That said, note that this passage highlights that Jesus preached not to all the dead, but to “spirits in prison,” which seems to reflect an angelic rebellion that occurred right before the flood (Genesis 6:1-4) that led to angels being imprisoned (see 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6). This might mean that Jesus spoke to them at the time of Noah through the Spirit (as Augustine and others maintained) or that he preached to them after his death. It talks about Jesus preaching to spirits imprisoned who were disobedient at the time of Noah. ![]() The closest a passage comes to supporting this view is 1 Peter 3:18-20, which I admit is not the easiest passage to understand. Ephesians 4 speaks about Jesus descending from heaven to earth, and 1 Peter 4:6 points to those who are now dead hearing the gospel when they were alive. In addition, passages that are often viewed as reflecting a descent to hell (Ephesians 4:9 and 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 4:6) do not necessarily teach this view when examined more closely. Third, the idea that Jesus had to go to hell to bring Old Testament saints out of hell seems to ignore the fact that back then, Jews presumed followers of God were in His presence at death, with nothing to indicate otherwise (Luke 16:26). Jesus did not need to go to hell to complete his work of salvation, as on the cross he declares, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Second, Jesus gives his spirit to the Father on the cross (Luke 23:46), which would not be true if he then went to hell. First, Jesus told the thief on the cross “today, you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), implying that the thief and Jesus were going to the same place upon death. In fact, when we study the Bible, we see a number of problems with this view. This story is found in an apocryphal book (a later writing not really written by the apostles or early followers of Jesus) known as the Gospel of Nicodemus which contains “the Acts of Pilate” (likely written in the third century), but it is unclear if it comes from Scripture. ![]() During this time, Jesus announced redemption and released the faithful who died before he came from the netherworld. When reading/reciting the phrase “he descended to hell,” the impression most people have is that Jesus went to hell and spent three days there between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. As we study the Apostles’ Creed at Faith Church, one phrase that may sound different to those who have previously recited the creed is “he suffered the agony of hell for me.” Some churches omit this phrase altogether, but most churches use this version: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, he descended into hell.” It seems wise to offer an explanation for this particular revision we are using as we study the creed and as we recite it together in this time (and hopefully in the years to come).Ī Common Understanding of “He Descended to Hell”
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