“Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?”Study by J.M.Nel 10.1.’14……There is a great deal of confusion in regards to this question. This concept comes primarily from the Apostles’ Creed(see study below), which states, “He descended into hell.” There are also a few Scriptures which, depending on how they are translated, describe Jesus going to “hell.” In studying this issue, it is important to first understand what the Bible teaches about the realm of the dead.……In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol. It simply means the “place of the dead” or the “place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek word that is used for hell is “hades,” which also refers to “the place of the dead.” Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicate that sheol/hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection and judgment. …Revelation 20:11-15 gives a clear distinction between the two.…11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave(Greek and Hades; also in 20:14) gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.……Hell(the lake of fire [gehenna]) is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades is a temporary place. So, no, Jesus did not go to hell because hell is a future realm, only put into effect after the Great White Throne Judgment …Sheol/hades(see study below)is a realm with two divisions the abodes of the saved and the lost.…Matthew 11:23…23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honoured in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.(Greek to Hades.)For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.… Matthew 16:18…18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),(Greek that you are Peter )and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell(Greek and the gates of Hades)will not conquer it.…Luke 10:15…15 And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead(Greek to Hades.)”…Luke 16:23…23 and his soul went to the place of the dead.(Greek to Hades)There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.……Acts 2:27-31…27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead (Greek in Hades; also in 2:31) or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.…28 You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’ (Ps 16:8-11 (Greek version)…29 “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. 31 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.… The abode of the saved was called “paradise” and “Abraham’s bosom.”…The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a “great chasm”…Luke 16:26…26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’… When Jesus ascended to heaven, He took the occupants of paradise (believers) with Him…Ephesians 4:8-10…8 That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”(Ps 68:18 ) 9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.(Or to the lowest parts of the earth.) 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.……The lost side of sheol/hades has remained unchanged. All unbelieving dead go there awaiting their final judgment in the future. …Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes, according to Ephesians 4:8-10 and 1 Peter 3:18-20…18 Christ suffered(Some manuscripts read died).for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit (Or in spirit) 19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison—20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.( Greek saved through water. )

Some of the confusion has arisen from such passages asPsalm 16:10-11 as translated in the KJV, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption….Thou wilt show me the path of life.” …“Hell” is not a correct translation of this verse. A correct reading would be “the grave” or “sheol.”…Psalm 16:10-11NIV(realm of the dead,)Amplified(to Sheol (the place of the dead)),NLT below,…10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead(Hebrew in Sheol) or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.…11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence…and the pleasures of living with you forever.(Greek version reads You have shown me the way of life, / and you will fill me with the joy of your presence. Compare Acts 2:28.)…Jesus’ body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to the “paradise” side of sheol/hades. …Jesus said to the thief beside Him,Luke 23:43…43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”…He then removed all the righteous dead from paradise and took them with Him to heaven. …Unfortunately, in many translations of the Bible, translators are not consistent, or correct, in how they translate the Hebrew and Greek words for “sheol,” “hades,” and “hell.”……Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. …This idea is completely unbiblical. …It was the death of Jesus on the cross and His suffering in our place that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin…1 John 1:7-9…7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.…8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.…As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us:…2 Corinthians 5:21…21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,(Or to become sin itself.) so that we could be made right with God through Christ.… This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ’s struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin which would be poured out upon Him on the cross.…When Jesus cried upon the cross……Matthew 27:4646 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,(Some manuscripts read Eloi, Eloi )lemasabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Ps 22:1.). It was then that He was separated from the Father because of the sin poured out upon Him. As He gave up His spirit, He said,…Luke 23:46…46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”(Ps 31:5)And with those words he breathed his last.…John 19:29-30…29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.…His suffering in our place was concluded, he said it was finished, meaning He did what had to be done, His work was completed. …His soul/spirit went to the paradise side of Hades. Jesus did not go to hell. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return to glory in His ascension. …Did Jesus go to hell? …. No. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades?……. Yes.

“Where was Jesus for the three days between His death and resurrection?”……1 Peter 3:18-19states,18 “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison.” …The phrase, “by the Spirit,” in verse 18 is exactly the same construction as the phrase, “in the body.” So it seems best to relate the word “spirit” to the same realm as the word “flesh.” The flesh and spirit are Christ’s flesh and spirit. The words “made alive by (in) the spirit” point to the fact that Christ’s sin-bearing and death brought about the separation of His human spirit from the Father…Matthew 27:46At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”…Romans 1:3-4  It tells of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was born as a person in the flesh through the family of King David. 4 The Holy Spirit proved by a powerful act that Jesus our Lord is the Son of God because He was raised from the dead.…The contrast is between flesh and spirit, as in Matthew 27:46 and Romans 1:3-4 …and not between Christ’s flesh and the Holy Spirit. When Christ’s atonement for sin was completed, His spirit restored the fellowship which had been broken.…This describes a necessary link between Christ’s suffering (verse 18) and His glorification (verse 22).…1Peter 3:18-2218Christ suffered(Some manuscripts read died) for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit (Or in spirit ).… 19So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 20those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood(Greek saved through water).21And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from(Or as an appeal to God for)a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. …22Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

Only Peter gives specific information about what happened between these two events. The word “preached” in verse 19 is not the usual word in the New Testament to describe the preaching of the gospel. It literally means to herald a message. …Jesus suffered and died on the Cross, His body being put to death, and His spirit died when He was made sin. But His spirit was made alive and He yielded it to the Father. According to Peter, sometime between His death and His resurrection Jesus made a special proclamation to “the spirits in prison.”…1 Peter 3:18–22 (ESV)

18 For Christ also msuffered2once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, othat he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive qin the spirit, 19 in which3 he went and qproclaimed4 to the spirits in prison, 20 because5 they formerly did not obey, rwhen God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, teight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, unow saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but vas an appeal to God for a good conscience, wthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and xis at the right hand of God, ywith angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. …To begin with, Peter referred to people as “souls” and not “spirits” (3:20). In the New Testament, the word “spirits” is used to describe angels or demons, not human beings, and verse 22 seems to bear out this meaning. Also, nowhere inthe Bible are we told that Jesus visited hell(gehenna).Acts 2:31David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead (Greek Hades)or allow his body to rot in the grave.

It says here that He went to “Hades” (NASB, NLT, NKJV, Amplified, Lexham English Bible, The Message and many more other translations), but “Hades” is not hell. The word “Hades” refers to the realm of the dead, a temporary place where they await the resurrection. …Revelation 20:11-15 in the NASB or the New International Version give a clear distinction between the two. Hell is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades is a temporary place.

Revelation 20:11-15(NLT)…Then I saw a great white )throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence )earth and heaven fled away, and )no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them)according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire (gehenna). This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. ……Our Lord yielded His spirit to the Father, died, and at some time between death and resurrection, visited the realm of the dead where He delivered a message to spirit beings (probably fallen angels; who were somehow related to the period before the flood in Noah’s time. Verse 20 makes this clear.…Jude 1:6…And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.…Peter did not tell us what He proclaimed to these imprisoned spirits Verse 19, but it could not be a message of redemption since angels cannot be saved …Hebrews 2:16…We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham.. It was probably a declaration of victory over Satan and his hosts …1 Peter 3:22…Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honour next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.…Colossians 2:15.…In this way, he disarmed (Or divested Himself of) the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.…Ephesians 4:8-10 …That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

It also seems to indicate that Christ went to “paradise” and took to heaven all those who had believed in Him prior to His death.…

Luke 23:43…And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”……Luke 16:20…At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores………The passage doesn’t give a great amount of detail about what occurred, but most Bible scholars agree that this is what is meant by Ephesians 4:8 “ He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men.”……So, all that to say, the Bible isn’t entirely clear what exactly Christ did for the three days between His death and resurrection. It does seem, though, that He was preaching victory over the fallen angels and/or unbelievers. …What we can know for sure is that Jesus was not giving people a second chance for salvation. The Bible tells us that we face judgment after death, not a second chance. …Hebrews 9:27…And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

There isn’t really any clear-cut answer for what Jesus was doing for the time between His death and resurrection, but He did not face Satan there because Satan wasn’t there, Judgment of the Great White Throne will have to take place first and from Revelation 20:7-15 we know that this judgment will take place after the millennium and after Satan, the beast, and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fireRevelation 20:7-10.……The Defeat of Satan…7 When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. 9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.

10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Satan will only go to Hell (The Lake of fire [gehenna] at this point.…Rev.20:10says thatHe (Satan) has never been in Hell prior tothat time and therefore could not have fought against Jesus for three days in Hell (One must remember Hell belongs to God not Satan, It is God’s Hell reserved for Satan [Rev. 20:10 above] and the Lost[Rev 20:15 below])…Rev 20:15…15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.(Gehenna or Hell)

Perhaps this is one of the mysteries we will understand once we reach glory.

“What is the difference between Sheol, Hades, Hell, the lake of fire, Paradise, and Abraham’s bosom?”…The different terms used in the Bible for heaven and hell—sheol, hades, gehenna, the lake of fire, paradise, and Abraham’s bosom (se study on Abraham’s bosom)—are the subject of much debate and can be confusing. ……The word “paradise” is used as a synonym for heaven …2 Corinthians 12:4…4 that I was caught up (Greek But I know such a man, ) to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.Revelation 2:77…7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.… When Jesus was dying on the cross and one of the thieves being crucified with Him asked Him for mercy, Jesus replied:…“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”…Jesus knew that His death was imminent and that He would soon be in heaven with His Father. Therefore, Jesus used paradise as a synonym for heaven, and the word has come to be associated with any place of ideal loveliness and delight. ……Abraham’s bosom is referred to only once in the Bible—in the story of Lazarus and the rich man…Luke 16:19-31…Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus…19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. (Greek into Abraham’s bosom. )The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead. (Greek to Hades.) There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’…29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’…30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”

… It was used in the Talmud as a synonym for heaven. The image in the story is of Lazarus reclining at a table leaning on Abraham’s breast—as John leaned on Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper—at the heavenly banquet. There are differences of opinion about what exactly Abraham’s bosom represents. Those who believe the setting of the story is a period after the Messiah’s death and resurrection see Abraham’s bosom as synonymous with heaven. Those who believe the setting to be prior to the crucifixion see Abraham’s bosom as another term for paradise. The setting is really irrelevant to the point of the story, which is that wicked men will see the righteous in happiness, and themselves in torment, and that a “great gulf” exists between them which will never be spanned.…Luke 16:26…26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’…In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol.…It simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek equivalent to sheolis hades, which is also a general reference to “the place of the dead.” The Greek word gehenna is used in the New Testament for “hell” and is derived from the Hebrew word hinnom.…Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicated that sheol/hades is a temporary place where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection. …The souls of the righteous, at death, go directly into the presence of God—the part of sheol called “heaven,” “paradise,” or “Abraham’s bosom” …Luke 23:43…43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”…2 Corinthians 5:8…8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.…Philippians 1:23…23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.……The lake of fire, is mentioned in Revelation and this is the final hell, (Greekgehenna) …Revelation 19:20…20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.…Revelation 20:10…10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.…Revelation 20:14-15…14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the place of eternal punishment for all unrepentant rebels, both angelic and human …Matthew 25:41…41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.(Greek his angels.)…It is described as a place of burning sulfur, and those in it experience eternal, unspeakable agony of an unrelenting nature…Luke 16:24…24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’…Mark 9:45-46…45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.…Those who have rejected Christ and are in the temporary abode of the dead in hades/sheol have the lake of fire as their final destination.……But those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (see study on The Book of Life)should have no fear of this terrible fate. By faith in Christ and His blood shed on the cross for our sins, we are destined to live eternally in the presence of God.……The Blood of the Lamb…Revelation 12:11…“And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.…And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die“…This is the last reference in the Bible to the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ; here it is the overcoming blood, enabling believers to withstand the deceptions and accusations of Satan. … There are at least 43 references to the blood of Christ in the New Testament, all testifying to its great importance in the salvation and daily life of the believer. Judas the betrayer spoke of it as “innocent blood” … Matthew 27:4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”…and Peter called it…1 Peter 1:19 “It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God “. …It is the cleansing blood in 1 John 1:7But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin…and the washing blood in Revelation 1:5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, …stressing that it removes the guilt of our sins.  Paul calls it the purchasing blood in Acts 20:28“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.…Ephesians 1:7He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.…Colossians 1:14who purchased our freedom(Some manuscripts add with his blood.)and forgave our sins.see also 1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song with these words:“You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it.For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

thus declaring the shedding of His blood to be the very price of our salvation. Therefore, it is also the justifying blood

Romans 5:9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

and the peacemaking blood

Colossians 1:20.and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Its efficacy does not end with our salvation, however, for it is also the sanctifying blood

Hebrews 13:12Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

There is infinite and eternal power in the blood of Christ, for it is “the blood of the everlasting covenant”

Hebrews 13:20Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

 The first reference in the New Testament to His blood stresses this aspect. Jesus said at the last supper,

Matthew 26:28 “This is my blood of the new testament |same as ‘covenant’, which is shed for many for the remission of sins”.

Let no one, therefore, ever count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing

Hebrews 10:29“Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

“What is the Apostles’ Creed?”…The Apostles’ Creed is not found in the Bible. The Apostles’ Creed was not written by the apostles. Rather, it was written at least 150 years after the apostles had all died. It is called the Apostles’ Creed because it is supposed to be a record of what the apostles taught. The Apostles’ Creed is as follows:…I believe in God, the Father Almighty,…the Creator of heaven and earth,…and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:…Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,…born of the Virgin Mary,…suffered under Pontius Pilate,…was crucified, died, and was buried.…He descended into hell.(The Nicene Creed does not mention this,see study)…The third day He arose again from the dead.…He ascended into heaven…and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,…whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.…I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,…the communion of saints, (See study below)…the forgiveness of sins,…the resurrection of the body,…and life everlasting.…Amen.……The Apostles’ Creed is a good summary of Christian doctrine. However, there are two primary concerns with the Apostles’ Creed. …First, in regards to the phrase “He descended into hell”( please see our study on “Did Jesus go to hell between Hi death and resurrection?”)…Second, in regards to “the holy catholic church,”this does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church as we know it today. The word “catholic” refers to universal.…The true “catholic” church is all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. (Please see study on the universal church below.)……“What does ‘communion of the saints’ mean in the ancient creeds?”……The word communion means “an act or instance of sharing.” When the Apostles Creed speaks of the “communion of the saints” it is not just specifically referring to the Lord’s Supper/Holy Communion in which believers come together to remember Jesus’ sacrifice through the bread and the wine. The communion of the saints is much deeper than this important sacrament.…The communion of the saints refers to believers in the past, believers in the present and believers in the years to come sharing a common salvation in our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who have passed from this world into the presence of Christ at the death of their body have the same salvation as believers who are alive today. Those who will come after us will have the same salvation we have.…The communion of saints is all that each one of us as Christians have in common with all other believers. We have been forgiven through His death, and saved by His life, set free from the law of sin and death.…Romans 5:10…10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.…Romans 8:2…2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.…and passed from spiritual death to eternal life…1 John 3:16…16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.… We have all been permanently adopted as children of God by the will of God …John 1:12-13…12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.…We have become God’s handy work to do good works that He has prepared for us…Ephesians 2:10…10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.…And we have all been given an eternal home in the New Jerusalem in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Lamb, our Temple and our Light Revelation 21:22-27…22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory.25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there.26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honour into the city.27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.… These are only a few of the blessings we have in common with all other believers.

“What is the difference between the universal church and local church?”…To understand the difference between the local church and the universal church, one must get a basic definition of each. …The local church is a group of professing believers in Jesus Christ who meet in some particular location on a regular basis. …The universal church is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ worldwide. The term church is a translation of a Greek word having to do with a meeting together or an “assembly”…1 Thessalonians 2:14…14 And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews.…1 Thessalonians 1:1… This letter is from Paul, Silas, (Greek Silvanus, the Greek form of the name. )and Timothy.…2 Thessalonians 1:1…We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.… This word pertains to the work of God in saving and sanctifying believers as “called-out ones.” Another Greek word that speaks of ownership and literally means “belonging to the Lord” is transliterated as church, but it is only used twice in the New Testament and never in direct reference to the church.…A local church is normally defined as a local assembly of all who profess faith and allegiance to Christ. Most often, the Greek word ekklesia is used in reference to the local assembly …1 Thessalonians 1:1…This letter is from Paul, Silas, (Greek Silvanus, the Greek form of the name.)and TimothyWe are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.May God give you grace and peace.…1 Corinthians 4:17…17 That’s why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go.…2 Corinthians 11:8…8 I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost.…There is not just one specific local church in any one area, necessarily. There are many local churches in larger cities.……The universal church is the name given to the church worldwide. In this case the idea of the church is not so much the assembly itself but those constituting the church. The church is the church even when it is not holding an official meeting. …In Acts 8:3 one can see that the church is still the church even when its members are at home. …3 But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.…In Acts 9:31 describes the universal church, not just local churches.…31 The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.…Sometimes the universal church is called the “invisible church”—invisible in the sense of having no street address, GPS coordinates, or physical building and in the sense that only God can see who is truly saved. Of course, the church is never described in Scripture as “invisible,” …Matthew 5:14…14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.…Here are more verses that talk about the universal church:…1 Corinthians 12:28; 15:9; Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18