Things have been confused by the oft-quoted Apostles Creed ( which is actually superb ), which says "He descended into Hell". What this means will need to be the subject for another question.
But what about the idea that Christ went to Hell ?

1. For one thing, the Bible is clear that Hell is a place, not just a state of being without God. For example, scriptures like Mark 9 v 42-48 speak of Hell being a place where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. Or Matthew 25 - parable of the sheep and the goats - "Depart from Me...into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels etc". To say that Hell is just a state and not a place is precisely what some evangelicals are now saying, basically teaching what is called annihilation - that the soul is extinguished at death ( or conditional immortality, as some describe it ). We could show clearly that this is not the historic, Biblical position on Hell. The Bible clearly teaches the reality of Hell, even as it teaches the reality of a place called Heaven. 
   
2. Then the idea of Christ visiting Hell is based on a handful of closely related, but notably difficult texts of scripture - literally just these - 1 Peter 3 v 19 and 4 v 6, 2 Peter 2 v 4 - 5, and Jude v 6.
   
   The key text quoted is 1 Peter 3 v 19 but it must be understood in its context, being v18, which refers to the death and resurrection of Christ. Clearly, whatever v19 refers to, it cannot mean Christ going to Hell in between His crucifixion and Resurrection - v18 rules this out. So, what does it mean ? Well, v18 contrasts Christ's earthly life with His new resurrected life, ( just like 1 Corinthians 15 v 45,49 ). It suggests that Christ preached to "the spirits in prison" spiritually (or, if you like, it was the spirit of Christ who preached, rather than Christ.) 
   
   And who was it that He preached to ? Some have suggested that the "spirits in prison" are fallen angels. But again, the context of 1 Peter 3 v 20 makes it clear that it was at the time of Noah. The only acceptable understanding is that the Spirit of Christ was at work through Noah, preaching not to fallen angels, but to the disobedient generation among whom Noah lived. And what did Noah preach ? He preached God's righteousness ( 2 Peter 2 v 4 - 5 ) and the need for repentance ( consistent with 2 Peter 3 v 9 as well).
   
   Some people have made much of the fact that Peter says that "He went and preached...etc", but throughout the Old Testament, when the prophets preached, it was said that God was coming and intervening through them, just as with Noah. Also, don't we sometimes say " Do you know, he only went and told so-an-so...." ? This doesn't mean that we emphasise them actually going somewhere.

Conclusion 

Did Jesus actually descend into Hell following His crucifixion ? No, this idea is built upon a handful of texts which are themselves closely related, and very unclear ones at that. We do well to heed the comment of Martin Luther on 1 Peter 3v19 : 

" A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means ".

If this was true for the great reformer Luther, then we ought to beware of taking a dogmatic view of it ourselves.

It seems more reasonable to think that this text refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus was appealing to the unbelievers in Noah's day, through Noah's preaching ( as Christ does through all preaching - Romans 10; 2 Corinthians 5), calling them to repentance.

As regards Christ descending into Hell, as per the Apostles Creed, He did not literally descend into the place called Hell. Indeed He could say to the repentant, dying thief "Today, you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23v43)

But we can say that the torment He experienced on the Cross, bearing our sins, was equivalent to what would have been the suffering in Hell of all His people for all eternity. We cannot conceive of how horrendous it was for the Holy Son of God to take our sins upon Himself. His sufferings were equivalent to the pains of Hell forever, and for a multitude which no man could number. In that sense, yes, He descended into Hell, culminating in the cry "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me".

[ Previous ] [ Contents ] [ Next ]