Question 44: Why is the phrase "he descended into hell" added to the Apostles' Creed?

 

Question 44: Why is the phrase "he descended into hell" added to the Apostles' Creed?

 

Answer: So that, whenever I am in personal temptation or crisis, I may be assured that the Lord Christ, by experiencing the unspeakable sorrow and pain of soul through His life and especially on the cross, has saved me from the pain and sorrow of hell. (Note that this does not mean He actually descended into hell.)

"What the saints must realize through the baptismal rite" is that the saints have been buried physically, but are alive spiritually, securing their citizenship in heaven. There is a three-day period between the burial and the resurrection that secures their heavenly citizenship. Jesus died on the cross and was imprisoned for three days.

1 Peter 3:19, "In which spirit he went and preached to the spirits in prison." The prison symbolizes the physical body in which the spirit is imprisoned, and Jesus is knocking on people's hearts. Believers, too, must die physically with Jesus and open the door of their hearts. Therefore, believers must hear the voice of heaven and accept its light.

John 5:28, "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and die." Every human being in this world has their spirit imprisoned in the prison of the body. Therefore, from birth, people are unable to recognize God and become sinners.

Through the parable of the sower, Jesus urged us to become those who hear and understand the Word. He urged people to cultivate the field of their hearts, reflect, and realize their own identity. He urged them to hear the meaning of Jesus' words and open their hearts. He urged them to repent and turn to God. Then, God would send Jesus to those who repent, and they would become partakers of His word, eating and drinking with Him.

 

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