Did Jesus Really Go to Hell? Understanding What the Bible Actually Teaches

Did Jesus Really Go to Hell?

This entire study began because I was reading through the Apostles’ Creed. One of the oldest summaries of Christian belief and a single line stopped me:

“He descended into hell.”

It made me pause. Honestly, it wasn’t a pause, it stopped me in my tracks. I grew up hearing different teachings, and suddenly I wondered…

What does this actually mean?

Does Scripture say Jesus went to hell?

Why does the creed use that wording?

That simple line led me into a deep study through Scripture, church history, and early Christian writings; what I found is often misunderstood, yet incredibly beautiful.

This post brings all of it together clearly in one place and I hope it helps you too if you’ve ever wondered.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

On the third day He rose again.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again 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 life everlasting. Amen.

First. Why Does It Say “Catholic”? Does It Mean Roman Catholic?

This is another phrase that confuses people.

“Catholic” originally meant universal. The early Christians wrote the Creed long before denominations existed.

The Greek phrase kath’ holou means:

• universal

• according to the whole

• the worldwide body of Christ

So the Creed actually means:

“I believe in the one universal Church of Jesus Christ.”

I wondered if Protestants use this wording too?

Many actually do, especially:

• Lutherans

• Anglicans/Episcopalians

• Presbyterians

• Methodists

• Reformed churches

They usually print it as “catholic” (small c) to emphasize “universal.”

Others change it to:

• “the holy Christian Church”

• “the holy universal Church”

Same meaning; different wording for clarity.

Catholics of course keep the historic phrase, but they also affirm that in the Creed, “catholic” still primarily means universal, just as the original authors intended.

Did Catholics Add “He Descended Into Hell”?

No.

The phrase predates Roman Catholicism and appears in the earliest versions of the Creed.

All early Christians believed Christ descended to the realm of the dead, not the hell of fire.

Today, older English says “hell,” but Catholics themselves teach it means:

• Hades (Greek)

• Sheol (Hebrew)

• the realm of the dead

  
  

  NOT fiery punishment.

The Catechism (CCC 633) says:

Jesus did not descend to the hell of the damned, but to free the righteous who had gone before Him.

Did Jesus Actually Go to Hell? (The Real Question)

The Bible never says Jesus went to Gehenna — the place of final torment. But Scripture clearly says He descended to Hades/Sheol,

the realm of all the dead before the resurrection.

Understanding this distinction is essential:

• Sheol/Hades = the realm of the dead

• Gehenna = the final place of punishment

• Jesus went to Sheol/Hades, NOT Gehenna

When Did the Descent Happen?

All Christian traditions (Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox) teach the same timeline. It happened during the three days Jesus was dead.

Good Friday:

He dies and His body is buried.

His spirit enters the realm of the dead.

Saturday (Holy Saturday):

He fulfills prophecy and proclaims victory.

Sunday:

He rises, leaving both the grave and the realm of the dead.

This period is often called The Harrowing of Hades.

Old Testament Prophecies of the Descent…

The Old Testament also speak about the Messiah entering Sheol and rising again.

1. Psalm 16:10 is the clearest prophecy

“You will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

nor allow Your Holy One to see decay.”

This is a prophecy that the Messiah would:

• go to Sheol

• NOT be left there

• rise before bodily decay

Peter quotes this directly about Jesus in Acts 2:27–31.

2. Jonah is a prophetic foreshadowing

Jesus Himself said Jonah’s experience predicted His own descent:

“Three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” - Matthew 12:40

For ancient Jews, “heart of the earth” meant Sheol.

3. Hosea 6:2

“After two days He will revive us;

on the third day He will raise us up…”

This was read by early Christians as a three-day resurrection prophecy, implying time in Sheol.

4. Psalm 22

Jesus quotes Psalm 22 on the cross.

The psalm ends with triumphant deliverance from death, interpreted by the early church as including His descent.

5. Isaiah 53

Isaiah speaks of:

• His death

• His grave

• His prolonged days afterward

• His soul as an offering

It describes the path of death → burial → life restored.

The early church connected all of this to:

• His suffering

• His burial

• His descent

• His resurrection

New Testament Evidence and When It Was Written…

These Scriptures describe what Jesus did during the three days:

1. Ephesians 4:9 — Written AD 60–62 in Roman imprisonment

“He descended into the lower parts of the earth.”

This refers to Hades, not Gehenna.

2. 1 Peter 3:18–19 — Written AD 62–64 during persecution

He “went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.”

This describes His proclamation of victory in the realm of the dead.

3. 1 Peter 4:6 — Same period

“The gospel was preached even to those who are dead…”

Meaning: His work reached even those who died before His resurrection. I must pause here. Wow! Mind blown. How am I just now learning this after being a believer essentially my whole life. Better late than never.

4. Acts 2:27–31 — Peter’s Pentecost sermon (AD 30)

“He was not abandoned to Hades.”

The first Christian sermon ever recorded includes the descent.

What Did Jesus Actually Do There?

1. He fulfilled prophecy

He entered Sheol just as Psalm 16 foretold.

2. He proclaimed victory

His suffering was completed on the cross (“It is finished”). In Hades He announced triumph over sin, death, and Satan.

3. He opened Paradise

Early Christians taught that He freed the righteous dead and opened the way into Paradise at last. He broke death from the inside.

Did Jesus Experience Separation From the Father?

Yes — but on the cross, not afterward. I’m still trying to sort this out. How Jesus was ever separated from God, considering they are one. If you have insight, or more clarity than I do, please share. I think I “get it” but it’s a lot to process.

His cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” is a quote from Psalm 22; which ends in victory.

There is no biblical teaching that He suffered in hell.

What Do Christians of Different Traditions Believe?

Protestants:

• Jesus went to the realm of the dead, not fiery hell.

• He proclaimed victory there.

• His suffering ended on the cross.

Catholics & Orthodox:

• Also affirm the descent.

• Call it the Harrowing of Hades.

• Teach that He shattered the gates of death and freed the righteous.

All historic Christian traditions agree that Jesus did NOT go to the hell of torment and that He descended to the realm of the dead in victorious authority.

Jesus didn’t defeat death from heaven. He stepped into the realm no human could escape

and walked out holding the keys!!!

Revelation 1:18:

“I have the keys of Death and Hades.”

This means; death has no claim on you, the grave cannot hold you and Christ’s victory extends to the deepest darkness.

His descent wasn’t defeat. It was the opening act of resurrection triumph. Amen!

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