1 Peter 3:
In Christian Suffering13. And who is there to harm you, if you are zealous for what is good? 14. But even if you suffer anything for justice’ sake, blessed are you. So have no fear of their fear and do not be troubled. 15. But hallow the Lord Christ in your hearts. Be ready always with an answer to everyone who asks a reason for the hope that is in you. 16. Yet do so with gentleness and fear, having a good conscience, so that wherein they speak in disparagement of you they who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. [verses 13 - 16, see fn. 1] 17. For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that you suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18. Because Christ also died once for sins, the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Put to death indeed in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit, 19. in which also he went and preached to those spirits that were in prison. [fn. 2] 20. These in times past had been disobedient when the patience of God waited in the days of Noe [Noah] while the ark was building. In that ark a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water. 21. Its counterpart, Baptism now saves you also (not the putting off of the filth of the flesh [the water is referred to], but the inquiry [response] of a good conscience after God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; 22. who is at the right hand of God, swallowing up death that we might be made heirs of eternal life; for he went into heaven, Angels, Powers and Virtues being made subject to him.
Translation is late 1940's CCD Douay Rheims Catholic
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[fn. 1]
These passages below from Saint Paul and Saint Peter are linked. See Mt. 5:10 "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Saint Peter affirms this in 1Pet. 3:14 below. This was seen in action in Thessalonica recorded in Acts 17:5-9 and referred to in 1 Thess. 2:14 below.
Acts 17:5-9 - [5] But the Jews, moved with envy, and taking unto them some wicked men of the vulgar sort, and making a tumult, set the city in an uproar; and besetting Jason's house, sought to bring them out unto the people.
[6] And not finding them, they drew Jason and certain brethren to the rulers of the city, crying: They that set the city in an uproar, are come hither also; [7] Whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus. [8] And they stirred up the people, and the rulers of the city hearing these things, [9] And having taken satisfaction of Jason and of the rest, they let them go.
[6] And not finding them, they drew Jason and certain brethren to the rulers of the city, crying: They that set the city in an uproar, are come hither also; [7] Whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus. [8] And they stirred up the people, and the rulers of the city hearing these things, [9] And having taken satisfaction of Jason and of the rest, they let them go.
Just as the Jews persecuted Our Lord Jesus Christ, they also persecute those who follow Him. Our Lord tells us we are blessed when this occurs just as the prophets were blessed by God for being faithful to Him when the Jews persecuted and killed them - which they did to Our Only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but He rose again and will return and raise and judge all men.
Saint Paul
1 Thess. 2: [14] For you, brethren, are become followers of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus: for you also have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews, [see Acts 17:5-9] [15] Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men; [16] Prohibiting us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath of God is come upon them to the end. (DRV)
Saint Peter
1 Peter 3: [11] Let him decline from evil, and do good: let him seek after peace and pursue it: [12] Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers: but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things. [13] And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good? [14] But if also you suffer any thing for justice' sake, [see Mt. 5:10] blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled. [15] But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you. (DRV)
1 Thess. 2: [14] For you, brethren, are become followers of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus: for you also have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews, [see Acts 17:5-9] [15] Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men; [16] Prohibiting us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath of God is come upon them to the end. (DRV)
Saint Peter
1 Peter 3: [11] Let him decline from evil, and do good: let him seek after peace and pursue it: [12] Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers: but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things. [13] And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good? [14] But if also you suffer any thing for justice' sake, [see Mt. 5:10] blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled. [15] But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you. (DRV)
[fn. 2] "19. in which also he went and preached to those spirits that were in prison." This is explained by St. Irenaeus in Against Heresies Book IV, Chapter XXVII, Section 2.
2. It was for this reason, too, that the Lord descended into the regions beneath the earth, preaching His advent there also, and [declaring] the remission of sins received by those who believe in Him.385 Now all those believed in Him who had hope towards Him, that is, those who proclaimed His advent, and submitted to His dispensations, the righteous men, the prophets, and the patriarchs, to whom He remitted sins in the same way as He did to us, which sins we should not lay to their charge, if we would not despise the grace of God. For as these men did not impute unto us (the Gentiles) our transgressions, which we wrought before Christ was manifested among us, so also it is not right that we should lay blame upon those who sinned before Christ's coming.
Notice there is no purgatory here, it is the "the righteous men, the prophets, and the patriarchs" who are in the place rendered a "prison" in the text here in 1 Peter 3:19. "Prison" has dual meaning here; it is the grave, first of all, since when Adam sinned then it was the lot of men to die - and secondly it is the "bosom of Abraham" that Our Lord Jesus Christ referred to as the place of the abode of the souls of the faithful departed awaiting the resurrection of the dead (Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell., which after the resurrection of Christ, the Church referred to as the "bosom of Christ"). At the same time, Saint Irenaeus is not saying that wanton disregard for God's commandments is somehow allowed for anyone. We must repent and ask for God's forgiveness. Also, he is saying that we must not impute sins recorded in the Old Testament to the prophets and patriarchs just as they do not impute our sins to us who would later come to the same Christ for forgiveness. This is also in Our Lord's Prayer He taught us to Pray: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our supersubstantial bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen." We must, of course, confess our sins to God and ask for forgiveness and at the same time we do not hold our fellows in the body of Christ as indebted to us but as Jesus told Peter, how often do you forgive - seven times? Nay but, seven times seven times. The meaning is there is no limit. This doesn't apply to those outside the body of Christ. Instead, if they are willing, tell them about the gift of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and His forgiveness.
Note as well, that in the Apostles Creed there is a phrase that Our Lord Jesus Christ descended into "hell" (same word is also incorrectly used in the Acts Of Apostles 2:27 and related scriptural verses). That is not correct, it is a bad translation from the Latin. It should read the same as the above place wherein Our Lord went to preach to those departed spirits of men that were in fact saved but awaiting the announcement that their Saviour, who is the same Saviour of us, Jesus Christ, had come. He went in to them in the time between His death on the Cross (a living death with NO bodily corruption [Acts Of Apostles 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in the abode of the dead, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.]) and His resurrection and announced the glorious and long awaited news that He had come with the salvation promised to Adam by God when Adam had sinned. This salvation is for Adam and Eve (who were among the ones awaiting Christ) and all of Adam's children that put their faith in the true God. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ went in to the abode of the dead, but He did not remain there. He never went into hell, the abode of the damned, nor did He ever preach any forgiveness to them - see Luke 16:22 above, the rich man went into hell, damned forever. At His ascension, after His resurrection, Our Lord Jesus Christ translated the bosom of Abraham to heaven with Him instead of an interim lower place. Therefore, as St. Paul and the Church Fathers attest, spiritual journeys into heaven are quite possible for those whom God grants the gift. We therefore have no reason to doubt the night journey of Muhammad (pbuh) to heaven. Three and seven heavens do not disagree. We don't mean the gnostic versions of any of it. God's throne is in the third heaven beyond and above the created universe. The first heaven is the atmosphere, the air. The second heaven is what we call outer space. The seven heavens are the journey anyone would make through the solar system past the seven visible planets. The second heaven extends to where the third heaven is, the uncreated throne room of the living God. It is not spatial as we think of created spatial places, it is the uncreated light and presence of the living God above all and beyond all, who created all that has been created and Whose presence (Tawhid in Islam, Nous in Patristic Christianity) is infinite, it is the mind of God and has the quality of His uncreated energy and is present transcendently throughout all of His creation. God is not present in hell. That is maintained by Him in existence by His will and is the abode of the damned. It is sheer terror and suffering and torment and darkness and has the quality present of nonphysical but extreme and utterly real fire that burns but does not consume, there is real pain. The "worm" of the damned souls does not die.
Note as well, that in the Apostles Creed there is a phrase that Our Lord Jesus Christ descended into "hell" (same word is also incorrectly used in the Acts Of Apostles 2:27 and related scriptural verses). That is not correct, it is a bad translation from the Latin. It should read the same as the above place wherein Our Lord went to preach to those departed spirits of men that were in fact saved but awaiting the announcement that their Saviour, who is the same Saviour of us, Jesus Christ, had come. He went in to them in the time between His death on the Cross (a living death with NO bodily corruption [Acts Of Apostles 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in the abode of the dead, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.]) and His resurrection and announced the glorious and long awaited news that He had come with the salvation promised to Adam by God when Adam had sinned. This salvation is for Adam and Eve (who were among the ones awaiting Christ) and all of Adam's children that put their faith in the true God. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ went in to the abode of the dead, but He did not remain there. He never went into hell, the abode of the damned, nor did He ever preach any forgiveness to them - see Luke 16:22 above, the rich man went into hell, damned forever. At His ascension, after His resurrection, Our Lord Jesus Christ translated the bosom of Abraham to heaven with Him instead of an interim lower place. Therefore, as St. Paul and the Church Fathers attest, spiritual journeys into heaven are quite possible for those whom God grants the gift. We therefore have no reason to doubt the night journey of Muhammad (pbuh) to heaven. Three and seven heavens do not disagree. We don't mean the gnostic versions of any of it. God's throne is in the third heaven beyond and above the created universe. The first heaven is the atmosphere, the air. The second heaven is what we call outer space. The seven heavens are the journey anyone would make through the solar system past the seven visible planets. The second heaven extends to where the third heaven is, the uncreated throne room of the living God. It is not spatial as we think of created spatial places, it is the uncreated light and presence of the living God above all and beyond all, who created all that has been created and Whose presence (Tawhid in Islam, Nous in Patristic Christianity) is infinite, it is the mind of God and has the quality of His uncreated energy and is present transcendently throughout all of His creation. God is not present in hell. That is maintained by Him in existence by His will and is the abode of the damned. It is sheer terror and suffering and torment and darkness and has the quality present of nonphysical but extreme and utterly real fire that burns but does not consume, there is real pain. The "worm" of the damned souls does not die.
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