Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-09-13
-, From the Southern Christian Herald.

~ From the Southern ChrlStalh lleld!u'
"On atrcSrrect interpretation efthe Scriptures"
Mr.. EDITOR: Permit me to offer through
Your valuable periodical few remarks on an
important passage in lst Epistle OF Peter 8
Cd. 18th 10Th and Goth verses.
"For Christ also hath once suffered for SIN,
the inst for the unjust, that he might bring us
to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
Quicksned by the Spirit: by which, also he
arem and preached unto the spirits in prison;
which sometime were disobedient when once
the lo.g suffering of God waited in the days
of Noah, while the ark was preparing; where
in few, that is, eight souls, were saved by wa
ter"
DR.. Doddridge remarks OF this passage in
his Family Expositor that, Hardly any pas
saue has been more differently interpreted
than this, especially the phrase: "by which
also He (that is Christi went and preached
unto the spirits in prison, which sometime
were disobedient when once the long suffer
ing of God, waited in the days Of Noah while
the ark was preparing" Some understand 1t
of souls, who were In some lower place IN
Paradise, or in watch tower, waiting the
Redeemers coming: Others, of those in Hell,
whom he delivered, to grace his triumph
See DR.. Moore's Theological work, p. le.,
Bishop Pearson on the Creed, p. 22S., DIR.
Doddridge himself in his Paraphrase thinks it
means, Christ spiritually preaching by Noah,
to sinners in his day, who rejecting the truth
and being disobedient were lost and are nou
spirits in the prison Of woe and despair-and
this appears to be the more common interpre-
tation, and such is the view given Of it, by a
late writer in the Charleston Observer.
The RomiSh doctrine OF Purgatoryy, looks
mainly to this portion of Scripture for its sup
port, if mistake not. Henry and Scott, in
their commentaries coincide with the opin-
ion expressed by DR.. Doddridge. To differ
from such men Of God, may seem presumptu-
Gus at this day, vet would, with great humili-
ty suggest an Interpretation which to me
seems at kaa plausible one and new, ifmore
incorrect than the former. My great objec-
ton to its meaning, The spirits Of antedeluvl-
an rebels, nop in prison" is the want of
arord in the original for the term noc.
Christ "being put to death in the flesh but
qllickened by the spirit; by which, (SpiriO al
50 he went and preached to the spirits in pri-
son'-"in the days ofNoah"-Do:h it mean
that the Saviour personally went and preached
to the spirits in prison!
No: But by Noah preacher of righeous-
ness, he went and preached to sinners, whose
state and character is fguratively represented
BY the expression, "Spirits in Prison"
This same Apostle in his 2nd Epistle, lst
ch. last verse, says: "For the prophecy came
not in old time by the will of man: but Holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost" and again III his lst Epistle, lst
ch. 10th and llth verses he says, "Of which
salvation the Prophets have inquired and
searched diligently, who prophesied of the
grace that shonld come unto you; searching
what, or what manner Of time, the Spirit of
Christ rhich uas in them, did signify, when it
testified before handthe suferings of Christ and
the Glory that should follow" 1t is evident
from these two passages that the Holy Ghost
and the Spirit of Christ" are regarded by the
Apostle Peter, as the self same Spirit; one
Spirit, by the which, when Jesus was put to
death in the flesh, he was quickened-made
alive; And by which before he became incar-
nate, he went and praeched through Noah, to
rebel sinners.
AS to the correctness Of the Interpretation
would give to the phrase" Spirits IN Prison"
l will quote but single passage-Isaiah 81
eh. Ist tverse-" The Spirit OF the Lord God
is upon me; because the Lord hath Amounted
me to preach good tidings unto the meek: he
hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captires, and the
opening of the prison to them that are bound. )"
Now when many hundred years had passed
away from the time this was uttered by the
Prophet Isaiah, after that the Son of God be-
came incarnate, he read this passage of Scrip
ture in Synagogue and closing the book and
looking around on his attentive audience "he
began to say unto them this day is this Scrip
ture fulfilled in your ears'-Luke, 4th ch. 2lst
verse.
So then Christ did in person proclaim to the
Jews, "Iberty to the captives and the OPEN
ing of the prison to them that were bound"
"Captiyes sold under SIM imprisoned in igno-
rance, and unbehef.
The foregoing Interpretation seems to Inc