Unfortunately, errors about this biblical passage are still circulating today, which ultimately attack both the Lord and His work of redemption as well as the necessity of conversion. Some publications still talk about the “hellish journey of Christ,” even though modern theology no longer wants to know much or anything about hell in the biblical sense.

The best protection against any kind of false doctrine is always the Word of God. We therefore want to take a closer look at the relevant texts here in order to (re)record the clear teaching of the Bible and to be of help in questioning or critiquing fellow human beings/ fellow Christians. Since some of the sources cited in footnote 1 are unfortunately widespread, questions are likely to arise quickly in conversations. A “return to the Scriptures” is the best help here – if you then study the Scriptures carefully and in context.

1 Peter 3:18-20

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared…”

• “Christ, (…) made alive by the Spirit …”: This is not about the human spirit of the Lord Jesus but about the Holy Spirit; He “participated” in the resurrection.
• “… by whom He also went“: Christ did not go personally, but He did so in the (Holy) Spirit; this is the direct linguistic explanation of the expression. This “Spirit of Christ” (cf. 1 Peter 1:11) was the active power. Similarly, Ephesians 2:17 states that Christ “came” and proclaimed peace to the Gentiles, but the apostles did this and not Christ Himself.
• “… and preached to the spirits …”: The Bible often uses “spirit” to refer to people (Prov 20:27; 1 Cor 2:11; Heb 12:23); it is the higher part of the human being, which consists of spirit, soul and body (1 Thes 5:23). The preaching took place through Noah, who is described as a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet 2:5). “Spirits” can also be angels – this can be inferred from the respective context (e.g. Heb 1:14). In our passage, the reference to people is clear through the reference to Noah. Incidentally, the judgment of the fallen angels (Gen 6:2; 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6.7) is just as final and irreversible as that of those who have died in unbelief; the passages mentioned refer to “eternal chains” and eternal fire.
• “… in prison“: Just as believers are described as “spirits of the righteous made perfect” (Heb 12:23) who are in paradise, people like Noah’s contemporaries who rejected the message are also in the realm of the dead, but in Hades. There, they suffer great torment (Lk 16:23, 24) even before their final condemnation (Rev 20). They are now as inescapable there as in a prison. The idea that these people are the believers before Jesus’ death on the cross, to whom He is said to have proclaimed deliverance, is untenable; this is made even clearer by the following formulation:
• “… who formerly were disobedient …” with this addition, it becomes clear that these are people who met God’s call through Noah with disobedience. Should they now be given a second chance “as a reward”? This contradicts all the clear statements in Scripture, the many calls to repentance such as Hebrews 3:15: “Today if you hear his voice,” or 2 Corinthians 6:2: “Now is the day of salvation.” Scripture does not mention a “tomorrow” or “later,” possibly after death, in a single passage!
• “… when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah …” According to Genesis 6:3, it was precisely the “Spirit” of God that offered people 120 years to repent.
• “… while the ark was being prepared …”: The clear reference to the time when the ark was being built makes it clear that the sermon was not aimed at some fallen angels to whom Christ proclaimed his triumph over them but at the people who were alive at the time, but who are now in prison due to their unbelief. This sermon was not preached by Christ during his time in paradise (Luke 23:43) but by Noah.

Perhaps the meaning of the text becomes even clearer if it is formulated with additions as follows: “For Christ … by the Spirit, by whom [i.e., in whose power] he [not in person, but through Noah] also [in the time of Noah] went and preached to the spirits [of the people who lived then and are now in prison [of Hades] as dead people] …”

1 Peter 4:6

“For this reason,, the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.“

• “For this reason… also to those who are dead…” Since Adam, all men have died (apart from Enoch and Elijah): “It is appointed for man to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb 9:27). Now nothing and no one can change their fate, neither for good nor for evil. The disobedient are (now) in prison (see above, in Hades), the obedient in paradise. The idea of a proclamation to the dead in Hades lacks any basis and is pure “interpretation.” After death, there is only judgment for unbelievers.
• “… the gospel was preached…”: At all times and epochs, God has “evangelized” (“proclaimed good news” is a verb in Greek) and called people to repentance: Before the flood (e.g., Enoch, Noah), after the flood (e.g., Job), under the law, etc. The testimony of creation offers everyone the opportunity to recognize and accept God’s message in it (Rom 1,19; cf. the “eternal gospel” in Rev 14,6.7 with a similar testimony).
• “… so that they may be judged according to men in the flesh …”: The “so that” is connected to the “therefore,” and the reason for the proclamation is given: On the one hand, all people should allow themselves to be placed under the judgment of God (cf. Rom 3:19). As “flesh,” every person is guilty before God; on the other hand:
• “… but live according to God in the spirit.“: on the other hand, the acknowledgment of the biblical judgment is followed by a reference to the great goal of God: he does not want the death of the wicked, but that he may turn from his ways and live (cf. Eze 33:11). As man decides, so will his fate be: either eternal torment, as the disobedient of Noah’s time (will) experience, or eternal joy in heaven. Preaching salvation through the Lord Jesus to all unbelievers who died before Golgotha as a second chance (as one might conclude from “hope for all”) is also in direct contradiction to this biblical passage.

We take the two Bible verses as biblical truth:

• Christ was in paradise after his death, but not in hell;
• the people of Noah’s time had up to 120 years to convert, but after they died in the flood, their eternal judgment was sealed; this applies to all unbelievers of all times;
• the preaching mentioned above took place through the (Holy) Spirit of Christ, in the person of Noah, not through Christ during his stay in the realm of the dead (paradise);
• the judgment of the fallen angels has been sealed forever since their rebellion against God;
• no one was or will be given a second chance to convert after their death.