Q. Did Christ descend to hell while He was in the tomb awaiting the resurrection? Is it not true He told the repentant thief on the cross that same day he would be with Him in Paradise? Is it not also true that the teaching He was in hell didn't appear until the third century AD? How, then, could Christ be in both places? He must have been in one or the other!

A. These are important questions in the light of a 'Word of Faith' charismatic heresy being taught by a number of prominent figures in that movement (like Joyce Meyers, Kenneth Copeland, Todd White, and others) that Yah'shua (Jesus) went to hell where, they say, He died spiritually as well as dying physically on the cross. This alleged 'spiritual death' in hell was, they claim, part of His substitutory atonement for original sin. This is an heretical teaching emphatically denied by most all Christians and Messianics, including NCAY who teach that Messiah died physically on the cross and suffered for our sins in His whole being. If Christ had died spiritually in hell, as the false Prosperity teachers say, this would have meant that the immortal Elohim (God) died too, which is impossible.

Accordingly, in order to distance themselves from this false charismatic teaching, many Evangelicals are mistakenly trying to deny that Messiah descended into 'hell' at all, and are using some of the arguments you have made. We assert there is no need for believers to distance themselves from any part of the Apostles' Creed but rather to make certain statements more clear. That is what I shall attempt to do now.

The Apostles Creed, to which I think you were alluding, was indeed the first document we know of which talks about Messiah descending into hell. This document, written in AD 390 (actually the fourth century) by Ambrose, known as the Symbolum Apostolicum and better known to us as the Apostles' Creed, does indeed decribe an article of faith of the early Messianic Community (Church) that the Saviour descended into 'hell'. It is the earliest Creed that we know of and is one that Messianic Evangelicals totally subscribe to with slightly altered language, most of it cosmetic. However, you will notice that in respect to the statement that Christ descended into hell, we have reworded this to "descended to the dead" which many other denominations do too. This is an important distinction which I will explain.

Before we look at the scriptures advanced by those on both sides of the debate it is important to understand what 'hell' actually is. It translates the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek Hades both of which refer to the realm of the dead without distinction as to whether they are righteous or wicked, saved or unsaved. A distinction between the two is made in the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) where they are referred to as Paradise and Prison, respectively, that contain the righteous/saved and wicked/unsaved, respectively. For a comprehensive study please read the introductory article on our Hell website and the accompanying ones if you wish to go into further detail.

Sheol, wringly translated 'hell', therefore has two components or compartments:

When Yah'shua (Jesus) was hanging on the cross an important conversation took place between Him and the two thieves crucified on either side of Him:

"Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, 'If You are the Messiah (Christ), save Yourself and us.' But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not even fear Elohim (God), seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said to Yah'shua (Jesus), 'Master (Lord), remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' And Yah'shua (Jesus) said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise'" (Luke 23:39-43, NKJV).

If Christ was in Paradise/Heaven, how, then could He have been in hell too? Well, let's first establish that He was in the 'other place' too before answering that question:

"Therefore He says:

'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.' (Ps.68:19)

"(Now this, 'He ascended' -- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things)" (Eph.4:8-10, NKJV).

"I know a man in Messiah who fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, Elohim (God) knows -- such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man -- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, Elohim (God) knows-- how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (2 Cor.12:2-4, NKJV).

• 1. The dead (the righteous and the wicked go down into Sheol (viâ the ground or grave); and
• 2. The rightous are said to go up into Paradise/Heaven and the wicked to go down to Prison.

"For Messiah also suffered once for sins, the just (righteous) for the unjust (unrighteous), that He might bring us to Elohim (God), being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Ruach (Spirit), by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient..." (1 Peter 3:18-20, NKJV).

Indeed, as Elohim (God), who is omnipresent, He could have visited both places simultaneously. Is there any evidence that Christ could be in two places simultaneously? Certainly, even while He was alive in His mortal body, according to a saying of the Saviour Himself that is brought out the most clearly in the King James Version:

"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven" (John 3:13, KJV).

The Apostles' Creed was not, of course, actually written by the 12 apostles (pre- or post-Judas) but was written by Ambrose from a Council in Milan for Pope Siricius. It does, however, represent a concise and accurate statement of original apostolic belief provided some words like 'hell' and 'catholic', which today have connotations not present in first or even second century Christian/Messianic language, are properly modified. Did Yah'shua (Jesus) 'descend' to the dead? Absolutely, both to the wicked (where he preached to the ante-Diluvian reprobates) and in visit with His people in Paradise (including the penitent thief) to whom He also 'ascended' in a spiritual sense.

Did Messiah descend into Sheol during the time of His entombment, and specifically to the Prison or Hades part, as the 'Word of Faith' people - and indeed, all Christians have taught for two Millennia? Absolutely. We're nearly all agreed on that. Do we need to deny this in order to distance ourselves from the Prosperity Gospel's heresy that Jesus died spiritually in hell? No, because they are two entirely separate issues. However, we do need to explain what 'hell' actually is and what Yah'shua (Jesus) did there. I hope this response has done that.

Comments from Readers

[1] Thank you for clarifying this. I knew Yeshua never died Spiritually as some may teach falsely. I'm glad someone brought this up as a question! (EOE, USA, 19 April 2020)

This page was created on 16 April 2020 Last updated on 20 April 2020

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