New Living Translation
1 Peter 3:19
19So he went and preached to the spirits in prison—
1 Peter 3:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
- New International Version (NIV)After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—
- English Standard Version (ESV)in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
- New King James Version (NKJV)by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,
Context of 1 Peter 3:19
17Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! 18Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 20those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 21And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Read all of 1 Peter 31 Peter 3:19 word by word
ἐν ᾧ καὶ τοῖς ἐν φυλακῇ πνεύμασιν πορευθεὶς ἐκήρυξενRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for 1 Peter 3:19
- 1 Peter 1:11They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.
- 1 Peter 4:6That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.
- Nehemiah 9:30In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn’t listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them.
- Revelation 19:10Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”
- Isaiah 42:7You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
- Isaiah 49:9I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’ They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare.
- Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
- Revelation 20:7When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison.
Commentaries on 1 Peter 3:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19By which - Spirit, his own Divine energy and authority. He went and preached - By the ministry of Noah, one hundred and twenty years. Unto the spirits in prison - The inhabitants of the antediluvian world, who, having been disobedient, and convicted of the most flagrant transgressions against God, were sentenced by his just law to destruction. But their punishment was delayed to see if they would repent; and the long-suffering of God waited one hundred…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19By which - Evidently by the Spirit referred to in the previous verse - ̓ ̔͂ͅ en hō- the divine nature of the Son of God; that by which he was “quickened” again, after he had been put to death; the Son of God regarded as a Divine Being, or in that same nature which afterward became incarnate, and whose agency was employed in quickening the man Christ Jesus, who had been put to death. The meaning is, that the same “Spirit” which was efficacious in…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 We sanctify God before others, when our conduct invites and encourages them to glorify and honour him. What was the ground and reason of their hope? We should be able to defend our religion with meekness, in the fear of God. There is no room for any other fears where this great fear is; it disturbs not. The conscience is good, when it does its office well. That person is in a sad condition on whom sin and suffering meet: sin makes suffering…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-20This difficult passage has been widely interpreted in three ways: One interpretation says that these were the spirits of people who had died, and that Christ preached the good news to them after his resurrection. However, the New Testament does not support the idea that people can hear the good news or respond to it after death. Because of this, it is not likely that spirits in this passage refer to the spirits of dead people. A second interpretation…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-221Pe 3:1-22. Relative Duties of Husbands and Wives: Exhortations to Love and Forbearance: Right Conduct under Persecutions for Righteousness' Sake, after Christ's Example, Whose Death Resulted in Quickening to Us through His Being Quickened Again, of Which Baptism Is the Sacramental Seal. 1. Likewise--Greek, "In like manner," as "servants" in their sphere; compare the reason of the woman's subjection, 1Co 11:8-10; 1Ti 2:11-14. your own--enforcing the…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Peter 3:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Peter 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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