Read: 1 Peter 3:18-20, Ephesians 4:7-10
Key Text: What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthy regions? (Ephesians 4:9)
Reflection: ‘He descended to the dead’ is perhaps the most controversial and widely debated statement of the Apostle’s Creed. In older translations of the Creed, the statement reads, ‘he descended to hell’, while some traditions drop the phrase all together because it is so problematic.
Various interpretations have been given to its meaning. The first interpretation is that upon his death Jesus descended to a literal hell (place of torment and separation from God) in which he preached the gospel. This is based on Peter’s claim that Jesus preached to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19). A second interpretation is that descended to the dead refers to Jesus’ agonizing physical and spiritual torment on the cross; that is, Jesus fully entered into the painful reality of human death. A third interpretation is that when Christ died, he did not go to either heaven or hell, but an intermediary place (Sheol in Jewish tradition) from which his resurrection triumph was ultimately announced.
Let me stick my neck out. I believe that ‘he descended to the dead’ articulates an important theological truth that Jesus really did die, and that after his death he liberated those already dead who were waiting for his resurrection triumph. He is the first to rise to life (Colossians 1:18), and only after him can anyone else rise, including those who died before him.
Exercise: Define your understanding of heaven in one sentence. Do the same for your understanding of hell.
Read: A good and brief summary of the various interpretations given to this phrase:http://www.patheos.com/blogs/euangelion/2011/05/descendit-ad-inferos-he-descended-into-hell/
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