Jason Leonard, Part 4: Hell vs. Hades
January 10, 2020
“He descended into hell.” This line from the Apostles’ Creed is the subject of the final part of Adam’s interview with Jason. In this “bonus” episode, Jason and Adam look at different translations for “hell” and discuss why using the right word is so important.
Where did Jesus go when He died? Although the Book of Common Prayer translated the name of the location to “hell,” Jason points out that early forms of the creed use “hades.” While this may be the most accurate term, Jason and Adam agree that saying “He descended to the dead” or “the place of the dead” is the best wording because of how it shapes our understanding of Jesus’s death.
Listen in to this episode to learn about hades from both Jewish and Greek linguistic perspectives and to hear about the Old Testament Jewish understanding of the afterlife.
Jump Through the Conversation
[0:48] In the Apostles’ Creed, did Jesus descend to the dead, to hades, or to hell?
[5:10] Why “place of the dead” may be the most accurate translation
[6:29] Issue caused by translation in the Book of Common Prayer
[8:14] The difference between hades and hell
[10:27] How the Jewish people understood hades, paradise, and the afterlife
[11:50] Correct translation matters because it emphasizes Jesus’s actual death
[14:51] Nuances of hell and Tartarus
[15:41] The ecumenical importance of the Apostles’ Creed
[16:40] The importance of affirming that Jesus actually died
[17:48] Presbyterians and the Lord’s Prayer
A resource of the Chattanooga House of Prayer