Usually in explanation of this difficult passage we refer to the Spirit of Christ in Noah. The passage then, in practice, is concerned with the preaching of righteousness by Noah to his contemporaries. I believe there is another explanation, to my mind more consistent with the ideas in Peter and also with the background of both Old and New Testament teaching.
The Preacher
It will be agreed that the preacher referred to is Christ. That it was actually Noah who spoke the words does not take away from the proposition. Peter is quite specific: “he went and preached”.
There is, however, another point. The ‘preaching’ must be seen in its context. The verse begins with a reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection is written of in the terms “quickened by the Spirit.” Then we understand that it was by this quickening spirit that Christ went and preached. This could have reference to Noah’s activities, but it seems much more reasonable to me that this preaching has reference to Christ’s post-resurrectional preaching.
Is there any other simple Scripture which speaks of such a preaching work by Christ – there is; one couched in almost the same terms.
“And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father”(Eph.2:17,18).
This teaches that after his resurrection Christ went and preached to the Ephesians “afar off”, that is, those who were “in time past Gentiles in the flesh” (Eph.2:11) and also to Jews (them that were nigh). What means did Christ use to do this?
Apostolic Preaching
We know that the gospel was brought to Ephesus by apostolic ministry, chiefly that of Paul. Is it scriptural to speak of the Apostles’ work as Christ’s own work? It is, very much so.
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God”(2 Cor.5:20).
Again, consider the quotation Paul makes (from Isaiah) when speaking to Jews in Antioch in Pisidia,
“For so hath the Lord (Jesus) commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47);
yet Isaiah’s prophecy apparently concerned a single person, Christ-
“The LORD hath called me from the womb …. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles ….” (Is.49:1-6).
There is another similar prophecy by Isaiah (Is.52:7) in which the feet of Jesus bring good tidings. Paul quotes this verse, but Jesus’ feet have become the feet of the Apostles in Paul’s day (Rom.10:15).
There is, then, considerable scriptural evidence that the apostolic preaching work was Christ’s own work. Whilst it is conceivable that Peter was referring to Noah’s preaching, there is much more direct scriptural evidence that Peter had in mind first century apostolic preaching.
The Work of the Spirit
Further, the New Testament has many references to the apostolic preaching work as being the work of the Holy Spirit. For example,
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me (John 16:26)”. “
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26)”.
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth (1 Cor.2:13)”.
“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it bath taught you, ye shall abide in him (1 John 2:27)”.
So then when Peter wrote that Christ went and preached “by the spirit” he was stating a truth often mentioned by the New Testament writers in reference to apostolic preaching. On the other hand there is not; as far as I know, a single reference to Noah preaching “by the spirit” (although, of course, it was).
Spirits in Prison
Who were the spirits in prison to whom the Apostles preached? There are several well known passages concerning preaching to prisoners.
- Isaiah 49
I have chosen this prophecy first because it has already been referred to as an allusion to the Christ/Apostolic preaching work (see section on apostolic preaching above). In Acts 13, as shown, Paul uses the prophecy to justify his turning from Jews to preach to Gentiles: “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles”. Isaiah continues his prophecy with reference to this Gentile work, “Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship … and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people (peoples), to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves … Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west;’ and these from the land of Sinim” (v 7-12).
Preaching to prisoners seems here to be directly concerned with preaching to Gentiles.
- Isaiah 42.
There is no doubt that Is. 42 refers to the work of Christ. Not only so but it refers to the Spirit work of Christ. “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in wham my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles (v.1)”. The work of the spirit in Christ is here related to his work to the Gentiles. So, speaking of this spirit work Isaiah prophesied. “I the LORD … will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house (v 6,7)”. It seems clear that Isaiah associated the preaching to prisoners with the Lord’s work to the Gentiles.
- Isaiah 61.
Here, in this well known prophecy, Jesus is anointed with the Spirit of the LORD to preach good tidings … “liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (v.1.) Again Christ’s spirit work is for the benefit of prisoners. It is surely significant that when Jesus read this passage in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:18.19) he was not accepted by the Jews (v.24) but indicated that both Elijah and Elisha were sent to bring salvation by the spirit to Gentiles, viz, to the widow woman of Zarephath and to Naaman the Syrian (v.25,27).
From this evidence, therefore, I conclude that Peter is speaking in the verse under consideration, of the apostolic ministry to the Gentiles.
The reference that Peter makes to the days of Noah follows now quite logically. The whole world then had corrupted Gods’ way. Since the time of the flood there had been no work of salvation sent to the Gentiles until the apostolic ministry. Since the time of the flood the gentile world had been in darkness, in prison, there was no way for them to escape the bonds of death, until the spirit work of Christ in the Apostles.
Spirits
Why did not Peter simply say that Christ went and preached to prisoners, instead of referring to spirits in prison? This word ‘spirit’ I feel is a reference to that part of a man which responds to or rejects the Word of Salvation.
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God (Rom.8:16)”.
Peter was telling his readers that in the days of Noah it was the attitude of men which was remiss. That was a day of judgment just as Peter’s day was. So Peter exhorted his readers to arm themselves with the same attitude as Christ (4:1) so that they would not be “disobedient” in those last days of Jewish times.
The Solution