The Descent of Jesus into Hell: Notes

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SCRIPTURES 1 Peter 3:18-20 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the justfor the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preachedunto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.   1 Timothy 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:  God was manifest in the flesh,  justified in the Spirit,  seen of angels,  preached unto the Gentiles,  believed on in the world,  received up into glory. Quotes from Martin Luther's Easter Sermon (in Torgau, 1533) "However it may have actually happened that this human creature was lying in the grave and then descended into hell, we should and must let stand. We cannot fathom or understand it. For it is indeed not to be comprehended in a physical way." "Therefore, just simply say when someone asks about this article: I really don't know how it happened, and I will not and connot think that through and formulate a good explanation." "Therefore, I believe also in this case that Christ personally destroyed hell and bound the devil..." "[We are] sticking to the words and remaining with this chief point: that through Christ hell has been torn apart as far as we are concerned, and that the devil's reign and power has been destroyed. That is why he died, was buried, and descended into hell, so that they might not harm us or overpower us anymore." "That [the quenshing of hellish fire] was accomplished when this man descended with his banner. All the devils had to run away. They had to flee as if they'd met their own death and poison. His presence quenched all the fires of hell. The result is that no Christian need fear these things, and because he went there, they shall not suffer hell's pain just as they do not taste death because of Christ. Instead, they press on through death and hell to everlasting life."  "Sources and Contexts of the Book of Concord" ed. Robert Kolb and James Nestingen (Fortress Press, Minneapolis, MN, 2001), 249-250.  Book of Concord Epitome IX. The Descent of Christ Into Hell. Chief Controversy concerning This Article. 1] It has also been disputed among some theologians who have subscribed to the Augsburg Confession concerning this article: When and in what manner the Lord Christ, according to our simple Christian faith, descended to hell: whether this was done before or after His death; also, whether it occurred according to the soul alone, or according to the divinity alone, or with body and soul, spiritually or bodily; also, whether this article belongs to the passion or to the glorious victory and triumph of Christ. But since this article, as also the preceding, cannot be comprehended by the senses or by our reason, but must be grasped by faith alone, it is our unanimous opinion that there should be no disputation concerning it, but that it should be believed and taught only in the simplest manner; according as Dr. Luther, of blessed memory, in his sermon at Torgau in the year 1533 has explained this article in an altogether Christian manner, separated from it all useless, unnecessary questions, and admonished all godly Christians to Christian simplicity of faith. For it is sufficient that we know that Christ descended into hell, destroyed hell for all believers, and delivered them from the power of death and of the devil, from eternal condemnation and the jaws of hell. But how this occurred we should [not curiously investigate, but] reserve until the other world, where not only this point [mystery], but also still others will be revealed, which we here simply believe, and cannot comprehend with our blind reason. SOLID DECLARATION IX. Christ's Descent To Hell 1] And since even in the ancient Christian teachers of the Church, as well as in some among our teachers, dissimilar explanations of the article concerning the descent of Christ to hell are found, we abide in like manner by the simplicity of our Christian faith [comprised in the Creed], to which Dr. Luther in his sermon, which was delivered in the castle at Torgau in the year 1533, concerning the descent of Christ to hell, has pointed us, where we confess: I believe in the Lord Christ, God's Son, our Lord, dead, buried, and descended into hell. For in this [Confession] the burial and descent of Christ to hell are distinguished as different articles; 2] and we simply believe that the entire person, God and man, after the burial descended into hell, conquered the devil, destroyed the power of hell, and took from the devil all his might. 3] We should not, however, trouble ourselves with high and acute thoughts as to how this occurred; for with our reason and our five senses this article..

Topics

• Hell & Judgment
• Jesus Christ