Did Jesus Go to Hell?

In this video, Dr. Michael Bird discusses whether Jesus "descended to hell" as the traditional version of the Apostles' Creed states. He points out, that Jesus went to Hades (the waiting place of the dead) rather than to Hell (the place of everlasting judgment). There are some alternative Latin phrases used in manuscripts of the Apostles' Creed. He also explains the significance of Jesus descending to the dead.
OUTLINE:
00:01 Introduction
01:00 Hades vs. Hell
05:05 Ad Infero and Ad Inferna in Latin Manuscripts
10:00 Jesus' descent into death in the New Testament
12:27 Greek Orthodox Tradition and Holy Saturday
14:53 Conclusion
15:48 Outtro
Further Resources:
- Romanos the Melodist, Victory of the Cross
- Justin Bass, The Battle for the Keys: Revelation 1:18 and ChristÍs Descent into the Underworld: Revelation 1:18 and Christ's Descent Into the Underworld
- Matthew Emerson, He Descended to the Dead: An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday
Check out:
/ @earlychristianhistory... The Channel
• 1 Clement: An Introduc... Paideia PlayList
• Where Did Gnosticism C... The Origins of Gnosticism
• Athanasius: The Bishop... Who was Athanasius
Keep with Michael Bird on:
Twitter: mbird12
Threads: michael.bird.33
Substack: michaelfbird.substack.com
#Easter #apostlescreed

[@richardpetervonrahden6393]

Thank you. A nice explanation of the topic. The explanation of the infero to inferna shift is particularly valuable.

[@earlychristianhistorywithm8684]

Glad you liked it it!

[@clementlow5337]

This was helpful! Thanks Mike!

[@biblicaltheologyexegesisan9024]

l hope so. He has got the KEYS to HELL!!!! and He came to conquer the devil, death and hades.

[@MAMoreno]

The OED lists examples of our language using "hell" as both a term for the underworld in general and the place of punishment in particular as far back as Old English sources. The entry's etymology section does remark that "hell" can be used to translate "post-classical Latin infernus and inferus" as well as all the relevant Hebrew and Greek terms from the Bible. Our word "hell" probably derives from the name of the Norse underworld goddess, Hel (who may or may not have been thought to look like Cate Blanchett in elaborate green garb). Thus, it's arguably more appropriate as an equivalent to ᾅδης than it is to γέεννα, but it's too late to reverse the more common understanding of "hell" by now.

[@yankeegonesouth4973]

@MAMoreno Please don't give up! If we each do our part, and most importantly, raise sufficient funds to buy up thousands of billboards (hoardings, etc.); 1, 3, and 30 minute infomercials across the English speaking world; convince Charles III to endow a Regius chair of Inferos at Oxford; and, to beat all, an entire 66.6 seconds of dialogue in a new Cate Blanchett Hel movie, we can totally, utterly, and in all other ways, quite nearly solve this problem. ;)

[@NoOne-ix7dg]

Good video. We have this world and yet, still imagine ourselves hell. About the equivocation of hell, B. Hart's book “That all shall be saved,” is very useful.

[@teologizando]

Great video Mike!! I don’t understand why awesome videos like this one doesn’t have more views!!!

[@arnaldoachu]

Awesome video! I'm working on my second doctorate now, and writing my dissertation about this topic. Thank you!

[@roderickdickson8924]

great videomy brother! God bless you!

[@Yan_Alkovic]

Thanks for clearing it up, now I'll know the difference here!

[@delshimandle]

Helpful and fun video. Thank you. Did you mean that Rufinas (at 7:20 in the video) was one who pointed out the accidental error of switching from inferos to inferna? Or do you mean he is the one who made the accidental mistake? In either case, could you help me with an actual citation to Rufinas?

[@shirou2.049]

Dr.bird you brought this up before but will you do a video on the doctrine of hell like universalism?

[@M-vc7xb]

Was the hands through the hair an unconscious tic before breaking into song?

[@michaelcourian]

Curious how you place Luke 23:43 amongst these thoughts?

[@ryanparris1021]

Good stuff. The 'Jesus went to hell' stuff is partly to blame for the insane he got 'born again' by hyper Charismatic folks. I didn't know the Matthew 16 bit, very interesting.

[@auldlangsign3179]

Interesting that we are sometimes unwitting victims of careless translations - some of it through the ideological whim of the translator.

[@tedtuttle6527]

Well explained. This isn't the only thing Calvin & Agustin got wrong!

[@soupeverywhere9565]

You can’t even spell Augustine right. I doubt your validity.

[@tedtuttle6527]

@@soupeverywhere9565 yes type error my me. Didn't fact check my spelling before sending. Not sure why this would make my statement false because Agustin did make many errors in his interpretation on scripture just like good old Calvn. Oops more typos mr never make a typo.

[@chrisjones-rd8it]

no - HE went to the place where the evil ones are chained and waiting for the last judgment - HE went to show them HE won- they are the only ons technically damned at the moment of the writing and even today. - they have been judge and will die like men these spirits who abandoned HIM in heavens above. everyone else who forgoes GOD will be judge on the Day of Judgment and will be thrown into hell fires of Gahanna - well thats what I think - everyone including you are focused on us as in mankind but HE is focused on the Good and the Evil of all species and since they had already been placed HE came to visit them and let them know they wil die like men and mercy does not exist for them for the know the LOVE of GOD and rejected HIM

[@kwpctek9190]

Soundly rejected. Nice try though. The assumption of the need for reconstruction of God's Word (used to employ modern text critic$) inadvertently implies God was weak and powerless to make good on His Psalm 12 promise to perpetually preserve His Word. Agreed that Hell is the world of the dead, but the Bible in various passages shows Hell to have at least 3 compartments all located in the heart of the earth 1) the lowest which has the those wicked entities Jude mentions chained to the side of a pit, 2) Abraham's Bosom or paradise and a nice place 3) the suffering place with fire Jesus mentions for the rich man. These three are all distinct from the eternal lake of fire (yes, sadly I see you flirt with universalism..). When Jesus descended it was for two reasons 1) to lead captive and make sport over of those evil entities in the pit 2) to preach hope and liberty to those held in Abraham's Bosom and that He will return to resurrect them into the earthly Kingdom promised (after Jacob's Trouble) with a new covenant. Only the Body of Christ church is said to have a heavenly destiny, not Jews living in in Jesus' time and prior where they all waited on their physical earthly kingdom promise. (..Lord will thou at this time bring the kingdom?..). Even today you will never find any Jew saying they had ever had a heavenly destiny. It is the BoC that has a job to redeem the heavens (Job says twice they are unclean) during the millennium period. After that, both the kingdom saints and the BoC will witness the Great White Throne judgment where God justly judges all those now suffering in Hell for unquestionable closure and casts them in the Lake of Fire. Finally, both the BoC and the Kindgom saints will unite in praise under the new heavens upon the new earth with the tree of life etc... in our eternal state. (without the sin nature PTL🥰!!)