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Hi Birdy, I understand, but I disagree that Jesus has done this in the literal sense. I believe that it it happened in the sense that it is the plan of God and I believe that it is a future event. I believe that the resurrection is yet to come, but thanks for sharing.
I also believe that 1 Peter 4:6 is also key passage as far as the gospel being preached or proclaimed to the dead. God bless.
Shana: why are you fooling around on the W.W.W. on this lovely day?
Let's hear a few words from some of the early church fathers (more scriptures and testimonies to come)
What Did The Earliest Church Fathers Believe Regarding St. Peters Words
The Lord Jesus Christ emptied hades according to many of the early church fathers. And, according to the Apostle St. Peter, preached zavw life to the disobedient dead from the days of Noah "when once the longsuffering of God waited...while the ark was in preparation, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved through the water."
The two passages of the Ancient Words in 1 Peter 3 & 4 are some of the most difficult for those who cannot grasp our Lord's ongoing reconciliation on the other side of the veil.
Jesus Christ Holds The Keys Of Death & Hades
The Old Covenant
Isa. 9:2....Isa. 45:2,3...Isa. 49:9,25....Zech 9:11...Psl. 68:18....Psl. 9:33...Psl. 107:16
The New Covenant
1 Peter 3:21....Matt. 12:29....Phil. 2:9,10....Col. 2:15...Eph. 4:8,9
Primitive Witnesses
Acts Of The Apostle Thomas
Quote:
Christ, the Saviour of every creature, thou who wentest down even to hades. And didst bring out thence those shut in for many ages.
Origen Regarding Psl. 68:18
Quote:
Christ drew up and set free from the recesses of hades, the souls that were held in captivity.
Eusebius Of Alexandria
Quote:
Christ will descend in order that all, both on earth and in heaven and in hades, may obtain salvation from Him.
Eusebius Of Caesarea 315 A.D.
Quote:
Christ, caring for the salvation of all, and bursting the eternal gates, opened a way of return to life for the dead bound in chains of death.
I know what you are doing, Shana, you and Birdbrain have arrived for choir practice. What Isaiah heard that fateful day in the year King Uzziah died, was heavenly music from serephs calling to one another, holy, holy, holy. It was filling the room, flowing out to the farthest corners, they were/ are calling to one another in spontaneous vibrations of glory. There is no place to stand, the glory fills the farthest reaches, every centimetre radiant with the majesty of the Living One. They must use their wings to cover their faces, their feet and to fly.....for flying is the only vehicle possible....there is no place to stand. Well, Shana, I was only funnin' ya. I have never heard a more beautiful voice than yours, and we are honoured to have you joining us in antiphonal worship of the Lord of lords and King of kings.
Quote:
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up and His glory filled the temple.....around Him were attendant serephim...they were calling to one another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.....
What Did The Earliest Church Fathers Believe Regarding St. Peters Words -Continued-
Eusebius Of Caesarea 315 A.D.
Quote:
Christ, caring for the salvation of all, and bursting the eternal gates, opened a way of return to life for the dead bound in chains of death.
Saint Athanasius
Quote:
While the devil thought to kill one, he is deprived of all cast out of hades, and sitting by the gates, sees all the fettered beings led forth by the courage of the Saviour.
Basil Of Seleucia
Quote:
That which happened to the visible tomb of Christ (i.e. its being emptied on His rising), the same happened to hades the invisible.
St. Hilary 354 A.D.
Quote:
Christ ascended on high took (captured) those who had been captured by the devil.
M.F. Victorinus 360 A.D.
Quote:
The Saviour descends into hades by that passion of the cross in order that He may set free every soul.
Yep, there's more. Please stay tuned while we explore additional passages of Scripture expressing what zavw means.
"that in the spirit they might live in the spirit like God."
Question#5 = What is zavw/ zao?
Live= zavw
Zavw=
John 5:25
amhn amhn legw umin oti ercetai wra kai nun estin ote oi nekroi akousousin thV fwnhV tou uiou tou qeou kai oi akousanteV zhsousin
John 6:51
egw eimi o artoV o zwn o ek tou ouranou katabaV ean tiV fagh ek toutou tou artou zhsei eiV ton aiwna kai o artoV de on egw dwsw h sarx mou estin uper thV tou kosmou zwhV
John 6:57
kaqwV apesteilen me o zwn pathr kagw zw dia ton patera kai o trwgwn me kakeinoV zhsei di eme
John 6:58
outoV estin o artoV o ex ouranou katabaV ou kaqwV efagon oi patereV kai apeqanon o trwgwn touton ton arton zhsei eiV ton aiwna
John 6:69
Quote:
And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the zavw God.
kai hmeiV pepisteukamen kai egnwkamen oti su ei o agioV tou qeou
John 7:38
Quote:
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of zavw water.
o pisteuwn eiV eme kaqwV eipen h grafh potamoi ek thV koiliaV autou reusousin udatoV zwntoV
John 11:25
Quote:
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the 'zwhv' (zoe): he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he zavw.
eipen auth o ihsouV egw eimi h anastasiV kai h zwh o pisteuwn eiV eme kan apoqanh zhsetai
1 Peter 4: 5,6
Quote:
Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they may be judged according to men in the flesh, but zavw according to God in the spirit.
oi apodwsousin logon tw etoimwV krinonti zwntaV kai nekrouV eiV touto gar kai nekroiV euhggelisqh ina kriqwsin men kata anqrwpouV sarki zwsin de kata qeon pneumati
1Pe 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
1Pe 3:19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison
1Pe 3:20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
Short answer:
They had not had the chance to have a "reborn" spirit because the Holy Spirit was not in the world to convict and instruct as he is today because the Savior had not come yet.
The word for Prison used is phylakē which really means, a "prison" and it's not hades, or geenna or anything relating to "hell".
Reading verses 18-20 in Stephens 1550 Textus Receptus, I do not see the text "zavw" where are you getting that from?
It does have the word zoopoieo in verse 18 and that simply means "to make a live" and it's normaly tied to God I.E. "Made alive by the Spirit".
It's used in Gal 3:21 when speaking that the law can not give "life"
Romans 4:17 God gives "life" from the dead
Romans 8:11 and 1 Cor 15:22 he will give "life" to our mortal bodies.
Edit: I just figured out where you are going with this so let me save you the trouble.
The word apeitheō means "disobedient" or "to refuse or withhold belief". Let me guess. You are going to try and make a case that this "proves" we will be held in "prison" until we "believe" and thus everyone will be saved and no one goes to hell. Hugs for everyone.
It's a BIG stretch. Big considering that "prison" has absolutely no link or connection to anything relating to "eternal punishment" or "hades" etc. AND the text is very clear that those who "refuse or withhold belief" were spiritually DEAD like we are today without knowing a savior. They COULD NOT believe (Calvanism showing through here) hence the word zoopoieo which means "to be made alive by God's spirit".
I suppose we can now argue through scholars about this but that's my piece and I checked Kittles and it seems to agree.
In the liberation of all, no one remains a captive; at the time of the Lord's passion he alone (the devil) was injured, who lost all the captives he was keeping.
St. Basil 370 A.D.
Quote:
The true Shepherd brought out of the prison of hades, and handed over to the holy angels, the sheep for whom He died.
St. Gregory Of Nazianzus 385 A.D.
Quote:
Until Christ loosed by His blood all who groan under tartarean chains.
Unknown Origin (From Christus Patiens)
Quote:
All of whom (the dead) Thou shalt bring forth as Thy spoils from hades...I believe Thou wilt bring forth from hades as many mortals as it has imprisoned.
-Yep: there's more church father's to hear from, and more Scriptures regarding zavw/zao.
Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they may be judged according to men in the flesh, but zavw according to God in the spirit.
oi apodwsousin logon tw etoimwV krinonti zwntaV kai nekrouV
eiV touto gar kai nekroiV euhggelisqh ina kriqwsin men kata anqrwpouV sarki zwsin de kata qeon pneumati
1 John 4:9
Quote:
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might zavw through Him.
en toutw efanerwqh h agaph tou qeou en hmin oti ton uion autou ton monogenh apestalken o qeoV eiV ton kosmon ina zhswmen di autou
1 Peter 1:3
Quote:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a zavw hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
euloghtoV o qeoV kai pathr tou kuriou hmwn ihsou cristou o kata to polu autou eleoV anagennhsaV hmaV eiV elpida zwsan di anastasewV ihsou cristou ek nekrwn
1 Peter 2:5
Quote:
You also, as zavw stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.
kai autoi wV liqoi zwnteV oikodomeisqe oikoV pneumatikoV eiV ierateuma agion anenegkai pneumatikaV qusiaV euprosdektouV qew dia ihsou cristou
Heb. 4:12
Quote:
The word of the Lord is zavw, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.....
zwn gar o logoV tou qeou kai energhV kai tomwteroV uper pasan macairan distomon kai diiknoumenoV acri merismou yuchV kai pneumatoV armwn te kai muelwn kai kritikoV enqumhsewn kai ennoiwn kardiaV
Heb. 7:25
Quote:
Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him, seeing He ever zavw to make intercession for them.
oqen kai swzein eiV to panteleV dunatai touV prosercomenouV di autou tw qew pantote zwn eiV to entugcanein uper autwn
This will bring to conclusion what some of the earliest church father's believed regarding the passages under consideration in St. Peter. Let no one say horray! LOL
St. Ambrose 375 A.D.
Quote:
The Lord descends to the infernal world, in order that even those, who were in perpetual abodes, should be set free from their perpetual bonds.
"Christ, when amongst the dead, gave pardon to those in the infernal abodes, destoying the law of death."
The Ambrosiaster
Quote:
Christ descending to the infernal abodes condemned death, taking from him those whom he was keeping.
"Christ snatched from hades all the devil, lost, together with Christ, all whom he was keeping."
"Christ went down to the depths of hell (Tartarus) and recalled the souls, bound by sin, to life, out of the devil's jaws."
Maximus Of Turin
"Hell (Tartarus) yields up those it contains to the upper world: the earth sends to heaven those whom it buries."
St. Jerome 378 A.D.
Quote:
Our Lord descends and was shut up in the eternal bars, in order that He might set free all who had been shut up.
"In the blood of Thy passion thou didst set free those who were being kept bound in the prison of hell."
"The Lord descended to the place of punishment and torment, in which was the rich man, in order to liberate the prisoners."
Caesarus Of Arles
"The eternal night of hell is illuminated as Christ descends the bonds of the damned, torn asunder, fell away every cry of the groaning still. The captive souls loosed from bonds go forth from hell (Tartarus), and the Apostle's words come true, i.e., in Jesus' name every knee bends of things in heaven, and earth, and under the earth."
Epiphanius
Quote:
Christ, like a swift-winged hawk, snatched away all that He had from the beginning, from the devil and left him deserted.
"Christ arose, and the prison of hades was emptied."
St. Chrysostom 398 A.D.
"While the devil imagined that he had got hold of Christ (in hades), he lost all in fact whom he was keeping.
Cyril Of Alexandria 412 A.D.
"Christ left the devil there solitary and deserted."
"Christ, wandering down even to hades, has emptied the dark, hidden, unseen treasures."
Maximus Of Turin
Quote:
Christ carried off to heaven mankind whose cause He undertook, snatched from the jaws of hades.
Theodoret 430 A.D.
To the devil Christ declares...."I mean to open the prison of death for the rest, but will shut up thee only. Thou wast justly despoiled of all thy subjects.
Proclus, Bishop of Constantinople 434 A.D.
"Today Christ emptied the entire treasury of death."
Quote:
All the dead, wondering at His passion, cry for joy, we are healed by His stripes.
Saint Chrysostom- Cyril of Alexandria
In reference to 1 Peter St. Chrysostom wrote...
Quote:
Christ, he asserts, not merely opened, but broke in pieces the gates of brass, in order to make the prison useless, where there is neither door, nor bar, whosoever enters is not detained. What God destroys, who can set up again? Earthly kings indeed set free prisoners, yet leave untouched the prison gates; but Christ broke in pieces the gates of brass. Christ went to the utterly black and joyless portion of hades, and turned it into heaven, transferring all its wealth, the race of man, into His royal treasury. In this, too, Christ surpasses kings, for they send messengers, but He went in person to set the captives free. So again, he says: "Our Lord, when He was in hades, set free all who were kept prisoners by death.
Cyril Of Alexandria 412 A.D.
"The devil was deprived of all power of being able to do anything for the future. The souls of men who had been caught in his toils to their ruin, came out of the underground gates, and, leaving the hiding-places of the pit escape"
Quote:
Traversing the lowest recesses of the infernal regions, after that He had preached to the spirits there, He led forth the captives in His strength. For when death devoured Him who was the Lamb on behalf of all, it vomited forth all men in Him and with Him. Now when sin has been destroyed, how should it be but that death, too, should wholly perish?"......On the death of Christ, "all iniquity stopped its mouth, and the rule of death was destroyed, all sin (tes hamartias, sin generally) having been taken away, so, then, the sin of all having been taken away, we can justly say, 'O death where is thy sting?
Theodoret, the Blessed, 423 A.D.
Theodoret became Bishop of Cyrus (Cyrrhus), in Syria...he wrote of the liberation of every soul from hades....
Quote:
I shall shut up thee only..."Thou," says Christ to satan, "art justly despoiled of all thy subjects. Thou shalt vomit forth all that thou hast already swallowed. I shall free all from death for I paid the debt for the race. As the debt has been paid, it is right that those confined on account of it should be set free from their prison.
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God bless.
What Isaiah heard that fateful day in the year King Uzziah died, was heavenly music from serephs calling to one another, holy, holy, holy. It was filling the room, flowing out to the farthest corners, they were/ are calling to one another in spontaneous vibrations of glory. There is no place to stand, the glory fills the farthest reaches, every centimetre radiant with the majesty of the Living One. They must use their wings to cover their faces, their feet and to fly.....for flying is the only vehicle possible....there is no place to stand. Well, Shana, I was only funnin' ya. I have never heard a more beautiful voice than yours, and we are honoured to have you joining us in antiphonal worship of the Lord of lords and King of kings. 
