根据圣经的教导，有一个称为“阴间”的地方，这个地方是专为与上帝为敌的人而预备的。新约圣经提到阴间162次，而耶稣也曾提到这地方超过70次。
不过，使徒信经说耶稣：“降在阴间”，实在令人感到困惑。这句在第四世纪某些版本信经出现的话，可能部份是根据使徒彼得说过的一句话，他说耶稣“曾去传道给那些在监狱里的灵听”（彼得前书 3:19-20; 4:6）。有些人认为，这里的意思是说耶稣死后便降到阴间去释放上古时代的罪人。另有些人则说，“降在阴间”是指耶稣落在极沉重的痛苦深渊中，因为祂为我们经历苦难人生、被钉十字架、受死、和埋葬。
无论完满的解释是什么，这句告白都不应该分散我们对耶稣和基督教信仰基要真理的专注。至少这句话简洁地捕捉了以赛亚对受苦的仆人的预言，这位仆人就是为我们受苦和受死的救主耶稣。在我们自己经历试探，感到害怕的那些时刻，这个教导带给我们确据，因着耶稣为我们的牺牲，又因着所赐给我们的恩典，祂所忍受的痛苦，是我们不需要在永恒中忍受的。
主耶稣啊，因着你受的苦和你的死，阴间没有能力拘禁我们。你又保证没有任何事物能使我们与你的爱分离，我们感谢你。阿们。
以赛亚书 53章
1我们所传的 有谁信呢？耶和华的膀臂向谁显露呢？
2他在耶和华面前生长如嫩芽，像根出于干地；他无佳形美容，我们看见他的时候，也无美貌使我们羡慕他。 主为人藐视厌弃
3他被藐视，被人厌弃，多受痛苦，常经忧患。他被藐视，好像被人掩面不看的一样，我们也不尊重他。
4他诚然担当我们的忧患，背负我们的痛苦，我们却以为他受责罚，被神击打苦待了。
5哪知他为我们的过犯受害，为我们的罪孽压伤。因他受的刑罚我们得平安，因他受的鞭伤我们得医治。
6我们都如羊走迷，各人偏行己路，耶和华使我们众人的罪孽都归在他身上。
7他被欺压，在受苦的时候却不开口。 他像羊羔被牵到宰杀之地，又像羊在剪毛的人手下无声，他也是这样不开口。
8因受欺压和审判，他被夺去，至于他同世的人，谁想他受鞭打，从活人之地被剪除，是因我百姓的罪过呢？
9他虽然未行强暴，口中也没有诡诈，人还使他与恶人同埋，谁知死的时候与财主同葬。
10耶和华却定意 将他压伤，使他受痛苦。耶和华以他为赎罪祭 ，他必看见后裔，并且延长年日，耶和华所喜悦的事必在他手中亨通。
11“他必看见自己劳苦的功效，便心满意足。有许多人因认识我的义仆得称为义，并且他要担当他们的罪孽。
12所以我要使他与位大的同分，与强盛的均分掳物。因为他将命倾倒以至于死，他也被列在罪犯之中，他却担当多人的罪，又为罪犯代求。”
“By oppression and judgment he was taken away. . . . He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.” - Isaiah 53:8
The Bible teaches about a place called “hell” that is reserved for God’s enemies. The New Testament mentions hell 162 times, and Jesus himself mentions it over 70 times.
People have found it puzzling, though, that the Apostles’ Creed says Jesus “descended to hell.” Appearing in some versions of the creed from the fourth century, this phrase may be based partly on some statements by the apostle Peter, who wrote that Jesus “went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits” (1 Peter 3:19-20; 4:6). Some people have taken this to mean that after he died, Jesus descended to hell to free ancient sinners. Others have said that “descended to hell” refers to the depths of Christ’s anguished suffering throughout his life, crucifixion, death, and burial for our sake.
Whatever the full meaning is, this phrase should not distract from the bedrock teachings about Jesus and the Christian faith. At the very least, the phrase captures in a condensed way Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant—our Savior, Jesus, who suffered and died for us. This teaching assures us in our own moments of fear and temptation that Jesus, through his sacrifice for us, suffered in a way that we, by grace, will never have to suffer.
Because of your suffering and death, Lord Jesus, hell has no power over us. Thank you for making sure that nothing can separate us from you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
