The Regular Guys Bible Study

1 Peter 3:8-22

• Ken Strickland • Season 4 • Episode 6

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Ever wondered how to tackle life's challenges with grace and humor? Join us as we navigate the rocky terrain of unity, sympathy, and brotherly love through the lens of 1 Peter 3:8-22. Kicking off with some light-hearted banter and hilarious family stories, Ken and Steve break the ice after a long hiatus, reminding us all that laughter truly is the best medicine. From the get-go, you'll find yourself chuckling and nodding along as they share relatable anecdotes and sincere reflections.

This episode isn't just about laughs; it's about digging deep into the tough stuff. We dive headfirst into the difficulties men often face in expressing emotions and bearing each other’s burdens within the church. Our conversation unveils the importance of showing sympathy and love, even when it's hard, and tackles the biblical call to respond to evil with blessings. Through personal stories and a sprinkle of humor, we highlight the active effort required to seek peace and unity among believers, and the need to defend our faith with gentleness and respect, especially when under fire.

Finally, we explore one of the more mysterious passages in the Bible, where Jesus is said to preach to the spirits in prison. Is it about the fallen angels or those who perished in Noah's flood? While interpretations vary and the complexities abound, we underscore the central themes of Jesus' righteousness, his sacrifice, and his fulfillment of the law. And just as we settle into these profound theological discussions, we make sure to keep things light and engaging, setting the stage for our study of Chapter 4. Don’t miss out on this blend of humor, heartfelt discussion, and deep theological insights—thanks for joining us, and see you next time!

Ken:

you are listening to the regular guys bible study podcast, the bible study for regular guys by regular guys. We are your host, ken and steve, and we are just regular guys studying the bible together, not theologians Ken and Steve, and we are just regular guys studying the Bible together. Not theologians.

Steve:

You're such a jerk.

Ken:

Mom, he used the J word. You know, when I had young kids they were in the back of the van and one of the kids so I have five kids.

Steve:

I think you told this story already, but go ahead did I tell this story.

Ken:

I don't know. Anyway, I'm gonna tell it again because I like the story and one of my kids said uh, mama, daddy, this person used the S word and so we thought what are the?

Steve:

words, darn it.

Ken:

Well, there's one that ends in hit Now this is a horrible story. And then there's hut up, so I think it may be S. Okay, she said not S-T-U-P-I-D, but S-H, and we were up there, we go U-T-U-P. So and we just, we were both in such shock when she said S-H, on to utup that we just laughed and we could not, we could not discipline anybody I really like the bike story better, where you were a bad father oh man, yeah, I'm not to tell the bike story.

Steve:

Have.

Ken:

I told the bike story.

Steve:

No, no, not on here, you haven't oh man.

Ken:

Okay Well, I'll tell that in a minute, maybe, or maybe after. Maybe it'll come up in the Maybe.

Steve:

So when we talk about bicycles Suffering Suffering for righteousness' sake. It will come up when we talk about bicycles Suffering for righteousness sake.

Ken:

It will come up, All right. Well, guys, we first of all, we apologize for being gone so long.

Steve:

A long time.

Ken:

We have been off for what? Two months, yeah, so you know we've been on a good uh every week pace for a while and, uh, life happens, we had some, uh, some family matters get in the way and life is more important. Um, you know, helping others and being, um being where you can help people is important, and so, while we did try to do this once, remote the Internet connection it was awful. My parents' Internet is not good, so we ended up just having to can it and say you know what God has better things for this than that. So here we are. So two months ago we did the first part of 1 Peter 3. What did it say in?

Steve:

that first part. I have no idea.

Ken:

Honestly, I didn't even go back and read it. I read forward. It was about wives and husbands oh yeah, I'm glad we had a good break after that. Really yeah, we lost all of our female listeners.

Steve:

Your mom stopped listening.

Ken:

Yeah right, my mom listens. Whatever Does your mother listen.

Steve:

Steve, I think she just learned. I had a podcast.

Ken:

Okay, that's on you, all right. And and of course my wife listens religiously I bet uh-huh like as an abstaining. Yeah, that's that's the kind of religious all right. Well, um, all right. So we are on in first peter, chapter 3, verses verses 8 through 19. I'm sorry, 8 through 22, which is the end.

Steve:

So the first part was about how wives should treat their husbands, how husbands should treat their wives. We won't go into some of the adverbs or adjectives used there as they may offend some people and we don't want to cover that again. What?

Ken:

No, I don't have any idea what we're talking about.

Steve:

Woman as the weaker vessel.

Ken:

Ah, weaker vessel Okay. I see Okay, well, we've already covered that, yep, and I assume we might have covered it well.

Steve:

You know what? We could have gone back and listened to our own recording you know how often I listen to our podcast. Way more than me Occasionally.

Ken:

Yes, you know what? I don't have to listen to it, steve. I lived it.

Steve:

Come on, you know you want to hear me talk. You probably put it on to go to sleep at night.

Ken:

Just a nice, warm voice in your ear yeah, that's right, it's like you and it's like should I put on steve or barry white? All right. Well, why don't we get started, steve, instead of just wasting this time? All right, why don't you read? I'll read through 12.

Steve:

All right, you can do 13 to the end.

Ken:

Are you wanting to stop at 12 and talk about it and then go 13 to the end?

Steve:

Yeah, I think that's a good start.

Ken:

I think that's a good thing. All right, all right.

Steve:

Finally, all of you have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but, on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called. That you may obtain a blessing. For whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it, For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

Ken:

All right and that I'm sorry that last section Nice throat clearing Ken. Have I ever made fun of you for that, steve, all the time? Okay, I'm just making sure. Yeah, that last section was some poetry from Psalms 34, 12 to 16, and that was a quote from that.

Steve:

So who do you think all of you is?

Ken:

All of you he's talking to.

Steve:

Because he just talked about wives and husbands.

Ken:

Yes, and before that he was talking about submission to authority. He's talking to believers, Steve. I agree Whether they are husbands, wives. Is this also where we talk about slaves? Was that our last chapter or our last book of the bible? That we did?

Steve:

let's see it's been too long. I've slept, I know many times crazy.

Ken:

Um, okay, it's not, it was it was. What did we do last, john james? Sure james it was james, all right. It was not this man. Man, I'm really to that age where I don't remember what I did last week or two months ago. Me too, all right. So, yes, I believe. Finally, all of you means hey, all of you believers.

Steve:

Including husbands and wives. Including husbands and wives, including husbands and wives. Yes, I do think it's good advice. You should turn the other cheek when your wife hits you okay, that's.

Ken:

That's not in here oh, it's not no, oh, but okay, all right. So why don't we talk about the things he says? Have unity of mind. What does that mean?

Steve:

Hmm, I don't have unity of mind with you, so I can't answer that, okay.

Ken:

Well, I think it means don't.

Steve:

Become part of the collective, the board? No, this is an endorsement for the board.

Ken:

But it's really talking about don't go against each other, don't bicker and fight against each other. That's how I see that.

Steve:

Don't sow discontent and be difficult just for difficult's sake.

Ken:

Yes, All right. Then he says sympathy, or I'll say have sympathy.

Steve:

I feel sorry for you, ken, for having to do this with you, no, for looking like that with you um gosh, I'm failing on the next one. Brotherly love, yeah, okay, hold it, let's pull it in for a hug.

Ken:

We're on sympathy, steve. All right. So when somebody's going through a hard time, sometimes it's easy to have sympathy for them because you understand their predicament. There are other times and when I first read this I was like, oh yeah, I really feel sorry for people. There are other times where I don't have sympathy, where somebody is hurting for some reason I think is stupid yep, I was just gonna say people get worked up over things that just don't bother me sometimes yeah, and and and I don't have sympathy for those people sometimes, and that's wrong.

Ken:

We need to have sympathy for them.

Steve:

Because they're weird and they are making a big deal over nothing. That's what our sympathy is about.

Ken:

No, we have sympathy for their predicament and how they feel. Not necessarily we agree with that. They should feel that way and it's very similar with our wives. I mean to be sympathetic for a situation that my wife has at work that I think it's like just I work differently.

Ken:

You know it's like I don't take things. In fact, I've told people at work before look, if you want to hurt my feelings, you need to tell me that this is a personal thing that you're doing, cause I'm just going to take your feedback as something I can do to be better. Um, so let me know if you're trying to hurt my feelings. Has anyone bothered to tell you no? No, but I mean yeah. So we are called to have sympathy for things that we don't necessarily understand. In fact, is there any reason to put that here? If it were easy to have sympathy in all these cases?

Steve:

That's a good point.

Ken:

Alright, brotherly love.

Steve:

You want a hug.

Ken:

I don't need a hug to feel loved by you, Steve.

Steve:

I want to be loved by you.

Ken:

By you and nobody else but you. Not that kind of brotherly love I want to be. How do you know that song, by the way?

Steve:

It's like what's-her-name sang to JFK.

Ken:

Do you know how I know that song?

Steve:

How.

Ken:

Killigan's Island.

Steve:

Oh, that doesn't surprise me. Yeah, that's probably where I first heard it.

Ken:

She had this boa and she's on stage. I want to be loved by you.

Steve:

All right, if you guys could see him right now, you would look the other way.

Ken:

Anyway. So what is brotherly love Steve?

Steve:

I think it could tie into unity of mind and that you're not bumping heads like two bucks in a flock of deer. Is it a flock Herd? Herd, flock is birds, yeah, I don't know, Steve. A murder, that's crows A murder.

Ken:

Yeah, that's the men's group. The murder of men, murder of crows, you know, I think that men in today's churches struggle with brotherly love.

Steve:

I agree.

Ken:

I think we are a little too afraid to show our emotions and to bear each other's burdens and to acknowledge that we need support of others, not only being willing to bear your brother's burdens with them, but it's also being willing to share those burdens with your brother in Christ.

Steve:

And that's where I think we fail a lot.

Ken:

I don't think we fail all the time, but yes, it's very difficult for us. But I think it's a real problem in churches and I see it in life groups. Now my current life group does not have this problem. But I have had life groups, been in life groups and home small teams or whatever you call them, where the men just do not want to say anything. That's of the heart and you cannot and, by extension, it's difficult to really be loved and to love without that.

Steve:

Yep, but I think I do pretty well with that in my life group.

Ken:

Do you? I think so. Good, that's important. All right, and that wasn't a shot at you, steve, so you didn't have to like get all defensive like that.

Steve:

I was thinking of all the guys in our life group. Watch it. Hey, calm down, I'm of unity of mind with you, ken. Okay, all right. Thank you for having a tender heart.

Ken:

You're welcome and have a tender heart. What does having a tender heart mean?

Steve:

Well, you know, when you're a butcher and you go to tenderize meat, you take this hammer and you just pound on it and pound on it until it gets flattened.

Ken:

I think that's what it means. You could also use a pineapple slice and just leave it on it for a little while. Maybe that would be a little nicer.

Steve:

Is that really a? Thing?

Ken:

Yeah, it is. Is that really a thing? Yeah, it is. That's why, on a skewer, if you're skewering meat, you might put pineapple next to it, but you don't want to sit it too long because actually it will change the texture so much it can be bad. But yes, it is a tenderizer. Anyway, I think it's a little bit like sympathy. Honestly, yeah, I do too like uh, so care about maybe it's empathy maybe, so, yeah, feel what they feel.

Ken:

Feel what others feel. That's a yeah, maybe so, um, all right, and a humble mind. What was that? That was a held in belch or a quiet belch?

Steve:

I didn't it looked funny, I'm gonna blow it over there to you, I think.

Ken:

I mean you know I don't have a humble mind, because I think I'm so great that I can do a podcast like this- and so I'm obviously not very humble. You're the humblest person I know. Ken, I don't know if you're making fun of me, or if you're being serious or what you're doing I don't either.

Steve:

That's why it's such a jerk.

Ken:

Uh, that's not brotherly love, no, but being humble. It's really about not putting yourself above others, right? I think that's what that's talking about here. It's not talking about being confident in what you can do, but it's really about not thinking you're better than the people around you.

Steve:

I also think it could be like, if you're having a conversation with somebody, like if you're having a conversation with somebody bordering on argument, to step back from your own thoughts and say, okay, let me try to see it from their perspective, because they're not stupid, I'm not always right.

Ken:

And try to be humble about it. You know what, Steve? That example, I think, really encompasses almost everything here.

Steve:

I think so too.

Ken:

I mean in a quest to have unity of mind. In that example, you have a tender heart, because you're calling a tender heart empathy, which I think is a really good parallel, parallel and you have love for this person and you sympathize for their argument and you're trying to come to unity of mind and you're trying to come to unity of mind. That's, that's a true, that's true humility and all of these put together. So I can't believe you came up with such a good example.

Ken:

It wasn't me, it's Holy Spirit. Yeah, thank you. Thank you, god, for that example.

Steve:

But what do you think of this next verse where it says do not repay evil for evil or re-eviling for re-eviling?

Ken:

That's not re-eviling, Steve. There would be two Es. It does look like re-eviling. That's not re-eviling, Steve. There would be two E's.

Steve:

It does look like re-eviling, doesn't it? Every time I read it, I'm looking at it. Huh, I never realized reviling and evil looked so much the same.

Ken:

Okay, yeah. So, and that's pretty self-explanatory If somebody's mean to you, don't be mean back.

Steve:

But if you are going to be mean back, make sure it's good enough that they never come back to bother you again.

Ken:

No, that's not what it says at all, Steve. It says, on the contrary bless, For to this you were called, so that you may obtain a blessing. And then he quotes the scripture. So basically, if you want to live a good life, be a good person.

Steve:

Do you think there's a risk of becoming a doormat and getting walked all over if you follow this in everything?

Ken:

I believe that the human side of you might fear that. I don't believe God would allow that.

Steve:

See, I think it wouldn't happen with another Christian, but it could happen with a non-Christian. They would take advantage. Well, all right, or could?

Ken:

Let me just say this though Are you talking about the reviling for reviling and evil for evil, or the rest of this?

Steve:

Well, I guess in my head I was thinking where did my head go?

Ken:

uh, let's see I hope you pulled it out of your um.

Steve:

So if somebody did something wrong to you and you held your tongue which you should didn't do anything in return, or if somebody took, say, credit for something you did and you didn't say anything, that could become a pattern.

Ken:

No, but that's not what this says. It does not say let other people take credit for what you do.

Steve:

I know, but they would be doing something evil in that case.

Ken:

Yeah and you wouldn't want to do evil back to them. But it doesn't say it would be wrong for you to like if you're at work somebody else takes credit for something you did. It doesn't say don't go to your boss and say you know, actually I did that work and I am shocked that they are taking credit for it. But, um, they did help in this way and that way and I appreciate that.

Ken:

But oh, you just did it with a blessing yeah, and you, you do it and you don't want to be evil, or re-evil.

Ken:

Or re-evil, Don't re-evil, re-evil and, I think, the don't repay evil for evil, and that can be classified with anyone we meet. But really those first things, finally, all of you I think this is to each other, this is to the body of Christ have unity of mind. He's not saying have unity of mind with the world. He's talking about with brothers. Have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and a humble mind. I think that's really talking about the body of Christ and not how I mean how they perceive us, yes, but not necessarily how we interact with the rest of the world. We're not called to have a unity of mind with the rest of the world. Mind with the rest of the world, you know, I think we are called to love others, but it cannot be the same kind of depth for a non-believer.

Steve:

Well, to have unity of mind with the world would be evil.

Ken:

Yes, that is true. All right, do you want to go on down? Do you want to say anything about the quote?

Steve:

So in there it says to seek peace and pursue it. What's the difference between seek and pursue it? What's the difference between seek and pursue?

Ken:

Hmm, All right.

Steve:

For anyone's benefit, it's let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it All right.

Ken:

So if you are looking for a cat, let's say there's a cat. You lost your cat. Why would I go look for it? That's a bad example.

Steve:

Dog Use a dog.

Ken:

Okay, let's say your dog got out of the yard and you're looking for it, and so you're seeking for the dog and you find it. You see it down the road and it keeps running, away keeps running but you pursue it, you see it and you see how to get there but you pursue it until you find it, until you catch it yeah okay, that's the difference between seek and I think that's a good analogy, except when you started with the cat.

Ken:

That was a horrible analogy. You see the cat and you tell your wife I don't know where the cat is I think I saw a coyote with a tail sticking out. Okay, that's not funny, that is not um sympathy or you know whatever. Okay, bad steve, bad ken. All right, it's your turn. All right, let me read. Uh, this is 13 through 22. This to the end of chapter three. Now, who is there to harm you if you?

Steve:

I'm not sure what's so funny, but he seems very zealous.

Ken:

What's so funny is that I feel like I cannot read. I felt like my tongue was not in a position that it was going to be able to say the next several words.

Steve:

Well, this should be entertaining.

Ken:

All right, here we go. Let's try this again Now. Who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason, for the hope that is in you. Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Ken:

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. Dang it that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is eight, persons were brought safely through the water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now, saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities and powers having been subjected to him.

Steve:

Easy for you to say, was it Not really?

Ken:

Phew, I actually read that better than I thought. I tried to keep my eyes going forward.

Steve:

I was really disappointed you didn't screw up more.

Ken:

Yeah, I know, all right, there's some pretty weird stuff in here, steve.

Steve:

Yeah, there is.

Ken:

All right, so? So he first starts off with a rhetorical question Now, who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good, with the implication that you know, if you're zealous for what is good, with the implication that you know, if you're zealous for doing good, no harm's gonna come to you? And then he realizes, you know, that's not the way life is, that's not. And um, or I'm saying, he realizes that I don't that he's trying to do good and he gets stoned and yeah, and shipwrecked multiple times.

Ken:

Oh, this is Peter, this is Peter, but still he has bad days too. Yes, he does. But then he says, you know, but even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. So what does that mean, to be blessed?

Steve:

Hmm, the cop-out answer I want to give is in heaven, don't blow your burps at me.

Ken:

Steve, this is a family show. We don't burp or blow. You do both uh, I had bell peppers great, and they're kind of, uh, they're gaseous, you're I'm a little gaseous gase Okay.

Steve:

So you heard my cop-out answer of in heaven, you'll be blessed.

Ken:

Yeah, I don't think that's a cop-out answer, really yeah.

Steve:

You don't think there's a blessing beforehand?

Ken:

There might be, but you might die in this, that's true, and you can be blessed by the people here even when you're dead, because you know, we know, this is not the end all here. This is a temporary state that will someday become Oklahoma. I was going to say.

Steve:

Texas is a temporary state. You mean we're going to secede from the Union and become a country.

Ken:

Possibly no, but I mean on this earth. Being alive on this earth is temporary for us, and then we will be alive in Christ, I mean alive with Christ. So, yes, I believe that blessing could be here. I believe it could be in heaven. I think it's likely both.

Steve:

Okay, do you have no fear of them? Have no fear of who have no fear of who. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor christ the lord as holy. Holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason, for the hope that is in you this is having fear of the people who harmed you. Yes.

Ken:

I can't say I would not fear.

Steve:

Yeah, I can't either. Yeah, I think there really are people out there that will go out of their way to stop someone from doing good.

Ken:

Yeah, there are. It's a very strange world we live in.

Steve:

It is.

Ken:

Well, sort of like the people who robbed the Salvation Army collection tents. It's like seriously.

Steve:

Yeah. So, are you always prepared to make a defense? I am, and how do you do that?

Ken:

I haven't had to in a while and that's a problem maybe. I wonder if that's a problem with me well, it's a problem we share. Then, so I have been much more, and this is how bad I am at sharing my faith. I'm proud of my baby step, of being more open to tell people at work that I will pray for them, and that's stupid.

Steve:

Why is that stupid?

Ken:

It's stupid of me to care that. It's not stupid for me to say that. It's stupid for me to be afraid to tell somebody. I'll pray for them, or I'll pray for their wife to get well, or their kid or whatever.

Steve:

So, out of the spirit of unity of mind, I agree, you're stupid.

Ken:

Thank you. Steve, I appreciate it and I'm glad that's that shows that's out of sympathy that showed um. That's from my heart. Yeah, a tender heart.

Steve:

That was a tender heart moment and I did it with gentleness you did, I appreciate that. But I jest Digest. I wish you would, instead of sending it back up at me.

Ken:

All right. So anyway, I haven't had to defend my faith. I have talked to my boss and other people that and people a few people I work with that don't work for me because it's a little weird.

Steve:

It could be, it could be construed as something.

Ken:

Yes, anyway, I have talked to my boss and other people who are at my same level that I am a Christian and I don't—and it's not ritualistic, it's something I really believe and, um, I I told them this in a in a way to say you know, I would appreciate one. Well, one time in particular was to say I would appreciate if you did not, um, continue what you're making fun of at the moment. So, wow, but you know it's all good yeah. I hate it when people take the Lord's name in vain, okay.

Steve:

I bet you do it all the time. Depends on where you draw the line, but yes, I'm sure I do. But so I have a GD is the one that really bothers me.

Ken:

Okay, but I have a pet peeve, that about taking the Lord's name in vain.

Steve:

Cause you think gosh is doing it.

Ken:

No, not at all. I think when we go to church and we sing hymns or hymns, we don't sing hymns Sometimes. We do Sometimes. But when we sing about Jesus and we're just like blah, blah, moving our lips, not talking, we talk about saying the Lord's name in vain. What is vanity.

Steve:

You mean not having your heart in it.

Ken:

Yeah, you're not, you're just saying it. You're not having your heart in it. Yeah, you're just saying it. And, as a believer, I think we really need to look at what we do. We need to prepare our hearts before we go into worship and say, in the name of Jesus and talking about all he's done for us, and we're not. We're just saying the words blah, blah, blah.

Steve:

We're thinking about what's going to be for lunch.

Ken:

Yeah, or what time's the devil's game today? I know that's all you think about.

Steve:

Yeah.

Ken:

Right Anyway. So that's my pet peeve about. I'm glad you brought that up, steve, because that really is something I hadn't really looked at that and it's not. When I say it's my pet peeve, I'm as guilty as anybody. I love to sing, somebody who loves to sing. It's really easy just to sing.

Steve:

I don't know that. I agree that it's taken the Lord's name in vain though, okay.

Ken:

I think that's different. You know what I think it is to me? Well, it could be so, and maybe it's because I love to sing that.

Steve:

it bothers me. Anyway, I'll have to think about that one.

Ken:

Yeah, please do. You know. I'd love to hear other people's comments about this, but you know I have no idea how you would tell us what you do.

Steve:

Is you start your own podcast and hope that we pick it up and listen to it?

Ken:

Exactly An answer to the regular guy's BS.

Steve:

That would be a good one. A-t-r-g-b-s.

Ken:

Tarbs, all right, whatever. We are way off track. Where are we?

Steve:

It's about time to wrap this up.

Ken:

I don't think so. Now we have to go to the most confusing part of all.

Steve:

Steve, yes, I know, Well, it's not that confusing, but there are parts of it that are All right. So let's parts of it that are All right so let's start with the first part.

Ken:

All right, so, first of all, jesus came and he suffered once for our sins. The righteous for the unrighteous. So we are the unrighteous, he's the righteous.

Steve:

Yep.

Ken:

He died for our sins Once, once, and that's all that's needed that's the point of that by the Once, once, and that's all that's needed. That's the point of that, by the way, once is all that's needed. That he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit. All right, that's all we need to say.

Steve:

All right, I'm good with that no.

Ken:

Now, when he was made alive in the spirit, what did he do? Ah this is the hard part. This is one of the hard parts.

Steve:

There's two hard parts here went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison because they formerly did not obey when god's patience waited in the days of noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is eight, persons were brought safely through the water. What prison are they in? I would think it has to be hell, unless this is like purgatory. But that's a Catholic thing.

Ken:

And who are these? Who are these spirits?

Steve:

It would have to be everyone that didn't get on the boat so maybe?

Ken:

um, I have two thoughts on this, and I have read other commentaries about this.

Steve:

By the way, you've had two months to come up with an answer.

Ken:

I hope this is good no, it's horrible, all right, but I have two, two here, and one of them is my own and one of them is a commentary. So the commentary says what you just said. These are the people of the earth that were so awful. I mean, think about it. These people were so bad that God decided to start over.

Steve:

I'm surprised he hasn't done it again.

Ken:

I know. So think about that right, because this earth is horror. This world is horrible, not the earth, the people on this world. Some of them are horrible. A huge percentage. Some of them are horrible. A huge percentage, huge percentage, are horrible.

Ken:

Even us good believers, I would say 100% are Okay, except some of us have been washed by the blood Exactly, and so that makes us not horrible, but all right. So the earth was so bad, the world was so bad, that he decided you know what? I'm just going to kill everybody and start over. Is there anybody here I could save? All right, these eight, and that's it. So I don't know how many people were were on the planet at that time Probably, I don't know. Let's say a million, I don't know. Sure, let's say a million, a million, thank you for saying that. And so eight people out of a million. So the rest, I'm just going to say a million minus eight. It's easier, I can do the math, it's not that hard.

Steve:

It's not that hard. It's a lot of nines, though I know.

Ken:

So, okay, no, you know what, there were a million and eight people.

Steve:

So let's say that.

Ken:

So there were a million people in hell, in prison. All right, go ahead. And Jesus went down and preached to them, went down and preached to them. So you know. I don't know why.

Steve:

Yeah, it's not at all clear as to the purpose of going to do that. Do they have an option to leave? I don't know. I don't know, or is this part of every knee shall bow?

Ken:

I really don't know. I have another theory, though, and, to be clear, this is my own theory, okay.

Steve:

So you know, take it with a grain of salt before you go there. Though, yeah, the eight that were saved, yeah, didn't actually get in the water. All the rest of them were baptized by the water, but those eight weren't.

Ken:

They were safely dry in the boat that's true, but they passed through the water, you might say, and I would say the world was baptized at that point and cleansed. But okay, my own theory is that these spirits could be angels that were supposed to be guiding the people, and instead they led them astray.

Steve:

I can see where you might have some support for that in the Old Testament. Yes have some support for that in the old testament. Yes, and there's a really bad movie about noah where the rocks were like moving and stuff that's awful I guess they were supposed to be the. I don't know what those were, but so, yeah, I see where you could maybe think that. But again, what's the point? Yeah, I don't know.

Ken:

Maybe to condemn them further? I don't know and to say I really don't know, steve. So if you are listening to this and relying on us to explain this part of the scripture to you, you are out of luck. Yeah, you are out of luck. This is definitely the point where I think you should talk to an elder, or talk to a pastor at your church, and you know, see what they say. I can tell you this, though. I can tell you this, though I don't know if your pastor or your elder will have any better of an answer, but they might have some insights about how you personally should approach something like this.

Steve:

I will say in my notes I tried to unpack 18 through 20.

Ken:

Yeah.

Steve:

And I have four bullet points and I believe the first three are the salient points. Okay, christ suffered. He is righteous and fulfilled the law. Yeah, and he did it for us. The fourth bullet has something about who are the imprisoned spirits and why days of noah.

Ken:

Yeah, I, I think you know I struggled with why days of noah. Yeah, I think you know I struggled with why Days of Noah too, but then I realized that and that's why I brought up the world was so bad that he had to destroy it, and so these are the most evil people. This is the most evil group of people to ever be on the earth.

Steve:

And then later he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Ken:

Yes, but that was just a city, two cities, all right. So anyway, that's all we can say about that. Now there's one more thing that I think is very controversial. That I think is very controversial. He says in verse 21,. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God. So there are schools of thought that baptism saves you, right. There are schools of thought, there are bodies of believers who, I think, actually I mean they're theologically sound other than that belief for me.

Ken:

But you know he says this baptism now saves you. Now what you and I believe maybe I shouldn't put words in your mouth belief in your mouth. I believe that you are saved by the resurrection of Jesus and by your acceptance of that and your belief that he rose from the dead for your sin.

Steve:

Okay, by grace alone.

Ken:

By grace alone. Now my church and my theology says the baptism, and I guarantee you this is what my pastor would say and your pastor would say.

Steve:

Since we go to the same church, that does make sense.

Ken:

That when this says baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you. We call that the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And there is some, if you remember, in Acts. There's a time in Acts where some people go away from Jerusalem. I don't remember the exact story, but they tell people about Jesus and they baptize them in water, and they baptize them in water and they are there. But then Peter comes. I think I think it's Peter, or maybe it's, I don't remember who it is, but anyway, one of the apostles comes and they say, oh, you've been baptized with water, but you have not yet been baptized by the Holy Spirit. And then you know these tongues of fire, whatever shoot out of his fingertips, like the guy from Star Wars. They are receive the Holy Spirit.

Steve:

So now, Well, if that's what it takes to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, I have not had it happen yet.

Ken:

That is another argument.

Steve:

Unless it happened when I took apart an electric weed eater when I was a kid and plugged it back in before putting it back together and zapped myself.

Ken:

I don't think that's no, that's not the Holy Spirit. So, anyway, my personal belief, it is very evident elsewhere. Anyway, my personal belief, it is very evident elsewhere, and you know, I wish I should have read chapter four just to see if he says anything.

Steve:

But I just realized it's a cliffhanger.

Ken:

Yeah. Yeah, we'll talk to Cliffhanger next week, see if we can get him on.

Steve:

That's not what that means.

Ken:

Who's?

Steve:

Cliffhanger, you know, like batman same bat time, same bat channel. You get to see what happens. It's like a suspense so people come back and watch the next one.

Ken:

That was adam west. That was not cliffhanger. Cliffhanger was in that other movie with the guy that did the thing. All right, my joke is spent well it should be.

Steve:

It had not much to spend to begin with all righty um anyway.

Ken:

Um, I don't know where to go with that steve. Um, that is another area where I highly suggest you talk to your pastor. That is another area where I highly suggest you talk to your pastor and, um, you know, get some insight from them. Um, I know what I believe, um, and I would say that you should know what you believe. Figure out what you believe, um, but make sure that what you believe is from the Bible. That's my take.

Steve:

Amen.

Ken:

Alright, you got anything else, steve, I don't? Alright, so Chapter 4. Chapter 4 next time. We've got to figure out when we're going to do this next. Steve, we got game night next week. Oh, you're right, I guess it's two weeks. No, we got to find another day to do it. We can't wait another week, all right, maybe Tuesday? All right, we'll talk about it. We're going to get on this real schedule again, guys, all right? Well, we appreciate your staying with us and being patient and coming back. See you later, thanks, all rights reserved.

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