...Descended into Hell...
Have you ever wondered about that statement in the Apostles Creed? This past Friday, the answer to Q. 44 in the Heidelberg (see this post) sought to communicate what is meant by said statement.
Did Jesus physically go to hell? I do not believe He did. The Scriptures communicate that at Jesus’ death, he was immediately in the presence of the Father. Kevin DeYoung points to what Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “today you shall be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43). Also, several other statements on the cross are helpful regarding this issue. Jesus’ cries “It is finished” and “into Your Hands I commit my Spirit” seem to imply that Jesus did not physically descend into Hell. So why does the Creed make this statement? Or better, should we affirm this statement in the Creed?
I think we can and should. In fact, it is paramount for us as believers to understand the reality of Jesus’ death. For it was through His death, burial and resurrection that He put “death to death” (thank you John Owen). Rom. 6:9 says, “knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death is no longer master over Him.” If understood to communicate that Jesus came under the power of death, “descended into hell” is a statement that we ought to affirm. And since that phrase can be understood in the original language to mean “descended into the grave”, I think that it is helpful and accurate.
Thoughts?
I'm still confused. The Justin Peters seminar was the first time I started thinking about this. Justin acted like it was heresy to think that Jesus entered hell, but I have always thought that He did enter hell and there He suffered separation from God the father. He went to hell so we don't have to. So if He didn't, then His physical death was enough to pay the penalty for our sins? Death of His earthly body only? If I remember correctly, Justin thinks that if He went to hell, He would have temporarily given up His divinity, which is of course an unacceptable position. These are my random thoughts and questions, but I must ponder this more later.
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