Now that he ascended, what is it, but because he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

“If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death-whom some deny, by which mystery we have obtained faith, and therefore endure, that we may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only Master-how shall we be able to live apart from Him, whose disciples the prophets themselves in the Spirit did wait for Him as their Teacher? And therefore He whom they rightly waited for, being come, raised them from the dead.”

“Sheol saw me and was shattered, and Death ejected me and many with me. I have been vinegar and bitterness to it, and I went down with it as far as its depth. Then the feet and the head it released, because it was not able to endure my face. And I made a congregation of living among his dead; and I spoke with them by living lips; in order that my word may not be unprofitable. And those who had died ran towards me; and they cried out and said, Son of God, have pity on us. And deal with us according to Your kindness, and bring us out from the bonds of darkness. And open for us the door by which we may come out to You; for we perceive that our death does not touch You. May we also be saved with You, because You are our Savior. Then I heard their voice, and placed their faith in my heart. And I placed my name upon their head, because they are free and they are mine.”

“The strong root of your faith, spoken of in days [Philippians 1:5] long gone by, endureth even until now, and bringeth forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] "whom God raised from the dead, having loosed the pains of Hades." [quoting variant Acts 2:24 found in a few manuscripts of the so-called "Western" text]”

“Trypho: We ask you first of all to tell us some of the Scriptures which you allege have been completely cancelled. Justin: I shall do as you please... And since this passage from the sayings of Jeremiah is still written in some copies [of the Scriptures] in the synagogues of the Jews (for it is only a short time since they were cut out)... And again, from the sayings of the same Jeremiah these have been cut out: 'The Lord God remembered His dead people of Israel who lay in the graves; and He descended to preach to them His own salvation.'”

“As Jeremiah declares, "The holy Lord remembered His dead Israel, who slept in the land of sepulture; and He descended to them to make known to them His salvation, that they might be saved." For this reason also were the eyes of the disciples weighed down when Christ's passion was approaching; and when, in the first instance, the Lord found them sleeping, He let it pass — thus indicating the patience of God in regard to the state of slumber in which men lay; but coming the second time, He aroused them, and made them stand up, in token that His passion is the arousing of His sleeping disciples, on whose account "He also descended into the lower parts of the earth," to behold with His eyes the state of those who were resting from their labours, in reference to whom He did also declare to the disciples: "Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see and hear what ye do see and hear." For it was not merely for those who believed on Him in the time of Tiberius Caesar that Christ came, nor did the Father exercise His providence for the men only who are now alive, but for all men altogether, who from the beginning, according to their capacity, in their generation have both feared and loved God, and practised justice and piety towards their neighbours, and have earnestly desired to see Christ, and to hear His voice. Wherefore He shall, at His second coming, first rouse from their sleep all persons of this description, and shall raise them up, as well as the rest who shall be judged, and give them a place in His kingdom.”

“He showed all power given by the Father to the Son [Matthew 28:18], who is ordained Lord of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, and Judge of all [Philippians 2:10]: of things in heaven, because He was born, the Word of God, before all (ages); and of things on earth, because He became man in the midst of men, to re-create our Adam through Himself; and of things under the earth, because He was also reckoned among the dead, preaching the Gospel to the souls of the saints [1 Peter 3:19], (and) by death overcoming death.”

“Thus the law of God proclaims: when the Highest became lowly, Hell gave way, so that Adam might be lifted from Death; the Lord, having mercy on his own creation, descended into the tomb, and thus through hidden power, he nullified the power of Death. The Lord crept up, concealed from the old robber, and He allowed Himself to suffer, in order to cast him down more completely. That one, indeed, bold and always cruel like an enemy, while he hoped to rage against a man, was conquered by the Highest. By that thing through which the evil one had previously brought man down to death, he himself was overcome; from there comes forth life for us.”

“But in the Body which was circumcised, and carried, and ate and drank, and was weary, and was nailed on the tree and suffered, there was the impassible and incorporeal Word of God. This Body it was that was laid in a grave, when the Word had left it, yet was not parted from it, to preach, as Peter says, also to the spirits in prison. And this above all shews the foolishness of those who say that the Word was changed into bones and flesh. For if this had been so, there were no need of a tomb. For the Body would have gone by itself to preach to the spirits in Hades. But as it was, He Himself went to preach, while the Body Joseph wrapped in a linen cloth, and laid it away at Golgotha. And so it is shewn to all that the Body was not the Word, but Body of the Word.”

“He was truly laid as Man in a tomb of rock; but rocks were rent asunder by terror because of Him. He went down into the regions beneath the earth, that thence also He might redeem the righteous. For, tell me, could thou wish the living only to enjoy His grace, and that, though most of them are unholy; and not wish those who from Adam had for a long while been imprisoned to have now gained their liberty? Esaias the Prophet proclaimed with loud voice so many things concerning Him; would you not wish that the King should go down and redeem His herald? David was there, and Samuel, and all the Prophets, John himself also, who by his messengers said, Are you He that should come, or look we for another [Matthew 11:3]? Would you not wish that He should descend and redeem such as these? But He who descended into the regions beneath the earth came up again; and Jesus, who was buried, truly rose again the third day. And if the Jews ever worry you, meet them at once by asking thus: Did Jonah come forth from the whale on the third day, and has not Christ then risen from the earth on the third day?”

“The Enemy, therefore, beholding in Him such power, saw also in Him an opportunity for an advance, in the exchange, upon the value of what he held. For this reason he chooses Him as a ransom for those who were shut up in the prison of death. But it was out of his power to look on the unclouded aspect of God; he must see in Him some portion of that fleshly nature which through sin he had so long held in bondage. Therefore it was that the Deity was invested with the flesh, in order, that is, to secure that he, by looking upon something congenial and kindred to himself, might have no fears in approaching that supereminent power; and might yet by perceiving that power, showing as it did, yet only gradually, more and more splendour in the miracles, deem what was seen an object of desire rather than of fear... His choosing to save man is a testimony of his goodness; His making the redemption of the captive a matter of exchange exhibits His justice, while the invention whereby He enabled the Enemy to apprehend that of which he was before incapable, is a manifestation of supreme wisdom... For since, as has been said before, it was not in the nature of the opposing power to come in contact with the undiluted presence of God, and to undergo His unclouded manifestation, therefore, in order to secure that the ransom in our behalf might be easily accepted by him who required it, the Deity was hidden under the veil of our nature, that so, as with ravenous fish, the hook of the Deity might be gulped down along with the bait of flesh, and thus, life being introduced into the house of death, and light shining in darkness, that which is diametrically opposed to light and life might vanish; for it is not in the nature of darkness to remain when light is present, or of death to exist when life is active.”

“But where have the Scriptures said that He was buried, and on the third day shall rise again? By the type of Jonah which also Himself alleges, saying, "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall also the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." [Matthew 12:40] By the bush in the desert. For even as that burned, yet was not consumed, [Exodus 3:2] so also that body died indeed, but was not holden of death continually. And the dragon also in Daniel shadows out this. For as the dragon having taken the food which the prophet gave, burst asunder in the midst; even so Hades having swallowed down that Body, was rent asunder, the Body of itself cutting asunder its womb and rising again.”

“That He descended into hell is also evidently foretold in the Psalms, where it is said, "You have brought Me also into the dust of the death." And again, "What profit is there in my blood, when I shall have descended into corruption?" And again, "I descended into the deep mire, where there is no bottom." Moreover, John says, "Are You He that shall come (into hell, without doubt), or do we look for another?" Whence also Peter says that "Christ being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit which dwells in Him, descended to the spirits who were shut up in prison, who in the days of Noah believed not, to preach unto them;" where also what He did in hell is declared. Moreover, the Lord says by the Prophet, as though speaking of the future, "You will not leave my soul in hell, neither will You suffer Your Holy One to see corruption." Which again, in prophetic language he speaks of as actually fulfilled, "O Lord, You have brought my soul out of hell: You have saved me from them that go down into the pit"... He returned, therefore, a victor from the dead, leading with Him the spoils of hell. For He led forth those who were held in captivity by death, as He Himself had foretold, when He said, "When I shall be lifted up from the earth I shall draw all unto Me." To this the Gospel bears witness, when it says, "The graves were opened, and many bodies of saints which slept arose, and appeared unto many, and entered into the holy City"...”

“After having said that "Christ was put to death in the flesh, and quickened in the spirit," the apostle immediately went on to say: "in which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were unbelieving, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water;" thereafter he added the words: "which baptism also now by a like figure has saved you." [1 Peter 3:18-21] This, therefore, is felt by me to be difficult. If the Lord when He died preached in hell to spirits in prison, why were those who continued unbelieving while the ark was a preparing the only ones counted worthy of this favour, namely, the Lord's descending into hell? For in the ages between the time of Noah and the passion of Christ, there died many thousands of so many nations whom He might have found in hell. I do not, of course, speak here of those who in that period of time had believed in God, as, e.g. the prophets and patriarchs of Abraham's line, or, going farther back, Noah himself and his house, who had been saved by water (excepting perhaps the one son, who afterwards was rejected), and, in addition to these, all others outside of the posterity of Jacob who were believers in God, such as Job, the citizens of Nineveh, and any others, whether mentioned in Scripture or existing unknown to us in the vast human family at any time. I speak only of those many thousands of men who, ignorant of God and devoted to the worship of devils or of idols, had passed out of this life from the time of Noah to the passion of Christ. How was it that Christ, finding these in hell, did not preach to them, but preached only to those who were unbelieving in the days of Noah when the ark was a preparing? Or if he preached to all, why has Peter mentioned only these, and passed over the innumerable multitude of others? It is established beyond question that the Lord, after He had been put to death in the flesh, "descended into hell;" for it is impossible to gainsay either that utterance of prophecy, "You will not leave my soul in hell," — an utterance which Peter himself expounds in the Acts of the Apostles, lest any one should venture to put upon it another interpretation — or the words of the same apostle, in which he affirms that the Lord "loosed the pains of hell, in which it was not possible for Him to be holden." Who, therefore, except an infidel, will deny that Christ was in hell? As to the difficulty which is found in reconciling the statement that the pains of hell were loosed by Him, with the fact that He had never begun to be in these pains as in bonds, and did not so loose them as if He had broken off chains by which He had been bound, this is easily removed when we understand that they were loosed in the same way as the snares of huntsmen may be loosed to prevent their holding, not because they have taken hold. It may also be understood as teaching us to believe Him to have loosed those pains which could not possibly hold Him, but which were holding those to whom He had resolved to grant deliverance... As to the first man, the father of mankind, it is agreed by almost the entire Church that the Lord loosed him from that prison; a tenet which must be believed to have been accepted not without reason, — from whatever source it was handed down to the Church — although the authority of the canonical Scriptures cannot be brought forward as speaking expressly in its support, though this seems to be the opinion which is more than any other borne out by these words in the book of Wisdom. [Wisdom 10:1-2] Some add to this [tradition] that the same favour was bestowed on the holy men of antiquity — on Abel, Seth, Noah and his house, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the other patriarchs and prophets, they also being loosed from those pains at the time when the Lord descended into hell... But seeing that plain scriptural testimonies make mention of hell and its pains, no reason can be alleged for believing that He who is the Saviour went there, except that He might save from its pains; but whether He did save all whom He found held in them, or some whom He judged worthy of that favour, I still ask: that He was, however, in hell, and that He conferred this benefit on persons subjected to these pains, I do not doubt... You perceive, therefore, how intricate is the question why Peter chose to mention, as persons to whom, when shut up in prison, the gospel was preached, those only who were unbelieving in the days of Noah when the ark was a preparing — and also the difficulties which prevent me from pronouncing any definite opinion on the subject.”

“They then caused to be read a paper which they held in their hands, containing another form of the creed: this had indeed been drawn up at Sirmium, but had been kept concealed, as we have before observed, until their present publication of it at Ariminum. It has been translated from the Latin into Greek, and is as follows: We believe in one only and true God, the Father Almighty, the Creator and Framer of all things: and in one only-begotten Son of God, before all ages, before all beginning, before all conceivable time, and before all comprehensible thought, begotten without passion: by whom the ages were framed, and all things made: who was begotten as the only-begotten of the Father, only of only, God of God, like to the Father who begat him, according to the Scriptures: whose generation no one knows, but the Father only who begat him. We know that this his only-begotten Son came down from the heavens by his Father's consent for the putting away of sin, was born of the Virgin Mary, conversed with his disciples, and fulfilled every dispensation according to the Father's will: was crucified and died, and descended into the lower parts of the earth, and disposed matters there; at the sight of whom the (door-keepers of Hades trembled): having arisen on the third day, he again conversed with his disciples, and after forty days were completed he ascended into the heavens, and is seated at the Father's right hand; and at the last day he will come in his Father's glory to render to every one according to his works.”

“The soul when it was deified descended into Hades, in order that, just as the Sun of Righteousness [Malachi 4:2] rose for those upon the earth, so likewise He might bring light to those who sit under the earth in darkness and shadow of death [Isaiah 9:2]: in order that just as He brought the message of peace to those upon the earth, and of release to the prisoners, and of sight to the blind , and became to those who believed the Author of everlasting salvation and to those who did not believe a reproach of their unbelief [1 Peter 3:19], so He might become the same to those in Hades: That every knee should bow to Him, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth. [Philippians 2:10] And thus after He had freed those who had been bound for ages, straightway He rose again from the dead, showing us the way of resurrection.”

“Above, the Apostle showed the unity of the Church with respect to that which is common in the Church; here he shows the same thing with respect to that which is proper and special to each of the individual faithful members of the Church. Concerning this he does three things: first, he sets forth the distinction; second, he brings in an authority for this, at the words "Wherefore he saith," etc.; third, he gives an exposition of the authority, at the words "Now that he ascended," etc. He says therefore: we have in the Church one God, one faith, etc., but nevertheless we have diverse graces conferred particularly on diverse persons, because to every one of us grace is given — as if he were saying: there is none of us who is not a partaker of the divine grace and communion. John 1:16: "Of his fullness we have all received, grace for grace." But certainly this grace is not given to all uniformly or equally, but according to the measure of the giving of Christ, that is, according as Christ is the giver, and he has measured it out to each. Romans 12:6: "Having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us." This difference is not from fate, nor from chance, nor from merit, but from the gift of Christ, that is, according as Christ has measured it out to us proportionately. For he alone received the Spirit not according to measure, John 3:34, but the rest of the saints receive according to measure. Romans 12:3: "To each one, as God has divided to him the measure of faith." 1 Corinthians 3:8: "Each one shall receive his own reward," etc. Matthew 25:15: "To each one according to his own ability," etc. For just as it is in the power of Christ to give or not to give, so also to give more or less. There follows: "Wherefore he saith," etc. Here he sets down a certain authority taken from Psalm 67:19, and it is referred to what he said, "according to the measure of the giving of Christ"; in which he does three things. First he recalls the ascension of Christ; second, the liberation of the human race; third, he sets down the conferring of spiritual gifts. The parts follow one upon another. He shows therefore the first, speaking thus: "Wherefore" — namely, to signify this — "he saith," namely the prophet David in Psalm 67:19: "Christ ascending on high," etc. Micah 2:13: "He goes up before them, opening the way," etc. Job 39:18: "she raises her wings on high," etc. "Ascending," I say, but not alone, because "he led captivity captive" — namely, those whom the devil had made captive. For the human race had been made captive, and the saints who died in charity, who had merited glory, were held in the captivity of the devil as captives in Limbo. Isaiah 5:13: "My people is led away captive," etc. This captivity, therefore, Christ set free, and led it with himself into heaven. Isaiah 49:24f.: "Shall the prey be taken from the strong? or that which is taken by the mighty be delivered, and can it be safe? Because thus saith the Lord: Yea, the captivity shall be taken away from the strong, and that which was taken by the mighty shall be delivered." But certainly this is verified not only with respect to those already dead, but also with respect to the living, who were held captive under sin; whom, freeing from sin, he made servants of righteousness, as is said in Romans 6:18, and thus in a certain manner he led them into captivity, not unto ruin but unto salvation. Luke 5:10: "From henceforth thou shalt catch men." But he not only snatched men from the captivity of the devil and subjected them to his own service, but he also endowed them with spiritual goods. Hence it is added: "he gave gifts to men," namely, gifts of grace and of glory. Psalm 83:12: "The Lord will give grace and glory." 2 Peter 1:4: "by whom he has also given us precious promises," etc. Nor is it contrary that in the preceding letter it is said "he received gifts among men," because certainly he gave as God and received as man in the faithful, as in his own members. He gave in heaven as God, and he received on earth according to the manner of speaking whereby it is said in Matthew 25:40: "What you have done to one of the least of mine, you have done to me." Then, when he says "Now that he ascended," etc., he expounds the authority he had proposed, and first with respect to the ascension; second with respect to the matter of the giving, at the words "And he himself gave," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows how he descended, at the words "he who descended"; second, how he ascended, at the words "he who ascended," etc. Concerning the first it must be considered that, since Christ is truly God, it seemed unfitting that descending should belong to him, because nothing is more sublime than God. And therefore, to exclude this doubt, the Apostle adds: "Now that he ascended, what is it, but because he also descended first," etc. As if he were saying: therefore I afterward said that he ascended, because he himself had first descended, that he might ascend; for otherwise he could not have ascended. But how he descended, he adds, saying, "into the lower parts of the earth." This can be understood in two ways. In one way, so that by "the lower parts of the earth" are understood these parts of the earth in which we dwell, which are called lower because they are below the heaven and the air. Into these parts of the earth the Son of God is said to have descended, not by local motion, but by the assumption of a lower and earthly nature, according to that word of Philippians 2:7: "He emptied himself," etc. In another way it can be understood of Hell, which is also below us. For thither the Lord descended according to his soul, that he might thence free the saints. And thus this seems to agree with what he had said: "he led captivity captive." Zechariah 9:11: "Thou also, by the blood of thy testament, hast sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit, wherein is no water." Revelation 10:1: "I saw another mighty Angel coming down from heaven," etc. Exodus 3:7: "I have seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt," etc.; and it follows: "and I am come down to deliver him." Then, when he says "he who descended," etc., he makes manifest his ascension with respect to three things. First with respect to the person of the one ascending, when he says "he who descended, the same is he who ascended," etc. In which is designated the unity of the person of God and man. For the Son of God descended, as has been said, by assuming human nature; but the Son of man ascended, according to human nature, to the sublimity of immortal life. And thus it is the same Son of God who descended and Son of man who ascended. John 3:13: "No one ascends into heaven, but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man, who is in heaven." Here it is noted that the humble, who willingly descend, ascend spiritually by God's exalting them, because "he who humbles himself shall be exalted," Luke 14:11. Second, he shows the terminus of the ascension, when he says "above all the heavens." Psalm 67:34: "Who ascends above all the heavens, to the east." Nor is it to be understood only that he ascended above all the corporeal heavens, but also above every spiritual creature. Above, chapter 1:20: "Setting him at his right hand in the heavenly places, above all principality, and power, and virtue, and dominion, and every name that is named," etc. Third, he sets down the fruit of the ascension, when he says "that he might fill all things," that is, that he might fill every kind of man with spiritual gifts. Psalm 64:5: "We shall be filled with the good things of thy house." Ecclesiasticus 24:26: "Be filled from my generations." Or "that he might fulfill," that is, that he might bring to effect all the things that had been written of him. Luke, last chapter: "All things must be fulfilled which are written in the law, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."”

“The earth itself may be understood to be the lower parts of creation, to which the Son of God descended. After his death, he descended to the rest- ing-place of the saints, and led them forth to His kingdom. " Our Lord," says St. Jerome, " descended to hell, to lead forth in triumph the souls of the saints, which were there detained."”

“Paul reasons that (assuming Him to be God) His ascent implies a previous descent; and that the language of the Psalm can only refer to Christ, who first descended, then ascended. For God the Father does not ascend or descend. Yet the Psalm plainly refers to God (Eph 4:8, Eph 4:17-18). It must therefore be GOD THE SON (Joh 6:33, Joh 6:62). As He declares (Joh 3:13), "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven." Others, though they did not previously descend, have ascended; but none save Christ can be referred to in the Psalm as having done so; for it is of God it speaks. lower parts of the earth--The antithesis or contrast to "far above all heavens," is the argument of ALFORD and others, to show that this phrase means more than simply the earth, namely, the regions beneath it, even as He ascended not merely to the visible heavens, but "far above" them. Moreover, His design "that He might fill all things" (Eph 4:10, Greek, "the whole universe of things") may imply the same. But see on Eph 4:10 on those words. Also the leading "captive" of the "captive hand" ("captivity") of satanic powers, may imply that the warfare reached to their habitation itself (Psa 63:9). Christ, as Lord of all, took possession first of the earth the unseen world beneath it (some conjecture that the region of the lost is in the central parts of our globe), then of heaven (Act 2:27-28). However, all we surely know is, that His soul at death descended to Hades, that is, underwent the ordinary condition of departed spirits of men. The leading captive of satanic powers here, is not said to be at His descent, but at His ascension; so that no argument can be drawn from it for a descent to the abodes of Satan. Act 2:27-28, and Rom 10:7, favor the view of the reference being simply to His descent to Hades. So PEARSON in Exposition of the Creed (Phi 2:10).”