Peter writes that Jesus “made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient” (1 Pet. 3:19-20). What does this passage mean? Does it refer to Jesus going to hell in the three days between his death and resurrection?
Response:
We wish to see Jesus. (John 12:21)
In John 12:24, Jesus said concerning His approaching death, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (emp. added). The Law of Biogenesis says that in nature, life comes only from life of its own kind (Miller, 2012). Life cannot spontaneously generate or create itself. So, how could a grain which “dies,” subsequently produce living things? Does this phenomenon contradict the Law of Biogenesis? Did Jesus make a mistake? Was He ignorant of the scientific principle we call the Law of Biogenesis?
Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. (Psalms 25:18)
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For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong. (Acts 27:23)
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According to Scripture, Jesus was Deity in the flesh (John 1:1-5,14; 20:28). He was not sired by man; He was not conceived naturally by woman (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). Rather, Jesus came from heaven (John 3:13; 6:38), proved His “mighty God” Messiahship (Isaiah 9:6) through a variety of verified miracles (John 20:30-31; cf. Lyons and Butt, 2006), accepted worship (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38), and claimed a unity with God the Father that even His enemies understood was a profession of Deity (John 10:30,33). Some, however, question the Bible’s consistency of Jesus being God. The argument goes something like this (cf. Wells, 2010): The Bible declares that Satan tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1), and that Jesus was “in all points tempted as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). Yet, the Bible also declares that “God cannot be tempted by evil” (James 1:13). Therefore, the Bible (allegedly) contradicts itself regarding the nature of Jesus. How could He be God, if God cannot be tempted?
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Problem: The Bible clearly states that God cannot be tempted by evil, so why do other passages speak of God being tempted?
Problem: Leviticus 17:11 affirmed that God gave blood sacrifices “to make atonement” for our souls. But Hebrews seems to contradict that, insisting that the Aaronic priest “stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins” (10:11).
Modern evangelical churches have spent the last twenty years trying very hard to prove something. Not that the gospel is powerful. Not that the Word of God is sufficient.
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Problem: “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:3)
There are some who identify Melchizedek as the pre-incarnate Christ. That is, they believe that Christ Himself appeared to Abraham in Genesis 14. This seems to be based primarily on a misunderstanding of the verse cited above (Heb. 7:3).
Problem: According to Scripture, Jesus was Deity in the flesh (John 1:1-5,14; 20:28). He was not sired by man; He was not conceived naturally by woman (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). Rather, Jesus came from heaven (John 3:13; 6:38), proved His “mighty God” Messiahship (Isaiah 9:6) through a variety of verified miracles (John 20:30-31; cf. Lyons and Butt, 2006), accepted worship (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38), and claimed a unity with God the Father that even His enemies understood was a profession of Deity (John 10:30,33). Some, however, question the Bible’s consistency of Jesus being God. The argument goes something like this (cf. Wells, 2010): The Bible declares that Satan tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1), and that Jesus was “in all points tempted as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). Yet, the Bible also declares that “God cannot be tempted by evil” (James 1:13). Therefore, the Bible (allegedly) contradicts itself regarding the nature of Jesus. How could He be God, if God cannot be tempted?
Heb. 1:8-12—“But as to the Son, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a sceptre of
uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hast hated
lawlessness; therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with oil of gladness above thy companions.
And, Thou in the beginning, Lord, hast founded the earth, and works of thy hands are the
heavens. They shall perish, but thou continuest still; and they all shall grow old as a garment, and as
a covering shalt thou roll them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the Same, and thy years
shall not fail.”
Problem: If Jesus is God’s “only begotten Son,” then how can angels and Christians also be God’s sons?
There’s a quiet comfort in knowing who Jesus truly is. Some say He was just a good man. Others, a prophet. A wise teacher. But when we open the Bible and take a closer look and we REALLY look; it tells a different story. A deeper one. One that’s both astonishing and incredibly personal: Jesus isn’t just someone who talked about God. He is God.
That truth isn’t tucked away in just one verse or one chapter. It’s woven through the entire Bible; from the opening lines of Genesis to the final words in Revelation. It’s in the words Jesus spoke, the miracles He performed, the way others responded to Him, and the titles He accepted. Over and over again, Scripture lifts the veil and reveals His divine nature.
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“Looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great Godand our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13 KJV)
Problem: Who is this glorious One who is going to appear? The glorious One who is going to appear is described as “the GREAT GOD.” When He comes again, His deity will be quite obvious. And who is this GREAT GOD? He is further described as our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the great God who shall someday appear. What a clear affirmation of the deity of Christ!