The Bible passage most commonly cited about Jesus going to hell is 1 Peter 3:18-20, which speaks of Christ being "made alive in the spirit" and going to "make proclamation to the spirits now in prison." This is interpreted by many Christians as Jesus descending to the realm of the dead (often called Hades or Sheol) after His death and before His resurrection to proclaim victory over sin and death. Other relevant verses include Acts 2:27 and Acts 2:31, which refer to David's prophecy about Jesus' soul not being left in Hades, and Matthew 12:40, where Jesus compares His time in the "heart of the earth" to Jonah's three days in the belly of a great fish. It is important to clarify that the "hell" Jesus is said to have gone to is often understood not as the place of eternal torment (the Lake of Fire) but as the temporary realm of the dead where souls awaited resurrection. This place is sometimes called Sheol in the Old Testament or Hades in the New Testament. The Apostles' Creed summarizes this belief by stating that Jesus "descended into hell," which tradition interprets as Him descending to this realm to proclaim victory and liberate righteous souls. In summary:
- 1 Peter 3:18-20 is the key passage about Jesus' descent to the spirits in prison.
- Acts 2:27,31 and Matthew 12:40 also relate to this event.
- The term "hell" in this context refers to Hades/Sheol, the realm of the dead, not the place of eternal punishment.
