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Why did Jesus descend into Hell?


point5

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Thy Geekdom Come

Well, actually, the word used is the word for "place of the dead." We commonly refer to it as Hell because that's what "Hell" originally meant, but in today's English, Hell means specifically, the place of eternal torment.

It is more accurate to say that Jesus descended into limbo, where the souls of the just who were waiting for the Messiah were waiting to be allowed into Heaven. The tradition has it that Christ descended to them, bound Satan, and led them to Heaven rejoicing, Adam and Eve first, followed by all the righteous of the world from before Christ. He went there because:

1. He died, and as a part of His humility in accepting death, He needed to descend to the place of the dead.
2. He could only lead those souls up to Heaven if He went there to meet them.

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i have always understood "hell" in this instance to be the bosom of Abraham, where the righteous waited for the Savior to open the gates of heaven. so, Jesus "descends to hell" to free them and take them to heaven.

these articles may help:
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=5549"]"He Descended Into Hell"[/url]
--[url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/VISHELL.HTM"]Did Jesus Really Visit Hell?[/url]
--[url="http://www.cin.org/mateo/9107282.html"]Limbo of the Fathers and Descent Into Hell[/url]
--[url="http://www.cin.org/users/james/questions/q103.htm"]What Does the Creed Say about Jesus Descending to Hell?[/url]

pax christi,
nick

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Thy Geekdom Come

[quote name='phatcatholic' date='Oct 28 2004, 03:58 PM'] Raphael, "great minds...." ;) [/quote]
That would disqualify me. ;)

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cmotherofpirl

Jesus descended to the dead so that all people of all time had a chance to hear the Gospel.
THe place of the dead was even then divided into two sections - the good guys were up in the bosum of Abraham and everyone else below - all just waiting around.

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