Christ Descended into Hell

According to the Apostles’ Creed, Christ descended into hell after his death: “Jesus Christ…was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven…” Why do we believe this as Christians? What is the Catholic teaching about Christ’s descent into hell? Well, remember that salvation comes through Christ alone. No one who died before Jesus Christ could fully enter into heaven through salvation until the Paschal Mystery. This includes all of the holy men and women of the Old Testament such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Moses, David, Solomon, Ruth, Esther, Miriam, all of the Prophets, and even Adam and Eve. Although we use the English word “hell,” the original Latin “inferos” means simply “below” or “beneath” and the earlier Greek word “katoteros” means the “lower parts of the earth.” In other words, this is the underworld or sheol as it was known in the Old Testament. During the three days of Christ’s death, Jesus descended into the netherworld where the righteous souls of the dead were waiting for him. Through him they could experience salvation and unity with God. Meanwhile, on earth Christ’s body remained in the tomb. He would soon rise again body, soul, and spirit and open the gates of heaven for all to experience. This event is remembered on Holy Saturday, the time between Christ’s death on Good Friday and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday. This event is sometimes referred to as the “Harrowing of Hell.” SUBSCRIBE for more Catholic videos: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=thereligionteacher CONNECT WITH THE RELIGION TEACHER: -- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReligionTeacher -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereligionteacher_/ -- X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReligionTeacher -- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/religionteacher/ CONNECT WITH JARED: -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jareddees/ -- X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jareddees -- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jareddees/ ARE YOU A RELIGIOUS EDUCATOR? CHECK OUT THESE RESOURCES: -- Activities: https://www.thereligionteacher.com/religious-education-activities/ -- Popular Lesson Plans: https://www.thereligionteacher.com/catholic-lesson-plans/ -- The Religion Teacher's Guide to Lesson Planning: https://www.thereligionteacher.com/guide-to-lesson-planning/ -- BECOME A MEMBER: Access hundreds of printable worksheets, class videos, and online courses here: https://members.thereligionteacher.com/join/