The Battle for the Keys by Bass Justin W.;

Author:Bass, Justin W.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Authentic Media
Published: 2014-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Paul (Rom 10:6-7; Eph 4:8-10; Phil 2:10)

The first occurrence of a possible reference to the descent of Christ in the NT is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans (10:6-7). Even though Paul never uses the word Hades throughout his thirteen epistles, it is clear from his writings that he believed in an underworld with conscious living beings (angels and men). For he writes, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth ” (Phil 2:10). It will be argued in this section that Paul believed that Christ descended into this underworld between his death and resurrection, but beyond that Paul does not say anything definitive of Christ’s activity there. The primary passages from Paul’s letters produced to argue for the Descensus are Romans 10:6-7, Ephesians 4:8-10 and Philippians 2:10.

Paul believed that Christ was the “firstborn of the dead” (Col 1:15, 18),63 that he had died and returned to life so that he would the Lord of both the dead and the living (Rom 14:9;64 cf. 2 Tim 4:1), and that death at one time had mastery over Christ (Rom 6:9). This last verse parallels Acts 2:25 because if death no longer has mastery over him then it did have mastery over him for a time, but he loosed the pangs of death or Hades. Caesarius of Arles rightly noted, “When death first had dominion over Christ, it was only with his consent.”65 However, the primary passages used for the Descensus are Romans 10:6-7, Ephesians 4:8-10 and Philippians 2:10 and to these I now turn.

In Romans 10:6-7, Paul’s primary purpose is not to discuss the descent of Christ, but he does so incidentally and reveals what seems to be assumed knowledge by Paul and his Christian Roman readers. He says, “But the righteousness that is by faith says: ‘Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) or ‘Who will descend into the abyss ?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead )– (Rom 10:6-7).66 Paul is speaking about what is impossible such as snatching Christ from heaven (which cannot be done because he is already there) or bringing Christ up from the underworld (which cannot be done because he has already been resurrected). In contrast to what is impossible to reach, Paul is saying that the “word of faith” is near us and within everyone’s grasp (Rom 10:8). Many scholars agree that Paul assumes the truth of the doctrine of the Descensus in this passage,67 but still others deny it.68 Even Grudem, who denies the descent, admits that Paul is expressing a belief that Christ descended into the abyss. He writes,

Some may object, however, that Paul could not have anticipated these questions as possible thoughts of his readers unless it was widely known that Christ did in fact descend “into the deep.” This may in fact be true, but even in that case Scripture would not be saying or

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