Appendix: Did Christ go to hell? This phrase appears in the “apostolic creed” which is one of the oldest in the history of the church though it was not written by any apostle nor is it “inspired”Â
From the book of Common Prayer Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; [the dead]
The final clause in this sequence, "He descended into hell," is the most controversial in the Apostle's Creed. Some denominations consider it optional or refuse to include it at all.
The problem with this phrase begins with what it conveys. To some, the descent into hell represents the physical agony of death upon the Cross. It was hellish in its pain.
To others, “hell” means Hades or Sheol, the collective abode of the dead, divided into Paradise (Abraham's Bosom) for the God-fearing souls--and Gehenna, for the ungodly souls. Thus the descent into hell may suggest that the Son of God carried the sins of the world to hell; or He carried Good News of deliverance to the godly dead.
A third-century Syrian Creed writes it as: "who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and departed in peace, in order to preach to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the saints concerning the end of the world and the resurrection of the dead." Â c) Others believe that descending into hell means that God provided an opportunity for all mankind--in eternity as well as in time--to hear the message of redemption
The scripture texts upon which this phrase is based must be studied closely. Psalm 68:18; Matthew 12:38-41; Acts 2:22-32; Romans 10:7; Ephesians 4:7-10, 1 Peter 3:18-20, and 1 Peter 4:6
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