Question about the Apostle's Creed

[Ioustinos]

Hi folks!

I have a couple quick questions about the Apostle's Creed

The Apostle's Creed

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 [1] church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.

So, was the Apostle's Creed originally written in Greek and if so is the word for "hell" the Greek word "hades"? As well, some believe the statement, "He descended into hell" to mean that Jesus went in the grave. I know there are several interpretations of this specific statement but what is the traditional view?

God Bless

Jesaiah

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

From the CCC

PART 1, SECTION 2 2, CHAPTER 2 2, ARTICLE 5



ARTICLE 5: "HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN"

631 Jesus "descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens." 475 The Apostles' Creed confesses in the same article Christ's descent into hell and his Resurrection from the dead on the third day, because in his Passover it was precisely out of the depths of death that he made life spring forth:

Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. 476​

Paragraph 1. Christ Descended into Hell

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 ******, 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

Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him - He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . "I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead." 487​

IN BRIEF

636 By the expression "He descended into hell", the Apostles' Creed confesses that Jesus did really die and through his death for us conquered death and the devil "who has the power of death" (Heb 2:14).
637 In his human soul united to his divine person, the dead Christ went down to the realm of the dead. He opened heaven's gates for the just who had gone before him.

 

[marciadietrich]

I don't know if that line was always in the creed or if it came a bit later. Sometimes phrased "descended to the dead" I think. Some people seem to skip it when reciting the creed. I am pretty sure it is based on 1 Peter 3: 19 where Peter speaks of Jesus preaching to the spirits.

Marcia

 

[Ioustinos]

Hello!

First I want to thank you, Aaron and Marcia I appreciate your help.


How do we reconcile this view with Luke 23:46 where, before yielding His spirit, Christ says "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."?

Again I appreciate all your help and insights


God Bless

Jesaiah

 

[marciadietrich]

How do we reconcile this view with Luke 23:46 where, before yielding His spirit, Christ says "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."?

Hello again Jesaiah,

Luke 23: 46 crosses to Psalm 31 (verse 6) as a messianic psalm in part of suffering/distress, and interestingly also refers to the Lord God as "my rock of refuge" ... so like "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ..." crosses back to a Psalm and is a Messianic foreshadowing that occured in the OT.

Also, look at the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (not Jesus' friend raised from the dead), Lazarus was in the "bosom of Abraham" which was supposed to be a place of rest and peace for the righteous dead... some feel that is where Jesus went. That it was the equivilent of hades(sheol) but not the same thing as hell. Lazarus was across an unpassable void with Abraham, the rich man condemned on the other side in suffering. So it is thought Jesus may have went there to free the OT righteous dead or at least let them know it wouldn't be long until they were with God in heaven. Abraham's bosom also thought to be the "paradise" that the thief on the cross was promised to be with Jesus that day, since Jesus didn't ascend to the Father until 40 days (?)after his resurrection.

Hope that helps.

Marcia

 

[Phoebe]

Could it also be based on matthew 12:40? (referring to the first question)
Ephesians 4:9, 10?

 

[Ioustinos]

Hi!

Marcia:

You are most likely right. I have been reading some of the resources I have in reference to "Paradise" which was where Christ told the theif they would go upon death. Unfortunately my Greek program isn't working right now mad: ) but I believe you are on the right track in reference to where Jesus "resided" during the three days. Each reference I have checked thus far refers to Paradise as the place where the righteous dwelt after death. Thanks for your help

God Bless

Jesaiah

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

Could it also be based on matthew 12:40? (referring to the first question)
Ephesians 4:9, 10?

You are correct on both.
Tn fact footote 485 in the above CCC passege cites the following:
Jn 5:25; cf. Mt 12:40; Rom 10:7; Eph 4:9.
(The cf imply that Mt 12:40 while direct is compable in meaning)

CITED TEXT:


John 5:25

Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

Matthew 12:40

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Romans 10:7

or "Who will descend into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

Ephesians 4:9 (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?)

 

[Ioustinos]

Could it also be based on matthew 12:40? (referring to the first question)
Ephesians 4:9, 10?

Hi Phoebe!

Thanks for your response

As for the Matthew 12:20 passage, that was one of the passages that could agree with the idea that "hell" refers to being in the grave. Because Jonah was in the deep of the earth because he was in the belly of a great fish/creature. So most likely the creature swam in the depths of the ocean (I guess ) and thus the reason Jonah was in the deep of the earth.

In regards to the Ephesians 4:9,10 passage, it can agree with the stance held by the CCC. But it also could refer to Christ's incarnation and then obviously his ascension. Still researching that Thank you for your help.

God Bless

Jesaiah

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

Hi!

Marcia:

You are most likely right. I have been reading some of the resources I have in reference to "Paradise" which was where Christ told the theif they would go upon death. Unfortunately my Greek program isn't working right now mad: ) but I believe you are on the right track in reference to where Jesus "resided" during the three days. Each reference I have checked thus far refers to Paradise as the place where the righteous dwelt after death. Thanks for your help

God Bless

Jesaiah

Slightly off topic/Please ignore if you haven't read Dante's Divine Comedy (aka the following does not reflect official church teaching/tradition)







It is interesting to note that in Dante's Divine Comedy, Purgatory is described as a mountain with a winding path around it with different acts of cleansing at different levels. After ascending the various levels of purgatory the pilgrim crosses through a curtain of fire then ascending to the top of the mountain which is an Earthly Paradise from which the souls which have finished their time in Purgatory ascend into Heaven its self.

 

[thereselittleflower]

You might also be interested in this link about the apostle's creed:

http://www.gty.org/~phil/creeds/apostles.htm

This part applies to your question:

* was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into Hades.

Here the creed hammers home the point that he was really dead. He was not an illusion. He was nailed to a post. He died. He had a real body, a corpse, that was placed in a tomb. He was not merely unconscious — his spirit left his body and went to the realm of the dead. It is a common belief among Christians that on this occasion he took the souls of those who had died trusting in the promises made under the Old Covenant — Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, and many others — and brought them out of the realm of the dead and into heavenly glory. But the creed is not concerned with this point. The reference to the descent into Hades (or Hell, or Sheol) is here to make it clear that the death of Jesus was not just a swoon or a coma, but death in every sense of the word. * The third day he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven

Remember creeds were written to combat heresies and the gnostics denied that Jesus had a real body that could die, let alone be raised physically from the dead . .


Peace in Him!