1 Peter 3:20 — Community Reflections

1 PETER 3:20 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”

to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, a mere eight souls, were saved through water — the connection to Noah's flood (Genesis 6-8) establishes that the spirits-in-prison passage refers to those who 'formerly disobeyed' (apeitheo), likely the antediluvian generation. The salvation of 'eight souls' through the ark foreshadows believers' salvation.

Church Fathers on 1 Peter 3:20

After having said that Christ was put to death in the flesh, and quickened in the spirit, the apostle immediately went on to say: in which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were unbelieving, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water; thereafter he added the words: which baptism also now by a like figure has saved you. 1 Peter 3:18-21…
Augustine · 4th century · Letter 164 (to Evodius), 2

But how? Do not [the Scriptures] show that the Lord preached the Gospel to those that perished in the flood, or rather had been chained, and to those kept in ward and guard? 1 Peter 3:19-20 And it has been shown also, in the second book of the Stromata, that the apostles, following the Lord, preached the Gospel to those in Hades. For it was requisite, in my opinion, that as here, so also there, the best of the disciples should be imitators of the Master; so that He should…
Clement of Alexandria · 3rd century · Stromata VI.6

Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain

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