Historically, various opinions and debates surrounding the doctrine of Christ’s descent has led to it being a neglected topic. Many Evangelical churches have given little attention to this important doctrine. While the descent is a credal line confessed in the Apostle’s and Athanasian Creeds, many believe it to be unbiblical; consequently, the line is removed.[1] However, if we believe that all doctrine is derived from Scripture—and that Scripture comes from the mouth of God—then we must handle the doctrine of Christ’s descent carefully. In this brief article, I will highlight several key passages that emphasize the descent of Christ, thereby showing the importance of confessing this doctrine.
Biblical Warrant for the Place of the Dead
Scripture is full of allusions and direct statements regarding the place of the dead. Thus, before we dive into the biblical warrant for Christ’s descent, we first need to understand the place of the dead. In the first century, the common thought regarding the afterlife was an intermediate state. While in the intermediate state, compartments divide the righteous from the unrighteous. For example, Luke 16:19-31 portrays the righteous compartment as Abraham’s bosom, and for the unrighteous dead, it is called Gehenna, Sheol, or Hades. Within the gospel of Luke, we also have another instance of naming for the righteous compartment. As Jesus discusses with the thief on the cross, he says today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). These compartments are not eternal; rather, they are temporal. They are established as a holding place until the final resurrection of the dead, and until the new heavens and earth are established (Rev. 20:11-15).
As Evangelicals, we confess that as Jesus was placed in the tomb, his body stayed there, and his human soul went to the place of the righteous dead (i.e., Abraham’s bosom; paradise). When we state this, we believe it to be biblically and theologically warranted. Now, let us examine some Scriptural evidence for the descent.
Psalm 16
The heart of a true worshipper reveals joy and gladness amongst difficult situations. In Psalm 16, David declares God’s goodness in all circumstances. He says in verse 10, “you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” This is the mystery of human death. However, this Psalm gives us a picture of what happens. At death, the body is detached from the soul. The body is placed in the ground, and the flesh is corrupted. The soul of the unrighteous will go to Sheol or Hades, while the righteous dead will depart to Abraham’s bosom or paradise. Prior to the arrival of the Messiah, this passage lay in mystery, but Jesus illustrates the glorious truth of resurrection life, providing hope and gladness to all who believe.
Matthew 12
In Matthew 12, Jesus speaks with the scribes and Pharisees, explaining that the sign they seek is found in the prophet Jonah. Many will apply this text by simply showing that Jesus compares timelines to Jonah, demonstrating how both spend three days and three nights in the depths. However, there is a deeper conclusion Jesus is trying to make in the text. Jesus says in verse 40, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” What Jesus is referencing comes from Jonah 2. Jesus’s phrase on being in the earth’s lower parts parallels Jonah’s statement in the Septuagint. First, Jonah prays to YHWH for deliverance from the ocean’s depths. Then, after the fish is sent to rescue him, he praises YHWH for saving him from the ocean’s depths. In both prayers, Jonah describes the ocean’s depths as Sheol, the abyss, the place of the dead.
While Jonah went into the heart of the fish, Jesus will go into the heart of the earth. Because of this, Jonah’s descent into the sea is a figurative description of descending to the place of the dead while Jesus literally descends into the lower parts of the earth. That is why we cannot settle for Jesus simply comparing timelines to Jonah in the belly of the fish. Jesus is the true and better Jonah.
1 Peter 3
The descent of Christ cannot rise and fall on one proof text. Nevertheless, many readers have allowed the descent to rise and fall on 1 Peter 3:18-22. Many deny that this passage is teaching the descent of Christ for several reasons. First, some conclusions have suggested that during the time of Noah, Jesus was preaching through him in spirit. Church fathers as early as Augustine took this stance on the passage.[2] Second, some see Christ’s preaching as a postmortem opportunity for salvation. Those in the unrighteous compartment would then be able to respond to the call of Christ and move into paradise. However, nowhere in Scripture do we see evidence for this type of response. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Lexically, we can derive from 1 Peter 3:18-22 that Jesus proclaims victory over evil spirits and death. This is also a victory cry to the righteous dead that Christ has defeated Satan, sin, and death.
Revelation 1
While much more could be said about the biblical warrant for Christ’s descent, I want to leave you with one final text. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus says, “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” What is confessed in this verse is that when Jesus was in the intermediate state, he did not just dwell there; it was not a leisurely stay but a trip of victory. While in the intermediate state, Jesus proclaimed victory over death and hades (1 Pet. 3:18-22). This passage also illustrates the hypostatic union of Christ. Because he is entirely God and man, he descends to the place of the dead in such a way that death cannot hold him. While his human soul departed to the place of the dead, his divinity could not be conquered. While Satan believed he had thwarted God’s plan of redemption, he quickly became the one who was, and is forevermore conquered. Praise be to God that Christ stands victorious, holding the keys to death and Hades.
Conclusion
While there are many competing opinions on how to understand the descent of Christ, the biblical warrant is clear throughout Scripture. The descent of Christ is a biblical doctrine meant to be confessed by all believers in Jesus. This doctrine provides encouragement, hope, and joy within the hearts of men and women. I pray that it will likewise do the same for you!
[1] For instance, see Wayne Grudem, He Did Not Descend Into Hell, JETS, 34/1 (March, 1991), 103-113.
[2] Augustine of Hippo, “Letters of St. Augustin,” in The Confessions and Letters of St. Augustin with a Sketch of His Life and Work, ed. Philip Schaff, trans. J. G. Cunningham, vol. 1, A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1886), 516.
Matt Duckett is a graduate of Wichita State University (B.A.) and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv.) He is also a current doctoral student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Ed.Min). Matt serves as the Associate Pastor of Discipleship at Metro East Baptist Church in Wichita, Kansas. He is married to his wife Sarah, and is the father of his son Owen. Matt’s passion in ministry is to see lives transformed by the life-changing message of the gospel.
