60 1 Pet 3.19 Though physically dead Jesus was spiritually alive

1 Peter 3:18-22 (ESV)

18  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

19  in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

20  because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

21  Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22  who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

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The main point of this verse is that though Jesus appeared to have failed, having died and been buried, the reality was different: Jesus had succeeded, and continued to successfully and victoriously function in spirit.  Peter's reference to Jesus reinforces his point that suffering for righteousness sake, though at the moment may appear to be a loss and to no good effect, is always the ideal course and accomplishes great things.

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There are several interpretations as to what events specifically Peter was referencing in vs 19.  Though the passage and its context don't provide sufficient details to definitively establish the chronology, the child thoughts underneath this thought explore some of the more popular interpretations.