Word of the Week: Descended

Preaching through 1 Peter meant eventually we had to tackle 1 Peter 3:18-22, which we did this past Sunday. These verses are one of the more difficult passages in the Bible, with a wide range of interpretations. On Sunday, I told you that the most convincing interpretation to me is that the resurrected Christ proclaimed his victory over sin and death to the demonic forces at work in this world.

But that’s not how everyone has read these verses. Another common view is that Jesus descended into hell and preached the gospel to people in Noah’s generation who died in the flood. But I think it’s highly unlikely that is what Peter’s saying here. Why? I’m going to offer two reasons, both from the words of Jesus.

1.  Hell isn’t Paradise – Jesus wasn’t crucified alone. He was nailed to the cross along with two criminals on each side of him. Luke 23 tells us about that incident. One of the criminals was mocking him. But the other had the spiritual eyes to see and said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” In verse 43, Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” The Bible calls hell many different things, but never Paradise. Jesus makes it clear that he’s going to be with his Father and he’s going to take this repentant sinner with him.

2.  Death is Final – In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus told a parable of two men who died. One man went into glory; the other into judgment. The man in judgment, experiencing just how miserable it is, asked to send the poor back to warn his brothers. However, Jesus refused. In verse 31, he said, “If they do not hear Moses and Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone would rise from the dead.” Jesus is clear. There’s no second chance after death. We have our whole lives to repent of our sin and trust in Jesus – but not one second more. Why should the generation in Noah’s day be an exception? They had Noah’s warning and still rejected God. There’s no reason to believe that Jesus would offer them a post-mortem chance to repent when he declines to do it for anyone else.

Those two passages convince me that Jesus didn’t go to hell and preach the gospel. But what about the Apostles Creed? Doesn’t it say, “He descended into hell?” Well…that meaning deserves another blog post for another day. But I can say with a high degree of confidence that descending into hell isn’t the meaning of 1 Peter 3:18-22.