222 EEV. CANON MACCULLOCH^ D.D.^ ON THE DESCENT 



An exception must be made in the case of Theodotus. Christy 

 descending through the spheres, was seen by Abraham and 

 others in the " place of rest." They " rejoiced to see His day,"" 

 and on His return from the earth He enlightened and transferred 

 them to a higher region, the dwelling of Sophia.* 



We may now glance briefly at Xew Testament passages which 

 suggest the existence of the Descent idea at an early period- 

 Some have already been studied and need not again be referred 

 to. The descent, the conquest, and the release of souls seem to 

 be known to St. Paul. The descent : " Xow that He ascended, 

 what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts 

 of the earth " (Eph. iv, 9) ; " who shall descend into the abyss- 

 [Hades], (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead V (Eom. 

 X. 8). The conqaed : in Col. ii, 15, this is referred to the cross, 

 but we hear of " things under the earth " bowing at the name 

 of Jesus (Phil, ii, 10) — a possible reference to the conquest of the 

 powers of Hades. The release : This may also be referred to in 

 the words used in connection with the descent, " when He 

 ascended up on high He led captivity captive (Eph. iv, 8)^ 

 recalling, as they do, the " spirits in prison " of I Peter iii, 19. 



The descent is also known to the writer of the Epistle to the 

 Hebrews, who tells how Christ was brought up again fi-om the 

 dead (xiii, 20), and he possibly knew also of the release. This- 

 has been suggested by Prof. Loofs,t who refers to xii, 23, and its 

 mention of the " spirits of just men made perfect " in Heaven. 

 These may be the Old Testament saints taken from Hades to 

 Heaven by Christ, since under the old covenant, the way into 

 the holiest of all was not yet open (ix, 8), though this was- 

 effected by Christ (vi, 20). 



The conquest is also known to the writer of the Apocalypse, 

 since he puts into the mouth of Christ, " I am he that liveth and 

 was dead, and, behold, I am alive for evermore, and have the 

 keys of Hades and of Death" (i, 18). 



Finally the passages in St. Peter's first epistle must be noted. 

 We are not here concerned with the numerous methods of 



Clem. Alex., Exeerp. ex Theod., 18. The idea of a supraniundaue- 

 enhghtenment occurs here and there in Gnosticism, but not, as here, in 

 the case of the dead. Hippol., vii, 14. As St. Paul contemplates the 



submission to Christ of spiritual beiiigs in the heavens as well as under 

 the earth he may have held a doctrine of Christ's enlightening the beings 

 of the upper spheres. Cf. Col. i, 16, 20 ; Phil., ii, 10 ; Eph. i, 10. This 

 would be the complement of the preaching to the spirits in prison. 



+ " Christ's Descent into Hell," Trans. Third biternat. Congress of Jlist^ 

 of Rdigions, Oxford, 1909, ii, 299. 



