The phrase, “he descended to Hell” is probably the least understood or most confusing phrase in the Apostles’ Creed, so it seems worthwhile to devote an entire post to these four words. Some churches omit this phrase when reciting the creed because it is confusing and is missing in some early editions and renditions of the Creed (note that it is not found in the Nicene Creed, which in many ways is an elaboration of the Apostles’ Creed). However, because it is in the Creed and has been recited for many centuries, there seems to be something lost when it is omitted. In fact, John Calvin notes that it is “of no small moment in bringing about redemption” and that “if it is left out, much of the benefit of Christ’s death will be lost.” So if we are going to say it, we need to understand what we’re saying! Those who have pondered the meaning of this phrase have come up with a number of different possibilities worth exploring — both what they mean and why they are important.
A Common Understanding
Perhaps the most common impression people have when they read this phrase is that Jesus went to hell and spent three days there between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. During this time, Jesus announced redemption and released the faithful who died before he came from the netherworld. This story is found in an apocryphal book (a later writing not really written by the apostles or early followers of Jesus) known as the Gospel of Nicodemus, which contains “the Acts of Pilate” (likely written in the third century), but it is unclear if it comes from Scripture. However, there are a number of problems with this view: 1) Jesus told the thief on the cross “today, you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), implying that the thief and Jesus were going to the same place upon death; 2) Jesus gives his spirit to the Father on the cross (Luke 23:46), which would not be true if he then went to hell. Jesus did not need to go to hell to complete his work of salvation, as on the cross he declares, “It is finished” (John 19:30); 3) The idea that Jesus had to go to hell to bring Old Testament saints out of hell seems to ignore the fact that back then, Jews presumed followers of God were in His presence at death, with nothing to indicate otherwise (Luke 16:26).
In addition, passages that are often viewed as reflecting a descent to hell (Ephesians 4:9 and 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 4:6) do not necessarily teach this view when examined more closely. Ephesians 4 speaks about Jesus descending from heaven to earth, and 1 Peter 4:6 points to those who are now dead hearing the gospel when they were alive. The closest a passage comes to supporting this view is 1 Peter 3:18-20, which I admit is not the easiest passage to understand. It talks about Jesus preaching to spirits imprisoned who were disobedient at the time of Noah. This might mean that Jesus spoke to them at the time of Noah through the Spirit (as Augustine and others maintained)or that he preached to them after his death. That said, note that this passage highlights that Jesus preached not to all the dead but to “spirits in prison,” which seems to reflect an angelic rebellion that occurred right before the flood (Genesis 6:1-4) that led to angels being imprisoned (see 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6). Such proclamation would be an announcement of Jesus’s victory to fallen angels, not humans — and nothing is mentioned of a release of the godly from a holding place. The announcement of Jesus here is of good news of his victory in the spiritual world, similar to what we see in Colossians 2:15. That can be comforting to know — Jesus is victorious!
Another Interpretation
Some Christians have interpreted “He descended to hell” simply that Jesus died, with some churches saying that Jesus “descended to the dead.” The idea behind this phrase would be that Jesus was dead and went to the place where the dead go — which would make it better to say “Hades” or “Sheol” than “hell,” as it was not the place of torment. There are many places in the Bible where “hell” has this meaning of the grave rather than a place of punishment, and there is some evidence that the earlier Latin versions of the creed used the word for “place of the dead” rather than “place of punishment” (as the difference between the two words is only one letter!). In this way, Jesus was born and died just like every other human, and because he was dead, he has conquered death for us; death no longer has its grip on us. A problem some have found with this idea is that it comes after “died and buried” and thus seem to be redundant (so why would it be added!).
The Catechism Explanation
Another explanation of the phrase appears in Q & A 44 of the Heidelberg Catechism. This phrase refers to Jesus experiencing hell for us on the cross, as he was separated from and forsaken by God as sinners are in hell — the Father turned His face away from Jesus and darkness descended as Jesus experienced God’s wrath poured out on him. The phrase refers to how Jesus, in his life and death, suffered as the suffering servant of Isaiah 53:4-5, that he was “smitten by God, and afflicted…and was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” This phrase comes after the description of his life and death as a summary of all that he did for us, giving us a spiritual understanding of his death. This explanation reflects what we find in Scripture, and I think it has great value for us — a value that I think you can find even if you hold to one of the other interpretations of the phrase.
What To Remember When You Recite
Therefore, when we say “descended to hell,” we should remember that Jesus suffered the agony and anguish of hell for us on the cross. That might not sound comforting, but because Jesus experienced it, we do not have to, which means, as the Catechism teaches us, the descent to hell “assure[s] me during attacks of the deepest dread and temptation that Christ my Lord…has delivered me from hellish anguish and torment” — because Jesus experienced this on the cross. Jesus descended into hell, showing that he is victorious and that I am forgiven!
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