The Person of Christ is a work by various authors about the most precious subject in all the scriptures - God's Son, Jesus Christ.  Some subjects include the Perfect Servant, the Eternal Sonship of Christ, the Incarnation of Christ, the Deity of Christ, the Impeccability of Christ, His Pre-existance, His Moral Glories, the Atonement  Work and others.

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Brian Crawford

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Bryon Meyers

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Bonnie Sharp

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Andrew Musch

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Sunday school printables

Listed here are a few of the features Sunday school printable on the site.  For a complete listing of over 120 ready-to-print Sunday school printables, click here . For three specific recommendations, read on...

Printable Nativity Scene

Your Sunday school class can finish this printables in about one hour.  Using a scissors and tape, your students will re-create the night in which our Savior was born.  Also included is a small house where the wise men came to visit.

Click here or the picture to download the printable PDF file.

Printable 3D Tabernacle

In about one hour you and your students can create a 3D printable model Moses' tabernacle.  Click here for the Tabernacle Model.  Requires Acrobat reader.

Printable Noah's Ark

3D model of Noah's Ark - A scale model to reconstruct the Ark that survived the flood at 130 to 1 scale.

Worksheet and Lesson Plan - Talking points to accompany the lesson of Noah's Ark and the flood.

Other Printable Resources

If you are a Bible class teacher, you may also be interested in the items in the Sunday School section of this site.

- Word puzzle creators to create your own crossword puzzles and word games.

- Subscribe to The Encourager, a weekly newsletter for Sunday school teachers that usually includes Sunday school printables.  This is best for teachers who find themselves scrambling every Saturday night to find something to teach.  Let us help with a weekly idea.

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Does there seem sufficient scriptural warrant for the teaching that “Hades is in the heart of the earth”? (Matthew 12:40" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 12:40 being cited). In the Old Testament the passage of souls to it is frequently spoken of as a descent.

The word Hades (from two words, “a,” not and, “idein,” to see) means the Unseen world. It never represents “the grave” in the sense of a tomb, but “grave-land,” the place of departed spirits. This was the Greek classical use and there is no proof but that exactly the same sense was carried on into New Testament Greek. Certainly a burial place is not unseen. It is the equivalent of the Hebrew, Sheol. There are rare places, e.g., Psalm 49:14-15" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 49:14-15 where this may seem to be equal to a mere tomb, but with the large majority of cases before us, we may say that even in such, the tomb is viewed as the gate for the particular soul into the underworld. David’s words in Psalm 16" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 16 bear out the ordinary meaning:
“Thou wilt not leave my soul in Sheol, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.” Sheol then was the place where the Spiritual part went; the grave, where alone corruption is seen, where the body was interred. The Annihilationists try to confuse the two; and deny any existence between death and resurrection; but this is Plainly contrary to many Scriptures. “The wicked shall be turned into Sheol” (Psalm 9:17)," TARGET="_blank">Psalm 9:17), surely means more than mere burial. “Shall burn unto the lowest sheol” (Deuteronomy 32:22)" TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 32:22)—graves don’t burn. “Speak to him out of the midst of Sheol” (Ezekiel 32:22)" TARGET="_blank">Ezekiel 32:22)— so it is not then a place of silence as a grave certainly is. Jacob in Genesis 35," TARGET="_blank">Genesis 35, knew his son Joseph was devoured by some beast and so had not been buried at all, and yet speaks of going down (yaradh) to his son to sheol. This word, yaradh (always to go down or descend), certainly favours the thought that we are intended to conceive of Hades as in the heart of the earth. It is the word used of Korah, Dathan and Abiram “going down alive into the pit (sheol),” (Numbers 16:33)." TARGET="_blank">Numbers 16:33).

The Spirit of Samuel was also seen to ascend, when the witch of Endor, for the first time in her miserable career, was permitted, to her own horror, actually to call up one of the departed, instead of the lying familiar spirit, who usually impersonated them—”An old man cometh up” (1 Samuel 28:14)." TARGET="_blank">1 Samuel 28:14). Also in Psalm 55:15," TARGET="_blank">Psalm 55:15, we read, “Let them go down quick into Sheol.” But the passage which may well settle the matter for us is Ephessians 4:9 “Now that Christ ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” There does not seem to be any real difficulty to those who believe in God’s Word. Naturally those who deny there is such a place as Hades, are unwilling to allow anyone to assign It a location. What they want is that someone should prove it does not exist at all.

W.H.

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Did Christ go to hell after dying on the cross?  Did Christ suffer for sins in hell?  Was he there to open the gates of hell to liberate those lost in their sins?  Is hell the same as the Lake of Fire?

The short answer:

No. Jesus did not go to suffer in the flames of Hell.  After dying on the cross, Christ went to the place of departed spirits.  That is, he went to SHEOL (the Hebrew word) or HADES (the Greek word).  He did not go to suffer in the flames of hell or go to Lake of Fire as some mistakenly believe. 

The full answer:

To give a full answer to these questions one must study several scriptures and the meaning of the word SHEOL translated HELL in some versions of the Bible.

What scirptures say that Christ was in sheol/hades?

Starting with Psalm 16:10," TARGET="_blank">Psalm 16:10, which is quoted in the New Testament in Acts 2" TARGET="_blank">Acts 2 in reference to Christ and his resurrection, we see the two words used in reference to Christ and his resurrection.

Psalms 16:10-11" TARGET="_blank">Psalms 16:10-11  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.  (11)  You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (ESV)

Here is the same verse from Psalm 16" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 16 in the King James Version.  Notice that hell is used in place of sheol.
   

Psalms 16:10-11" TARGET="_blank">Psalms 16:10-11  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  (11)  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (KJV)

Peter is giving his great Day of Pentecost speech in Acts 2" TARGET="_blank">Acts 2 when he quotes from Psalm 16." TARGET="_blank">Psalm 16.  The prophecy of Christ’s resurrection was written many years before by King David.

Acts 2:22-33" TARGET="_blank">Acts 2:22-33  "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know--  (23)  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.  (24)  God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.  (25)  For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;  (26)  therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope.  (27)  For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.  (28)  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'  (29)  "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  (30)  Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,  (31)  he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.  (32)  This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.  (33)  Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. (ESV)

In the KJV the verse is written with the word hell in place of hades. 

Acts 2:27" TARGET="_blank">Acts 2:27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (KJV)
Act 2:31" TARGET="_blank">Act 2:31  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. (KJV)

The meaning of SHEOL and HADES

In the King James Version, the Hebrew word SHEOL is usually translated as hell.  The corresponding Greek word HADES is also translated as hell.  Sheol means “the place of departed spirits” and hades means the “place of the dead”.  The word “hell” conjures images of darkness, flames, torment and agony.  However, the departed spirits of the Old Testament believers also went to sheol/hades, but not to suffer torments. 

According to Vines Dictionary…

Hades is the region of departed spirits of the lost".  This includes the blessed dead in periods preceding the ascension of Christ. It corresponds to "Sheol" in the Old Testament. In the Authorized King James Version it has been unhappily rendered "hell" (Psalms 16:10)" TARGET="_blank">Psalms 16:10) or "the grave," (Genesis 37:35)" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 37:35) or "the pit" (Numbers 16:30-33)." TARGET="_blank">Numbers 16:30-33).  In the New Testament the Revised Version always used the rendering "hades". In the Old Testament, they have not been uniform in the translation.  For example in Isaiah 14:15" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 14:15 it is translated "hell" with a note in the margin that says "Sheol".  Usually they have "Sheol" in the text and "the grave" in the margin. Sheol never denotes the grave, nor is the permanent region of the lost. 

Translation Challenge

Most Bible translators avoid using “hell” to translate the words sheol and hades. Instead they simply transcribe the words from the original Hebrew (sheol) or Greek (hades) as seen above in the examples from the English Standard Version (ESV). Other translations that use “sheol” instead of hell include the New American Standard Bible (NASB), The New King James Version (NKJV), Darby, and Young’s Literal Translation.  The NIV and other loose translations and paraphrases use a phrase such as “the realm of the dead”.  So to say that Christ went to hell means that he went to a place where spirits have no bodies. 

Hades – one place with two conditions

There is a wider meaning to sheol and hades than what the word hell – eternal torments - brings to mind. Sheol/hades is a place, or perhaps better stated a condition, with two very distinct environments.  The lost suffer in Hades while the saved enjoy rest there.  For example, in Luke 16:19-31," TARGET="_blank">Luke 16:19-31, the rich man opened his eyes in Hades being in flames of torments.  Lazarus died as well and was in Hades as well, but in a completely different condition.  Lazarus was “far off” at Abraham’s side.  There was “a great chasm”  separating Lazarus from the Rich Man which was impossible to cross which indicates that there are two separate places to which people went.  However both are in “the place of departed spirits” – that is SHEOL or HADES.  When the Lord was on the cross, he promised the repentant thief that “today you will be with me in paradise”.  This refers to the place of departed spirits of the saved.  The thief went to the same place as Lazarus – “to Abraham’s side.”  It is presumed that the other non-repentant thief went to hades the same day, but to the place of torments.

Where did Jesus suffer for sins – while on the cross or did he suffer in hell?

The fact that the KJV bible states that Jesus went to “hell” leads some to the conclusion that Christ he went to hell to suffer for our sins.  As seen in the preceding paragraphs, the word hell (sheol/hades) does not necessarily indicate a place of suffering, only the place of departed spirits. 

The idea of Christ suffering while his body lay in the tomb is contrary to other scriptures that teach he suffered for our sins on the cross. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24)" TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 2:24) “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10)." TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 10:10).  He canceled “the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”  (Colossians 2:14)." TARGET="_blank">Colossians 2:14).  The cross is “the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18)" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 1:18) to those of us who are saved.

The cross is the lowest point that Christ’s sufferings took him.

Philippians 2:8-9" TARGET="_blank">Philippians 2:8-9  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  (9)  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

Hebrews 12:2" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 12:2  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The work of salvation was completely finished when Christ died.  “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”  (John 19:30)." TARGET="_blank">John 19:30). His suffering in our place was completed. His soul/spirit went to the paradise side of hades. Jesus did not go to the torments of hell. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return to glory in His ascension.

Did Jesus go to hell? No. He did not suffer in the flames of torments.
Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes.  He went to the place of departed spirits.   

Other questions that are related to this are:

“Did Christ take people from Hades to Heaven when he rose from the dead?”  Ephesians 4:8-10" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 4:8-10 talks about Christ “leading a host of captives” when he ascended.

“Did Christ go talk to spirits in Hades to declare his victory over Satan and death?”  1 Peter 3:18-20" TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 3:18-20 has many interesting interpretations to consider on this question.

Some of the questions below will help you see the meaning in these statements.

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