He descended into ... hell?

I realize not every Christian church out there recites the Apostles' Creed. Still, those who do, have surely encountered this perplexing little phrase, 'He descended into hell." There might not be a doctrine in Christianity that's sparked more confusion and uncertainty than this one.

 

So, let me take a stab at trying to clarify it. What's usually missed here is a significant change in what "happens after death" after Jesus' victory on the cross. The heaven/hell we think of wasn't the same thing in the Old Testament era. I know this is kind of a "mind blown" moment for a lot of people, so I'll try to go slow.

 

To be honest, I think I was confused about this topic even in Seminary. What I'm writing here is where I'm at on this teaching, now... though I have to acknowledge there may be other opinions about it out there. So, check out the passages I'm citing here, and see if they measure up. Feel free to consult other opinions.

 

Peter provides what's probably the most important verse on the topic: "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, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison" (1 Pet 3:18-19).

 

But what are these "spirits in prison"? And what did Christ proclaim to them? To answer these questions, we must first understand the Old Testament concept of Sheol. 

 

In Hebrew thought, Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) was not the fiery pit of eternal torment that often comes to mind when we hear the word "hell." It's not the place that was made for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41).

 

Instead, it was the realm of the dead, a shadowy existence where both the righteous and unrighteous awaited final judgment. When the Old Testament was translated into Greek (the Septuagint), Sheol was often rendered as "Hades," which later Christians sometimes translated as "hell."

 

Jesus Himself alluded to this concept in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, describing a place called "Abraham's bosom" where the righteous found comfort after death (Luke 16:22-23). This parable draws on a deeper Old Testament concept that suggests a division within Sheol between the righteous and unrighteous.

 

The idea's basically that there was a single "Sheol," or underworld, and there the unrighteous suffered, but the righteous stay at "Abraham's bosom," a place of comfort and protection as they awaited for the Messiah to come, to fulfill the promise given to Eve (that he would crush the serpent's head) and open up heaven to those who (now with Christ) would dwell with him until the final judgment, when the dead would be raised, and we'd live forever in the new heavens and new earth.

 

So when we confess that Christ "descended into hell," we're affirming His descent into Sheol, the realm of the dead. But why did He go there? What was the purpose of this descent?

 

Peter tells us that Christ "proclaimed to the spirits in prison" (1 Pet 3:19). The Greek word for "proclaimed" here is ἐκήρυξεν (ekēryxen), which carries the sense of a victorious announcement or declaration. A triumphant shout!

 

Christ's proclamation was not offering a second chance for salvation, nor was it a continuation of His suffering. Instead, it was a declaration of victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness. The bars of death's prison were shattered, the keys of hell and death seized by the risen Lord (Rev 1:18).

 

This descent, far from being a further humiliation, marks the beginning of Christ's exaltation. It is the first act in the drama of His triumph, which culminates in His resurrection and ascension. As Paul writes, quoting from Psalm 68:18, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men" (Eph 4:8). Who were those captives? Those Peter mentioned, the spirits in prison! Jesus took those who were at Abraham's side to be with him in heaven.

 

Think about the implications of this.

 

Christ's victory extends not only to the living but also to those who had died before His coming. His redemptive work spans all of human history, reaching back to embrace the faithful of old and forward to claim all who will believe.

 

Moreover, Christ's descent into Sheol underscores the completeness of His identification with humanity. He not only took on human flesh and experienced death but also entered into the very realm of the dead, leaving no aspect of human existence untouched by His redeeming presence.

 

This doctrine also demonstrates Christ's lordship over all realms. As Paul declares, "For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living" (Rom 14:9). His authority extends to every corner of creation, seen and unseen, above and below, past, present, and future.

 

For us today, the truth of Christ's descent into hell offers profound comfort. It assures us that there is no depth to which Christ has not plumbed on our behalf. No darkness is too deep, no pit too profound for His light to penetrate and His love to reach.

 

This understanding sheds new light on other passages of Scripture. When Jesus told the repentant thief, "Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43), He was promising immediate comfort. Some scholars interpret this as "Abraham's Bosom," but if that's the case, well I think that misses the truth of what Jesus did that day (today) when he descended to Sheol to take the faithful with Him. I believe that what Jesus was proclaiming to the thief was actually foreshadowing what Jesus was about to do once he died. He'd take that thief, along with all the other spirits at Abraham's side, to heaven itself.

 

The early Christian belief that Jesus opened access to heaven through His death and resurrection is supported by passages like Hebrews 9:8, which states that "the way into the holy places" was not yet opened while the old covenant stood. Christ's work inaugurated a new and living way into God's presence (Heb 10:19-20). 

 

As we contemplate Christ's descent, we are reminded of the cosmic scope of His redemptive work. His victory extends not only across space but across time, encompassing all of history. As Peter writes elsewhere, "For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does" (1 Pet 4:6). 

 

The doctrine of Christ's descent into hell also reveals the paradoxical nature of God's victory. In the moment of apparent defeat – Christ's death on the cross – God was actually achieving His greatest triumph. The lowest point of Christ's humiliation became the launching pad for His exaltation. Death, the last enemy, became the gateway to eternal life. 

 

This paradox echoes throughout Scripture. We see it in Joseph's declaration to his brothers: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Gen 50:20). We hear it in Paul's assertion that God's strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9). And we witness it supremely in the cross itself, where an instrument of shame and death becomes the means of glory and life.

 

Christ's descent into hell also speaks to the thoroughness of His saving work. He leaves no stone unturned, no realm unclaimed, no power undefeated in His quest to redeem humanity. From the highest heaven to the lowest hell, Christ's lordship is complete and His victory absolute.

 

This truth offers hope to those who feel beyond the reach of God's love. Are you in the depths of despair? Christ has been there. Do you feel trapped in a prison of your own making? Christ has the keys. Are you facing the specter of death? Christ has conquered the grave.

 

The doctrine of Christ's descent into hell reminds us that there is no place we can go where Christ has not already been. As the Psalmist wrote, "If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!" (Ps 139:8). Christ's love pursues us relentlessly.

 

Furthermore, this doctrine underscores the corporate nature of our salvation. Christ's descent was not just for individuals but for all of humanity. He united Himself with our entire race, from Adam to the last person born, taking all of human history into Himself and redeeming it.

 

As we confess this article of faith in the Creed, let us do so with renewed understanding and gratitude. Christ's descent into "hell" can be confusing, largely because "hell" probably should be translated as "Sheol." Still, if understood, it's more a cause for celebration than confusion. A reason to praise rather than scratch our heads, perplexed.

 

It is a testament to His complete victory, His total identification with us, and His absolute lordship over all creation.

 

In this truth, we find hope that extends beyond the grave and encompasses all of history and eternity. We are reminded that no power of hell, no scheme of man can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:38-39). Christ has conquered death and Sheol, and in Him, we too are more than conquerors.

 

Let us, therefore, live in the light of this victory. Let us face our trials with courage, knowing that Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). Let us confront our fears with faith, trusting in the One who holds the keys of Death and Hades (Rev 1:18). And let us proclaim with boldness the good news of Christ's triumph, inviting others to share in His victory.

 

For in Christ's descent and ascent, we see the full measure of God's love – a love that stops at nothing, that penetrates every darkness, that overcomes every obstacle to reach us and bring us home. This is the love that compels us, that transforms us, and that gives us hope for both this life and the life to come.

 

In Jesus name,

Judah