Father, tell me, where in Scripture can we find the lines that the Savior brought all the righteous and repentant from hell? God bless you.

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:

St. speaks about the Savior's descent into hell. Apostle Peter: Christ, in order to lead us to God, once suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unjust, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, by which He came down and preached to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient to God’s long-suffering that awaited them.(1 Peter 3:18-20). The same St. talks about this in other words. the apostle writes in the next chapter of the Council Epistle: For this is why the gospel was preached to the dead, so that they, having been judged according to man in the flesh, might live according to God in the Spirit.(1 Peter 4:6). Some ancient and modern exegetes also see an indication of the Savior’s descent into hell in the Epistle of St. Apostle Paul to the Ephesians: Therefore it is said: He ascended on high, took captivity captive and gave gifts to men. And what does “ascended” mean, if not that He had previously descended into the nether regions of the earth? He who descended is also He who ascended above all the heavens, to fill all(Eph.4:8-10).The dogmatic teaching of the Church about the descent of Jesus Christ after death and before resurrection into hell (the underworld) to preach the Gospel to pre-Christian humanity is based on these testimonies of Holy Scripture. The Holy Apostle conveys the state of the Savior after death on the Cross with the words having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. This exactly corresponds to the Easter hymn: “In the grave carnally, in hell with the soul like God, in paradise with the thief, and on the Throne you were, Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, fulfilling everything, indescribable.” According to the belief of the Church, the preaching of the Savior in hell was preceded by a sermon about Him there by the great Prophet and Forerunner John. This is expressed in the troparion to the Forerunner: “... Having suffered for the truth, rejoicing, you preached the good news to those in hell of God, revealed in the flesh, taking away the sin of the world and giving us great mercy.”

The descent of Jesus Christ to the darkness of the underworld after death on the cross is one of the main unquestioning statements (dogmas) of Christian teaching. This theme is reflected in icons, artists’ paintings, and church paintings. The Savior’s arrival in hell belongs to the list of the Lord’s Passions (the Last Supper, the betrayal of Judas, arrest, scourging, the path to Golgotha, crucifixion, etc.) and is its culmination. Each icon of the Descent of Christ into Hell, made in compliance with Byzantine and Old Russian traditions, is at the same time considered an image of the Resurrection of Christ (Anastasis). This event is celebrated by honoring Holy Saturday. It is believed that the descent took place on the second day after the Son of God was laid in the tomb.

Biblical references to Christ's visit to hell

There is no exact and detailed description of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell. It is possible to compose a picture only from individual strokes and mentions of the apostles of the New Testament. For example:

• The Epistle from Peter contains the words that after death the Savior came to life in spirit and preached to sinners, descending to the abyss.
• Christ himself, addressing his disciples, predicted fate: he compared his future (“The Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights”) with Jonah, who was in the dark belly of a whale for 3 days.
• Prophecies from the Old Testament that the Son of God will break the iron bars, crush the doors in order to give the Almighty riches and treasures stored in darkness.

The rather transparent allegorical nature of the statements allows us to restore the picture on canvas, adding to it our own special interpretation.

Bishop Hilarion formulated the main conclusions from the information contained in various texts of the Bible. The fact that Jesus descended into hell is part of church dogmatic teaching. The reality of the event is undeniable, but there are differences in interpretations as to who the Savior brought out of the underworld: all people or only the Old Testament righteous. There are also different opinions on the question of whom Jesus preached during the descent and liberation of those imprisoned from the underworld. The words that the Son of God descended into hell, conquered death and destroyed (or destroyed) the underworld are explained in different ways by different religious classical movements.

Iconographic traditions of the Descent of Jesus Christ into hell

The iconography of the Descent of Jesus into the depths of hell was formed approximately at the turn of the 9th-10th centuries. It can be seen on Byzantine mosaics. The central figure in the composition of the icon is always Christ, who brings the first man, Adam, out of the underworld. The Savior extends his second hand to Eve (or holds the cross). Angels are written above the head of Jesus, sometimes they represent the personification of human virtues - happiness, purity, humility - and have corresponding signatures. The presence of hammers in their hands indicates a struggle with the dark force - Satan. Another interpretation of the event: The demon is tied with a rope.

The redemptive sacrifice of the event is indicated by the image at the top of the Calvary cross. Also, the most frequent characters in the composition of the icon are the ancestors of the Savior - kings Solomon and David; symbol of sacrifice - innocently killed by brother Abel; the man who informed the inhabitants of the dark abysses about the appearance of the Messiah is John the Baptist.

Under the feet of Jesus Christ lie broken locks and the gates of hell, the parts of which, as a rule, fold crosswise. The Savior steps on the defeated, crushed Satan, often the latter is depicted shackled with strong chains. The underworld traditionally looks like a symbolic split in the earth, from which a terrifying, mysterious abyss looks out. Conventionally, the space of each icon depicting the descent of the Messiah into hell can be divided into three parts:

• underworld;
• the intermediate zone is not of this world;
• a place for bringing out righteous souls.

According to the position of the figure of Christ on the icon, several types of images are distinguished:

• Jesus goes to meet Adam (narrative).
• The Savior leads Adam along (Renaissance).
• The frontal image of the Son of God, who stretched out his arms to everyone present, is dogmatic (hymnological). In this case, the figure of Christ is surrounded by a light luminous halo - power.
• Combined position.

Features of images of the descent into hell according to Western European tradition

The composition and plot of the depiction of Jesus' descent into the abyss was not regulated by the strict rules of the Western European tradition. Therefore, the versions of the paintings could differ greatly. So, for example, the Savior could bring out not only Adam, but also his son Seth, David, Moses, Isaiah, John the Baptist, etc. The place of hell, where the Messiah descended, could also be designated and called “Christ in limbo.” The figure of the Son of God was depicted bending over the split of the earth’s firmament (Duccio “Christ in Limbo”) or in early versions the personification of hell was the mouth of a huge monster - leviathan, whale, lion, overflowing with human souls (Jaime Serra “Christ Leads the Righteous from Hell”).

Sometimes hell in an icon is represented as an allegorical personified image of an old man. He is shackled, defeated and defeated by the Savior.

Researchers pay attention to the unique characteristic of icons - the rapid directional movement of Christ. He simultaneously descends to the depths of hell and takes off from it, taking saved people with him. The dynamics are conveyed by the movement of the folds of Jesus' clothes. Such an image is intended to convey a hidden meaning - the Resurrection of the Savior, which follows his descent into the dark depths.

An unambiguously unresolved question: “Which people did Christ bring out of hell?” - reflected in the composition of the fresco, which is located in the Chora Monastery of Constantinople, dating back to 1315–1320. The central part of the image is occupied by Jesus, dressed in white robes. With his right hand he holds the hand of Adam, who is rushing towards the Savior. With his left hand the Messiah holds the hand of Eve. The woman in red reaches heavily with great effort towards liberation from the abyss of the underworld. To the right of Christ were the righteous with John the Baptist; to the left, a group of sinners with Cain stood hesitantly and tensely. They do not know whether the Son of God will save them, whether the words of the Messiah concern them.

Depiction of the descent of the Messiah in the Russian tradition

Along with the adoption of Christianity from Byzantium, the image of the Resurrection or Descent of Christ into hell that developed there passed on to icon painters in Rus'. Old images of Anastasis dating back to the 11th – early 15th centuries have survived to this day.

Fresco "Anastasis" in St. Sophia Cathedral

In the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral you can see one of the most ancient frescoes “Anastasis”. It dates back to the 11th century.

Christ steps on the broken gates of hell. With his left hand he holds a cross, and with his right hand he leads Adam, who has knelt down, out of the underworld. The figure of Eve is depicted near Adam. Now it is difficult to argue that the presence of the prophet Isaiah and Simeon in the group was original. Perhaps this is an addition made during restoration. To the right of Christ are (in the sarcophagus) Solomon, David, John the Baptist, pointing with his hand to the Messiah. The image has a frozen and solemn character, which is inherent in many similar creations that demonstrate the Resurrection of Christ on icons and frescoes of churches in Bulgaria, Georgia, Serbia, Macedonia, Armenia, and the Coptic Church.

Prokhor from Gorodets

An old icon painter, a representative of the Moscow school of painting of the early 15th century, is known under the name Prokhor from Gorodets. Presumably this man was the teacher of the famous Andrei Rublev. The chronicle calls the icon painter Prokhor an “old man.”

The icon of Prokhor from Gorodets “Descent into Hell” is today on display in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Experts date it to the end of the 14th – beginning of the 15th century.

Andrey Rublev

Andrei Rublev's work about the descent into hell was created by the artist around 1408. Today it is an exhibit in the treasury of the State Tretyakov Gallery.

The main difference between Andrei Rublev's works of art is the careful detailed drawing of the faces of all the characters. Before us are living people with feelings, thoughts, experiences. Christ steps on the broken gates of hell, bending slightly to take the kneeling Adam by the hand. Adam stands on a tomb made of stone, and next to him, little Eve, highlighted by a bright red robe, straightened up, turning to the Messiah. Behind her, the forefathers gathered in a close group with the son of Simeon the God-Receiver, who narrates this event. To the left of Jesus are Kings Solomon, David and the massive figure of John the Baptist. Everyone bows their heads before the Son of God.

Jesus Christ is depicted with wings, a light blue glow spreading from his silhouette - a glory that stands out clearly against the black mouth of the cave. Rublev's works are distinguished by brightness and emotionality. The icon radiates joy and optimism, conveying these impressions of the described event to the viewer. The canvas depicts not a strict judge, but a caring and kind father.

Dionysius

Dionysius is a famous Moscow icon painter who lived at the turn of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is rightfully considered a follower of the traditions of A. Rublev. Features of the icons of Dionysius include increased attention to the depiction and designation (signing) of human vices and virtues (angels and demons).

The icon “The Descent of Christ into Hell” was painted by Dionysius in 1502-1503. The composition of the painting includes several parts. The center of the canvas is occupied by the figure of the Messiah, shining with golden robes. This color was not chosen by chance; it personifies the Sun of Resurrection and celebrates victory over death. Under the feet of the Son of God, a huge black cave of the underworld opened up. Demons, stricken with fear, writhe there. Their outlines, gray on black, resemble dark smoky clouds.

Christ is depicted surrounded by a blue radiance of glory, which is filled with twelve angels. Angels with their long spears overtake demons, each of which is the personification of a specific vice. Virtues conquer vices. At the very bottom of the composition, angels bind the defeated, crushed Satan.

The gates of hell are broken and folded into a cross; the Savior’s foot steps on them. The Messiah holds hands, helping Adam and Eve rise from the graves. Immediately after the first people are martyrs, prophets, righteous people, forefathers. All of them are directed towards Jesus Christ, thirsting for salvation. Halos highlight Kings Solomon and David, John the Baptist, and the prophets of the Old Testament.

Prayer before the icon

The icon “Resurrection”, or “Descent into Hell”, has retained its main meaning since ancient times - the image of the holiday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is installed in the festive row of the iconostasis. If the temple itself and its decoration are dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ, the icon should be located second to the right of the Royal Doors.

The image of “The Resurrection of Christ” reminds everyone of the purpose of human life - to strive for everything righteous, bright, to inherit the Savior in deeds and thoughts. A person who opens his heart to the Lord and accepts changes to transform his soul will be able to change his life. Happiness is achievable for everyone, regardless of the amount of material values. Prayer is the path to happiness, so you need to pray in front of icons sincerely and constantly. The main Christian prayers are the “Creed”, “Our Father”, “Prayer to the Holy Spirit”. In front of the “Descent into Hell” icon, you can ask the Almighty for:

• intangible gifts
• assistance at work,
• health of loved ones,
• assistance in education,
• resolving difficult situations, etc.

The doctrine of the descent into Hades is based on two expressions taken from this passage.

They say:

1. that Jesus came down to preach to the spirits in prison (3:19)
2. and that the gospel was preached to the dead (3:6).

Thinking people and theologians have always had different attitudes towards this theory.

1st opinion. Some would like it not to exist at all. This is an attitude of ignoring, and they try to prove their point in two ways.

1. Peter says that Jesus came down and preached to the spirits in the prison of the dead, who were once disobedient in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark.
   Some argue that this seems to imply that Jesus preached there in the era of Noah himself, that long before his suffering He cried out to the sinners of Noah’s contemporaries.
   This gave supporters of ignorance the opportunity to completely put an end to the very idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe descent into Hades.
   Many scholars have accepted this theory, but we do not believe that Peter's words had such meaning.
2. In Moffat's translation we see something completely different:
   “In the flesh He (Christ) was killed, but He rose again in the spirit. Enoch also walked in the spirit and preached to the imprisoned spirits who were disobedient when the longsuffering of God waited upon them during the building of the ark in the days of Noah.”

Where did Moffat get this translation from?

The name Enoch never appears in any Greek text. But when studying the texts of Greek authors, scientists sometimes resort to the so-called text correction method. They believe that there are distorted places in the text and suggest changing some words or adding new ones.

Randle Harris has suggested that the word Enoch was omitted from this passage in the rewriting of 1 Peter and that it should therefore be restored.

On what basis can the name of Enoch be connected at all with the present passage?

The fact is that Enoch has always been presented as a charming and mysterious person.

“And Enoch walked with God; and he was no more, because God took him."
(Gen. 5:24).

In the era between the Old and New Testaments, many legends about Enoch arose and many famous and important books were written under his name.

According to one legend, Enoch, although human, acted as "God's emissary" to the angels who sinned by descending to earth and seducing mortal women (Gen. 6:2).

The book of Enoch says that he was sent to earth from heaven to announce to the angels the final decision about their fate (Enoch 12:1), and announced to people that for their sins there would be no peace or forgiveness forever centuries (“Enoch” 12 and 13).

Thus, according to Jewish legend, Enoch actually went to Hades and preached destiny to the fallen angels. And Randle Harris suggested that the passage we are examining in the First Epistle of Peter does not concern Jesus, and Moffat agreed with him and, accordingly, made his translation, indicating the name of Enoch.

This is an extremely interesting and original assumption, but it must undoubtedly be discarded: there is no evidence in its favor. Yes, it would be unnatural to cite the name of Enoch here when talking about the accomplishments of Christ.

2nd opinion. The second approach is to limit it.

Representatives of this theory, and among them there are very important interpreters of the New Testament, believe that Peter actually says that Jesus went down to Hades and preached, but that He in no way preached to all the inhabitants of Hades.

Different interpreters limit the circle of sinners to whom Christ preached in different ways.

1. Some believe that Jesus preached only to the souls (spirits) of people who were rebellious in the time of Noah.

People who hold this point of view often begin to argue further that since those sinners were so rebellious that God sent a flood and destroyed them (Gen. 6:12.13), we can consider that God's mercy is prepared for every person.

These were the worst of sinners, and yet God gave them another opportunity to repent; and therefore even the worst of men still have a chance of salvation in Christ.

2. Others claim that Jesus preached to the fallen angels and preached to them not salvation, but final and terrible damnation.
: They are spoken of in Gen. 6.1-8.

They were seduced by the beauty of mortal women; they descended to earth, seduced these women and conceived children; and it was precisely because of these actions of theirs that man’s depravity was great and his thoughts were always evil.

In 2 Pet. 2:4 these fallen angels are said to have been sent to hell to await judgment for punishment. It was to them that Enoch preached, and some scholars believe that from this passage it does not at all follow that Jesus preached mercy and another possibility of salvation: crowned with the symbol of His complete victory, He, in their opinion, preached the Last Judgment.

3. Others claim that Christ preached only to those who were righteous and led them from Hades to the paradise of God.

We have already talked about the Jewish belief that all the dead go to Hades, the shadow world of oblivion. So, some scientists argue that this really was the case before Christ, but that He opened the gates of heaven to humanity; at the same time, Jesus descended into Hades and told the good news to all the righteous of past generations and led them to God.

This is truly a majestic picture.

Dogmatic Theology for Missionaries.
inaccurate and incomplete notes of the 18th lecture.

Lecture outline:
1. The teaching about the descent of the Lord into hell.
2. In the Old Testament, not everyone was saved.
3. Biblical description of hell.
4. After the arrival of Christ in hell, the following actions unfold.
5. Resurrection of Christ the Savior from the dead.
6. The nature of death.
7. Argumentation of the Resurrection of Christ.
8. Argumentation of opponents of the Resurrection of Christ.
9. What did the Lord do after the Resurrection?
10. Ascension of Christ to Heaven.
11. What is the purpose of the Olympic Games?

How was the liberation of the ancient righteous, ancient people accomplished? And what is the significance of the Resurrection of Christ for people?

1. The teaching about the descent of the Lord into hell.
Holy Scripture directly says that immediately after death the Lord descended into hell. The first text: “to whom He and to the spirits that were in prison, He went down and preached, to whom He and to the spirits that were in prison, He went down and preached, who were once disobedient to the long-suffering of God that awaited them, in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which there were few, that is, eight souls were saved by water” (1 Peter 3:19-20). After death, Christ went down into prison to the spirits in hell to preach to them. This text also confirms the immortality of the soul. To have an argument that these were dead people, let us turn to the book of Genesis: “When people began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, then the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were beautiful, and they took [them] to be their wives, which one chose. And the Lord said: My Spirit will not forever be despised by men; because they are flesh; let their days be a hundred and twenty years. At that time there were giants on the earth, especially since the time when the sons of God began to come in to the daughters of men, and they began to give birth to them: these are strong people, glorious people of old” (Gen. 6: 1-4).
The second place, which speaks of the Lord’s descent into hell: “This one, according to the definite advice and foreknowledge of God, you took him and, nailing him with the hands of the lawless, you killed him; but God raised Him up, breaking the bonds of death, because it was impossible for it to hold Him. For David says of Him: I saw the Lord always before me, for He is at my right hand, so that I should not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad; even my flesh will rest in hope, for You will not leave my soul in hell and You will not allow Your saint to see corruption. You have made me know the way of life, You will fill me with joy in Your presence. Men, brothers! let it be allowed to boldly tell you about the forefather David, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being a prophet and knowing that God promised him with an oath from the fruit of his loins to raise up Christ in the flesh and seat him on his throne, He first said about the resurrection of Christ that His soul was not left in hell, and His flesh did not see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:23-32).
How could the Lord be in both hell and heaven at the same time? “And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The Lord is omnipresent: “No one has ascended into heaven except the Son of Man, who is in heaven, who came down from heaven” (John 3:13). He brought the repentant thief into heaven as a deity, but as a soul he was in hell.
There is one more place about the Lord’s power over death and hell: “For to this end Christ died, and rose again, and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Rom. 14:9). To assert his power over the dead, He entered hell: “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. And He laid His right hand on me and said to me: Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last, and the living; and he was dead, and behold, he is alive forever and ever, Amen; and I have the keys of hell and death” (Rev. 1:17-18).
The letter of the Apostle Paul speaks about this: “And what does “he ascended” mean, if not that He first descended into the nether regions of the earth? He who descended, He is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, to fill all things” (Eph. 4:9-10).
Affirmation of the Lord's authority. It is by this authority that the Church prays for the dead. Based on the epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians and Romans.

2. In the Old Testament, not everyone was saved.
Before the flood, people, as now, could be saved, or they could die. What people entered the Kingdom of Heaven after Christ's descent into hell? Those people who repented during their lifetime, bowed to the one God, and wanted to live according to the commandments (to act according to their conscience). In the Old Testament, before Christ descended into hell, no one was saved, and only Christ freed the righteous, people who lived according to their conscience and repented.
“But, due to your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God, who will reward everyone according to his deeds: to those who, by persistence in good deeds, seek glory, honor and immortality - eternal life; and to those who persist and do not submit to the truth, but indulge in unrighteousness - rage and anger. Sorrow and distress to every soul of a person who does evil, first the Jew, [then] the Greek! On the contrary, glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, first to the Jew, [then] to the Greek! For there is no partiality with God” (Rom. 2:5-11). The Hellenes are ancient pagans who were saved if they did not worship idols, but lived according to their conscience (interpretation of John Chrysostom).

3. Biblical description of hell.
The first place describing hell in the Bible is found in the prophet Isaiah: “Hell hell came into motion for you, to meet you at your entrance; awakened for you the Rephaim, all the leaders of the earth; raised up all the kings of the heathen from their thrones. They will all tell you: and you have become powerless, like us! and you have become like us! Your pride with all your noise has been cast into the pit; The worm lies beneath you, and the worms are your covering. How you fell from the sky, Lucifer, son of the dawn! crashed to the ground, trampling the nations. And he said in his heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mountain in the assembly of gods, on the edge of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” But you are cast into hell, into the depths of the underworld. Those who see you peer into you and think about you: “Is this the same man who shook the earth, shook kingdoms, made the world a desert and destroyed its cities, and did not let his captives go home?” All the kings of the nations, all lie with honor, each in his own tomb; and you are cast down outside your tomb, like a despised branch, like the clothing of those killed, struck down by the sword, who are lowered into stone ditches - you, like a trampled corpse, will not be united with them in the grave; for you have destroyed your land, you have killed your people: the generation of evildoers will never be remembered” (Isaiah 14:9-20).
Another place speaking about death is found in the prophet Ezekiel. This is the most detailed description of hell in the Bible, not in the sense of punishment, but in the sense of imprisonment of souls. “In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth [day of the same] month, the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man! mourn the people of Egypt, and cast them, them and the daughters of the famous nations, into the pit, with those who go down to the grave. Who are you superior to? go down and lie with the uncircumcised. They will fall among those slain by the sword, and he will be given to the sword; draw him and all his multitude. Among the underworld, the first of the heroes will talk about him and his allies; they fell and lie there among the uncircumcised, slain with the sword.” This place shows that the news of the new arrivals is being discussed in the underworld. Who got it how?
“There is Assur and all his hordes, around him are their graves, all slain, fallen by the sword. His tombs are placed in the very depths of the underworld, and his horde is around his tomb, all slain, fallen by the sword, those who spread terror in the land of the living.” There the souls lie in symbolic tombs, they are located around the ancestors of nations. The righteous in hell were located in a special place, they saw God, and therefore they were filled with a certain joy, even in hell.
“So Elam with all his multitude around his tomb, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the pit, who spread terror in the land of the living and bear their shame with those who went to the grave. Among the slain they gave him a bed with all his multitude; around him are their graves, all uncircumcised, slain with the sword; and just as they spread terror in the land of the living, they bear shame on themselves along with those who went to the grave and are laid among the slain.” People who shed blood in life retained this desire even after death, their hatred remained with them (swords under their heads).
“Meshech and Tubal are there with all their multitude; around him were their graves, all uncircumcised, slain with the sword, because they had spread terror in the land of the living. Should they not lie with the fallen uncircumcised heroes, who with their weapons of war went down into the pit and put their swords under their heads, and their iniquity remained on their bones, because they, being mighty, were a terror in the land of the living. And you will be crushed among the uncircumcised, and you will lie down with those slain with the sword. There is Edom and its kings and all its princes, who with all their courage are laid among those slain by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised and those who have gone down to the grave. There are the rulers of the north, all of them and all the Sidonians, who went down there with the slain, having been put to shame in their power, which was terrifying, and they lie with the uncircumcised, slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who went to the grave. Pharaoh will see them, and Pharaoh and all his army will be comforted because of all his multitude that was slain by the sword, says the Lord God. For I will spread my fear in the land of the living, and Pharaoh and all his multitude will be laid down among the uncircumcised with those slain with the sword, says the Lord God.” (Ezek. 32:17-32). Meshech is the ancestor of the Slavs, Tubal is the ancestor of the Georgians. And here an important point is described that Pharaoh, having gone to hell, will take all this away. Church Tradition states that the souls of the dead from 9 to 40 days inspect hell, therefore the Church especially prays for the newly deceased person. The meaning is very simple - for a person to understand what sin leads to, he sees the consequence of sin.
In hell there is rot and worms, as well as a black abyss, darkness: “before I depart, and never return, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death, to the land of darkness, which is the darkness of the shadow of death, where there is no order, [where] it is dark like darkness itself” (Job 10:21-22); “Why didn’t I die when I came out of the womb, and why didn’t I die when I came out of the womb? Why did my knees accept me? Why did I have to suck nipples? Now I would lie down and rest; I would sleep, and I would be at peace with the kings and advisers of the earth, who built deserts for themselves, or with the princes who had gold, and who filled their houses with silver; or, like a hidden miscarriage, I would not exist, like babies who have not seen the light. There the lawless cease to cause fear, and there those who are exhausted in strength rest. There, the prisoners enjoy peace together and do not hear the screams of the guard. The small and the great are equal there, and the servant is free from his master” (Job 3:11-19).
God is known to be light: “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Light (God) comes into darkness (hell), and hell as a place of darkness disappears, hell is destroyed. The essence of hell is not seeing God. Hell comes from the Greek aedos - invisible. The Bible understands it specifically as the invisible region where the Lord descends.
Details of Christ's descent into hell: the odes of Solomon, the letter of the Apostle Barnabas, ancient apocrypha (Gospel of Peter - 2nd century, Gospel of Nicodemus - 4th-5th centuries), sermon on the cross, Hippolytus of Rome (early 3rd century), St. Irenaeus of Leonsky “Book of Heresies”, Bishop. Illarion Alfeev “Christ is the Destroyer of Hell” and a number of other texts. All these texts say some general things, talk about dialogues with Satan, who at first rejoices at the approaching Christ, but when he sees Him in the bright Light, he begins to panic, saying to close the door, and under no circumstances to let Jesus Christ in.

4. After the arrival of Christ in hell, the following actions unfold.
As John Chrysostom says, hell is a place of powerlessness, a place on the border of Being. The soul of a dead person who has not been revived by the sacraments is a powerless soul, because it is corroded by unrestrained passions. Hell is a place of hopeless melancholy; the Bible says nothing about torment. Sinners are tormented by the fire of unquenchable desires. Real torment will begin for sinners only after the end of the world.
After Christ's arrival in hell, the following actions unfold:
1) Satan does not want to let Christ into hell.
2) Christ breaks into hell and robs it, the gates of hell fall. And because of this fall there were earthquakes on the earth. This is described in detail in Psalm 106: “They sat in darkness and the shadow of death, bound in sorrow and iron; for they did not obey the words of God and were careless about the will of the Most High. He humbled their hearts by their works; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. But they cried out to the Lord in their sorrow, and He saved them from their troubles; brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bonds. Let them praise the Lord for His mercy and for His wonderful works for the sons of men: for He has broken in pieces the gates of brass and broken the ropes of iron” (Ps. 107:10-16).
3) Angels drag Satan to Christ.
4) Dialogue of Christ with Satan. Christ asks by what right he dared to stretch out his hand to Christ, he did not commit any sin, and for this Satan loses everything.
5) Christ binds Satan with bonds of eternal darkness and throws him into the dungeon for a thousand years.
6) Christ speaks to the dead with living lips, and they woke up.
7) Christ will be the righteous from sleep, and will take everyone who was not an idolater and lived according to their conscience with Him into the Kingdom of Heaven.
8) From the very depths of hell he leads Adam and Eve by the hand. Saying to Adam, “Why did you run so far from Me?”
9) He resurrects several righteous people; according to legend, they were resurrected: Melchizedek, Job, the prophet Daniel, three youths, Semeon the God-Receiver and his two sons. The Lord resurrects them so that they can tell on earth about the victory over death; after telling them to people, they die again on the day of the Ascension (in order to go to heaven with the Lord). The Evangelist Matthew confirms the words of the resurrection of the righteous: “and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were resurrected, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many” (Matthew 27:52-53).

5. Resurrection of Christ the Savior from the dead.
The Lord is the source of incorruption, and He revealed incorruption to people: “who has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who abolished death and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10). From this moment on, participants in the Body of the Lord can have incorruptible bodies, as a sign of the future Resurrection. The most amazing example of incorruption we have in Russia is the relics of St. Alexander of Svirsky (which are almost completely incorruptible and weigh 16 kg), even his skin color remained the same. The Bible describes a case when a dead man came into contact with the bones of the prophet Elisha and was resurrected: “And it came to pass that when they were burying one man, when they saw this horde, [those who buried] threw that man into Elisha’s tomb; and when he fell he touched the bones of Elisha, and came to life, and stood up on his feet” (2 Kings 13:21). There are many examples of miracles from the bones of saints, because this is a prototype of the future Resurrection.
Why was the body of Jesus Christ incorruptible? Because of the hypostatic unity of the God-man, therefore death could not destroy Him. At the moment of the death of Christ, the soul was separated from the body, but the Divinity was not divisible, and through the divine nature the connection between soul and body was preserved.
At the moment of Resurrection, the third barrier between God and people collapses (the barriers of nature collapse with the Incarnation, the barrier of sin collapses on the Cross), the barriers of death collapse with Resurrection. The meaning of the Resurrection of Christ is described in detail in the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, in chapter 15 in its entirety: (1 Cor. 15:1-58).
Why does Christ rise on the first day of the week? Christ Rises on the first day of the week, because a New Universe begins. On the same day that God created the universe, he brings it into being again through Christ. Because God is the same. This is the same Jesus who stretched out the Heavens at creation, He also renews the universe on the same day. The transformation of the universe began on the very day she appeared.
Why was Christ crucified on Friday? Because on this day man was created. Animals were created in the morning, and man was created in the afternoon. And at the time when man was created, Christ was crucified on the Cross (at 12:00 noon). Adam and Eve were also expelled from paradise on Friday at 15.00.
Why did the Lord lie in the grave on the Sabbath? Because this is a day of rest. The identity of the days of Creation and the days of Redemption indicates the identity of the Doer.
Why does Christ resurrect at an unknown moment? The eighth day of Creation is the entry of the universe into eternity, and eternity is not described by time. Therefore, the moment of Resurrection remains secret and is not described by anyone. Even the angels did not see how Jesus rose from the dead; He, already risen in the body, sends an angel. And from this moment the New Universe begins. Christ rises on the day of the bringing of the sheaf of the new harvest, he is the firstborn from the dead. The harvest sacrifice begins on Passover and ends on the day of Pentecost.
When does Sunday start? It has already begun. The process has started. At the moment of Resurrection, the transformation of Heaven and Earth begins. By the Sunday of our bodies, the process of the Resurrection of the universe will be completed. Gregory of Niysk in the 4th century. says that “according to philosophy, all bodies are made of atoms, and each atom has its own energy, and this energy is hidden, it usually does not manifest itself. But on the day of Resurrection, God will command this energy, and it will open and burn out death at the atomic level.” Nuclear energy will be discovered, and this was said in the 4th century. I was always amazed at how progressive we have – Orthodox theology. In the 4th century. talked about nuclear fusion.
God Resurrects in the same body, but already transformed, He passes through the Shroud. The Shroud is now in Valencia. The soldiers were unpleasantly surprised when they learned that they were guarding an empty tomb. There is a “Cambridge Manuscript” (early 5th century), which says that an angel literally threw a stone on top of the coffin. The tomb was guarded by a Roman guard of 16 people, 4 of whom stood directly at the entrance to the tomb, the remaining 12 were at the fire, but they all had no right to sleep.
How many Angels were there in the tomb and the symbolism of the Resurrection? Many. One was sitting on a stone from the tomb (for attentive Jews the symbol of the lid of the “Ark of the Covenant” is indisputable), and the other two were sitting inside facing each other (Luke 24:4). If in the Old Testament the most important thing was the lid of purgatory (purgatory), then in the New, the most important place is considered to be the Throne. The throne is a symbol of the Holy Sepulcher. Altar covers mean shrouds.
Why was the woman the first to hear the news of the Resurrection? The woman was the first cursed, but the woman was the first and blessed.
Why was the coffin in the garden? Garden of Eden.

6. The nature of death.
Death is a personal being, a fallen angel: “Both death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Rev. 20:14). This is a horseman with a scythe. Death arises as a result of the curse: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever keeps My word will never see death” (John 8:51). Christians die, but do not see death, the spirit of death does not come to them. They are already cut off from life and bound to Heaven.

7. Argumentation of the Resurrection of Christ.
1) Empty coffin.
2) The presence of stuck together shrouds remaining in place (if the Body had been stolen, it would have been stolen along with the shrouds).
3) The appearance of the Risen Christ.
4) Miracles that are associated with the Risen Lord (power over demons, over death).

8. Argumentation of opponents of the Resurrection of Christ.
1) Everything is fiction from beginning to end. Facts confirming the Resurrection are described in Josephus Flavius ​​“Jewish Antiquities” and others.
2) The body was stolen from the tomb. The most ancient argument described in the Gospel. In the Jewish anti-Christian document “Taldot Ashu” (6th century AD), this argument is given in a number of references in the Talmud. What is the absurdity of this version? Where is the search? It is not so difficult to find where the apostles were. In the Roman Empire, all interrogations were carried out under torture, and if the body had really been stolen, they would have told where. There weren't even any facts of the interrogation. Both in Christian and Jewish documents, nowhere is it said that anyone tried to legally accuse the apostles of stealing the body. The guards accurately reported everything to Pilate; the head of the guard was the centurion Longinus. Thirteen of the sixteen people (guards) took a day to remain silent, Longinus was one of the three who did not take the money, they believed in Christ and became preachers, and were soon executed in the city of Caesarea.
Imagine the picture. 16 people from the Roman guard are sleeping (for sleeping on duty - the death penalty, the fact that the soldiers were not executed indicates that they did not sleep), some people creep up completely silently, rip off the seals, completely silently move a two-ton stone to the top of the tomb ( more than three meters up). They silently take the body and begin to tear off the bloody shrouds right on the spot, then roll them up and carefully place them in place, giving them the shape of the body. Then they secretly take the body and transfer it to an unknown location, and tell everyone that Christ has risen from the dead, in order to be guaranteed to receive the death penalty for this. A very logical explanation. It turns out to be a whole chain of absurdities.
3) On the third day Christ was in the tomb, but the women came to the wrong tomb. Instead of an angel - a young man. Description of Sunday - later insertion, etc. OK. Could the women get lost? They could. Even the students could? And the students could. But could the high priests get lost? On the day of Pentecost, more than three thousand people were baptized in Jerusalem, and the high priests are directly accused of the death of Christ; if the body of Christ had existed, He would have been shown to the people, but there was no body.
There is an archaeological text found in the 60s. XX century Called the "Nazareth Decree", from the time of Emperor Tiberius, which provides for the death penalty for stealing the dead from tombs. It follows from this that Pilate wrote a memo to Rome, and in order to justify himself, he said that the body was stolen.
4) The tomb is empty because he fainted and Christ left the tomb himself. This version of Strauss is now supported by a number of Muslim organizations. This version is continued in Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code”, that supposedly Christ and his wife Mary Magdalene went to France, or went to Kashmir, etc. If a person faints, is rolled up tightly and hermetically in cloth, and placed in an unventilated, cold tomb with a temperature of about 0ºC, what will happen to him? This person will die anyway. The maximum that a fainting person could do then was to fall down. We do not yet take into account that they pierced His heart with a spear (there was blood and water). But even if we imagine that He survived after this, one obstacle remains - a two-ton stone that needs to be opened from the inside.
5) Jesus turned his body into gas and leaked out (this is what Jehovah's Witnesses and others believe). Can you eat gas? Gas and air do not have the ability to eat. And Christ ate and drank with the apostles many times. Can you feel the gas? Is it possible to put your fingers into gas wounds? Jehovah's Witnesses explain this by the fact that He materialized before the disciples for a while, Jehovah's Witnesses explain this by the fact that Christ is Risen in Spirit: “So now baptism, similar to this image, does not wash away the uncleanness of the flesh, but the promise to God of a good conscience, saves us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” ( 1 Peter 3:21), but it does not say that He was Risen in a spiritual body, without a body. Only that which has fallen can be resurrected (rise). The very word Sunday suggests the restoration of what has fallen. And it turns out that Christ tells the apostles in chapter 24 from the Evangelist Luke that to have blood and flesh.
Many Israeli priests, at the time of the Second Temple, there were 18,000 of them, believed in the Resurrection of Christ. This is stated in the Acts of the Apostles, in the New Testament. And right up to the 19th century. in many priestly Jewish clans, information was passed on that Jesus was indeed Risen.

9. What did the Lord do after the Resurrection?
“To whom also He showed Himself alive, through His suffering, with many sure proofs, appearing to them for forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). From this it is clear that Christ taught about the Church Sacraments (the Kingdom of God).
Gifts of the Risen Christ:
1) Baptism (Matt. 28:1-19; Mark 2:16).
2) Understanding Scripture.
3) The promise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

10. Ascension of Christ to Heaven.
On the 40th day, Christ ascends to Heaven. For us, the news of the Ascension of Christ is the news of where our Motherland is: “So, if you have risen with Christ, then seek those things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God; Set your mind on things above, and not on earthly things. For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, appears, then you will appear with Him in glory. Therefore, put to death your members on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust and covetousness, which is idolatry, for which the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience, to whom you also once turned when you lived among them. And now you put everything aside: anger, rage, malice, slander, foul language of your lips; speak no lies to one another, having put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but all and in all things Christ” (Col. 3:1-11). Moral requirements follow from the Resurrection of Christ. Christians have life in Heaven with Christ, but to this world they are dead.

11. What is the purpose of the Olympic Games?
This is a pagan religious cult. The purpose of the Olympic Games was to maintain the spirits - the heroes.

Questions for the lecture:
1. Where did Christ immediately go after death?
To hell. Holy Scripture directly says that immediately after death the Lord descended into hell. The first text: “to whom He went down and preached to the spirits that were in prison, to whom He went down and preached to the spirits that were in prison, who were once disobedient to the long-suffering of God that awaited them, in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which there were few, that is, eight souls were saved by water” (1 Peter 3:19-20).
2. Who was saved in the Old Testament before Christ's descent into hell?
Nobody. Everyone was going to hell. Even the Old Testament righteous men and prophets were in hell. Before the flood, people, as now, could be saved, or they could die. After Christ's descent into hell, those people who during their lifetime repented, bowed to the one God, and wanted to live according to the commandments (act according to their conscience) entered the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Old Testament, before Christ descended into hell, no one was saved, and only Christ freed the righteous, people who lived according to their conscience and repented.

3. Where is hell described in the Old Testament?
The first place describing hell in the Bible is found in the prophet Isaiah (Is. 14:9-20). Another place speaking about death is found in the prophet Ezekiel. This is the most detailed description of hell in the Bible, not in the sense of punishment, but in the sense of imprisonment of souls (Ezek. 32:17-32). Job also has descriptions of hell (Job 10:21-22); “Why didn’t I die when I came out of the womb, and why didn’t I die when I came out of the womb? Why did my knees accept me? Why did I have to suck nipples? Now I would lie down and rest; I would sleep, and I would be at peace with the kings and advisers of the earth, who built deserts for themselves, or with the princes who had gold, and who filled their houses with silver; or, like a hidden miscarriage, I would not exist, like babies who have not seen the light. There the lawless cease to cause fear, and there those who are exhausted in strength rest. There, the prisoners enjoy peace together and do not hear the screams of the guard. The small and the great are equal there, and the servant is free from his master” (Job 3:11-19).

4. Why was the body of Jesus Christ incorruptible?
Because of the hypostatic unity of the God-man, therefore death could not destroy Him. At the moment of the death of Christ, the soul was separated from the body, but the Divinity was not divisible, and through the divine nature the connection between soul and body was preserved. At the moment of Resurrection, the third barrier between God and people collapses (the barriers of nature collapse with the Incarnation, the barrier of sin collapses on the Cross), the barriers of death collapse with Resurrection. The meaning of the Resurrection of Christ is described in detail in the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, in chapter 15 in its entirety: (1 Cor. 15:1-58).

5. Why does Christ rise on the first day of the week?
Christ Rises on the first day of the week, because a New Universe begins. On the same day that God created the universe, he brings it into being again through Christ. Because God is the same. This is the same Jesus who stretched out the Heavens at creation, He also renews the universe on the same day. The transformation of the universe began on the very day she appeared.

6. Why was Christ crucified on Friday?
Because on this day man was created. Animals were created in the morning, and man was created in the afternoon. And at the time when man was created, Christ was crucified on the Cross (at 12:00 noon). Adam and Eve were also expelled from paradise on Friday at 15.00.

7. Why did the Lord lie in the grave on the Sabbath?
Because this is a day of rest. The identity of the days of Creation and the days of Redemption indicates the identity of the Doer.

8. Why does Christ resurrect at an unknown moment?
The eighth day of Creation is the entry of the universe into eternity, and eternity is not described by time. Therefore, the moment of Resurrection remains secret and is not described by anyone. Even the angels did not see how Jesus rose from the dead; He, already risen in the body, sends an angel. And from this moment the New Universe begins. Christ rises on the day of the bringing of the sheaf of the new harvest, he is the firstborn from the dead. The harvest sacrifice begins on Passover and ends on the day of Pentecost.

9. What is the nature of death?
“Both death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Rev. 20:14).
there is an Angel of Death who can come for the dying.

10. What is the argument for the Resurrection of Christ?
Empty coffin. The presence of stuck together shrouds remaining in place (if the Body had been stolen, it would have been stolen along with the shrouds). The appearance of the Risen Christ. Miracles that are associated with the Risen Lord (power over demons, over death).

11. What did the Lord do after the Resurrection?
Christ taught about the Church Sacraments (the Kingdom of God). “To whom He revealed Himself alive, through His suffering, with many true proofs, appearing to them for forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

12. What are the gifts of the Risen Christ?
Baptism (Matt. 28:1-19; Mark 2:16). Understanding Scripture. The promise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Did Jesus Go to Hell? Preaching Christ to the spirits. Interpretation of Peter 3:18-21

As we have already noted, theologians of many Christian denominations believe that Jesus preached in hell after his death. They confirm their position with a text from the letter of the Apostle Peter: “He went down and preached to the spirits in prison.”(1 Pet. 3:19). Indeed, it seems... However, here we see only a fact descent somewhere Jesus and His preaching to spirits in prison. Now let's, as in the case of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, try to analyze the words of Peter.

First, we need to discard all prejudices and stereotypes. After all, it was also because of them that the young Christian church fell into error. Imagine that you know nothing about Jesus’ preaching in hell or about the torment of sinners in hell. We will correlate the words of Peter not with human wisdom, but with the Word of God - other texts of the Holy Scriptures. This is what the complete thought of the apostle looks like:

“Christ, in order to lead us to God, once suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unjust, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, by whom He and the spirits in prison came down, preached, once rebellious to God’s long-suffering awaiting them, in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which there are few, that is, eight souls, escaped from the water. So do us now like this image baptism, not the washing away of carnal uncleanness, but the promise to God of a good conscience, saves resurrection of Jesus Christ"(1 Pet. 3:18-21).

If we remove the artistic component, then Peter’s speech can be formulated as follows: “Christ died for us, but was resurrected and ascended into heaven by the Spirit of God. By the same Spirit He had previously descended to earth and through Noah preached to people in bondage to sin. Then 8 people listened to Noah and saved themselves from water and by water. So now preaching, which has its logical conclusion in baptism, in the waters of which sin is buried, saves people through Christ.”

A lot of arguments can be given in favor of the correctness of this interpretation of Peter's letter. So, if we assume that the first part of the apostle’s phrase about sermons to the spirits not related to the second - days of Noah, then the text will fall apart, its integrity and meaning will be lost. But it is impossible that Peter spoke nonsense and God allowed nonsense in His Word. Means, sermon was carried out precisely at the time Nov. Thus, in the text there is an obvious connection between sermon(1 Pet. 3:19) , days of Noah(1 Pet. 3:20) and baptism(1 Pet. 3:21).

In this case, the analogy drawn by Peter between: on the one hand - preaching to the rebellious and by the flood in which they perished, and eight people who listened to God's call and survivors the same water; and on the other hand - the Gospel message to us with the subsequent water baptism, leading to salvation .

If we assume that sermon Jesus was addressed to the dead of Noah's time, how could Peter have compare with admonition and baptism of living believers? Is burial possible in hell? in the water sin and salvation water? Of course not. It follows that Peter is talking about preaching the Spirit of Christ living people during the construction of the ark, of which only eight people listened and saved. So do we now (see 1 Pet. 3:21) preaching saves through faith in Jesus and baptism by water.

Also think about it, if Christ preached in some way rebellious spirits it turns out that Jesus not only took the righteous from hell to heaven, as many believers believe (remember that, according to the Old Testament Scripture, all people, including even heroes of the faith, went to hell after death; see chapter “Hell, the underworld. The concept of death"), but also tried to reason rebellious sinners. Otherwise why would He preach to them? Is it possible that, as a result of such a sermon, one of the rebellious took them from hell, and scolded those who did not come to their senses and left them there to suffer eternally? Why perfume named rebellious , if one of them only needed one sermon to radically change their position and save yourself? In any case, then it is described here Not sermon , but the real judgment: Jesus, based on the results of the conversation, decided to have mercy and take someone to heaven, and punish someone. Why is such an important judgment not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible?

Next, let's answer the question: if after His crucifixion Christ actually preached to the dead, then why did He address only to the spirits who were in the days of Noah? After all, both before Noah and after him, there were many people on earth who would like to know the truth and be saved. Where is the justice? Why was it only Noah's contemporaries who were given such an opportunity - to be taken to heaven by Jesus? Why didn’t Jesus take the great prophet David, who lived after Noah, to the Kingdom of Heaven, but left him in hell? The fact that the psalmist did not ascend to heaven, including after the resurrection of Christ, is directly stated by the text of the New Testament:

“God raised Jesus, of which we are all witnesses... He was exalted by the right hand of God... David did not ascend to heaven» (Acts 2:32-34).

Wasn't God's prophet honored to be taken from hell by Jesus? There is a lack of logic and contradiction in the biblical texts in this interpretation. The answer to these questions will be found if we see in Peter’s story not a sermon to the dead with the subsequent “liberation” of some of them from hell, but an analogy between salvation Noah's family through obedience to God's warning and salvation people through the acceptance of Jesus and subsequent baptism (see also John 3:5).

And in the above text from chapter 2 of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we are talking about the fact that God’s prophet David, like all dead people, with the exception of a number of resurrected ones, about whom the Bible speaks separately, until did not ascend to heaven , and sleeps after death in hell - the grave, waiting for the Second Coming of Christ.

In this book, we have already spoken more than once about the importance of studying biblical verses without taking them away from the context of the narrative, as well as the need, in some cases, to read the entire message in which the “controversial” text is located. The benefits of such Bible study can be clearly demonstrated in the passage we are studying, 1 Pet. 3:18-21. If you carefully read this letter from the first chapter, then Peter’s confidence becomes obvious that The Spirit of Christ has preached to the living before believers. Speaking about the salvation brought by Jesus, Peter told his Christian contemporaries:

"For this reason salvation included surveys and research prophets, which predicted about the grace assigned to you, examining for what and for how long indicated by the Spirit of Christ who was in them» (1 Pet. 1:10,11).

It is this idea that is repeated in the passage we are studying, 1 Pet. 3:18-21, which talks about the preaching of the Spirit of Christ through Noah to people about the coming flood.

The fact that Jesus was always present on earth and took part in the lives of people is evidenced by many verses of Holy Scripture (see Col. 1:16, John 1:1,10,14, John 8:25, John 17: 5, Rom. 9:5, Heb. 1:8-12, 1 Cor.

Jesus is still with us today:

“And since you are sons, then God sent into your hearts Spirit of the Son His own, crying: “Abba, Father!”(Gal. 4:6, see also 2 Tim. 4:22, Philim. 1:25, Rom. 8:9,10).

It is worth noting that under the Spirit of Jesus in 1 Pet. 3:18,19 Peter could be referring to the Holy Spirit. Then the phrase revived in spirit can be interpreted as “come to life” by using Holy Spirit." Look, the book of Hebrews says almost the same thing.

"Blood of Christ, which by the Holy Spirit offered Himself blameless to God, will cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living and true God!”(Heb. 9:14).

A sermon of Christ in spirit then it will mean preaching Jesus to people through the Holy Spirit sent by Him.

“God raised this Jesus, of which we are all witnesses. So He having been exalted by the right hand of God and having received from the Father promise The Holy Spirit poured out (Holy Spirit. - Author's note) what you now see and hear"(Acts 2:32,33).

“When will the Comforter come, whom I'll send to you from the Father, Spirit truth, which comes from the Father, He will testify about Me.”(John 15:26).

“Having said this, he blew and said to them: receive the Holy Spirit» (John 20:22).

"When He comes, Spirit of truth...He will glorify Me because he will take from Mine and will tell you. Everything that has Father, there is Mine; therefore I said that he will take of what is mine and tell it to you.” (