The Church Fathers on the Soteriological Significance of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’s Descent into Hell

Liviu Petcu

Volume : V, Issue : VII, July - 2016

The Church Fathers on the Soteriological Significance of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’s Descent into Hell

Liviu Petcu

Abstract :

Christ, as a victorious Emperor who vanquished death, sin, hell and the devil, descended into hell, with His deified soul or with His soul unified with God, unbinding and releasing from it those who were wrongly kept there. This action was accomplished after the Crucifixion and the laying of Christ�s body in the tomb. This lasted �three days and three nights�� until His Resurrection. The �persons� to whom He conveyed the message of redemption were the souls of the dead since Adam to that moment, but not all of them experienced the redeeming effects of Christ�s sacrifice and the message He took there, only the righteous and the virtuous