Saturday, 21 November 2009
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Question About the Crucifixion: Did Jesus Go to Hell?
Jesus went to Hell. This is a totally new concept for me.
I was having lunch with a mid-western Protestant, Catholic from Queens yesterday and someone who didn't have an opinion either way, and I was astounded to hear the latter two begin discussing the "fact" that Jesus went to Hell for three days after He was crucified and placed in the tomb. My personal opinion has no place here; I am simply stunned by the fact that I was raised in the Church of Christ until my teens and I have never heard anything about Jesus having gone to Hell for three days while His body was in the tomb.
Did you know about this? I was always of the impression that being crucified on a cross would be pretty much enough misery and sin taking to account for mankind, but apparently there is a huge Christian contingency that believes that Christ spent three days in Hell as part of His suffering for our sins. I am not one to say one way or the other about what I believe and don't believe, nor to preach, but I am totally confounded at not having heard this before, since it seemed to be, at the lunch table today, such a commonly know thing. I'm certain my mother would have had a strong opinion about it one way or the other, and I never heard of this concept.
Apparently, many Christians believe that the Bible says that the soul of Jesus went into Hell for three days after crucifixion as part of the whole dirty bargain. My question is, is this supposed to be common knowledge? I don't know what my beliefs are at this point, other than there is a higher power, and I actually don't personally believe in Hell so I guess that says I don't believe that Jesus went to Hell. I believe it has to do with human error and translation and interpretation as well as social and moral values of the authors and times, but my point is this: is it common knowledge that Jesus went to Hell?
Is that how the story goes, and I didn't know it all these years? I don't think my family believed that or I would have heard it. Have I just been out of the loop? It is interesting me to when I come across a new concept that I think I certainly would have noticed hearing about or reading about before. What else don't I know?
Do you believe Jesus went to Hell for three days after being crucified? Is this, as the author suggests, common knowledge?
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- From: Orlando@xanga
- Name: Orlando
- Location: New York, United States
- About Me: I write because I can....and I need to vent.
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Comments (65)
I have never even considered this. I've been raised in the Church of Christ my whole life too and never really discussed this. Hmmmm...good thing we're studying the crucifixion in bible class tomorrow. I will be studying this tonight. :)
I hope you find an answer.
Yes, I do believe the Bible gives thought that Jesus went to hell for the 3 nights during His death. The bible say that as Jonah was in the belly of the Whale that Jesus would be in the bowels of the earth. Because it is said that Jesus now holds the keys to death and hell. The only place to get them would be through His death and decent into hell to take them from Satan.
That's the most common interpretation of a certain passage in 1 Peter for modern evangelicals, but not the most common throughout history. It's a difficult passage.
I don't believe that Christ went to hell for the three days of his death. When the thief on the cross beside Jesus asked him to remember him, Jesus replied: "This day you will be with me in paradise."
I believe that the 'bowels of the earth' means just that. Christ spent three days buried in a tomb in the bowels of the earth. I don't know if I am right or wrong, but I have also heard the doctrine that Christ went to hell called a heresy.
Heresy is a strong word, but the doctrine might be in error since I have never really heard it preached in the more traditional churches. I have only had experience with protestant and pentecostal churches, so I can't say if this is preached in the Catholic faith.
Jesus did not go to Hell to suffer in Hell fire for sin. He certainly went to the grave, or Sheol. First He tells the thief, who professes faith in Him, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." "Paradise was also known as the "Bosom of Abraham". He can't be in the fires of Hell, and Paradise at the same time.
Jesus also tells us in John 19:30, ",,,It is finished." If you study the word "finished" in Greek, it means, "complete, executed, to complete what was commanded, finished, done..."
Scripture is quite clear that Jesus didn't go to suffer in the fires of Hell. He also didn't ascend to heaven, because He tells Mary M. on the morning of his resurrection that He has not yet returned to the Father.
@myfanwe@xanga - Very well said.
This is a very common belief in the modern era-- but I personally have not run across this with any significant degree of frequency in my study of the early Church history.
Can someone give me the passage that talks about this?
(Besides the commonly referenced 1 Peter 3 and Ephesians 4?)
So tricky- I've heard this explanation but have no idea myself what really happened (not entirely sure it matters either).
But like you, I hadn't heard of this even after several years at a fellowship baptist denomination. Honestly I don't even remember where I heard the idea first from. Heck, might of been my own questioning about a passage!
Sorry...wish I had an answer. It IS a strange concept though- but then again Jesus DID leave His place in Heaven for earth, so maybe it's not a stretch to spend 3 days in hell. Also strange to think that those 3 days would have been eternity in a way.
@Such_Were_You@xanga - Thanks for the reminder- that makes complete sense.
@walking_the_narrow_road@xanga - John 19:28-30, Luke 16:19-31, John 20:11-19, Luke 23:39-43. That should give you enough info to at least get started. It will also be helpful for you if you study Jewish teaching about Hell and Sheol, up to the time of Jesus. I'd also suggest spending some time looking at these verses in Greek.
Hope this helps in your search for understanding.
The Apostle's Creed says: "He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into Hell. On the third day he arose from the dead."
From paragraph 196 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
"Our presentation of will follow the Apostles' Creed, which constitutes, as it were, "the oldest Roman catechism." The presentation will be completed however by constant reference to the Nicene Creed which is often more explicit and more detailed.""
So the teaching that Jesus went to the netherworld as Savior has been an article of faith for centuries.
@ltl_rvr@xanga - I've done some study into this matter. I'm glad you found my comment helpful.
@fallingraindrop@xanga - Yes, the Apostle's Creed does indeed say "Hell", but the Jewish mind, and that of the Apostles would have had many different meaning for Hell. Even Greeks had a complex understanding of Hell. Jesus, teaches about the grave being a divided place Luke 16:19-31. So what exactly does the Apostle's Creed mean with its use of "Hell"?
@Such_Were_You@xanga - The Church teaches that Jesus lived and died like any man. All men die and experience "sheol." But Jesus also met death as the Savior of mankind.
Here are the relevant paragraphs from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
632 The frequent New Testament affirmations that Jesus was "raised from the dead" presuppose that the crucified one sojourned in the realm of the dead prior to his resurrection.477 This was the first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ's descent into hell: that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead. But he descended there as Saviour, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there.478
633 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, "hell" - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.479 Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into "Abraham's bosom":480 "It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Saviour in Abraham's bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell."481 Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.482
634 "The gospel was preached even to the dead."483 The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfilment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
635 Christ went down into the depths of death so that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."484 Jesus, "the Author of life", by dying destroyed "him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage."485 Henceforth the risen Christ holds "the keys of Death and Hades", so that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."486
The little numbers are footnotes and scriptural references. Go here to see them. The footnote numbers are hyperlinked to references at the bottom of the page.
To me, as an Agnostic, I think it would make his "sacrifice" more meaningful had he gone to Hell. I mean, if Hell were really as bad as the Bible and most Christians make it out to be, then wouldn't getting crucified be considered as getting off easy? If I get more punishment for my own sins than Jesus did for ALL the sins of mankind, I feel kind of duped, therefore Jesus' "sacrifice" really doesn't mean all that much to me.
But then again... Even if Jesus went to Hell for, say, a week... That would STILL be considered getting off easy compared to spending an eternity there.
@fallingraindrop@xanga - Though I am not Roman Catholic, I'd have to say I agree with most of what the Roman Catholic Church teaches on the matter. Well, at least most of what you've shared with me here anyway.
Thanks so much, for a more in depth explanation.
@Such_Were_You@xanga - The Creed is a big deal in the Catholic Church. It is the confession of faith for all who get baptized into the Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains each article of faith professed in the Creed very nicely. I also like the way the Catechism is footnoted with sources for its teachings.
I hope you hit a few of those hyperlinks. The Church is often criticized for not adhering to Scripture. One look at the sources used for the Catechism shows Scripture to be a major source for Catholic doctrine.
See, I really don't know either on account of the fact that there might not be a hell at all. I've always heard He did and I figure if He did well it's because He wanted to make sure of what is was before He sent people there. Like He's got to make sure it's in working order or something.
I was offended the first time I heard this in high school, but now it kind of makes sense. I don't know what to think about it, though.
@fallingraindrop@xanga - I didn't hit those links, but I didn't need to, I could see where the Roman Catholic Church got it's doctrine on this matter. I'm not one of those who attacks the Roman Catholic Church out of hand. I accept Roman Catholics as my brothers/sisters. None of us, no matter our tradition, have all the right answers. Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Anglicans, etc. all have some things right, and some things wrong. This is why we need to all stick to the core doctrines of Christianity, and extend liberty to one another on other nonessential matters.
The Apostle's Creed is a big deal, because in it are all the core doctrines of orthodox Christianity. Whether Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Greek Orthodox, we all hold to the core doctrines of the Apostle's Creed.
If we, Christians, could all get together on our common ground, we'd see God move on our behalf, in ways we'd never thought possible.
@fallingraindrop@xanga - I agree w/ everything u said.
p
That is heretical teaching. Jesus said on the cross - "It is finished!" Jesus did not suffer in hell, he triumphed over principalities and powers. Colossians 2:12-15.
@fallingraindrop@xanga - @Such_Were_You@xanga - The Cathechism doesn't say that Jesus suffered in hell, as I showed in above verse.
@musterion99@xanga - The Creed says that Jesus descended into hell, not that he suffered in hell.
Hit the hyperlinks that I posted in the comments. They refer directly to Scripture. The Catholic Church cannot teach heresy for it was founded by Christ himself. After Christ resurrected he instructed his disciples on the true meaning of Revelation (the Road to Emmaus is an indication of this).
@fallingraindrop@xanga - The Creed says that Jesus descended into hell, not that he suffered in hell.
Did you read the post? The post says - "apparently there is a huge Christian contingency that believes
that Christ spent three days in Hell as part of His suffering for our
sins."
That is what I was responding to. This may also be of interest.
"It’s clear that the early church believed that Jesus descended into hell.
Were they heretics? The fact is, during their time if anyone refused to
believe in the entire creed they were dis-fellowshipped…”
Steven Gertz is editorial coordinator for Christian History gives a vivid answer about this. According to Steven Gertz
“The oldest extant
version comes from Bishop Marcellus of Ancyra (ca. A.D. 337), and it
does not contain the clause about descending into hell. Scholars call
this version “The Old Roman Form”—the earliest creed of the Roman
church.
Apparently the clause
first appeared in the East with Sirmium’s fourth formula in 359—also
called the “Dated Creed”— though the Eastern church rejected it as
tinged with Arianism. The first mention of the descent in the West
occurs in the writings of Rufinus of Aquileia, who included it in his
baptismal creed around 400. Over time, the Latin church appropriated it
as well, officially integrating it into the Creed in 750."
Fallingraindrop says it all.