The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-03

enceS death and
tRASI0R RUSSELllJ resurrection He
preached unto the
spirits In prison."-I Peter fiji, IS, 10.
This text, said Pastor Russell, has
been made the basis for some peculiar
presentations. From it some have de-
duced an intermediate state lasting
between death and the resurrection.
Others have claimed it as an authority
for the doctrine Of PurgatOry. The
difficulty In every case seems to be the
failure to remember that the Bible al
ways and everywhere teaches that the
dead are really dead, that they know
nothing, and that, therefore, it would
be impossible to do any preaching to
the dead humans. Undoubtedly the
theory that people are more alive after
they die than when they were alive is
responsible for nearly all of the fool
ish things which we have all at some
time professed to believe.
Before dismissing the thought that
these Spirits in prison" are human
spirits, let US note the fact that to say,
human spirits" is an absurdity of it.
self, because human beings are not
spirits and spirit beings are not hui
mans. who maketh His angels spir-
it's is the Scriptural proposition.
True. we do sometimes speak Of hu-
mans as possessing spirit of life, but
by this we merely mean that he pos
sesses tie power or energy Of life, and
the same would be equally true of the
loWei orders Of creation, beasts, fish,
fowl. etc.
Again, we sometimes speak Of the
Church as spirit beings-begotten Of
the Holy Spirit. Thus the Apostle
speai:s of the natural man in contrast
with the New Creature, spirit being.
To appreciate this statement we must
remember that the Church class re-
ceives the begetting Of the Holy Spirit
to the end that, if faithful, they may
attain unto q spirit resurrection and
become spirit beings, like unto the an
gels and like to the Redeemer. But we
are not spirits yet, except by faith-by
hope. However, the context shows
that the Apostle had no reference to
the Church, either: we were not in
prison; we received the Message of sal
walton through the Apostles.
Spirits Once Disobedient.
The spirits to whom the message
was given had proven themselves dis
obedient, says st. Peter. He even
tells us the time of their disobedience,
namely, that it was 'in the days Of
Noah, while the ark was preparing"
Surely, If noticing these particulars
mentioned in the context, no one would
be excusable for misunderstanding this
Scripture and considering it in any
way applicable to humanity of our day
or to humanity In general. However,
1t Is helpful to US to learn the full par
ticulars Of the matter. What was their
disobedience, and when and how were
they imprisoned?
Turning to Genesis vi, is, we find
there the cause of the disobedience of
those angels, who for time had been
permitted to see what they could do
for the uplift of humanity, or, rather,
permitted to demonstrate that the
downward tendency Of sin is incurable
except In the manner which God has
already arranged for through Messiah
and His glorious reign Of thousand
years. .-. e.
Instead Of those angels helping man.
kind out Of sin they helped themselves
into sin, and by SO doing they increased
the depravity amongst humanity until
the astounding record is that "the wick.
NJ
and that every Imagination of the
thought Of his heart was only evil con.
tfnually." The particular sin of those
angels was that when they were grant
ed the privileges of materializing-ot
taking human bodies for the sake OF
helping and instructing mankind-they
misused this power and took to them.
selves the daughters Of men for wives
Thus these angels came gradually to
prefer to live as men amongst men and
to rear earthly families rather than
to abide In the condition in which they
were created-spirit beings, higher
than humans. Not only was this
wrong In the sense that it was taking
course In opposition to the Divine
encouragement, puI IL was WEOu& dlSC
because the thing was done for the
cultivation and qualification Of lust
and it led to their own moral defile
ment as well as having a baneful in.
fuence upon humanity; for we can
readily see that for the angels, Of su
perior powers and intelligence, to be-
come leaders in lustful practices would
mean a great influence upon mankind
toward sin and dealement of mind and
body.
We are particularly told that the OF
spring Of this improper union between
the angels and the daughters of mel
were giants. both physically and men
tally superior to the fallen human fam
ily-"men Of renown" And this state
ment, that they were men Of re