Posted by Yong TM (202.172.43.132) on March 12, 2003 at 13:00:16:
In Reply to: Re: Meaning of spirits in prison in 1 Peter 3:19 posted by Khew Chee Keong on March 10, 2003 at 19:18:18:
4:6 is contextually quite different and clear in reference to people in prison. But 3:19 has a following verse that spoke of the spirits at the days of Noah, so it is more complicated than doing a surface interpretation. The two verses should probably are not linked.
I think it is alright not to be able to know every iota in scripture, because it seems logical to me that certain of God's mystery would be kept out from us. When Dr Tong was preaching on Hebrews 13, he told me before the session that he does not know what 13:2 meant when the verse said that people entertained angels without knowing it. He said that there are no parallel references on this anywhere, and he has been thinking about this for a long time. When he was at the pulpit, he publicly declared that he does not know what the verse meant.
In the same spirit then, I would still say that 3:19,20 are difficult verses and I would not say for certain what they meant. My only consolation is that I am not alone, as this is generally acknowledged as one of the very few difficult passages in scripture. About the only good revelation from here is that there are realms beyond our own, and possibly salvation plan beyond our knowledge and concern.