Our Lord's decent into Hell

The fifth article of faith in the Apostle's Creed says that Jesus Christ "descended into Hell, the third day He rose again from the dead." As we approach Holy Week to walk once again with Christ the final steps of His earthly life it will be a fruitful spiritual exercise to visit this article of faith, our Lord's "decent into Hell." This fifth article of faith explains what Christ did after His death and before His Resurrection, when He came back to human life three days after He was crucified.

Let's talk briefly about the term "hell." The Bible referres to the place of the dead as "hell" or "Sheol" in Hebrew or "Hades" in Greek. Here was all the dead, whether they had lived an evil life or one that was generally righteous. Here they awaited in hope the Redeemer.

In the parable of the poor begger Lazarus in Luke 16:20 we learn that in death there is a difference between the evil and the just. Jesus descended into hell to deliever the holy souls, that is those who died in hope awaiting their redeemer's justice. Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before Him.

What happened after our Lord died? When Jesus died, His body and soul were separated. This is what will happen when each of us die. Death is the separation of the physical body and the immortal soul. His body was placed in a grave which was a new burial tomb.

Our Lord's body was laid in a tomb, but His soul "descended into hell." The word "hell" here in the Creed means the place of the dead, where they are resting. Much later in Christian history was it used also to mean the place of punishment for the damned. This descent means that after His death, His soul visited the souls of the just who died, from Adam and Eve to that time of the Crucifixion who died in hope in God's justice. In the Father's eternal plan this justice is the Lord's death on the Cross by which all creation is redeemed.

We find this in 1 Peter 3:18-19:

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the body but made alive in the spirit; in which He went and preached to the spirits in prison, (1Pe 3:18-19 RSV)

Christ descended into Hell, into the place of the dead, to manifest His power and authority over all Creation, which included the plaace of the dead.

St. Paul proclaims:

Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (Phi 2:9-10 RSV)

Our Lord Jesus Christ has authority over the living and the dead!

Laetare "Rose" Sunday

On the Fourth Sunday of Lent the liturgical color is changed to rose. This Sunday is called Laetare Sunday. Laetare is Latin for "rejoice" and today, midway through Lent today reminds us of the joy that awaits all sinners beyond earnest penance.

The rose-colored vestments symbolize the Church's joy in anticipation of the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In England, this Sunday took on a special meaning. It is known as Mothering Sunday, a custom that arose during the Middle Ages. On Laetare Sunday Christians went to Church where they were baptized which is their "mother church"; and after mass they would visit their mothers as well, often bringing them gifts of flowers and a fruit-cakes covered with almond paste. All of this was done on the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

Wonderful traditions! Now, Rejoice.... for the Lord is at hand!

Joshua - "The Lord is Salvation."

On Wednesday, Sept 7, 2011 at 7:00 pm we will start Bible Study.  We will begin with the Book of Joshua.  The name "Joshua" in Hebrew means "the Lord is salvation."

Under Joshua's leadership the people of God gained control of the Promised Land.  The Book of Joshua provides a theological outline of the conquest of the Promised Land. 

Join us!

Creating “the form” and filling “the void.”

Genesis 1:1-2 makes a peculiar statement.  It says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep;”.  Have you ever considered how God created the "form” and filled the "void?”

Let’s look at each of these words, 'form" and "void."

Taking a close look at the first chapter of Genesis we can see that the Holy Spirit provides an ingenious literary structure.  The six days of creation are divided into two sets of three days.

1. In the first three days, God created forms;
2. In the second three days God filled the forms.

There also must be noted a deliberate correspondence between days one and four; two and five; three and six.  Now, let's look at all of this more carefully.

Creating the Form
In the first three days God created “form.” What is "form"?

• Time:  On the first day, God separated light from darkness, creating day and night, and thus time.
• Space:  On the second day, God created sea and sky, thus He was marking divisions of space.
• Life:  On the third day, God created the dry land and filled it with all vegetation, which was the beginning of biological life.

Filling the Void
In the second three days God “filled” the void in the following way:

• “Rulers” of time:  “Time” is given Order.  There is a rule and cycle to time.  On the fourth day, God created the stars, the sun, and the moon to “rule” or give order and method to the day and night and to mark the seasons and days and years.  This “filled” time in this way to help us know that “time” has purpose and meaning.
• “Rulers” of space:  On the first day, God created sea creatures and birds to fill the sea and sky.  Life occupies space.
• “Rulers” of life:  On the sixth day, God created the animals and humans to fill the dry land.

In the six days God laid a sure and lasting foundation.  He established in this His Natural Law which remains firm and absolute to this very day.  This is God's "Divine Design" that is the fabric of His unshakeable faithfulness to His covenantal promises to us and all creation.

As believers we stand upon this sure and lasting foundation.  We build our life and help build society upon God’s sure and lasting foundation.  This is the very DNA of creation.

God rested on the Seventh Day, and made this Day holy.  The Seventh Day, or Sabbath, becomes the doorway to the Eighth Day.  With the Eighth Day a New Day has dawned, which is the Day of Christ's Resurrection.

The seventh day completes the first creation. The eighth day begins the new creation.  God amazing work of creation and all of its mystery, including all that we yet to know about reaches culmination in the greater work of Christ’s Redemption. The first creation finds its meaning and its summit in the new creation in Christ.  Redemption even surpasses the beauty of the first creation!

Does the Bible Need to be Interpreted?

A reason we must approach the interpretation of the Bible with great care and respect is because the interpreter is seeking to realize the meaning(s) intended by God, who is the chief author of the Holy Bible.  The sacred texts were written centuries ago and in languages that are often difficult to understand.  The ideas in the Bible are frequently challenging.  For example, consider what St. Peter said about the writing of St. Paul:

"And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.  Just as our most dear brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given him, has written to you, as indeed he did in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things.  In these Epistles there are certain things difficult to understand, which the unlearned and the unstable distort, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures also, to their own distruction.  You therefore, brethern, since you know this before hand, be on your guard lest, carried away from your own steadfastness.  But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity.  Amen."  2 Pet 3:15-18.

This is one example of how Scripture itself admitts that there are "certain things difficult to understand, which the unlearned and the unstable distort, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures also, to their own distruction."  2 Pet 3:16

Therefore, the Bible is a gift of Revelation given to us by God Himself.  We should always treat the Bible with great reverence.  The Bible was given to the Church to be guarded and explained.  The Bible must be interpreted by the Church from the "heart of the Church."