Where was Jesus Christ’s Spirit when his body laid in the tomb? The version of The Apostles’ Creed we are following in this series of discussions says he descended to the dead. Some denominations say that Jesus descended into hell. Other denominations omit this line from the Creed.

This phrase may have been included in the Creed simply to mean Christ was fully dead. The Bible is not clear on what happened with Christ’s Spirit during the days between his burial and his resurrection. For this reason, many theologians have drawn different conclusions.

Some believe Christ simply resided with the dead. Others teach that Christ went to hell and preached to the spirits there. I am not going to attempt to project any conclusions about this.

If you want to know more, read this article from Christianity Today: “Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell?” 

For your reflection – “They Could Not” by Sandi Patty