Why do we say 'He descended into hell' in the Creed?

We profess our Christian faith by reciting the Creed, However I know many people feel uncomfortable reciting one particular statement from the Creed which is "He descended into Hell". They often think it is some mistake and needs to be changed. However, all it needs is a little understanding of the concept of Hell aka Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek.

Before Jesus opened the gates of Heaven, by his death and resurrection, it was believed that both the righteous and the unrighteous went into a common place called the realm of the dead known as Hell/Sheol/Hades. It was thus named because it was deprived of the vision of God, they were still awaiting the Saviour. While we often imagine Hell as this dark and steaming place flooded with devils, it basically refers to an absence of God and that's exactly what the realm of the dead signified.

Although both the righteous and unrighteous were to abide there, it was believed that their experience there was very different, we understand this from the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. While both Lazarus and the rich man went to the realm of the dead, Lazarus was received in Abraham's bosom while the rich man was in a place of torment and both were separated by a great chasm. The just were comforted while they waited for their deliverance.

It is exactly for these, that Jesus, after his death, went down to the realm of the dead and proclaimed the good news. He didn't go to free those who were damned but to free the just. Scriptural evidence of this is in Mathew 27:52-53 "The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many". Again we read in 1 Peter 3:19 "He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison".

I hope this explanation helps to clear any confusion so that you can profess the Creed with conviction.

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