beckysoup61 said:
That I don't know dawn. I'm not sure how that all works, I've often wondered that myself. I think those people might be in spirit prison.
I think it's always going to boil down to differences in interpretation. And I love you guys...so, I hope you know, I mean no harm...I just don't understand...
Where in the Bible, do LDS justify the act of baptising for the dead and preaching to dead? Is this more of a biblical belief or belief of the church?
1 Peter 3:18-22 references baptism for the dead but I think we read this in different context.
Do you read this the same way as I do?
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient when once the Divine longsuffering waiting in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. " 1 Peter 3:18-20
In these verses, we're told that it is Christ who brings us to God. He died in the flesh...as we die in the flesh when we accept Christ as our Saviour. We no longer live for our flesh...we live by the Spirit when we're saved.
The verses then say that Christ preached to those who FORMERLY were disobedient in the DAYS OF NOAH.
Then the next verses go on to say this...
"There is also an antitype
which now saves us -
baptism (
not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him." 1 Peter 3:21
Then...when you read on into chapter 4 of the very same book...we're told how to LIVE and what type of mind we should have in Christ.
"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of
our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles - when we walked in lewedness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties and abominable idolatries." 1 Peter 4:1-3
This past lifetime...isn't talking about our past lifetime like when we literally give up the ghost.
This is referring to our past lifetime...PRIOR to accepting Christ. We die to live. We abandon our FLESH to live in the Spirit.
"For this reason
the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." 1 Peter 4:6
The dead here...aren't those who are in the grave...the dead being referenced are those who are dead to God in life...who have yet to accept Christ and living according to God's will.