The Apostles Creed is an ancient Christian statement of belief which predates the Nicene Creed. A Catholic is most likely to encounter it when praying the Rosary, as it is recited at the beginning. Certain translations of the Apostles Creed say:
“[Jesus] suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell and on the third day he rose again from the dead.”This part of the creed is a reference to 1Peter 3:18-19, which describes Jesus dying and visiting imprisoned spirits. The use of the word “hell” - and the prospect of Jesus going there - has confused many English-speaking people into thinking the Son became estranged from the Father and temporarily suffered the plight of the damned.
The reason for this confusion is a mixture of translation choices and the evolution of the English language. The original Greek says that Jesus went to “Hades”. Readers in ancient times would have been familiar with Hades being the abode of the dead, the underworld. It was thought of as a place where the spirits of the deceased dwelt, but not a place of torment. That word “hades” was translated into Middle English as “hel”. This word originally had the exact same neutral connotation as “hades”.
However, over time our conception of the word “hell” changed to refer only to the place of eternal punishment and separation from God. It would be impossible for Jesus, who was God, to experience such a thing. Thus, some modern translations of the creed now say Jesus “descended to the dead”. This rendition is friendlier to modern audiences and conveys the correct meaning.
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