n2thelight,
I am grateful you even considered "my take", which I believe is God's take on this truth. Just in case I failed to explain this well enough last time...
The orthodox view teaches the doctrine of a second chance, and that Jesus went to hell that he might there preach to those imprisoned, and perhaps save them even at that late stage.
If we (together) sat down around a camp fire and went through all the Scriptures I believe you would recant your above thoughts, in that the Bible is silent to such teaching.
This is contrary to Bible teaching (if you see Isa 38:18). For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. (Isaiah 38:18YLT)
No doubt you would teach elsewhere that the day of salvation is NOW (as per 2 Cor 6:2) and I think if you studied the Lords teachings you would agree wholeheartedly. Christ's work of preaching ceased at death (John 9:4; 17:4) by which death "he lead captivity captive" See Eph. 4:8; Luke 4:18,19; Isa. 42:6.
So why refer to men as 'spirits" imprisoned?
In my studies "spirit" relates to the sentient element in man by which he perceives, reflects, feels and desires See Mk 2:8; Luke 1:47-80; Acts 17:16; 2 Cor 7:1). "Spirit" is also used as a synonym for teaching, and is identified with those who proclaim such teaching (See 1 John 4:1-2). The Lord preached to "spirits in prison"; He appealed to the thinking part, the mind, of man that was imprisoned to sin, limiting his appeal to those who were capable of responding to it.
To prove this you will see the connecting word "which" in 1 Peter 3:20KJV, because the subject is the "spirits in prison" to sin and death. God, through His spirit strove with these at all times, using Noah in Gen. 6:3 as an example, also the prophets Neh 9:30), and later Christ in Heb 1:1,2) in His endeavours to deliver them.
Rotherham renders this: "(Spirits) unyielding at one time." Peter is not teaching that Christ preached to these unyielding spirits of Noah's day, but rather that Noah's days were typical of Christ's (see Luke 17:25,26), and even as the people were unyielding at the time of the flood to the warning voice of Noah (2 Pet 2:5), so they were also at the first advent of the Lord.
In the Masters Service
Insight