The 39 Articles of Religion

Part five: Christ’s descent into hell

Article III: Of the going down of Christ into Hell

As Christ died for us, and was buried, so also is it to be believed, that he went down into Hell.

Orpheus playing the lute for Hades and Persephone in the underworld, by Jan Brueghel , late 16th C

Sheol, the just, and the unjust• Jesus seems to imply some separation of souls in the land of departed spirits in his

parable of Lazarus and the rich man

Lazarus at the rich man’s gate, Leandro Bassano [late 16th C]

The place of outer darkness• The New Testament, Jesus in particular, does speak of a place of judgment, using as

a synonym the Valley of Hinnom—the place outside Jerusalem for burning refuse

Hieronymus Bosch’s chaotic 1575 depiction of hell

Apparent biblical proofs for the

descent into hell

Christ between the two thieves, Albrecht Altdorfer, 1526

• “… today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43

• “you will not abandon my soul to Sheol…” Acts 2:27-31, Peter quoting Psalm 16:10 on Pentecost

• “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” Ephesians 4:8-10

• “…being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison...” 1 Peter 3:18-20

The harrowing of hell [?]

Harrowing of Hell, Tintoretto, 1568

• Theologians differ widely in interpreting Peter’s reference to Christ ‘preaching’ to ‘spirits’

• Some view the descent into hell as metaphor

• Others believe Christ brought the gospel to antediluvian souls

• Others believe he descended to proclaim victory over the devil

• Others believe he suffered further on our behalf

The plain teaching of scripture

Russian orthodox icon of Christ the Great High Priest

• As fully man, Christ suffered death in every sense that we all will

• After Christ’s ascension scripture only speaks of heaven as the location of departed saints

• Christ’s death fully satisfied the just demand’s of God’s law; saints cannot die in judicial unrighteousness

• Christ did triumph over the spiritual powers of our fallen world

The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis • Lewis provocatively suggested in his novel The Great Divorce that we might

consider the doors of hell to be “locked from the inside.”