3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
Peter has been writing about suffering for Jesus’ sake since verse eight. He now reminds us that we are not alone in our suffering, “For Christ also suffered” (some manuscripts state that Christ ‘died’, which is true but that is not how most manuscripts read, it is considered a scribal error). The verse continues with the word ‘once’ (Greek word ‘hapax’ referring to a one-time event or once for all)[1] for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous. Peter explains that an exchange took place, one that involves unjust suffering. The second half of verse 18 offers us a wonderful summary of the purpose of the gospel. “That He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” The Greek word that is translated here as “bring us” is often translated as “draw near.” God did all the work so that we can draw near to Him. The God’s Word version of the Bible (GW) translates this portion of verse 18 this way: “but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God.” The gap between God and us is too wide for us to cross alone. It was Jesus’ suffering that provided for our access (see also 1 Peter 2:21; 4:1; Hebrews 9:24-28).
Being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. The Greek word ‘sarx’ refers to the physical body, it is translated here in the English as a synecdoche form of figure of speech that uses a specific term (or feature) to refer to a general object or vice versa, meaning that the author is not referring to Jesus’ flesh or skin but His whole body (see Colossians 1:15-23)[2]. The Greek text omits the definite article in this verse meaning this is not a reference to the Holy Spirit but implies that Jesus was spiritually alive as compared to the death of His flesh (namely His body, see also Luke 23:44-49; 1 Corinthians 15:35-49).
The next verse is highly controversial and it has been explained in a number of different ways. We need to carefully examine the context (this should be something we do for every verse, it is never wise to read a verse without reviewing the verses before and after to understand the context, see note in chapter 12 about the importance of context).
3:19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20a because they formerly did not obey,
Regarding these verses Martin Luther once wrote, “This is a strange text and certainly a more obscure passage than any other passage in the New Testament. I still don’t know what the apostle means”[3]. You might be asking if Luther had difficulty understanding this section what are our chances of understanding? Beginning with the next paragraph I am offering my own interpretation, however, through the years there have been several other viewpoints published, I have provided some of them (see the Alternate Interpretations section below).
Prior to Jesus’ victory on the cross when a person died they went to a temporary location known as the “abode of the dead” (Old Testament ‘Sheol’ or New Testament ‘Hades’, this is not ‘Hell’ as many refer to it, the shift to the “lake of fire,” also known as hell, occurs after judgment, see Revelation 20:11-15) as all of mankind would have been disobedient to God through their sin. Since this certainly could be considered an incarceration, Peter would have been correct in calling this location a prison.
Before continuing, we should take a quick look at an interesting story recorded in Luke 16:19-31 where Jesus speaks about a “Rich Man” and “Lazarus.” This is not a parable for a number of reasons including the fact that Jesus used a proper noun for Lazarus (not the same man Jesus resurrected from the dead, Lazarus was a common name). The story describes these two people after dying going to an unusual location (we know as Hades). The rich man went to one side of Hades and Lazarus went to the opposite side called in this story, “Abraham’s side.” The story also points out that there was a large chasm between the two places preventing one side from visiting the other. Jesus describes a lively conversation between Abraham and the rich man who essentially wanted Abraham to send a witness back to his family, which of course never happened. Abraham’s side is understood to be the temporary location for people who had faith in God’s plan for salvation prior to Jesus’ resurrection, which is now empty.
Now returning to Peter’s epistle, we can see how Jesus, when He died, came to Abraham’s side and proclaimed (the Greek word in 1 Peter 3:19 translated ‘proclaimed’ is often translated ‘preached’ however the word is never used in the New Testament in that context so it is probably more accurately translated ‘proclaimed’ as one announcing something important) to the occupants on that side of Hades that He was indeed victorious and that they would now be brought into heaven.
With this being the case, the following text beginning with “when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah…” in verse 20b would actually begin a different sentence and story, where Peter once again confirms a New Testament truth with an Old Testament story.
Alternate Interpretations:
These are only a few of the ideas offered to interpret these verses, there are several others. Many of these interpretations have created misunderstandings that have led into other controversial subjects such as praying for the dead (Clement of Alexandria around 200 AD thought that Jesus went to Hades to proclaim the message of salvation that were imprisoned since the flood, offering salvation after death, see Clement’s book “Stromateis,” also known as “Stromata,” section 6.6). Some scholars use this text and Ephesians 4:8-10 to explain that Jesus descended into Hell. Undoubtedly the largest error comes from using one word to define both Hell (a permanent place of torment, Lake of Fire, etc.) and the temporary location Sheol/Hades (which will later be thrown into the Lake of Fire after final judgment). Some of these issues that became controversial appear to have been started from potential errors in Biblical ‘afterlife’ terminology, definitions and use.
There are four words commonly used in the Bible that relate to or are translated as ‘hell’. These words are: Sheol, Ghenna (the Bible contains a number of variations of this word), Hades, and Tartarus. To aid in understanding these words here is a quick review of the terms, how they are used in the Bible and a summary:
English Definition
The American Heritage Dictionary Fourth Edition[4] defines hell as: 1a. The abode of condemned souls and devils in some religions; the place of eternal punishment for the wicked after death, presided over by Satan. 1b. A state of separation from God; exclusion from God’s presence. 2. The abode of the dead, identified with the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades; the underworld. The word comes to us from the Old English word hel.
Potential Confusion
Is ‘hell’ a permanent place where one could be tormented and separated from God for eternity or is it a temporary holding location to collect the dead before judgment (Sheol/Hades)?
Term #1 - Sheol
This word appears 65 times in most Old Testament manuscripts. In the KJV the word is translated 31 times as ‘grave’, 31 times as ‘hell’ and three times as ‘pit’. The difference of how the word is translated depends on the context of the verse. However, many of those are ambiguous and could easily mean something else, so as a result many modern translations, like the ESV, simply transliterate or leave the word ‘Sheol’ unchanged and let the reader determine what it means (in the ESV the word is Sheol 64 times and grave only once).
The Septuagint is a translation of the Hebrew Tanakh (our Old Testament) into Koine Greek approximately 200 years prior to Jesus’ birth. It was completed by a group of 70 scholars, which later gave the work its name from the Latin phrase “Versio Septuaginta Interpretum” meaning “the translation of seventy interpreters.” The Septuagint has become, for lack of a better term, a “Rosetta Stone” to help us understand ancient Hebrew today. In the Septuagint the word ‘Sheol’ was translated as ‘Hades’.
Term #2 - Hades
The concept of Hades, as seen through the word Sheol, is obviously of Biblical origin, however like many concepts and stories distorted and corrupted from the Bible, the concept of Hades has been embraced by other cultures and mythologies. The concept of an underworld has produced a substantial amount of folklore and literature. In Greek mythology Hades is the king of the underworld and god of the dead and riches, of course Biblically Hades is not a person but a location.
Term #3 - Gehenna (or Ghenna)
This word has a number of spelling and pronunciations, it is a Hebrew phrase that is transliterated into Greek. Jesus Himself often used the term (see Matthew 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5). Gehenna is also mentioned in James 3:6. Gehenna is most often translated as ‘hell’ in English translations of the Bible.
In the Old Testament the abbreviated Hebrew phrase is generally translated “Valley of the Son of Hinnom,” referring to an actual physical location just outside of Jerusalem where unbelievable acts of pagan worship took place, including human sacrifice (see 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31-32; 19:1-9; 32:35), eventually the valley became a garbage dump (including the dumping of the corpses of criminals) that was was reported in secular history to be continually burning. Over a period of time it became an metaphor for the reality of hell.
Term #4 - Tartarus
This Greek term is used only once in the Bible. In Greek mythology Tartarus is a deep abyss used as a place of torment and suffering. In his work, “Gorgias,” Plato described Tartarus as a place where souls were judged after death, and the wicked were tormented and punished. Considered a prison for the Titans it was described to be below Hades as far as Earth was below Heaven. In other words, it was a place for those that were especially wicked!
Peter used this word in 2 Peter 2:4 (most often translated into English as ‘hell’) describing how God did not spare the fallen angels after they sinned by casting them into hell, God would not spare our condemnation to hell either (see Chapter 35 in this commentary for related information), however Peter makes a strong case to seek Jesus and repent! Peter knew his audience would understand that Tartarus was not something temporary or easily escapable.
The Lake of Fire
After judgment those that do not accept Jesus as their Savior will be thrown in the Lake of Fire and will be tormented day and night forever (see Revelation 19:20; 20:10-15). The Lake of Fire is another name for hell.
Eternal Fire
Several times Jesus referred to the eternal destiny of the wicked as the “eternal fire.” He taught that shortly following His second coming He would separate the sheep (believers) from the goats (unbelievers) saying to the unbelievers: “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41 NIV). Is the fire a literal fire? This is hotly debated (sorry), some say it is only a metaphor that expresses the wrath of God while others believe it is a real flame. We read “the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24 NIV), “God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29 NIV), “His wrath is poured out like fire” (Nahum 1:6 NIV), “Who can stand when He appears For He will be like a refiner’s fire” (Malachi 3:2 NIV), “My wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done—burn with no one to quench it” (Jeremiah 4:4 NIV), “Then they will go out and look at the corpses of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will not die. The fire that burns them will not go out. All humanity will be disgusted by them.” (Isaiah 66:24 GW)
Fiery Furnace
In two of His seven “Kingdom of Heaven” parables recorded in Matthew chapter 13, Jesus said that at the end of the age the holy angels will gather all evildoers and “throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (see Matthew 13:42; 50). Again, a vivid picture of tremendous and ongoing discomfort.
Outer Darkness
Jesus presented two additional Kingdom of Heaven parables during His discourse on the end times, referred to as the Olivet Discourse. The Parable of the Talents concluded with the worthless servant being cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (see Matthew 25:29-30). Essentially the same phraseology as above.
God’s Fury and Burning Sulfur
A warning is given in Revelation to not take the mark of the beast if one does it comes with a heavy price of eternal damnation and torment. “He too will drink the drink of the wine of God’s fury…he will be tormented with burning sulfur…and the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever.” (see Revelation 14:9-12)
Destruction and Separation
Paul states in 2 Thessalonians that unbelievers “will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). The Greek translated as ‘destruction’ implies sudden, complete destruction, and loss of all that was worthwhile, including a separation from God which excludes them from the joy found only in God’s presence (see Psalm 16:11).
Summary
Hell is a real place and so is Hades. One is a place of eternal damnation, torment, and destruction and the other is a temporary holding place for the dead. To be accurate, we should not interchange these terms. This also helps us understand more fully some other portions of theology that can cause potential controversies.
One of those controversial issues comes from the interpretation of this chapter in 1 Peter and Ephesians 4:8-10 (Paul quoting Psalm 68:18 regarding Jesus ascending and if ascended that means He first descended). This also points to a statement offered in many versions of the Apostle’s Creed “He descended into hell.” This phrase is not in all versions of the Apostle’s Creed text. It is included in the Catholic Church, LCMS, and earlier Church of England texts, although the Church of England recently changed the wording to “descended to the dead.” ELCA and other ELLC (English Language Liturgical Consultation) participants show it both ways. Many churches including the United Methodists have removed the statement completely.
So, did Jesus visit those eternally condemned in hell to proclaim His victory on the cross, or did He visit Hades and proclaim His victory with Abraham and all of the Old Testament saints and bring them to heaven with Him? The following is an article that may help us understand.
Additional information from an article published on GotQuestions.org[5]
Question: "Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?"
Answer: There is a great deal of confusion in regards to this question. This concept comes primarily from the Apostles' Creed, which states, “He descended into hell.” There are also a few Scriptures which, depending on how they are translated, describe Jesus going to “hell.” In studying this issue, it is important to first understand what the Bible teaches about the realm of the dead.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol. It simply means the “place of the dead” or the “place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek equivalent of sheol is hades which also refers to “the place of the dead.” Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicate that sheol/hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection and judgment. Revelation 20:11-15 gives a clear distinction between the two. Hell (the lake of fire) is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades is a temporary place. So, no, Jesus did not go to hell because hell is a future realm, only put into effect after the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).
Sheol/hades was a realm with two divisions—a place of blessing and a place of judgment (Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27–31), the abodes of the saved and the lost. The abode of the saved is called “Abraham's bosom” (KJV) and “Abraham’s side” (NIV) in Luke 16:22. The abode of the unsaved is called “hell” (KJV) or “Hades” (NIV) in Luke 16:23. The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a “great chasm” (Luke 16:26). When Jesus died, He went to the blessed side of sheol and, from there, took the believers with Him to heaven/paradise (Ephesians 4:8–10). The judgment side of sheol/hades has remained unchanged. All unbelieving dead go there awaiting their final judgment in the future. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes, according to Ephesians 4:8–10 and 1 Peter 3:18–20.
Some of the confusion has arisen from such passages as Psalm 16:10–11 as translated in the King James Version, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption . . . Thou wilt show me the path of life.” “Hell” is not a correct translation in this verse. A correct reading would be “the grave” or “sheol.” Jesus said to the thief beside Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); He did not say, “I will be with you in hell.” Jesus’ body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to be with the blessed in sheol/hades. Unfortunately, in many versions of the Bible, translators are not consistent, or correct, in how they translate the Hebrew and Greek words for “sheol,” “hades,” and “hell.”
Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely unbiblical. It was the death of Jesus on the cross and His suffering in our place that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7-9). As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ's struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin which would be poured out upon Him on the cross.
When Jesus cried upon the cross, “Oh, Father, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), it was then that He was separated from the Father because of the sin poured out upon Him. As He gave up His spirit, He said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). His suffering in our place was completed. His soul/spirit went to hades (the place of the dead). Jesus did not go to “hell” or the suffering side of hades; He went to “Abraham’s side” or the blessed side of hades. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return to glory in His ascension. Did Jesus go to hell? No. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes.
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[1] Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software. Strong’s Greek No. 530
[2] Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software. Strong’s Greek No. 4561
[3] Luther, M. (1999). Luther’s works, vol. 30: The Catholic Epistles. (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.) (Vol. 30, p. 113). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House. With the following footnote: Luther’s hesitancy to commit himself to a particular theory about the descent into hell continued throughout his life, as his “Torgau sermon” of April 16–17, 1533, makes clear (WA XXXVII, 35–72).
[4] The American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition. (2001) Random House Publishing Group.
[5]"Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?" (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://www.gotquestions.org/did-Jesus-go-to-hell.html.