The Apostles Creed: Lesson 7 "He Descended into Hell"
Notes
Transcript
This is the hardest and yet easiest phrases in the Creed to understand.
Its hard because this is a very tuff subject to answer and to understand however if it was taken out of the creed altogether it would still have the same meaning and power.
When looking at this phrase we must look at it in the context of the whole Bible and it must fit into the whole theology of the mission of Christ and cannot be at odds with other passages of scripture.
Where Did Jesus Go?
Where Did Jesus Go?
This is the most questioned thing about the earthly life of Jesus. “where did He go during those 3 days in the tomb”?
Here in The Apostles Creed we make this statement that “He Descended into Hell”.
The reason that this statement is in the creed is to remind us that Jesus was physically dead.
If He was in a deep sleep or in a coma as some people claim this would not allow for His defeat of the Grave and of Death.
His death on the cross and His blood shed covered our sin, and made a way back for us to be in communion with God, but it was His resurrection that sealed our victory over death and removes our fear of it.
What the Old Testament about Hell
What the Old Testament about Hell
In the Old Testament we see hell described as one word but having different aspects.
The word in the OT for Hell is Sheol this refers to both the temporary realm of the dead who are waiting judgement and the place where one is after the judgement which is permeant.
We must be careful not to go beyond what the Bible says about this into the realm of false teachings and bad theology.
During the time of the OT Christ had not bought anyones freedom from sin so there had to be a place of holding until the time of the cross.
We see this place mention in the Psalms in Ps 16:10
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
The word abandon here is the word to pay attention to because it means to leave something permeantly or for good never to come back to it.
This means that what is there the creator will come back for it is not there forever.
This shows that it was a place of rest until the blood of Christ could cover all people even the ones from before He died on the cross.
The second part of this verse shows that the holy one the Son of God would in fact be there as well.
It is saying that God the Father would not allow His son to stay in the place of Sheol and that He would raise Him from the dead before His body saw any decay or corruption.
What The New Testament Says about Hell
What The New Testament Says about Hell
Just like the OT the NT has a name for Hell as well.
In the greek the word for Hell is Hades how ever this word is not completely right it is more the word Gehenna which is a place of torment.
The NT does go into the differences between Sheol the place where the dead in Christ went before the cross verses Gehenna which is the version of Hell that we know about which is a place of suffering and separation from God.
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.
Here in this passage it tells of Christ being put to death in the flesh but also proclaiming righteousness to those in prison or Sheol, it also tells of Noah and how God spared the people for 120 years before the flood for as many as possible to come to faith before it happened and how it was only the 8 in Noahs family.
It also says that Christ is now over all things, Angels, authorities, and powers.
19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
As you can see there is a separation between the two places. This is a story told by Christ BEFORE His death therefore it is confirming the OT narrative of what Sheol which is a place with 2 different sections one with those that die in Christ and those that never knew Him.
Sheol having 2 different places is consistent with the entire body of Scripture.
39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
This passage also is saying the same thing that those who die before Christs death on the cross did not see what was promised until after His death.
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
This clearly says that Jesus was the founder and perfecter of faith meaning it was not there until His death on the Cross.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Even as Christ truly died and His body was buried in the grave and even as His spirit entered the realm of the dead.
Christ was not abandoned nor did His body suffer corruption.
Why? Because God raised Him from the dead.
And so even as we confess that Christ descended into Hell, we get ready to celebrate that Hell could not hold Him or Us.