewise, it helps to explain the severity of the action of the sons of God that they were engaged in nothing less than a rebellion in the heavens. The homology between the Book of Enoch's understanding of the events of Genesis 6 and the fall should also be observed. The rebellious sons of God who gave humanity forbidden knowledge beyond their capacity for faithful mastery are akin to this serpent,

of Genesis chapter 3 and his offer of knowledge that would make Adam and Eve like the gods. Likewise, the action of the sons of God in seeing the beauty of the daughters of men and taking them is akin to the action of Eve in Genesis 3 verse 6. Like the first fall of mankind, the pre-Diluvian rebellion is a rebellion of both angels and men. In Genesis 5, we hear that Enoch walked with God and was not because God took him. In the book of the book of of Enoch, Enoch is sent to proclaimed the rebellious watchers, the fallen angels, their condemnation. This, some have argued, provides a very important background and parallel to Peter's teaching in our passage, where Jesus does the same thing. Just as the ascended Enoch once preached God's

condemnation to the spirits in prison, so Christ, in decisively defeating Satan's purpose, declared that victory to the angels who had led the great rebellion. This would make a lot more sense. As Christ decisively frustrates the purposes of the rebellious angels, he proclaims his triumph to the old great adversaries. It also fits naturally with other elements of the context and with other New Testament teaching concerning Christ's work, within which his exaltation over angelic powers and triumph over demonic rivals are greatly emphasized. Many scholars have seen the story of the rebellious antediluvian angels alluded to in due to chapter six, and the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left

their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day. Also in 2 Peter chapter 2, verses 4 to 5, for if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell, and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment, if he did not spare the ancient world but preserved no, Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly. Well, it is possible that Enoch and these texts had a common source that has been lost to us. The widespread knowledge and positive reception of the Book of Enoch in the earliest post-apostolic church make it the most plausible source by far. Indeed, if Peter did not mean

to refer to the Book of Enoch, it would likely have been necessary to add further clarifying remarks. Doubtless there are challenging questions about how to handle seeming references and allusions to such an influential non-canonical text in inspired scripture, but the difficulty of such questions cannot excuse a denial of the evidence. At this point we should step back from the text and consider how the pieces might fit together. Peter's purpose is to present a framework within which the suffering of the Christians to whom he is writing will make greater sense. He does this by situating their suffering as a suffering after the manner of and as a participation in Christ's suffering. Like the flood of Noah's day drowned the old rebellious world,

Christ's suffering brings judgment upon an old epoch and initiates a new one, as we see in places like 2 Peter chapter 3 verses 5 to 7. As with the first fall, the rebellion that led to the flood was first instigated by angels, leading humanity astray and offering forbidden knowledge. Christ's work is cosmic in its scope, and as we especially see in Revelation, a decisive victory over rebellious spiritual forces and a reordering of the heavens and their powers. Christ's work represents both the destined judgment of the present evil age, and the passage into the new.

both the flood and the ark. When Peter speaks of baptism now saving us, the comparison that he is chiefly drawing is between the construction of the ark prior to the flood, while God's patience waited, and the construction of the church in Christ through baptism. The church is formed as one body through baptism into Christ. It will be saved through the resurrection of Christ,

who is the ark into whom we are being gathered. Peter's larger point then is that Christian suffering needs to be understood within such a frame. Such suffering is a result of the inhospitality of this present evil age, of the flesh, to the righteous. It is also a passage through which we must pass to the spiritual age that is to come, much as Noah and his family had to endure the testing of the flood. Christian suffering persecution suffer after the model of their master Jesus' Christ. Our suffering is not interminable, but awaits a decisive reversal as final judgment will come upon the wicked. Baptism is part of the preparation for the passage that we must undergo. In it we are formed

together within Jesus Christ as the true ark. Our watery baptism proclaims and is a promissory anticipation of the passage that Christ has already undergone and that we will undergo in him. Behind all we experience is a greater spiritual battle in which Christ's victory over rebellious angelic powers is being worked out, having been decisively achieved in his death and resurrection. This reflection and many others were first published on the anchored Argosy, the substack that I share with my wife. The link to that will be in the show notes below.

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