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Did Christ descend into hell?
Peter: He did ([Acts ii, 31]; [1 Peter iii, 19]).
Peter states that “his soul was not left in hell,” which necessitates the assumption of his having gone there. He also declares that after his death he “went and preached unto the spirits in prison [hell].”
The Confession of Faith (Art. III) says: “As Christ died for us, and was buried; so also is it to be believed that he went down into hell.”
For what purpose did Christ descend into hell and preach to its inhabitants? If it was to redeem them his mission was fruitless; if it was not to redeem them his mission was useless.
Early Christian writers almost uniformly spelled the name of Christ, not “Christos” (the Anointed), but “Chrestos.” Chrestos was a Pagan name given to the judge of Hades in the lower world.