Did Jesus Go To Hell?

By James D. Quiggle

The doctrine Jesus descended into hell has been professed and opposed from the earliest days of the church. Today the doctrine is professed by Anglican and Lutheran creeds and individual believers within various denominations. Did Jesus go to hell? This book thoroughly examines all the evidence for the doctrine, pro and con.
A chapter each is devoted to the Apostolic Creed; a statement of the doctrine; the origin and history of the doctrine; doctrinal issues; what scripture says about Sheol, Hades, and paradise; he timeless efficiency of Christ’s propitiation; scripture passages used to support the doctrine. Two appendices address recent developments in Annihilationism that impact the doctrine.
Whether you believe Jesus descended into hell, or are trying to decide, here is a solid analysis of all the information for you to consider.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James D. Quiggle
• Release date: Apr 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005067793

James D. Quiggle

James D. Quiggle was born in 1952 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He grew up in Kansas and the Texas Panhandle. In the early 1970s he joined the United States Air Force. At his first permanent assignment in Indian Springs, Nevada in a small Baptist church, the pastor introduced him to Jesus and soon after he was saved. Over the next ten years those he met in churches from the East Coast to the West Coast, mature Christian men, poured themselves into mentoring him. In the 1970s he was gifted with the Scofield Bible Course from Moody Bible Institute. As he completed his studies his spiritual gift of teaching became even more apparent. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Bethany Bible College during the 1980s while still in the Air Force. Between 2006–2008, after his career in the Air Force and with his children grown up, he decided to continue his education. He enrolled in Bethany Divinity College and Seminary and earned a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Theological Studies.As an extension of his spiritual gift of teaching, he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to begin writing books. James Quiggle is now a Christian author with over fifty commentaries on Bible books and doctrines. He is an editor for the Evangelical Dispensational Quarterly Journal published by Scofield Biblical Institute and Theological Seminary.He continues to write and has a vibrant teaching ministry through social media.

Book preview

Did Jesus Go To Hell?

BOOKS BY JAMES D. QUIGGLE

DOCTRINAL SERIES

Biblical History

Adam and Eve, a Biography and Theology

Angelology, a True History of Angels

Essays

Biblical Essays

Biblical Essays II

Biblical Essays III

Marriage and Family

Marriage and Family: A Biblical Perspective

Biblical Homosexuality

A Biblical Response to Same-gender Marriage

Doctrinal and Practical Christianity

First Steps, Becoming a Follower of Jesus Christ

Thirty-Six Essentials of the Christian Faith

The Literal Hermeneutic, Explained and Illustrated

Christian Living and Doctrine

Spiritual Gifts

Why Christians Should Not Tithe

Dispensational Theology

Understanding Dispensational Theology

Dispensational Eschatology, An Explanation and Defense of the Doctrine

Antichrist, His Genealogy, Kingdom, and Religion

God and Man

God’s Choices, Doctrines of Foreordination, Election, Predestination

God Became Incarnate

Life, Death, Eternity

Did Jesus Go To Hell?

COMMENTARY SERIES

The Old Testament

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Judges

A Private Commentary on the Book of Ruth

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Esther

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Song of Solomon

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Daniel

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Jonah

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Habakkuk

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Haggai

The New Testament

The Gospels

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Matthew’s Gospel

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Mark’s Gospel

A Private Commentary on the Bible: John 1–12

A Private Commentary on the Bible: John 13–21

(John’s Gospel is also in a one volume edition)

The Parables and Miracles of Jesus Christ

The Passion and Resurrection of Jesus the Christ

The Christmas Story, As Told By God

Pauline Letters

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Galatians

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Ephesians

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Philippians

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Colossians

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Thessalonians

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Philemon

General Letters

A Private Commentary on the Book of Hebrews

A Private Commentary on the Bible: James

A Private Commentary on the Bible: 1 Peter

A Private Commentary on the Bible: 2 Peter

A Private Commentary on the Bible: John’s Epistles

A Private Commentary on the Bible: Jude

Revelation

The Epistle of Jesus to the Church

REFERENCE SERIES

Dictionary of Doctrinal Words

Translation of Select Bible Books (Old And New Testament)

Old and New Testament Chronology (Also in individual volumes: Old Testament Chronology; New Testament Chronology)

TRACTS

A Human Person: Is the Unborn Life a Person?

Biblical Marriage

How Can I Know I am A Christian?

Now That I am A Christian

Thirty-Six Essentials of the Christian Faith

What is a Pastor? / Why is My Pastor Eating the Sheep?

(Tracts are in mobi and/or epub format and cost $0.99)

Visit me at https://www.facebook.com/BooksOfQ

Did Jesus Go to Hell?

James D. Quiggle

Copyright Page

Did Jesus Go To Hell?

Copyright © 2021 James D. Quiggle. All rights reserved.

Published by James D. Quiggle, 2021

Translations of biblical text are from Translations of Select Bible Books, James D. Quiggle (JQT), copyright 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, unless otherwise noted.

Some information in this book is from James D. Quiggle, Biblical Essays IV, copyright 2021, and James D. Quiggle, Life, Death, Eternity, copyright 2019.

Some Bible versions cited or quoted were sourced from PC Study Bible®, version 5, release 5.2. Copyright© 1988–2008, by BibleSoft, Inc.

Young’s Literal Translation (YLT). Public Domain.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Scripture quotations marked HCSB are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

New King James Version® (NKJV). Copyright © 1982, 1983 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV). Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, A Division of Good News Publishers, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, USA. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Quotations from the Apocrypha are from, The Apocrypha, Translated By Edgar J. Goodspeed. Vintage Books, NY: 1938.

This digital edition of Did Jesus Go To Hell? contains the same material as the print version.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations

Introduction

The Apostolic Creed

The Doctrine of Christ’s Descent Into Hell

The Origin and History of the Doctrine

The Doctrinal Issues

What is Sheol?

What is Hades?

What is Hell?

What is Paradise?

Did Christ Empty Paradise?"

The Efficiency of the Propitiation

Scriptures

An Appeal to Reason

Appendix: Did Jesus Cease to Exist when Dead?

Appendix: The Doctrine of Endless Punishment

Sources

Abbreviations

AD … Anno Domini (In the year of the Lord [since Christ was born])

BC … Bello Christo (Before Christ [was born])

ca. … about (an approximate date) (Latin: circa)

cf. … compare (Latin: confer)

e.g. … for example (Latin: exempli gratia)

etc. … and so forth, and so on (Latin: et cetera)

ff. … and the following verses.

GWT … Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11–15)

Ibid … in the same place (referring to the source cited in the previous entry) (Latin: ibidem)

i.e. … that is (Latin: id est)

JQT … Bible Translation by James D. Quiggle

LXX … The Greek translation of the Old Testament

s. v. … under the word (Latin: sub verbo)

v. … verse

vv. … verses

Introduction

This book began years ago. As a young Christian I was introduced to the doctrine that Christ went to hell between his death and resurrection in order to take the Old Testament saved out of paradise to heaven. The justification for that view was God’s eternal decree of salvation in Christ alone, Ephesians 1:4, was not efficient to fully and completely save the Old Testament sinner, until the propitiation was accomplished on the cross at a particular moment in time. Once the propitiation had been completed—so says this doctrine—then Christ went to the good side of Sheol/Hades, which was known as Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom, to take the Old Testament saved to heaven.

I had my doubts.

In the passage of time I ran into other reasons attempting to justify this doctrine. This recent statement by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum summarizes those reasons.

While Yeshua [Jesus] was in Sheol, He proclaimed to those who were with Him in paradise that the atonement had been made, and to those on the other side, His presence guaranteed their final judgment." [Fruchtenbaum, Yeshua: The Life of Messiah from a Messianic Jewish Perspective.]

Those reasons did not originate with Dr. Fruchtenbaum, he is simply a (historically) recent proponent of the belief.

More recently, the reason for the Old Testament saved going to Hades has been explained as the result of progressive revelation.

The early to middle years of my Christianity were full of reading and study of all the Bible books and doctrines. I bumped into the doctrine of Christ’s descent into hell time and again as I studied the works of others on the Scriptures.

After a few years of study in the books and doctrines of the Bible I disproved the doctrine to my satisfaction. I can explain why the doctrine is false, the reasons are false, and the scriptures supposed to allow that doctrine have a different, better, interpretation.

I will show in this book, through a verse by verse study, that Sheol is the grave, not a place in the spirit domain for the souls of the Old Testament saved or unsaved. I will show Hades does not have two compartments, one for the unsaved, one for the saved. I will show the Jews, Jesus, the apostles, and the apostle Paul understood paradise as the same heaven Christians believe. I will show the doctrine of Christ’s descent into hell most likely originated in early Christianity as a response to Roman persecution.

Did Christ need go to Sheol/Hades to complete the salvation of the Old Testament saints? I will show an eternal decree, in this case Ephesians 1:4, is eternally effective and efficient to fully and completely save at any time in the history of the world.

The answers to the reasons expressed by Dr. Fruchtenbaum are simple. A few questions show the reasons are not sound.

If Christ did not go to paradise to rescue the Old Testament saved, but just to tell them the propitiation had been made, they why were the saved in paradise, not in heaven? What was the benefit to their souls by keeping them out of heaven?

Why would Christ tell the unsaved their final judgment was guaranteed by the propitiation? Does that mean there was a possibility the unsaved in hades might have been saved during their stay in hades before the propitiation took place? Don’t the unsaved know they cannot leave Hades? (The rich man certainly knew, Luke 16:26–27.)

Some reading this introduction have already perceived the doctrine topples with just a little push. This book will show the doctrine falls apart at every critical point in its structure.

In recent years, a new player came into the discussion. The doctrine of annihilation is the belief God unmakes the unsaved soul—causes the unsaved person to cease to exist, so it is as though he/she never existed. Annihilationism denies the biblical doctrine of endless punishment. (For an excellent discussion of endless punishment see W.G.T. Shedd, The Doctrine of Endless Punishment.) Lately, annihilationism has expressed the view all persons, including saved persons, cease to exist between physical death and resurrection, including Jesus Christ. I will address this heresy in two appendices.

Recently I had several discussions with good friends who firmly believe Christ descended into hell. I quickly understood the doctrine of Christ’s decent into hell had a firm hold on some minds, even those whose biblical knowledge and understanding were superior to most.

Some of my friends believed Christ went to rescue the Old Testament saved because the propitiation was completed, thereby turning a provisional salvation into a completed salvation.

Some believe Christ went to hell to announce to saved and unsaved that the propitiation had been made, thereby confirming the salvation of the saved and the final judgment of the unsaved. Others advanced two additional explanations (see chapter Doctrinal Issues).

No argument from Scripture, from reason, or from history (the origin of the doctrine and its history)—all of which are in this book—could persuade any to change their view. We are still friends and in fellowship with one another.

Whether the Old Testament saved upon their physical death went to paradise and were later taken to heaven by Christ, or went straight to heaven upon physical death, is not an essential doctrine. The essential doctrine is they were saved. If they went to paradise first it was because they were saved.

The reader who progresses in order from the first page to the last will discover some repetition of ideas and explanations in this book, from chapter to chapter. The chapters lend themselves to being read independently, and for that particular reader I have repeated some things from previous chapters necessary to know in later chapters. The other reason for repetition is the simple teaching rule that repetition enhances memory and learning.

I am sure some reading this book will believe as my friends believe. I welcome you, and urge you to give the arguments serious thought; but you are not my audience. This book is for those who are yet forming interpretations and opinions and understanding of the doctrines of the Scripture. I have laid out the evidence for you. Consider it well.

The Apostolic Creed

The current version of the Apostolic Creed reads thus:

I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of Heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ His only Son Our Lord.

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and was buried.

He descended into Hell.

The third day He rose again from the dead.

He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

Amen. [Several online sources.]

I said current version, because the original read like this:

I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of Heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ His only Son Our Lord.

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and was buried.

The third day He rose again from the dead.

He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

Amen. [Schaff, Creeds, 2:45]

The careful reader will notice this line is missing from the original: He descended into Hell.

The Apostolic Creed began its long journey with Ignatius of Antioch in AD 107 [Schaff, Creeds, 2:45]. There is a long and short version. The additions in the long version are shown in [brackets].

Be deaf, therefore, when any would appeal to you apart from [at variance with] Jesus Christ [the Son of God],

Who was descended from the family of David,

Born of Mary,

Who was truly born

[both of God and of the Virgin . . . truly took a body; for the Word became flesh and dwelt among us without sin . . .],

Ate and drank [truly],

Truly suffered persecution under Pontius Pilate,

Was truly [and not in appearance] crucified and died . . .

Who was also truly raised from the dead [and rose after three days],

His Father raising him up.

Again, notice He descended into Hell is not part of this statement of faith.

The creedal statement began with Irenaeus, ca. AD 170, who did not have the descended into hell statement. (This history is summarized from charts in Schaff, Creeds, 2:40–41, 52–55, showing the development of the Apostolic Creed.) We see the Creed without the descent into hell statement in Tertullian, AD 200; Cyprian, AD 250; Novatian, AD 250; Origin, AD 230; Marcellus, AD 341.

The descent into hell statement is first seen in the Roman church about AD 340.

The next appearance is Rufinus, AD 390, but oddly a copy by the same Rufinus, in Rome, the same year, does not have the statement. The statement is also missing in Augustine, AD 400; Necetas, AD 450; and Gallus, ca. AD 550.

The next time the descent into hell statement is found in the Apostolic Creed is AD 350, in a document known as the Sacramentarium Gallicanum.

The Nicene or Nicene-Constantinopolitan version of the creed (variously dated AD 325, AD 381, AD 451), does not have He descended into Hell.

The final form of the text, the form know today, is from Pirminius, AD 750.

So we see, that out of nine versions—ten versions counting Ignatius—the statement, He descended into Hell, was not present in the beginning, and appears in only three versions. The first time was 170 years from the first documented version; the last time 200 years after five versions without the statement.

Ignatius, AD 170, not present

Irenaeus, ca. AD 170, not present

Tertullian, AD 200, not present

Cyprian, AD 250, not present

Novatian, AD 250, not present

Origin, AD 230, not present

The Roman church, AD 340, present

Marcellus, AD 341, not present

Sacramentarium Gallicanum, AD 350, present

Nicene-Constantinopolitan, AD 381, not present

Rufinus, AD 390, present and not present

Augustine, AD 400, not present

Necetas, AD 450, not present

Gallus, ca. AD 550, not present

Pirminius, AD 750, present

As noted above, an extended version of the creed, known as the Nicene Creed or the Nicene-Constantinopolitan creed (which has been variously dated at AD 325, Council of Nicea; AD 381, Council of Constantinople; and AD 451, Council of Chalcedon, does not have the descended into hell clause.

We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,