Beth-El Baptist Church
11/21/04
Did Jesus Descend into Hell?
This question came from a man in jail. While reading Ephesians 4:7-10 he wondered if the text is saying that Jesus descended into hell.
1. What is the primary focus of the section of the passage in question?
Ephesians 4:7,10
This section is discussing the distribution of gifts. The primary verses 8, 9 are inserted in the middle of a discussion of gifts that Jesus gives.
2. What is the key thought of Ephesians chapter 4?
Ephesians 4:16
The believer is to walk using the gift God has given him. Each believer is in the body of Christ and each has been given a gift so that each one has a part of the “machine” that fits together with other believers in order for the proper functioning of the “machine” or body.
3. What is the cost of the Gifts that Jesus gave to men?
Ephesians 4:8-10 (More literal translation)
8 – Therefore it is said, when he ascended on high, he led a host of captives captive; and he gave gifts to humanity
9 – Now, when it says, he ascended, what does it mean but that he also descended first to the lower parts of the earth?
10 – He who descended is he who also ascended far above all heavens to fill all things.
4:8 – Jesus has conquered our enemy (sin & death) and has given purpose to life (gifts)
1 Peter 3:22 – who has entered heaven and is at God’s right hand, with angels, ruling forces and powers subject to him.
4:9 – Jesus had to die and experience hell for humanity in order to gain the right to gift humanity
4:10 – Jesus Christ paid off the debt of our sins
Hebrews 2:14 – Since all the children share the same human nature, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could set aside him who held the power of death, namely the devil.
The gift cost us nothing but it cost Jesus. Jesus paid for the gifts that He gave. The phrase “he led a host of captives, captive” means that those who were sinners and were already there, he left them there. Jesus went to conquer our enemy, death(1 Corinthians 15:26).
When Jesus descended into hell, he left the sinners who were already there, there. He did not rescue them. He descended into hell, touched it then left to be in heaven.
4. What does it mean that he first “descended first into the lower parts of the earth”?
The Jews say that Jesus did not descend into hell, but into the sepulcher.
Matthew 12:40
The phrase ‘heart of the earth’ is actually the word ‘abyss’ in the Greek Majority text. This is another expression of hell.
Ephesians 4:9 then teaches that Jesus had to die, experience hell, and then went up into heaven. He touched into hell and then departed.
5. Why would Jesus have descended into hell?
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Romans 6:23
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. This is the essence of the Gospel as identified 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Jesus chose to die for our sins. He was then buried on our behalf. He then rose again from the dead on the third day. All of this because of His great love for you.
Jesus died not for my first, physical, death, but for my second, spiritual, death, which is eternity into hell (Revelation 20:14).
6. Why wouldn’t Jesus remove physical death from us?
Revelation 21:1-2
2 Peter 3:10
Romans 12:2
2 Corinthians 5:17
God is not going to repair this earth but it is going to be destroyed by heat. God is not going to repair our body but will give us a new on. God does not reform us, but transform us by making us into a new creature.
7. Why doesn’t everyone go into heaven?
Hebrews 3:19
They could not enter into heaven because of unbelief. It is true that God that gives us grace to believe and causes us to believe but we will be judged by what we believe about God and Jesus.
Those who die in sin remain there. Even if Jesus descends into hell and proclaims the gospel there, they still will not believe. They are incapable of believing.
8. Is there a curse on the earth?
Romans 8:22
Galatians 3:13
Genesis 3:17
Romans 5:12
We have been redeemed from the curse of the law. Jesus had to descend into hell because he became a curse for us.
Because of the sin of mankind, the earth itself is cursed. The ground is cursed. We have been damaged and there is nothing we can do to escape the curse, except for through Jesus.
As we look into the scriptures we see that the penalty for our sins is eternity into Hell. Since Jesus paid the debt he descended into hell on our behalf and then departed hell.
To the Jews, the meaning of having descended into the lower parts of the earth is referring to being in the grave. In the Jewish culture though, the graves are not under the earth but are in a cave above the ground.