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He Descended Not

4 Reasons I Believe Jesus Did Not Descend Into Hell

Easter is a good time to contemplate Christ in the grave and throughout history many have debated as to just what happen during those three days. One view is that Christ descended into hell. Here are four reasons why I believe that this is not so.

1. Lack of Biblical Evidence

Those who hold that Jesus descended into hell after His death on Friday of the Passion Week typically point to four passages of Scripture: Acts 2:27, Romans 10:6-7, Ephesians 4:8-9, and 1 Peter 3:18-20. Vague would be the best description of these passages. Save the reference from 1 Peter, you would have to read a preconceived notion on top of these text in order to “see” a reference to Christ’s descending into hell.


But what of the reference from 1 Peter 3:18-20. The verse in question reads: “in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.” (NASB). If Christ did not descend into hell, what could this possibly mean? In the context of suffering and the following verse relating to Noah during the building of the ark, I make this conclusion(as do many others): that the Spirit of Christ (God's Spirit) was preaching salvation through Noah (1 Peter 1:11, 2 Peter 2:5). Just as God's Spirit testified through the prophets of things yet to come. So, Christ was preaching to the world through God's servant Noah. The people who heard Noah and witnessed the building of the ark failed to believe Noah and in doing so failed to believe the message of Christ. They were disobedient and now are in prison (i.e. hell) because of their disobedience.

2. Early Versions of The Apostles Creed

The phrase “he descended into hell” first appeared in the Apostles Creed. The problem is that the earliest versions of the creed do not contain this phrase (see Grudem, p. 584-586). In fact, the document that dates back to as early as 200A.D. did not contain the phrase at all until around 650 A.D. The distancing of the phrase “he descended into hell” from the time of the apostles further shows that it was a latter addition and not part of the Apostles teaching.

3. Lack of Theological Reasoning

The question must be asked, if Christ did indeed descend into hell after his death, why? That is, what was the purpose of the descent? Those who hold to this belief say that the answer is suffering. But for what did he suffer? If He bore our sins on the cross, what was left to suffer for? If all of God’s wrath that was due to the sins of His elect was poured out on him while on the cross, then what further need did Christ have to suffer?

4. Testimony of Biblical Scholars

Though many wise and thoughtful theologians have argued for the descensus view (Calvin, MacArthur), the testimony of others still must be heard and have its place among those committed to sound exegesis. So a list is offered here of those who see no evidence from Scripture that Christ descended into hell. Each offers a good defense of the text and their own theological reasoning. Though each deserves to be read in its entirety, they are too vast to be included here.
  • St. Augustine of Hippo
  • Thomas Aquinas
  • Milliard Erickson (Christian Theology, 791-94)
  • Karen H. Jobes (1 Peter: BECNT, 235-50)*
  • Wayne Grudem (Systematic Theology, 584-94)
  • John Piper (desiringgod.org: “ Strengthened To Suffer: Christ, Noah, and Baptism”)
  • George Eldon Ladd (A Theology of the NT, 646-47)*

* Some scholars, though not believing that Christ descended into hell, interpret his ascension as a proclamation to “the spirits in prison”. A proclamation of victory, but no mention of suffering or actual spiritual presence in hell.

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