The Apostles Creed | Jesus Christ Descended To The Dead
I believe Jesus Christ descended to the dead.
This one line in the Apostles’ Creed remains the most hotly contested and debated line in the entirety of the creed. Over time, people have sought to make sense of the theological understanding of this line with some changing it from descended to the dead from descended to hell while others have opted to merely remove this part of the creed. The underlying question of this portion of the creed asks “What did Jesus do after His death but before His resurrection?” For purposes of this work, we do not hold that Jesus descended to hell as western, American culture understands hell. Rather, we hold that Jesus descended to the place of the dead, a concept we will expound more on below.
As we look at the implications of this portion of the creed, we cannot escape the truths that caused its inception. First, the ministry of Jesus’ death involves the defeat of death itself. There is a rescuing of people from the clutches of death that each of us has deserved by our own work and merit. Furthermore, we cannot escape the reality of death itself. Everyone will die in some context, but hope comes from the victory of Jesus Christ over death who leads us out of the temporary holding. The passages of scripture regarding this concept are difficult and few as they wrestle with the spiritual nature of death beyond the physical capacity to see and understand. Yet, as followers of Jesus Christ, understanding Christ’s supernatural ministry over death should be a source of comfort and hope for the believer.
“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, 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. 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, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” 1 Peter 3:18-22, ESV
Hades or Gehenna
The Greek holds for two primary different understanding of hell. Yet, each holds different connotations (with their probably being a better translation for haded). When people hear the work hell, their understand is probably most akin to the word of Gehenna. Hell, as understood through the use of Gehenna, is the place of eternal torment where those who have been judged according to their works reside. This remains the final resting place for those who have rejected the Lordship of Jesus Christ. While popular depictions put this as the place of Satan’s dominion, where he rules all those he has tricked into following him, this depiction misunderstands the purpose of Gehenna. Hell is designed for the eternal torment of the devil and those who follow him. This is the price of rebellion against God and a rejection of the gift of life that comes from Jesus Christ. When mankind is judged on the merit of their works, having rejected Jesus Christ, the judgment reached is unrighteousness as the person experiences the fullness of God’s wrath for all eternity.
The concept of Hades is more nuanced (and not best translated as “hell”). To reiterate, this is not the burning flames of sulfur depicted elsewhere in scripture, instead, the best understanding would be to compare it to a temporary holding place of the dead awaiting the day when Jesus would rescue them from death. The literature and understanding from the times of Second Temple Judaism, which would carry over to the initial language of the creed, depicts the place of Hades as being the place where the righteous who have died go until they are released from prison. They are disembodied souls who will one day find resurrection from the dead. It shows the non-permanence of death for those who will be declared righteous according to the works of Jesus Christ. It is precisely why Jesus often referred to those who have died as merely having fallen asleep. A day is coming when we will see life again as Death and Hades are satiated by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Rescued From Death Through The Payment of Our Sin
One thing we cannot get around is the clear consequences of sin everyone must face. To some extent, we will all die in some regard. The question that comes up in the debate of “descended to the dead” reveals the struggle we must all wrestle with now. The Bible is clear; sin leads to death because it stands in opposition to the author of life. Unrighteousness cannot be permitted to go unpunished if God is a God of love and justice. Thus, we, as believers, will face the choice of Hades or Gehenna. Those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, believing that His death counted for us, will live in the fullness of God’s glory and grace for all eternity as we are judged according to the works of Christ. We will die to ourselves so that we might live according to Jesus Christ. Other, though, will face an eternity of hell and torment, having been declared unrighteous through our own works. Our own works leave us condemned but the works of Jesus Christ pay the price of our sin and shed blood on our behalf. This is why Jesus descended to the place of the dead, to free those who would follow after Him.
There is only one path out of death and only one way that its demands can be satisfied. Jesus Christ, being the perfect lamb of God, perfectly pays the price for our indiscretion and rebellion against God. All who put their hope and trust in Jesus Christ will find their sins have been paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ descent to the place of the dead brings redemption to those who have died for a time and will be judged according to the works of Jesus Christ, rather than their own. It reveals the nature of the ministry of Jesus Christ in death that John describes in his divine Revelation “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18, ESV) Jesus holds the keys to the prisoners of death and redeems them by declaring them justified by His works. Death is defeated through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and we follow Him out of death.
