1 Peter 3:20

that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:

That aforetime were disobedient ... "Aforetime" flies like a banner over the whole passage; those souls Peter identified as "spirits in prison" when he wrote were living souls generations earlier in the time of Noah. In the time of Noah they were disobedient; in the time of Noah Christ preached to them; in the time of Noah, most of them rejected salvation; in the time of Noah "few" were saved. A few "spirits"? no indeed! a few "souls," that being what all of them were at the time of the preaching. There is absolutely no hint whatever in the entire New Testament of any spirits, at any time whatever, ever having been saved, or for that matter, even preached to. All of the nonsense that one reads about Christ preaching to the spirits in Hades is a fabrication built like a superstructure above and beyond the New Testament text. Of course, the selfishness of men enters into such interpretations. Men would like to have a second chance. Having rejected Christ in their bodies, they dream of getting preached to "as spirits"! The popular notion held by many that Christ preached to disembodied spirits is rationally inconceivable. If he had done such a thing, why should Noah's generation alone, of all who ever lived on earth, have been singled out as the beneficiaries? No. We must agree with Nicholson:

The passage holds out no hope for the impenitent; it forbids the notion that those who during their earthly life refuse the gospel of God's grace may have a second chance in the world beyond, and may be ultimately saved.[34]

When the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah ... This is a further elaboration of the "aforetime," just mentioned. That "aforetime" was "when" the longsuffering of God waited.

In the days of Noah ... This is another phrase pertaining to the "aforetime"; it was in the days of Noah.

While the ark was a preparing ... This is still another clause pertaining to the "aforetime"; therefore, there is really no excuse for construing the events of these verses as things that happened during that three days and nights Jesus was in the tomb. Furthermore, the "aforementioned" time is the only time specified in the whole paragraph.

Days of Noah ... Why is Noah introduced in this context? It was because of the figure of our salvation inherent in the event related here; and what the apostle designs to show by this is that the same spirit that preached through Noah is exactly the same Spirit now preaching through the apostles, a fact Peter had already categorically stated in 1 Peter 1:11. Another very obvious purpose of Peter is to encourage the saints under threat of impending persecution by calling attention to the fact of "few" being saved through the great debacle of the flood, with the inherent warning that it may also be "few" who will be saved through the looming terror. Thus it is clear that the preaching Jesus did (1 Peter 3:19) was done through Noah. The surmise that Christ in some spiritual state would have done any preaching is only that. If Christ had desired to communicate to either spirits or living souls in any kind of spiritual state, it would not have been necessary for him to enter our earth-life at all. Not even the Holy Spirit addresses men directly; as Jesus said, "He shall not speak from himself" (John 16:13).

While the ark was a preparing ... is a reference to a period of some 120 years during which the ark was built, and during which Noah preached to the rebellious world. He is called a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5). Some who would interpret this Scripture as meaning that Christ preached through some other instrumentality than that of the Holy Spirit make various arguments from the Greek text; but, as Barnes said (even while not agreeing that it was by the Holy Spirit), "The language here is consistent with the thought that Christ did the preaching through the instrumentality of another, to wit, Noah."[35]

Wherein few ... eight souls were saved ... These were Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and their respective wives.

Through water ... Just as the waters of the flood separated between Noah's family and the rebellious antediluvian world, just so the water of Christian baptism separates between God's people today and those who are unsaved. That analogy Peter would promptly state.

[34] Roy S. Nicholson, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 291.

[35] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 178.