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Did Christ really go to hell briefly when He died? If so, why? And if not, why do people say that?
The belief that Jesus went to hell comes from a misunderstanding of the Apostles’ Creed. This historic and orthodox confession of faith does state that Jesus “descended to hell,” but what does that really mean?
When we think of “hell,” we often imagine a place of torment—fire, outer darkness, and gnashing of teeth. But that’s not what the Creed is referring to. The word “hell” in that context is an old English term meaning “the place of the dead” or “the grave.” In the Old Testament, this was called Sheol; in the New Testament, it’s referred to as Hades. These terms describe a general realm of the dead, not exclusively a place of torment. In fact, there was also a place for the righteous, known as Paradise or Abraham’s bosom.
We see this in Jesus’ parable in Luke 16. The rich man dies and goes to Hades, while the poor man, Lazarus, goes to Abraham’s bosom. So, when the Bible says Jesus descended, it means He went to the grave—the place of the dead.
Psalm 16 says, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your Holy One see corruption.” This was a prophecy about the Messiah—that God would not let His body rot in the grave. It’s a prophecy of the resurrection.
In 1 Peter 3, Jesus is said to have preached to the spirits in prison, announcing His victory. In Ephesians 4:9–10, we see that He descended to the lower regions—the earth—and led captives free when He ascended.
But did Jesus suffer in hell for three days? No. When Jesus died on the cross, He said, “It is finished.” That means the payment for sin was complete. If He had to suffer more in hell, then the cross would not have truly finished the work. But it was finished. God the Father was satisfied in that moment, having poured out His wrath on His Son to save His people and pardon their sins fully.
Jesus also said to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” not hell. So, He didn’t go to a place of torment—He went to the place of the righteous dead and was soon resurrected.
So, did Jesus go to hell? No.
Did Jesus go to the place of the dead? Yes.
But thank God—He did not stay there.
And this has been Five Good Minutes.