Correspondence: 1 Peter 3:19; Jesus Always Son of God

From: Young Christian: Volume 16, 1926

1 Peter 3:19 • 4 min. read • grade level: 6

Question: Did the Lord’s spirit go into prison to preach the gospel when He died? Is that what 1 Peter 3:19¹⁹By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; (1 Peter 3:19) refers to? V.

Answer: It was Noah that preached to the people before the flood by the Spirit by which Christ was quickened from the dead. The flood put them all in prison, because they did not hearken to the word preached. There is no preaching in prison in the Scriptures. 2 Peter 2:9⁹The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (2 Peter 2:9) tells us they are there awaiting eternal judgment.

When the Lord Jesus was on the cross He said, “Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit”

Luke 23:46⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (Luke 23:46); and in John 19:30³⁰When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30), He gave up His spirit. The Father’s hands is not a prison. He said to the thief at His side, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise” (which means “garden of delights”), that was not a prison (Luke 23:43⁴³And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)). There was only one happy place, and that was in the presence of God.

Atonement was made on the cross when Jesus was forsaken of God. His death goes with it, His body was in the grave, but death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24²⁴Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24)). His soul or spirit was in hades, that is the unseen or state of being unclothed (2 Cor. 5:1¹For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 5:1)). It does not say in the Bible that He descended into hades, translated hell (a creed of man’s said that), but He was in the unseen. Before he went there, He prayed that He would be saved out of death (not from it.) He came to die. Psalm 16:9, 10⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. ¹⁰For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:9‑10) is the answer to His prayer in Hebrews 5:7⁷Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7). His body was then in the lower parts of the earth, and in going there it was to defeat Satan’s power, and to deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Heb. 2:14¹⁴Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14)). We as believers are those delivered from the bondage of sin and Satan’s power—the freed captives (Luke 4:18¹⁸The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (Luke 4:18), Eph. 4:8⁸Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:8)).

Question: What scripture would you give to prove that Jesus was ever the Son of God? E. G. M.

Answer: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1¹In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)). God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit (verse 26), “Let Us” proves it.

John 1:1, 2, 3¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1‑3). He is called the Word, verses 14, 18, 29, 49, 51, speak of the same blessed Son. “In the beginning (before anything was created) was the Word,” this declares His eternal existence. “The Word was with God,” tells His distinct personality. The Word was God, tells His absolute deity. “He was in the beginning with God. All things received being through Him, and without Him not one thing received being, which has received being.” (N. T.).

The Son of God is spoken of as the Creator and the upholder of the universe (Col. 1:15, 16¹⁵Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: ¹⁶For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:15‑16), Heb. 1:3³Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)). Unto the Son, He saith, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Heb. 1:8⁸But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8); Psa. 41:13; 106:48¹³Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. (Psalm 41:13)
⁴⁸Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 106:48)). He is the great “I Am,” the ever-existing One (Ex. 3:14; 6:3¹⁴And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14)
³And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. (Exodus 6:3); Isa. 6:1-3¹In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. ²Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. ³And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. (Isaiah 6:1‑3); John 8:58; 12:41⁵⁸Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (John 8:58)
⁴¹These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. (John 12:41)). He is “the Mighty God, the Father of eternity” (Margin) (Isa. 9:6⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)). “Whose goings forth hath been from of old, from the days of eternity” (Margin) (Mic. 5:2²But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)). When on earth He was “God manifest in flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)). “In Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9⁹For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)). “He is the true God and eternal life” 1 John 5:20²⁰And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (1 John 5:20) (N. T.).

When He became a man, He is the firstborn (highest) of all creation (Col. 1:15¹⁵Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (Colossians 1:15)). When He rose from the dead, He became the Head of His church in new creation (Col. 1:18¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18); Rev. 3:14¹⁴And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (Revelation 3:14)). “First-born,” means Supreme, Highest. Yet, though He was rich in glory from all eternity with the Father, He veiled His glory under a servant’s form, and became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich (2 Cor. 8:9⁹For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)).

“Fairer than all the earth-born race

Perfect in comeliness Thou art,

Replenished are Thy lips with grace,

And full of love Thy tender heart.

God ever blest! we bow the knee,

And own all fullness dwells in Thee.”

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