Did Jesus Preach While in Hell?

(Updated 2008.09.08)
Claims exist that Jesus when in Hell preached to the Spirits or demons there.  This page is devoted to explaining what really happened and to help those who are willing to study to attain to accurate knowledge.

The claim that Jesus preached to Spirits or demons while in hell stems from the fact that the KJV translation has been used for so long and by so many.  Here are the scriptures that are the beginning cause of the misunderstanding: (KJV)

Psalm 16:10, For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Strong's number: hell <07585>

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary: 07585:
7585 sh'owl sheh-ole' or shol sheh-ole'; from 7592; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates:--grave, hell, pit. see HEBREW for 07592

Acts 2:27, Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Strong's number: hell <86>

Strong's Greek Dictionary: 00086:
86 haides hah'-dace from 1 (as negative particle) and 1492; properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:--grave, hell. see GREEK for 1 see GREEK for 1492

Obvious to all, it states about Jesus that he was in hell for a period of time.  Additional information by Strong shows that in Psalms the Hebrew term for hell is Sheol and in Acts the Greek term for Hell is Hades.

 

The following scripture is where the KJV Bible creates the problem.

2 Pet 2:4, For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

1 Pet 3: 18, For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.

If we had to rely on the KJV Bible alone, we could barely come to any other conclusion than what was arrived at in the past.  We have got to be grateful to God and the translators that gave us the means to ascertain the truth.

If we check how other Bible versions translated the scriptures in Psalms and Acts, we'll find that many use Sheol in Psalms and Hades in Acts. One surprisingly used Hades in Psalms.

Here are some other renderings:

The German translation below phrased it  "Kingdom of the Dead," a French one said "abode of the dead."

(GerSch) Psalm 16:10, denn du wirst meine Seele nicht dem Totenreich überlassen und wirst nicht zugeben, daß dein Heiliger die Verwesung.
Translation: "kingdom of the dead"

(French Louis Segond) Car tu ne livreras pas mon âme au séjour des morts, Tu ne permettras pas que ton bien-aimé voie la corruption
Translation: "abode of the dead"

KJV creates the problem by its translation of 2 Pet 2:4. Let's see what ASV says; it has some good foot notes.  I added the colouring to make evident what the original words are.

(ASV) 2 Pet 2:4, For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but (1) cast them down to (2) hell, and committed them to (3) pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;(1) Or cast them into dungeons 2) Gr Tartarus 3) Some ancient authorities read chains ; Compare Wis 17:17)

As the footnote in ASV brings out, the word hell in 2 Pet 2:4 is neither Hades nor Sheol, it is Tartarus. Strong's KJV number: hell <5020>

Strong's Greek Dictionary: 05020:  5020 tartaroo tar-tar-o'-o from Tartaros . . .

This means that while Jesus was in Hades, the demons were not. They were in Tartarus all the while.

For this reason, Darby translates that verse as " 4For if God spared not the angels who had sinned, but having cast them down to the deepest pit of gloom has delivered them to chains of darkness to be kept for judgment."

Diaglott, "4If for the God messengers having sinned not spared, but with chains of thick darkness having confined Tartarus he delivered up for a judgment being kept.

YLT, 4For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast them down to Tartarus, did deliver them to judgment, having been reserved,

Tisch, " 4ει γαρ ο θεος αγγελων αμαρτησαντων ουκ εφεισατο αλλα σιροις ζοφου ταρταρωσας παρεδωκεν εις κρισιν τηρουμενους (tartarosas)

Tisch (Roman Alphabet), 4ei gar o theos angelon amartesanton ouk epheisato alla sirois zophou tartarosas paredoken eis krisin teroumenous.

Easily verifiable from the enclosed Greek text, the word is not Hades or Sheol, it is Tartarus. So where Jesus went when he died there were no demons.

So, did Jesus preach to the demons in hell. No he didn't. In fact if you are a truth seeker go to the page where the condition of the dead is explained. There you'll see proof showing that Jesus when in Sheol, Hades, or Hell was quite dead. His soul was dead and he was awaiting the resurrection,

After Christ was resurrected, he went as a resurrected spirit being to preach to the live imprisoned demons in Tartarus !

Let's verify that by reading a once quoted scripture once again:

 1 Pet 3:18, For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison; 20Who formerly were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah.  (Webster)

Thus after Christ had been resurrected, and only then, did Christ as a mighty glorified spirit being go to preach to the demons in Tartarus.

What and where

Tartarus is called a prison, but we find below an interesting fact.  Perhaps many have taken this to be a manner of phrasing only.  However, we are told that under ground there are beings that shall bend their knees to Christ. ("and on earth, and underground, " Rotherham)

Philippians 2:9,10, Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; 10that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth. (ASV)

II Peter 2:4, For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast them down to Tartarus, did deliver them to judgment, having been reserved, (YLT)

 Jude 6, And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (ASV)

Taking the Bible at its word, the impression that the disobedient angels in Tartarus may be found underground here on earth becomes plausible.  Lately, non-Biblical stories have emerged that seem to indicate such.  Naturally, these really cannot be taken into account in this.  As such, each Christian must judge for themself what they believe about Tartarus.