We are at 1 Peter 3:19. We have last read that the christ was put to death in the body but made alive by the spirit. Now the author is saying that through that spirit (whatever that is) the christ "went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when god waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built."
Let's unpack that. The author is referring to the Genesis flood story. It appears that he believes god was patient with the supposedly disobedient people who died in the flood. He gave them time to be obedient while Noah was building the ark. We all know what happened. In the Noah story, the people did not change their wicked ways and they were all drowned, except Noah and his family. The author refers to these drowned people as spirits in prison. What does he mean? It is likely that he is referring to Sheol or Hades, the shadowy underworld place where all the dead go in the ancient Jewish and Greek mythologies. In the Old Testament, death is synonymous with Sheol. It is a place from which there is no escape, a prison if you will. The author of 1 Peter is telling us Jesus went and preached to the dead, after he died. So, he went to Sheol just like everyone else, but there is a difference that the author will reveal to us eventually.
We go on to read about Noah and the ark and how only eight people were saved through water. (And supposedly the rest of the people on earth died through the same water) Now, this water that saved those few people (though technically it was a boat that saved them) symbolizes baptism that now saves them, the readers. Again, generic water, which once floated a boat and drowned everything else in an ancient story, now symbolizes baptism which saves believers. Saves them from what? Why from the wrath of god that gets dispensed on the disobedient, of course! Though the author doesn't tell us that specifically, it is easy to infer, just by the nature of the story.
Now the author wants the reader to know that baptism isn't the literal washing of dirt from the body, "but the pledge of a good conscience toward god. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus." So the symbolic power of baptism exists because Jesus was resurrected. He didn't stay in the land of the dead. We are not told if this is a resurrection of the body or just the spirit. We are told that Jesus "has gone into heaven and is at god's right hand-- with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him."
This whole story of Jesus dying and going to preach to the "spirits in prison" is part of the christian doctrine of the harrowing of Hell. Not all christian groups teach this. Not all christian groups teach that believers are saved by baptism. Some latch on to the word "symbolic" and say it is not the act of baptism that matters but the previously mentioned "pledge of a good conscience toward god." These seem to be important teachings, if they pertain to salvation. Why don't all christians agree?
On to chapter four. Since christ suffered in his body, the reader is to have the same attitude. What attitude is that, the attitude of suffering? Apparently, "one who has sufferred in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of god." I'm not so sure about that. Plenty of suffering people do evil things and have human desires, sometimes because they are suffering. It is also in direct contradiction of buddhist teaching which says that suffering is caused in part by human desires. Suffering is supposedly alleviated by ritual practices of the mind and body that have the side efect of helping us to live more comfortably with our humanity. I don't know how well it works, but it at least sounds more appealing.
Till next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment