Theology Thursday: ‘He descended into hell’ – really!?
Christians who recite the Apostles’ Creed commit themselves to the belief that Christ “was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead” (BCP). Anglicans have further confirmation of this doctrine in the third of the 39 Articles. But what does it mean? And is it biblical?
John Yates provides an overview of the language surrounding the afterlife used in the Bible and Second Temple Judaism. He then summarises the major interpretations of this doctrine through church history. Roman Catholics have the harrowing of hell. Calvin argues Christ went through hell on the cross. Other Reformed theologians argue that Jesus was thoroughly dead and buried. Modern theologians suggest that this is a post-mortem opportunity for salvation.
More importantly, in the second part of the article, Yates gives an overview of the relevant Bible passages, to help us rule out various erroneous views.
It would be easy to quote his conclusion here, but that would be to short-circuit much of the value of these articles: they help us to wrestle with the biblical text and proceed to theological formulation on that basis. Whether or not readers agree with his conclusion, his approach is valuable in itself.
So ahead of Good Friday, have a look through these two short articles and rejoice afresh in Christ’s glorious work for us and for our salvation.
Yates, John C. “‘He Descended into Hell’ : Creed, Article and Scripture; Pt 1.” Churchman 102/3 (1988): 240–50.
———. “‘He Descended into Hell’ : Creed, Article and Scripture; Pt 2.” Churchman 102/4 (1988): 303–15.