According to popular belief, Jesus spent the time between his death on the cross and his resurrection in the fiery depths of hell. This belief is usually supported by what is written in the Apostles' Creed, which has complicated matters and states, "He descended into hell." Did Jesus really go to "hell," the place where people suffer and die?
Let's take a look at what the Apostles' Creed states:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
Let's start with the verses that are used to support the idea that Jesus went to hell following His death on the cross.
Ephesians 4:8–10 (NASB)
" Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men." (What does this expression, "He ascended," mean except that He descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens so that He might fill all things.)"
In these verses, Psalm 68:18 is quoted specifically. Where Jesus went after his resurrection is at the heart of the debate. Was it hell or earth that He descended to first? To better illustrate this distinction, the NASB offers a translation that reads literally as "lower parts of the earth." According to the scripture, at His incarnation, Jesus made his way down to earth. The idea that Jesus went to hell is not supported by the verse at all.
According to one interpretation of Psalm 16:10–11, Jesus descended into the underworld (Sheol) before his resurrection.
Psalm 16:10–11 (NASB)
"For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
This view is mostly based on the King James Version of the Bible, which renders Sheol as "hell" in the context of the chapter in question. On the other hand, the Hebrew word sheol does not relate to a specific location in the hereafter; instead, it is a generic term for the grave.
Psalm 16:10–11 (KJV)
"For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
Jesus says that he will go to the "heart of the earth" in Matthew 12:40, comparing this journey to Jonah's journey into the belly of the whale. However, in this context, Jesus was not referring to a specific destination in the afterlife; instead, he spoke of death or the grave. To say that this is evidence that Jesus went to hell would be stretching the comparison too far.
A final biblical passage that is frequently referenced in this context is 1 Peter 3:18–20, which reads as follows:
1 Peter 3:18–20 (NASB)
"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water."
Some people believe that this passage alludes to a conversation between Jesus and human beings that took place in hell after Jesus died on the cross. Others believe that it refers to the spirit of Christ speaking in the days of Noah to warn Noah and his family of the coming judgment and to give salvation to Noah and his family. On the other hand, it is much more likely that it is talking about Christ proclaiming his victory over the evil spirits that are locked up in the abyss (see Luke 8:31, Jude 1:6, and Revelation 9:11).
The idea that Jesus descended into hell is refuted by the statements that He made during His lifetime. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, he said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). His anguish was now finished, and no other sacrifice was required to provide salvation to the world. Jesus' final words just before His death were (Luke 23:46), "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When He passed away, His spirit did not go to hell but rather to the Father. Additionally, while on the cross, Jesus made a promise to one of the thieves (Luke 23:43) that they would spend eternity together in Paradise. This occurrence would never have occurred if Jesus had been there for three days.
It is possible that the phrase "He descended into hell" in the Apostles' Creed was written with good intentions; yet, because it is so controversial, some denominations consider it optional or even omit that piece of the creed entirely. Although Jesus' body remained in the tomb for three days, He did not descend into hell during that time.
Was Jesus tortured in hell? No. Did Jesus descend into Sheol (also known as Hades)? Yes.
Jesus' spirit went to Hades, the place of the dead. Jesus did not go to "hell" or to the suffering side of Hades; rather, He went to "Abraham's side," which is another name for the blessed side of Hades called Paradise. At the moment of His death, Jesus' anguish came to an end. The price for sin has been paid in full. After that, he waited for his body's resurrection and ascension back to glory in the heavenly realms.
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