Descent into Hades
Before he rose, Christ went down to the dead to set the captives free
This teaching holds that between his death and resurrection, Christ descended to the realm of the dead. The Apostles' Creed confesses it, and early tradition, including the Gospel of Nicodemus, pictures him liberating the righteous who had died before him. While the descent is widely held, traditions interpret its nature and purpose, sometimes called the 'Harrowing of Hell,' in differing ways.
How it traveled
- EphesiansRome · c. 67 CEexplains
- ActsRome · c. 84 CEexplains
- The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. Second Version.— · c. 220 CEexplains
- The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. First Version.— · c. 220 CEexplains
- The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--The Descent of Christ into Hell: Greek Form.— · c. 220 CEexplains
- Ephraim Syrus: The Nisibene HymnsEdessa · c. 373 CEexplains
- The Catechetical Lectures of S. CyrilJerusalem · c. 386 CEexplains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · c. 407 CEexplains
- A Commentary on the Apostles' CreedAquileia · c. 411 CEexplains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · c. 1274 CEexplains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · c. 1564 CEexplains
Key passages(20)
Each passage is tagged by what it does with the idea: explains it, applies it in practice, redefines it with a new meaning, or challenges it. Relevance shows how directly the passage is about this idea.
The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. Second Version. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
Chapter 3 (19). Then Satan said to Hades: Make thyself ready to receive him whom I shall bring down to thee. Thereupon Hades thus replied to Satan: That voice was from nothing else than the cry of th
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The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--The Descent of Christ into Hell: Greek Form. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
Chapter 5 (21). While Satan and Hades were thus speaking to each other, there was a great voice like thunder, saying: Lift up your gates, O ye rulers; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates; and t
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The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--The Descent of Christ into Hell: Greek Form. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
Chapter 8 (24). While Hades was thus discoursing to Satan, the King of glory stretched out His right hand, and took hold of our forefather Adam, and raised him. Then turning also to the rest, He said
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
Objection 3: Further, it is written (1 Pet. 3:19) that "Christ coming in spirit preached to those spirits that were in prison, which had some time been incredulous": and this is understood of Christ's
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
Reply to Objection 3: Our Lord's expression is not to be understood of the earthly corporeal paradise, but of a spiritual one, in which all are said to be who enjoy the Divine glory. Accordingly, the
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ did deliver some of the lost from hell, because it is written (Is. 24:22): "And they shall be gathered together as in the gathering of one bundle into the pit, e
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A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed · Rufinus of Aquileia
28. That He descended into hell is also evidently foretold in the Psalms, where it is said, “Thou hast brought Me also into the dust of the death.” Ps. xxii. 15 Ps. xxx. 9 Ps. lxix. 2 Luke vii. 20
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
8. Here we must not omit the descent to hell, which was of no little importance to the accomplishment of redemption. For although it is apparent from the writings of the ancient Fathers, that the clau
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Letters of St. Augustin · Augustine of Hippo
Letter CLXIV. (a.d. 414.) To My Lord Evodius Most Blessed, My Brother and Partner in the Episcopal Office, Augustin Sends Greeting in the Lord. 1. The question which you have proposed to me from th
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Letters of St. Augustin · Augustine of Hippo
11. Who can be otherwise than perplexed by words so profound as these? He saith, “The gospel was preached to the dead;” and if by the “dead” we understand persons who have departed from the body, I su
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The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
Moreover, after your departure I learnt from information given me by my most beloved sons the deacons that your Love had said that our Almighty Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when He descended into he
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The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril · Cyril of Jerusalem
18. At this point of our discourse, let us consider whether is harder, for a man after having been buried to rise again from the earth, or for a man in the belly of a whale, having come into the great
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The Church History of Eusebius · Eusebius of Caesarea
Moses Chorenensis reads instead (according to Rinck), “Potagrus, the son of Abdas.” Rinck thinks it probable that Eusebius or the translator made a mistake, confusing the Syrian name Potagrus with the
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The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. First Version. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
The Gospel of Nicodemus. ———————————— Part II.—Christ’s Descent into Hell. ———————————— Latin. First Version. Chapter 1 (17). And Joseph rose up and said to Annas and Caiaphas: Truly and well do
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The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. First Version. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
Chapter 10 (26). And while the saints Enoch and Elias were thus speaking, behold, there came up another man, most wretched, carrying on his shoulders the sign of the cross. And seeing him, all the sa
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The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. First Version. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
Chapter 2 (18). O Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life of the dead, permit us to speak mysteries through the death of Thy cross, because we have been adjured by Thee. For Thou didst order
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The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. First Version. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
Chapter 4 (20). And when all the saints were exulting, lo, Satan, the prince and leader of death, said to Hades: Make thyself ready to receive Jesus, who boasts himself to be the Son of God, and is a
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The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. First Version. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
Chapter 5 (21). And as Prince Satan and Hades were thus speaking to each other in turn, suddenly there was a voice as of thunders, and a shouting of spirits: Lift up your gates, ye princes; and be ye
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The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. First Version. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
Chapter 6 (22). When this was seen by Hades and Death, and their impious officers, along with their cruel servants, they trembled at perceiving in their own dominions the clearness of so great a ligh
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The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. First Version. · Apocrypha of the New Testament
Chapter 7 (23). Then Hades, receiving Prince Satan, said to him, with vehement revilings: O prince of perdition, and leader of extermination, Beelzebub, derision of angels, to be spit upon by the jus
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